After the cold of Montreal, a quick 22 hr turnaround in the UK, got me to the UAE and namely Dubai. I used to work here a lot, and my wife used to live here, but this was our first “holiday” there. We stayed with some friends, and had a great time and i got some needed sun. Our main day out was a trip to the newly crowned “Worlds Tallest Building” the Burj Khalifa. This was the day to take the real camera and get some snaps. So, part 3 of the quick Mrben09 Travel series for spring 2013. Click any photo to enlarge.
The biggest building in the worldThe “Bellagio Lake” DubaiThe DiversSheik Zayed Road 1/2 a mile upDubai 2013, in 1965 !That would be some dive.Attack !At home with the dogs.I’ll just leave it here !Anton is tired !True Love !Jump !The not so lost city of Atlantis.Remember when you used to be the most famous building in Dubai ?Last time we were at the marina, there was one open building !
I was working in Montreal late march, and managed to get a late afternoon to myself with which to take the camera out. I took a walk from my hotel down to the dockside. These docks used to be biggest grain ports in the world. Nowadays its more touristy with restaurants, museums and an all round nice walkabout. They had just had an unexpected end of winter snow dump that week, hence the nice snowy sheen to most of the photos. I imagine this place to be rammed on a summers weekend, so i actually enjoyed my walk around with limited people, mainly locals out dog walking. It was also the first on the road opportunity i had to exercise my newly (to me) bought Nikon D80 and 50mm lens.
The Old Queen VicPlaying with the 50mmLoving the early spring coloursYes that is snow where the water should be !The Old FactoryView of the Old Town, mainly around Place D’armesSure its warm enough guys?Apparently this is a desirable residence. Looks like a load of sand coloured containers to me.They have landed !The Jaques Cartier bridge and The ClocktowerBonsecours Market BuildingChapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-SecoursInteresting architecture at Place D’ArmesBasilica Notre Dame and Maisonneuve Monument
So thats that. Short trip and cold but that was made up by the trip less than a week later….
Its been a while and apologies but i haven’t been to any WHU games as I’ve either been away or they have. So i thought I’d take the chance to ensure that i get up to date with my travel photies.To kick off, we wil start with Vegas at Xmas and New year. We flew in on Xmas day and left on New years. I had a load of notes but have since swapped phones and therefore rather than half baked memories i’ll just throw up the photos.
The Bellagio Conservatory ready for Xmas (or Coca Cola !)One big old Xmas treeThe Greek Gods Show at CaesarsGoodbye Imperial Palace, Welcome Le QubeThe strip in daytime with a visitor bottom middle !The iconic Caesars fountainsI took this photo just knowing in my heart it would be the last time i saw it open. It closed early Feb, and will open next year as the Gannesvoort Las VegasThe obligatory view from the room.NYNY from the car free strip on NYE.What night was it again ?Strip NYE.Strip on , what day was it again ?Chill Peppers were playing in the Cosmo with a crap (sound wise) relay to the stripJumping flea found on Las Vegas Boulevard.Bellagio Fountains at full stretch.Some people hit the strip for just a real fun time !Caesars looked like very majestic at night.Mais Oui !Slots now have guns attached to protect your winnings !Judge Judy has her own slot (no joke !)The rather posh venue for the KillersWe saw The Killers earlier in the week play their home town gig.Did I mention we saw The Killers ? With VIP free bar (messy).
10 months after our last Vegas adventure we return courtesy of Virgin Atlantic to what is becoming a regular annual (ish !) trip. Such as here, here and here
The usual routine for these trips is that Mrs Ben hits the pool, and MrBen hits the poker table. This was sort of the order of events, but I had to change stuff around as the poker events in our hotel seemed quite slow.
Weather was nice as always
Day one we got there quite late on, so i just made a quid hundred on the blackjack. Not a bad start. There was also the usual slot machine crawl, where you start with a 20, and try to build to 100 by hit and running bonuses. Mrs Ben nearly made this (after 3 hours), she was up to 80, but we had had a few drinks and it was time to retire.
Day 2, i set about my usual 9.00am poker comp. By this time i had hit the gym and had breakfast. Gotta love jetlag. Breakfast was in the ABX Burger ad Pancake house. The breakfast pancakes for £6 are amazing. Bombed the tourney early on, but made up for ir with another $150 on the Blackjack table. Lunch was at Lemongrass in the Aria, which is a chinese-thai modern type restaurant. Dim-sum. Oh My God. Get there early, we were towards the end of the lunch session (which is Dim-sum time), and just grabbed what we could. We also had the mee-goreng, which was spiced to perfection. More details on their website here.
