The McKays

A week before we departed for London, Charlie and I were each busily researching and planning for our stay in London. One evening, after hours in front of the computer, I proudly held out a beautifully organized sheet detailing all the essential services we would need……Tube stations, laundry, post office, and grocery stores. I had even located the nearest grocery and Mapquested the walking directions.  Charlie’s response was, “Well, that’s great, Honey, but I’ve found something really useful.” In his hand, was a list of the Top 20 historic pubs in, and around, London. Now, I don’t take well to being “one upped; ” however, I’m happy to concede on this one.  We’ve not only enjoyed the food (and just a little ale), but we’ve found ourselves in some unique little corners and alleys of this great city. We all know the long history of London and the many historic figures who lived here; however, it’s a thrill to sit in the same room where they frequently met for meals or a pint of ale.  No, we didn’t make it to all 20 pubs. Sadly, two have closed over the last couple of months, and we literally ran out of time to visit a few more. We did manage to hit the most of the pubs listed as well as one or two we stumbled across along the way. We hope to visit a couple more while we are in Greenwich tomorrow. For what it’s worth, we’ve picked our Top Five, and you’ll note that we’ve based our rating largely on the food and the historical significance of the establishment. Neither one of us knows “squat” about beer, and pubs aren’t generally known for their extensive wine cellars…….

Beginning with Number 5…..                                                                 The Princess Louise –

This is an absolutely gorgeous 17th century pub that retains most of it’s original architectural features despite a recent refurbishing last year. The Princess Louise is primarily known for it’s long heritage, decor, and especially their food. They serve the traditional pub fare…fish and chips, cottage pie, steak and kidney pie (one of the best we tried…..and we tried a lot); however, they also offer more contemporary selections and lighter fare….salads, etc. The pub is now owned by the Samuel Adams Brewery, so not suprisingly, all their ale selections are from the Sam Adams family. While Trip Advisor places Princes Louise at Number Two, we had to go with fifth place, but the competition was rugged!

Number Four — The George Inn

Nice selection of ales, and the food was good; however, if you’re a fan, you can miss this pub which is a gold mine of memorabilia paying homage to the world’s most famous detective. Dating back to 1957, the pub is the youngest on the list. It is located in a split level building that once housed the Northumberland Arms. Sherlock Holmes fans will recognize this as the place where Holmes tracked down Francis Hay Moulton in  “The Noble Batchelors.” There is a replica of Holmes’ and Watson’s sitting room that was assembled with the help of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s family. Pure fun along with really tasty, traditional pub fare.

Number Two — Haunch of  Venison

This pub was not on our “official” top 20 list. We found Haunch of the Venison upon arriving in Salibury on our way to Stonehenge. This pub actually predates the George Inn. Haunch of Venison dates back to the early 1300s. At that time, it was a hostelry, used to house craftsmen working on the spire of Salisbury Cathedral. By the early 1400s the building was also reputedly a brothel. To spare locals and visiting clergy, a tunnel was built between the church and the tavern. More recently, we are told that Churchill met with Eisenhower in a small room off the bar during the planning of the D-Day invasion. So with all that, who cares about food? Well, we actually do, and Haunch of Venison serves up fabulous traditional pub items in addition to a few selections of game….including venison, of course. We can’t speak to the ale selection as we enjoyed a glass of wine with our meal. We would be remiss to leave this pub without sharing an interesting, though creepy, photo. Here it is:

This is a mummified hand discovered during the 19th century. It said to have been severed during a card game when the owner was caught cheating.  Legend has it that he continues to haunt the pub. The hand was actually stolen in 2004; however, it reappeared under “mysterious” circumstances a few months later. Wonder of the owner reclaimed it for a while?

Finally, we come to our favorite pub in London….at least so far.

