13 Thursday Dec 2012
Mr. Selfish and I have arrived in Lisbon. This is our 26th and last city on our European/North African tour. We are here for four days in Lisbon and then we leave for the States. We are quite excited to be going home. Can’t wait to see everyone for the holidays!
For those of you interested, here’s the map of our last four months:
09 Tuesday Oct 2012
Posted in Europe, Lake District, United Kingdom
As we were leaving Keswick in the Lake District, we made a brief stop at the Castlerigg stone circle. It was constructed as a part of a megalithic tradition from between 3,300 to 900 BCE. There are approximately 40 stones, but the number of stones keeps changing due to erosion.
Both Mr. Selfish and I have been to Stonehenge, but we found Castlerigg to be much more beautiful since it is surrounded by mountains. You can walk right up to the stones, and when we were there, it was nearly empty. Plus, it’s absolutely free!
At first, storms were threatening, but then, the sun came out. Castlerigg was certainly well-placed.
08 Monday Oct 2012
Posted in Europe, Lake District, United Kingdom
Tags
Derwent, England, Keswick, Lake Derwent, Lake District, Lakes, UK
On our final day in Keswick, we decided to take a stroll around Lake Derwent. It is an 8-mile walk but there are launches (aka ferries) along the way that can take you back to the beginning if you get tired. So, I figured that we could make it.
Unfortunately, it was a dreary and rainy day. The views were nice but I imagine that a sunny day would have been ideal. We started at the Theatre on the Lake in Keswick and immediately arrived at Friar’s Crag.
07 Sunday Oct 2012
Posted in Europe, Lake District, United Kingdom
After staying in Windermere for one night, Mr. Selfish and I went to Keswick, which is deep within the Lake District.
We decided to climb the Catbells, which is a 1,480 feet tall fell. From the top, you can get a wonderful view of Derwent Lake. It is a rather steep and sometimes slippery climb, but definitely worth hiking.
06 Saturday Oct 2012
Posted in Europe, Lake District, United Kingdom
Tags
England, Fell, Lake District, Lakes, Orrest Head, Windermere
I had always regretted not visiting the Lake District in the U.K. during the summer of my study abroad at Cambridge. Mr. Selfish and I accordingly spent three lovely nights in the Lake District. We stayed at Windermere for a night and then spent two evenings in Keswick. The Lakes were definitely everything that I thought they would be – absolutely beautiful.
As soon as we arrived in Windermere, we made our way to the Orrest Head in order to enjoy the sunset. It was only 423 feet up and very easy to climb. We saw lots of sheep and cows on the way up happily grazing about.
03 Wednesday Oct 2012
Posted in Edinburgh, Europe, Food & Drinks, United Kingdom
Tags
Afternoon Tea, Balmoral, Chipper, Deep-Fried, Edinburgh, Food & Drinks, Haggis, Mars Bars, Oink
Mr. Selfish and I had heard horror stories about haggis, so we knew that we had to try it. Haggis is the national dish of Scotland. It is prepared from sheep’s parts (heart, liver and lungs) and minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt. Although traditionally it is encased in the animal’s stomach, it is now typically encased in sausage casing.
We first tried Haggis at Nicholson’s, a traditional Scottish pub, located in Haymarket. It was served traditionally here – with neeps and tatties (mashed turnip and potatoes). It was quite yummy. We also got the sausage and mash in case we didn’t like the haggis. Fortunately, we enjoyed both.
02 Tuesday Oct 2012
Posted in Edinburgh, Europe, United Kingdom
Tags
Edinburgh, Greyfriars Bobby, Greyfriars Kirkyard, National Museum of Scotland, Royal Mile, Scotland, Scott Monument, St. Giles Cathedral, The Elephant House
Mr. Selfish and I did a self-guided walking tour of Edinburgh. We started at the Royal Mile, which is a picturesque shopping street. Then, we visited St. Giles Cathedral and walked toward the Greyfriars Kirkyard, which is an old graveyard. We also passed the statue of Greyfriars Bobby, which is a loyal dog who famously guarded his master’s grave for 13 years.
01 Monday Oct 2012
Posted in Edinburgh, Europe, United Kingdom
Mr. Selfish and I spent a short two days in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was a lovely city, and the Scottish are quite friendly! We enjoyed our short stay immensely and vow to return to tour the Highlands.
We started at Edinburgh Castle. You can walk in the gardens and enjoy the views from afar, which are lovely.
29 Saturday Sep 2012
Posted in Europe, London, United Kingdom
Mr. Selfish and I are all about the bargains and deals, especially when you’re in an expensive city like London. I’ve already gone over the 2 for 1 deals, as well as the free parks, museums, and markets available for lounging, learning, and browsing in London.
1. Shakespeare Globe Theatre – You can buy tickets to any show for 5 pounds. Mr. Selfish and I watched “Taming of the Shrew.” For a 5 pounds ticket, you have to stand in the Yard for the entire performance and are subject to the elements since it is uncovered. But hey, it’s 5 pounds. What other performance can you see for 5 pounds in London? Not much.
Aside from the standing and being subject to the elements, the view from the Yard is the best in the Globe. You can see everything clearly and the actors direct their voices toward you. Another plus is that you can bring in food and drinks (in plastic containers) to enjoy during the performance. It’s a bargain at 5 pounds!