Lemongrass. Great Food in the Aria.
That evening I took a bit of a kicking and was $250 down on the tables ans slots, but easy come and easy go, eh ?
Day 3 started with Breakfast at the Mandalay Bay buffet. As usual the fare was good in a nice setting. My 9.00am bombed again, when my KK was called allin pre flop by some clown with A9, who then hit a 9 on the turn and the river. Cheers, Nice hand. Always tomorrow i suppose. Having the hump i dropped 20 into an Alice in Wonderland machine and picked up a $120 Jackpot. Feel better now.
Thanks Alice !
I then retired to the pool with MrsBen. The pool at the Excalibur has been redesigned this year and is way better than before. In fact with 4 pools and at least 2 hot tubs/Jacuzzis, this place is severely underrated.
In the afternoon we tool a amble down the strip and headed towards Caesars Palace. We cut through all the usual suspects, Aria and Bellagio (quick +$35 slot win. Hehe). Our destination at Caesars was the Cheesecake Factory. Now in the city full of restaurants why bother with a chain. Because its not in the UK, and its just great food. The portions are huge, so main course only thanks. We shared some enchiladas and the “Bellagio” pasta. Strange name bearing in mind the location ! Fantastic allround, and I managed not to buy anything next door in the super sized Nike Store.
The Little House in the Bellagio !Cheesecake FactoryEntrance to Nike World – Caesars Palace
Yee-Haw
Day 5 started like 3 with my 99 hitting AA early on. Lucky this 9.00 am is only $30 !. As we had friends up from California we rented out a Cabana by the pool for the day. Well worth the next to nothing we paid ! This made for a nice relaxing day.
Cabana Time !
The evening was spend on the road again, and we hit the Palazzo for dinner. We had heard good things about the Grand Lux. Well, heres my thing, don’t go there. The burger i had was very greasy (greasy is different from juicy !). Mrs Bens ribs were dry, and the meat wouldn’t come off from the bone, and therefore was sent back. Chips were OK!. One other thing regarding the Ventian and Palazzo. They used to be quite refined, and a bit classy (for Vegas !). They now seem to have this rock vibe going on which suits Planet Hollywood, but I’m not sure about here. The Zebra Lounge gets a special mention. The band think they are playing Wembley and have a speaker stack to match. Far too loud.
On day 6 i changed venue for the morning poker comp. I went next door to the Luxor for their 10.30. This was a good move, and one I may make more permanent in future trips. Better organised, friendlier,and way more confortable. After getting away with a split pot, which i was well behind on. I managed to scrape 3rd for $134 (40 buyin). 3rd or maybe second was probably my best chance, as there was a lady who arrived at the final table with over half the total chips, and seemed to hit every hand. But i did my bit and took out 3 people on the final table. The rest of the day was by the pool, and chilling out.
The evening was a bit of an adventure for me as we went to Shibuya, a Japanese restaurant in the MGM. I’m not a Sushi fan, but i do like wagyu beef. I did try some Sushi as well, and I may be coming round (more on this below !). Not cheap but a fantastic meal and great vibe and service. More info here
Day 7 was spend mainly at the North Outlet Centre. This places never lets us down, and this day was no different, with bargains from Ralph Lauren, Burberry and Hugo Boss amongst others. My Jordan IV’s got some love from the market sellers. Our trip there was undertaken by Taxi, with a guy who seemed to no more about football than any American i have ever met. He was Mexican to be fair, but you get the drift. We discussed Booby Moore vs Pele, Leeds and Chelsea in the 70’s, and low centre of gravity being the reason for Maradona and Messi being better footballers than me.
That evening we found craps. The game not the tummy bug !. It took me about an hour to work out what was going on, but once we got going, we were flying and both made a tidy profit. Its also a great game for socialising, and just great fun. A few beers were had and great crack all round.
Out last full day started slowly after the night before but we tried the Public House in the Luxor for lunch. Great food, great price, shame it was showing “Being Liverpool” on the main screen. Might visit one evening when its full on our next trip. Can be found here
We also had dinner in the Buca di Beppo Italian in the Excalibur. The food here is just WOW. I really love it. The portions are a little scary, but likea mamma used to maka. ! Find it here
Yum Pasta
The evening was more of the same, Craps and Blackjack.
