-
Travel: National Gallery
The National Gallery is worth the visit. First off, it’s free (by donation). Secondly, it’s full of beautiful art and rich in history. We visited on a busy Sunday morning and got to see everything we wanted. National Gallery One of my favourite Google features is the note on ‘people typically spend this much time here.’ When I’m trip planning it gives me a reasonable idea on how long an experience will take us. For the National Gallery Google says 2 hours and for us,…
-
Travel: Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster is like the House of Parliament in Canada. Yet, it’s so much bigger, older, and cooler. Be sure to buy your tickets ahead of time (we got them 4 weeks before we left). They do often sell out, especially when Parliament is in session from September – June. Palace of Westminster This is your audio tour. Don’t like tours, then don’t get it and just walk around looking at things. For me, I want to know what I’m looking at. Plus,…
-
Travel: London Eats
London Eats – this is where we ate on our recent trip to London. Full of some Michelin Star restaurants, along with pubs, and chains that deliver on freshness. Let’s eat up! Day One First up – HotBox (full list of restaurants below). We picked this place for the mix of pub food. It’s Texas BBQ – done well, I might add, mixed in with larger portions. This was our first stop after we got off the plane and checked into the hotel. For us,…
-
Travel: Hyde Park
Hyde Park is one of those beautiful places that centre around love, peacefulness, and a sense of coming together. You feel all of those things when you’re in Hyde Park. We visited on a Sunday morning – we picked up what we call a walking breakfast (shakes, bars, fruit – anything you can hold and eat while you walk). After getting on the tube from Aldgate East we got off at Hyde Park Corner. Our first sight was this monument – and we even got…
-
Travel: Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge – sometimes mistaken for the London Bridge. We arrived in London around 10am on a Saturday and after checking into our boutique hotel we headed over to this iconic site. Check us out – this is what we look like after 10 hours of flying and only getting about 3 hours of sleep in the pervious 30 hours. We’re pretty happy! And no, we didn’t stepped into traffic to get a good shot. We aren’t those tourists. There is a barricade behind us,…
-
Travel: London Tube and Oyster Card
London Tube and Oyster Card. Travel with ease and confidence. First, know that there is a difference between the Oyster Card and a Visitor Oyster Card. What is the difference? Oyster Card: 5 pound refundable deposit. You can buy them in London. Can top up at any time. Balance under 10 pounds you can get refunded. Visitor Oyster Card: 5 pound non-refundable deposit. You must order it online before you arrive in London and ship it to your home. Not available for purchase in London.…
-
Travel: Europe Sim Cards
Europe sim cards – let’s begin. First, let me tell you that when we travel outside of North America we get a local sim card. It’s far less expensive than paying the $12.00 fee per day that your local Canadian company will charge you. You do, however, need an unlocked phone and a paperclip. A few years ago the EU banned roaming between EU countries. Meaning, if you buy a sim card in London, it’ll work in France, Germany, or even Latvia. Second, do you…