Number One– Ye Old Cheshire Cheese

At last, we are in total agreement with “the list.” This is hands down, the best pub we’ve come across in London. In fact, it rivals our all-time favorite, The Worlds End,” in Edinburgh.  A bit of history–A pub has actually stood on this site since 1538. Prior to that time, the site formed part of the guest house of a 13th century monastery. We’re not certain of the date that the pub actually became Ye Old Cheshire Cheese; however, we know the original was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and was re-built in 1667. This place is loaded with history, and we only wish the walls could talk. It has seen the passage of 17 kings and queens and has hosted such notable literary giants as Samuel Johnson, Charles Dickens (who mentions the pub in The Tale of Two Cities), Tennyson,  Conan Doyle, and Mark Twain.

The basement bar was part of a 13th century Carmelite Monastery guest house. We ate here on our first visit. The sticky toffee pudding is awesome, by the way.

Meet Polly, the stuffed parrot. Polly lived at The Cheese for forty years and entertained princes, ambassadors, and visitors from all over the world. Her death in 1926 was broadcast by the BBC , and her obituary appeared in over 200 newspapers worldwide. She remains above the ground floor bar.

This chair, was reportedly the property of Samuel Johnson and remains on prominent display in the main restaurant….note the sawdust on the floor. This is a long-standing tradition of The Cheese; although no one seems to remember why…..

This is the long corner table…said to be Johnson’s favorite. We’re told that he and other writers frequently met here.

Well, there you have it. Our top five picks for pub crawling in London, and although it’s a 90 minute train ride away, Haunch of Venison–and Salisbury–are worth the trip. Today, we will be leaving London; however, our ship doesn’t sail until late evening, so we have time for two more pub stops near the port in Greenwich.  We’ll keep you posted!

Ta Ta!

Well, after two weeks in London, we managed to get our act together this morning in order to see the ceremonial changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. We arrived nearly two hours early thinking that we would beat the crowd. Luckily, we were able to grab a tiny portion of real eastate near the main gate.  Actually, we managed to grab one of the few remaining “front row” spots. By the time the ceremony started at 11:30, people were stacked 12 rows deep behind us. By the time it was all over, I had been squashed flat into the gate. Still, it was an amazing experience and well worth the wait for a good vantage point. Charlie had seen the ceremony during a previous visit to London, so he positioned himself just ouside the palace gates where the regimens form just before marching in. He shot some beautiful photos….easier when you’re not caught between iron bars and a few hundred people shoving from all sides. I was armed with the video cam, but I did manage to snap a few stills.

Following the ceremony, we made our way toward Russell Square for a second visit to the British Museum. On the way, we stumbled upon the Princess Louise Pub, Number Two, on our list of the Top 20 historic pubs in London. Then, it was on to the British Museum, followed by a brief visit to Harrods. Now, as most of you know, I love to shop, but five minutes in Harrods, and I was dragging Charlie back to the door….Too big, too crowded, too trendy. I admit that I was also put off by an army of 20 year old, size 1, sales girls who looked like aspiring super models….just what I want to see after two weeks of pub food.

Tomorrow is our last day in London, and it promises to be another busy day. Will close for now, but will leave you with a few pictures from Buckingham Palace……and no, we were not invited in for afternoon tea…..Good night!

So yes, it’s Monday….June 6 to be exact…and we’re entering Week 2 of our London experience. We’re having a great time exploring the city; however, our days here have not been without some minor challenges. We thought we would share a couple…..

One of the great joys of being able to spend a couple of weeks in a city is being able to pretend you’re a native and experience the lifestyle of the locals. Last year’s trip to Paris was our first opportunity to try this,  and we have looked forward to our two weeks here in London. We anticipated that this trip would be a bit less challenging since we’re in an English-speaking country; however, every day here has shown  us that language isn’t always the barrier. We “get” the currency….most of the time; although the different size paper bills and the odd shaped coins threw us for a day. The Tube (subway) is well laid out and easy to travel, and honestly, we’d just as soon walk to burn off all the calories from the pub food. No, it’s the day-to-day things we take for granted back home that are making us crazy at times.

First, morning coffee.