We flew back the next day just in time , as the Storms were coming and flights were starting be cancelled all over the place.
So overall, another great trip. The Excalibur looked after us well again, many thanks to Yvonne our host as usual.
+ Lemongrass, Buca di Beppo, Cheesecake Factory
– Grand Lux, Venetian in general.
On our trip you could tell that Vegas is still deep in recession. I currently give the Tropicana about a year after a successful relaunch, that seems to be falling apart. Oh and the Mirage seems to be the number one hotel if you are looking for Hookers, or maybe it just seems that way ! Never used to be like that.
Welcome aboard the delayed report of our recent Thailand adventure!
It all started on June 28th from London Heathrow Terminal 3. Neither of us had been in this terminal for nearly five years, so it was impressive to see the changes that it had undergone. Not quite T5, but way better all the same.
The flight to Bangkok with Thai Air was good, with great food and plenty of space. The IFA’s were friendly enough, and we had a full and varied AVOD selection, which was the one thing I was worried about.
We hung about in Bangkok for a while and then set off for Phuket. The change at Bangkok was a little disorganised but standard Asian fare.
We were picked up on our arrival by a driver, who took us straight to our home for the next 6 nights, the Diamond Cliff Resort, Phuket. After 20+ hours of travelling, I needed a shower and a rest before we went out. What I got was being told I had to wait 3 hours for a room. At this juncture my good lady wife took over, and within minutes we had a further upgrade, to a nice ocean view room, with a Jacuzzi, and more space than 2 people really need. Fantastic.
Room – Diamond Cliff, Jacuzzi far left cornerView from room – Not too shabby
Hung around the resort for most of the day time, and then we hit Bangla Road in the evening for drinks and an eyeopener. As with most Thai tourist spots, girls are high on the agenda. Jasmine made me laugh after she pointed out that if it was her bar, then the girls would be in for dance training during the day, as they were lethargic at best. After a few drinks we slept like babies till day 2.
Bangla Road Locals – Sex interdeterminant.Too Damn Hot.
Day 2 was a nice relax by the pool, and not a lot else. We had identified a group of restaurants on the web, that were being rated out of this world, so being the intrepid explorers we are, we walked down to the cab rank to get to our destination…………….which was the other side of the road. Result. First off was Joes downstairs, which had an international cool vibe about it. The setting for all 3 was just amazing, opening out straight onto a rocky bay, with the crashing waves (it was monsoon season!). I introduced Jasmine to Hendricks and Tonic and cucumber. That will cost me dearly in the future.
Arty picture from Joes Downstairs
Sunday was our wedding anniversary, and we celebrated by heading off to the Giant Buddha. This should be currently called the Giant Scaffold, as the head was incased in a rather fetching collection of 21ft pipe and badly hung monoflex. The view was amazing from the top, but a little misty (it was monsoon season !). That evening we headed back across the road to Baan Rim Pa (apparently one of the best Thai restaurants in Thailand). AMAZING. The best Thai curry I’ve ever had.
Cake from the hotelThe Giant Badly Build Needs Repair Budda !Rock and Coke- That’ll do nicely
Day 3 took us on the tourist trail again to Phi Phi Island. Great journey out, but the beach was way over subscribed, and you really did feel you were on a production line. However, the views you get are incredible, and in the end that makes up for the package feel of the trip. At this juncture I should point out that every where you go there is music. Most of this is western, rock / MOR. I should also point out that you will hear Zombie by the Cranberries about 1000 times a week. Now I have no problem with Delores as a person, but she’s no SLF when it comes to songs on the troubles. And after a while, I feel like I would prefer real guns and bombs to hers. That night we hit the last of three restaurants, the Italian, De Maurizio. Carbonara was great but I’ve had better if truth be told. But the shellfish pasta I’m reliably informed was just divine.
The deserted wide open oasis of Phi Phi IslandMeet Liam !
Day 4 was a real toursita day, with shopping centres , the hard rock, and an Irish bar thrown in. Brits abroad eh ? Event of the day was going to a massage place in a shopping centre and being asked to strip to my underwear. No issue apart from the lack of underwear. I was given a towel and told to get on with it. Possibly my first and last time, I will be fully naked in a mall !
In the Disco Tuk Tuk
Two days later, it was lashing down in a real monsoon style, enough to put a 3 ft deep puddle across the road outside the hotel. This would have been fine if we weren’t going to the airport to get back to Bangkok. After navigating the ever forming rivers on the roads we managed to get off on time.