27 Thursday Sep 2012
Posted in Europe, Food & Drinks, London, Searching for the Best . . ., United Kingdom
Tags
Curry, Dishoom, Food, Indian, Lahore Kebab House, London, Mooli's, Rasa, Tayyab's, The Monsoon
Mr. Selfish and I enjoy a good curry. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to stop in India on this trip. We decided to search for the ultimate curry in the next best location – London.
1. Lahore Kebab House is a restaurant off of Brick Lane, and no, it is not just a kebab house. My little cousin, Mr. Selfish, and I had samosas for an appetizer and then enjoyed the Bindi Lamb and the Chicken Tikki Masala as our entrees. The spiciness was just right but I typically like my curry to be a little on the spicier side. The naan was also perfectly cooked, and they even let us into the kitchen to show us how the naan was cooked.
Verdict: The best naan I’ve had yet, and the bindi lamb was spiced just right.
Score: 8.5
26 Wednesday Sep 2012
Posted in Europe, London, United Kingdom
Mr. Selfish hadn’t traveled much around England, so he was happy to do most day trips. However, I had done quite a few day trips, so I wanted to go somewhere I hadn’t been before. I discovered that Brighton was a beach town that was only about an hour train ride from London. Mr. Selfish saw the photos and was skeptical. He’s not much of a beach guy and always claim that beach towns are trashy. I convinced him to go anyway, but unfortunately, this time – he was right.
Oddly, Brighton doesn’t have sand but has pebbles instead. I couldn’t imagine actually lying on the pebbles but people were doing it. They were also pretty drunk so that may have been a contributing factor.
25 Tuesday Sep 2012
Posted in Europe, London, United Kingdom
The Days Out Guide provide some great 2 for 1 deals in London. All you have to do is print a 2 for 1 voucher, buy the ticket to the attraction at the site (as opposed to online), and enjoy your savings. But be sure to read the fine print. In order to retrieve the 2 for 1 voucher, you are supposed to show that you have used some kind of public transportation in London.
During the Olympics, there were 2 for 1 deals with the Oyster card, which is used for bulk travel on the Underground. All you had to do was print a 2 for 1 voucher and show your Oyster card when you purchased the tickets for the attraction, and voila, you received two tickets for the price of one! One attraction we used a 2 for 1 voucher for was the London Eye.
We heard that the lines for the Eye could be dreadful so we showed up when it opened at 10am. It was a beautiful clear day, and surprisingly, the lines weren’t so bad. The total experience took about 50 minutes with 30 minutes on the actual Eye itself (so 10 minutes for the line to buy tickets and 10 minutes for the line to get on the Eye).
24 Monday Sep 2012
Posted in Europe, Food & Drinks, London, United Kingdom
Mr. Selfish and I went on a hunt for delicious scones in London. In the States, I always think of scones as overly sweet and dense. However, in London, they are as they should be – flaky and delicate. Unlike biscuits, which are made with animal fat or shortening, scones rely on cold butter for their texture.
Mr. Selfish and I have enjoyed many cream teas in order to rejuvenate in the afternoon. Cream tea consists of combination of scones, clotted cream, and jam. Therefore, the key to eating the scones is to lather them in clotted cream and jam. Mmmmm…here are some of our favorite scones in London:
1. Yumchaa – We tried three different scones here – (1) date, fig, and pistachio, (2) smoked cheddar and chive, and (3) feta cheese and olive. Although the savory scones were different, I preferred the traditional sweet one. I like Yumchaa scones because they have a different more crumbly texture than the other scones we sampled in London. Also, they toast the scones in a panini maker. Another bonus is that Yumchaa has an extensive tea selection. Mr. Selfish and I tried the Chelsea Chai and the Chilli Chilli Bang Bang. Both were delicious and the flavor was just right – not overwhelming.
23 Sunday Sep 2012
Posted in Europe, London, United Kingdom
Tags
Mr. Selfish and I wanted to take a day trip to a castle that wasn’t too popular. After some searching online, I came across Arundel Castle, which is about an hour and a half by train from London. The castle was founded on Christmas Day in 1067. Beginning in 1787, serious renovations on the castle began, and in 1846, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited Arundel and stayed at the castle. It was recently used in the filming of “Young Victoria” starring Emily Blunt, whom I adore.
We took a tour of the inside of the castle, including the Keep. No photography was allowed inside the castle, which has been magnificently restored, but we were allowed to take photographs of the Keep.
20 Thursday Sep 2012
Posted in Europe, London, United Kingdom
In Part 1 of this series, we discussed the merits of the large institution museums here in London – British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Natural History Museum, and the Tate Modern. Now, we will review the four smaller museums Mr. Selfish and I visited during our stay – the Wallace Collection, the Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood, the Hunterian Museum, and the British Library.
5. The Wallace Collection – This is a smaller museum containing an exquisite collection of fine and decorative arts from the 15th to the 19th century. It houses a painting which I’ve adored since college – “The Swing” by Jean-Honoré Fragonard.
I adore smaller museums since I don’t usually have the stamina for a really large museum. The Wallace Collection was the perfect size and contained beautiful rooms with lovely exhibits. I highly recommend it!