Trust me, you don’t want to be in the same state with either of us until we’ve had the first cup. Imagine our dismay when we arrived to our apartment and found that there’s no coffee maker. We have a cafetiere (a coffee press) and a tea kettle for heating water. My history with a coffee press is checkered, and I’ve yet to make a cup fit to drink. I made two attempts after we arrived last week, and following the second, we made a beeline for the local market for instant coffee.  Also, they don’t know about Land ‘O Lakes Half and Half here. Milk appears to be the creamer of choice, so in the same lovely market, we located something called Double Cream.

This works well, but it will curdle like crazy if you don’t stir like a human version of a Cuisinart. In the end we have morning coffee, and we’re happy.

Second issue…..laundry. This has never been on my list of favorite activities, but I have to admit to having a new appreciation for the old Maytag. My first attempt at laundry here drove me to the brink of tears. Again, our first hint that trouble lay ahead came in the market. Despite the fact that we are in an English speaking country, deciphering the packaging and labeling of cleaning products is confusing. Bio or non-bio…..that’s the question. I’m still not sure about the answer; however, the matter was further complicated by the fact that some detergents go directly into the washer and cannot be used in the washing machines that have a “drawer” dispenser–and of course our’s does. After sweating this for about five minutes, I grabbed a bottle, and returned to the apartment to do the laundry. Let me add here, that this was an essential task as neither of us had all the items we needed for the next day. Enter the washer/dryer.

This is a combined unit that functions as a washer, a dryer, and a dry cleaner. It’s a great space saver, and truthfully, now that I’ve used it, I wouldn’t mind having one at home. It works beautifully….once you figure out how to work it. It didn’t help that the book of household instructions left here in the apartment includes an instruction manual for an entirely different model. I called down to the concierge for help. He (first clue that no help was coming) suggested I consult the book of household instructions……..I can now say without hesitation–When in doubt, punch every button on the panel. Something’s bound to happen. It did….the washer ran for nearly three hours. I still have no idea what actually happened, but I do know that Google is my best friend as I was able to locate the owner’s manual for “our” washer/dryer. It now works like a charm.

I could go on, but you get the drift. Fortunately, we’ve been able to laugh throughout these little trials, and we love London. Our only regret is that we don’t have more time here. We’re dashing about like a couple of marathoners trying to see as much as we can in the time available. Tomorrow promises to be another busy day. For now,  just let me say that we are relieved to find that some tools are universal…..and we’re glad.

Good night!

Hello again!

We still recovering from the four-day marathon through southern England. Saturday found us exploring St. Paul’s and the British Museum.  We returned early for a quiet evening looking over the photos from the past week. History aside, Charlie and I have been fascinated by the beautiful gardens we’ve encountered since arriving one week ago. The immediate temptation is to start planning our own garden as soon as we return to the states; however, there are two major obstacles right off the bat. First, July is probably not the best time to start digging and planting. Second, gardens on the scale we’ve seen this week literally take years to mature. I figure if we start next spring, we might have a small acre to enjoy by the time we hit 70. In the meantime, we can dream. For today, we’ll just share a few photos from our favorite gardens. Hopefully, you’ll find them as inspiring as we have.

Hyde Park, London.

The formal gardens of Hampton Court.

Windsor Castle…think Her Majesty will lend her landscape designer?

A stunning garden in the village of Bibury in the Cotswolds.

Churchill’s garden at Chartwell.

Ok, so in our yard, this gets a dose of Roundup; however, polkweed is actually cultivated in Europe. After seeing this specimen at Chartwell, we may baby a few weeks just to see……

The castle itself is in ruins; however, the gardens are thriving.

One more from Scotney Castle.  This would be a nice get-a-way when the thermometer hits  90.