Bangkok. The city of contradiction. We stayed in the Dusit Thani. A hotel that is now nearly 40 years old but has lost none of its grandeur or hospitality. Across the road is Patpong market. This has lost none of its seediness or outrageous behaviour from its residents. Dinner was had that evening at the Mango Tree, off the back of Patpong. Once again another Thai success.
Then the next day was off on the tourist trail. Golden Buddha and the Grand Palace were on the agenda. The travel between the two was interesting. NO, I DO NOT WANT TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE BUT THE PALACE. THANK YOU. NO TAILORS, NO PLANTS, NO JEWELRY OR GARDENS, JUST THE PALACE. Thanks
It’s Golden and a Budda, what more do you want ?May Budda bless this piling rig and all those who pile in her !
The Golden Buddha was great, and golden, and massive (bearing in mind it’s solid gold). The grand palace delivered on the name in spades. What is funny is the guys outside telling you its closed and that you should go with them somewhere else, over the megaphone announcements of THE PALACE IS OPEN, DO NOT TALK TO ANYONE OUTSIDE !!
TEN -SHUN !!!Not a postcard. I took this !
The Friday evening was a more non tourist affair as we met friends who lived there for drinks at some more local haunts. I saw the Thai Beatles, the Iron Fairie, and we ended up at Fat Gutz (hey don’t blame me, I don’t name them !). Drinks all round, sore heads in the morning.
The last morning for holidaying as it was took us to Chatuchak market. A bit of the beaten track and less touristy. Definitely worth a visit for some last minute bargains before you get off home (mainly clothes, accessories and house goods). More local goods rather than fake tat.
I managed to squeeze 2 massages in that day Nice.
Massage Panda !Skyline from the Dusit ThaniGuess who got a new tripod for his birthday ?
Next day we had a 12 hour flight home, but once again Thai looked after us fantastically, and we got two seats each. Result again!
Tl:dr Went to Thailand on holibobs, and it was great. Here’s some photos.
It had been six years since we had last been to the capital city of Scotland, and last time we were a little younger and spent most of the time in pubs and clubs, so this pre play off final weekend away was a more cultured experience and i have to say turned out highly enjoyable.
We travelled from Kent to Edinburgh in style, by rail, using the fast track from Ebbsfleet, and then a first class seat from Kings X to Edinburgh. This was quicker and definitely less stressful than fannying around to Gatwick and hanging out in airports for delayed budget flights to Scotland !
The seats in East Coast FC were great (shame about the passengers opposite, but you cannot have everything). Once we got to Edinburgh, it was a short trip to the Hilton Grovesnor in the heart of the West End. The room was an old high ceilinged affair as befits the city, but modern amenities meant it was more than fit for purpose for two days.
Room in the Hilton
We dropped our bags and headed off to the main event for Friday, the Pandas in Edinburgh Zoo. Being a weekday and a wet one, it was a perfect time to visit the Zoo, as we nearly had the whole place to ourselves.
The Pandas do not disappoint, so if you are in area, do pop in and say hello (just remember to book !). The small monkey enclosure with Squirrel monkeys and the like was another highlight.
Sweetie restingSunshine comes in for some grubSunshine outside with some more grub !Squirrel Monkey finds its Mum !
That evening we went to a restaurant we found online after perusing some reviews, called Chop Chop. This place was a chinese cafe type affair, but the dim sum was to die for. I also tried some fried beef, which i had to fight for after the other half tasted it. We met the manager, who was a lovely lady, who tells me they have a factory making and exporting the dumplings, and i dont doubt her for a minute. This place is a must for any fan of Chinese food in the area.
Next day was spend doing a little bit of shopping, and then onto the bus out to Ocean Terminal. Last time i was here, there were 3 porta cabins, and an ISDN line. Things have moved on since then, into a mid sized shopping centre, fancy flats and the The Royal Yacht Britannia. Leith has certainly moved on !
The Yacht was amazing, and different to how i imagined. Smaller for one, and elegantly furnished rather elegant than elaborate. You can see attention to detail everywhere, especially the engine room, which sparkles like new, and has done since day one.
All Aboard !Nifty parking your HighnessDing DongA Hottie with a Yottie
Thar She Blows
Back the hotel for a rest and onto another highlight, dinner at the Witchery. This place gets the ravest reviews and does not disappoint. A starter of asparagus, main course of double sirloin (500 g !), was amazing. The cheese i have to say was a bit of a let down, too much on the unusual, and not enough on the cheese in my opinion. Service was fantastic and so was the Chilean White we had to go with the meal.