So, there’s our inspiration for the day. Come spring 2012, I’m going to plow up a little patch of the yard and start with a polkweed garden:-)

Well, so much for the “daily” update. We left early Monday morning for a two day jaunt through southeast England.  We are spending four days with Ray, our London tour guide. He’s a marvelous fellow…about our age, very energetic, and entertaining. We started off Monday with a whirlwind drive about London. Ray knows that these four days are basically a “Churchill Pilgrimage” for Charlie, so right off the bat, we visit three of Churchill’s London residences. Charlie was immediately over the moon. Leaving London, we headed for Hampton Court, home of Henry VIII and, later, William and Mary. By the way, if you’ve had trouble keeping track of Henry’s wives, we learned a new rhyme for you:  Divorced, Beheaded, Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived. (Charlie goes for the esoteric…..so there you have it:-)

Next, we drove to the small village of Runnymede and the site of the signing of the Magna Carta. The memorial is next to the Thames, so we took a break and enjoyed a picnic by the river. Following lunch, we  took in a tour of Windsor Castle. The grounds and gardens were impressive, and we enjoyed the tour of the State Apartments. The Queen’s private residence is across the courtyard in a separate wing. Sadly, we were not invited in for tea…. which would have been lovely since it started to pour rain while we were touring inside.

To wrap up the day, Ray drove us to Avebury to see the ancient stone circle. It’s an amazing sight, somewhat similar to Stonehenge; however, here, we were able to walk among the massive stones which form an enormous circle that extends several acres. Did I mention that the stones were discovered on a farm? While we’re exploring stones, we were dodging “lamb patties.” Who cares. The lambs were adorable, and that’s more than I can say for the three of us…..we were soaked.  We were delighted when we finally arrived at Rudloe Hall, our inn in Corsham. Rudloe is a former manor house that has been converted into a country inn. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner by the window looking over the gardens.   We did not, however, have the luxury of a wireless internet connection; therefore, no daily update.

Fast forward to….Tuesday. (Charlie couldn’t help himself, so he’s already fired off a photos from the day’s activities, so I’ll be brief.) We started off the day in Bath and a tour of the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey.  Later, we toured the Cotswalds before heading on to Blenheim Palace, home of the Duke of Marlborough. This was another significant visit for Charlie since Blenheim was also the home of Winston Churchill’s grandfather, the 8th Duke of Malborough.  From there, we drove a short distance to the Parish Church of St. Martin in Bladon, the site of Winston Churchill’s final resting place.  From Bladon, we moved on for a quick drive through of Oxford, followed by a lovely drive through the Thames Valley before heading back for London and our apartment.  I’ve posted a few photos on our Gallery  at http://gallery.me.com/tjmckay508 For now I’ll leave you with my favorite photo of the day. This is the Temple of Diana at Blenheim where Winston Churchill proposed to his wife, Clementine.

Night all.

The Temple of Diana on the grounds of Blenheim Palace.

First, we hang our heads in shame…..we awoke at 9:45 am. This is truly an embarrassment for two people who usually get up at 4am and who pride themselves for keeping the same schedule despite jet lag……Not this time. We did, however, hit the deck running and managed to catch the Big Bus Tour by 10:30. Traditionally, we’ve found the “hop on  – hop off ” bus tours to be a quick and efficient way to explore a city, but it doesn’t work as well in London. First, the city is enormous, and the traffic boggles the mind. Second, London is in the midst of a major gas line overhaul, so traffic is being diverted every two or three blocks. Long story short, we finally arrived at Harrods (on the west side) at 2:30 pm. Our tour still included a loop around Kennsington Palace before heading east toward St. Paul’s and home. We cried ‘Uncle”  and hopped off. Retracing our steps eastward, we remembered seeing an Iraqi restaurant a few blocks earlier. Fortunately, they were still serving lunch. Iraqi food was a first for either of us, and we really enjoyed the experience. We found the food very similar to our favorite Indian meals; although, it was far less spicy.

After lunch, we cut through Hyde Park to Buckingham Palace. First of all, the Queen obviously did not get the word that we were coming to visit today. Those gates are closed tightly, and the guards were in place.  It’s always amazing to catch a first glimpse of a place you’ve seen hundreds of times in photos or on television.  Just above the main palace door is that famous balcony where we’ve seen the “Royal kisses” of Charles and Diana, Andrew and Fergie, and more recently, William and Kate. Let me add that I was the one taken with the balcony, Charlie was far more intrigued with the palace guards. At any rate, this was a day to merely get our bearings, so we continue on with plans to head for Westminster. Noting that the area was heavily barricaded, we wondered if this was left from the Royal Wedding or another event. I approached a policeman to ask directions toward Westminster. He advised us to cut through St. James Park. I asked if there was an event going on today. Without so much as a smile, he replied, “No, the Queen died.” Obviously, our jaws dropped to the ground, and the guy cracked up. They were preparing for a charity race through the park.  Of all the policemen in London, we get the aspiring comedian:-)  We did find our way to Westminster and Big Ben. Again, we’re late into the afternoon, so we defer the tour until we get a museum pass later this week. Now we turn eastward and head back for St. Pauls following the pedestrian walkway along the Thames. By the time we reach Blackfriars Bridge, one of us (moi) is going down for the count. Fortunately, Charlie is better prepared than I. He spies the Blackfriars Saloon and Bar which he recognizes from his extensive research of London pubs. We took a break there to sample a beer and Monkey Shoulder….a scotch that Becky discovered on her trip to Edinburgh last year. Now, properly fortified for the remainder of the journey, we head toward the dome of St. Paul’s and home.

We are now happily seated in our apartment and making plans for our tour of Churchill’s homes, Windsor Castle, and an overnight trip to Runnymede. More to follow tomorrow! Meanwhile, we leave you with a few photos from our March Across London:-)

Night all!

A view of the London Big Eye from the Thames.

First, that had to be the fastest transatlantic flight ever. Dinner was served immediately following takeoff. Charlie opened up Oliver Twist, and I settled in for a movie. It seemed like mere minutes before they served breakfast. We actually arrived at Gatwick 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Immigration and baggage were a breeze, and the driver was waiting for us just outside baggage claim. We enjoyed the nearly one hour commute into London, and we were able to check into our apartment upon arrival. We were so excited……then, we crashed. Admitting that neither of us got much sleep on the flight, we opted for a nap before heading out to explore.

Our apartment is located on Bow Street in the heart of the old city. Stepping out the door, we have a great view of St. Paul’s. We headed that way and soon located the Ye Old London Pub.  Now, we have to admit that we’re starving…..and thirsty. We went in and found a quiet table. Service was painfully slow, but then, so are we. Charlie sampled the beers, and I was delighted to find, for the second time in my life, an establishment that carries only two brands of chardonnay….Small and Large.  We enjoyed two “sharring platters” — the Chip Shop Platter  and the Mini Pie Platter—-traditional fish and chips and a variety of small pies…Shephard’s, Beef & Ale, Beef & Kidney, and Chicken & Mushroom.  Did I mention the chips???? The price of potatoes in the UK will go straight up while we’re here…..

Following the meal, we walked around St. Pauls and contemplated going in only to find that we were 30 minutes from closing time. We opted for grocery shopping instead. No matter where we go….food will  always be a priority:-)

Tomorrow, we’re going to explore the city with the help of the London Big Bus Tour….the local “hop on – hop off” bus that stops at major attractions around the city. We love these and have found them to be a great way to get the initial “lay of the land.” For now, it’s nap time again:-) We’ll leave you with a couple of highlights from our first hours here.

I usually prefer the Large chardonnay, but when in London, you have to sample a pint.

Ta Ta!!

Less than 24 hours before we head to London. Our travel agent just called with good news. The volcano hasn’t caused any major disruption in air travel thus far, and our agent says that we shouldn’t encounter volcano-related delays.

Charlie completed a lengthy list of last minute errands this morning and is currently trying to clean up all the debris in the yard following last night’s storms. Packing continues. Charlie got up from the lunch table, walked in the closet, and managed to lay out everything he’s taking in less than 10 minutes. I started packing at  10 am. My bag is still two pounds overweight……….