The Witchery
The next morning pre our train back south, was a breakfast affair with friends in a great bar / day cafe in the Mercat bar on Waitland Street.
The train back takes a little longer as its a Sunday with more stops, but those big chairs make up for it !
Back in 2007, myself and Mrs MrBen, both got on a plane for the UK and left behind the sun and imported sand of Dubai for not so sunny London and then Kent.
5 years later work takes me back, and it would be a mistake to say i wasn’t interested in the changes. Since 2007 we have had a worldwide financial breakdown and an Arab Spring.
Luckily for me, work sent me business class with Emirates, and I have to say that has improved immensely and you get a real space and a fantastic screen, with a half decent selection of movies. Food as ever was of high quality, and with attentive staff made for a great flight.
The view from the front.The "remote" for the entertainment hub
We stayed at the Meridian, which was OK. An average room, in an above average hotel.
Much of the week was work related, and as such we went from office to hotel and back for most of the week,
But on Friday we had the afternoon to ourselves and saw two things, that did not exist in 2007. First off the tube (metro). Long overdue (road travel used to be hellish), and very well run (complete with lady only carriages). 3 quid for a day pass gets my vote. 1 tip. Do not drink (even water) on the metro. My colleague, was informed by a member of staff that eating or drink would result in a 200 Dhs fine. Eating i understand, but drinking soft drinks is a little harsh (travelling with kids must be so fun).
The other was the Burj Khalifa. Now I’ve seen big buildings, and this is the biggest, but i still wasn’t prepared for just how impressive the place was. The setting and everything else makes it almost look unreal. Shame to say though, the Dubai Mall attached to it, is just too big and a little over the top and difficult to navigate. I’m sure all the shops you need are in there, but i didn’t have 3 weeks to navigate the place.
Burj KhalifaSmall crowd near the Burj Khalifa !Metro Station
That’s about it for the tourist piece. I would highly recommend the indian and chinese in the Le Meridian. And for any expats; Dubliners, Biggles, Fibbers and the IV, haven’t changed a lot 🙂
The main changes i saw was a country not so full of itself and a population who seem to value money better. There were more “normal” cars (still caught sight of a few “super”cars, but no more than London). The locals seem out and about in the restaurants and bars, which is good for integration. Also, the press seems to less censored and there are some stories appearing in the papers reporting proper crime rather than just the next big investment. So, in short it appears to have changed for the better, but I don’t think 4 days is really enough to judge a whole country.
The end of the year brings me and my wife to Vegas for the 3rd time in 12 months.
It was the first time I had flown BA to Vegas instead of virgin but it was great and a little early. But for Xmas day, it should be !
We stayed at the Excalibur as usual, looked after by our great host. Xmas day evening we were supposed to meet friends and hit up Dragon Noodle in the MC, so we headed off quickly, got there and turns out they didn’t want to go there and were back in the Excal. So we traipsed back and ended up in the food court. Merry Christmas!
Once they left, we did what all people with 8 hrs jet lag should do, and started drinking and gambling until 6am. Rough, but hey!
After a little lay in on day 2 and breakfast/lunch in the Lynard Skynard I got some 1/2 in. 3 hours returned $192. Good start to the week. And we got to dragon noodle in the evening. And it was worth the wait. Dim sum was fantastic.
With a broken body clock i was up the next day at 5.30, so hit one of the new restaurants in the Excal. The ABX Burger place. the pancakes were fresh as a daisy and most filling. Missus TLJ hit the tix booth for some Elvis cirque action and I hit the poker room again. Another 3 hours but down 70. No problem, 20 mins of blackjack got me another 150.
I then got the call of the wife on holiday “shopping time”, so a quick trip to the premium mall got that out of the way, and we rested and then hit the Aria for the show. Bearing in mind this show is closing, I really enjoyed it, and it played to a near full house. Afterwards we went to the secret pizza bar in the Cosmo. I had heard about the real arcade machines and was a little disappointed to find a PC in a galaga shell. Cop out!
Outside Elvis TheatreOutside Aria
Day 4 found me at the breakfast 9am crapshoot in Excalibur. #This started a little late as a guy was being CPR’ed and then trollied out. They set the comp up with all the medics and nesr dead guy in the room (not the biggest room either), classy ! I busted early with 10 10 against a rag who hits a on the river. I’ll be back. Today we went for a wander around the strip, highlights being $167 bonus on the pinball slot in the MGM, and dinner in the cheesecake factory.
Day 5 was a bit of a washout in the crapshoot (i’ll be back), and turned into a relax with Penn and Teller in the evening. So the Rio, what a tip! You need to a be parkour expert to navigate the slots, they are that close together.
Teller and Mrs Mrben
Day 6. The crapshoot had 30 runners + rebuys, etc. got to the final table with no worries . Then busted 2 guys in quick succession with back to back full houses. I was way chip leader when heads up, so asked my opponent if he wanted to play for stacks, as time was getting on. He won the first, but the second we played cards down. The board was k high, and he had qk, and I turned over………AK! $498 in the bag. I knew I would be back. Lol. My first tournie win in Vegas !
I then got a tweet regarding the noon comp in the Trop on NYE with Mr Gold. $100 buyin, 500 in my bin, so why not.
Not a lot to report the next day, so onto NYE. The Trop room is nice, and the players were friendly. I got seated on a table with a bounty. A lady who i did not know, who was a poker tv presenter. I made the break, after being chip leader (between hands one and two. Lol), but was card dead, hard. As well as me, Dennis Phillips and Jamie Gold were still in . So far so good.
I have a bad leak, that post break I always try to buy hands, and today for no different. Blinds are creeping up , so I go all in post a 455 flop with 46. Called by tv lady with ……….66 and that’s that.
Spent NYE on the strip, and it was fantastic. Outside Bellagio for midnight, saw fireworks and then back home for more beer and merriment.
A few people out having a nice time !NYE Fireworks
Next day was quiet as you would expect, but we tried the new Italian in the Excal. Lovely and massive portions. Good hearty food.
We headed home the next day via Chigago. How big is that airport ? I thought if I kept walking I would be in Canada!
Xmas decorations in O'Hare
Next trip April, hopefully.
Some other random photos:
If I ruled the world !!Some random fans post my tournament win !Behind you !Master Chief I presume ?
5.33 this morning finds me boarding the Fastrack to Kings Cross. More strange was the fact that of the 4 people who got on i knew one of them. So i have i chat and get to Kings Cross in no time.
6.36 finds me somewhere i haven’t been for over 20 years, on a train bound for Manchester. In my day these were called Intercitys and were run (!) by Britsh Rail. Nowadays, Virgin owns the train and its called a Pendelino.
Surprisingly enough, work haven’t put me in first class, so carriage C awaits, and here i am now typing away on my laptop, fully connected to the internet. Now this may not be news to many, but to someone who has worked in IT since pre commercial internet (just about :)), it still surprises me from time to time, how lucky we are to be able to live this always connected life.
Anyway back to Virgin. Fair play to R Branson (or whoever he has sold this venture to) The train is well kept, comfortable, and actually relaxing. Apprarently food is ok as well, which to anyone who remembers the BR sarnie being the butt of many TV comedians in the 70’s/80’s, should resonate as a surprise.
Just leaving Winslow bound for Manchester Piccadilly. Will probably post later on the way back. Will i use rail for all long journeys now ? Probably not, but i won’t wait 20 years either.
So, last week, saw two things, one my birthday, and two my first visit to the Tower of London since 1977. I moved to London full time in 1987 and swore i would go back. But hey, its been there nearly a thousand years so in the scheme of things its been no time at all.
First off, weather was fantastic, and for a Sunday, parking was easy (and free in places), just of the back of St Katherines Dock, near News International (which with that day being the last day of the NOTW meant it was busier than usual outside !
As we entered (pre book tickets FTW- queues were horrendous), we noticed if we waited 10 mins we could take a Beefeater tour. Well worth it, not only did he bring some of the history alive he was geniunely funny. “Any Americans in? Just think. If you had paid your taxes, all this history could of been yours!”
We spent an hour in the company of our new friend and then went off on our own. First stop the Crown Jewels (the bling thing, according to the beefeater). Glad to see they have put the moving walkway in to stop every bugger hogging the front of the cases. Good call.
A quick trip around the walls and through the various towers and we were done. Its meal time.
Where better than Ping Pong in St Katherine’s. Their lazy Sunday afternoon promotion allows you to gorge for ages through their menu of high quality dimsum. From there a quick waddle back to the car and home. Once again proof that if the weather is helping, then London is the best city on the planet.
Mrben09 