Holiday in England and Ireland
The Blind Eternities forum
Posted on March 22, 2018, 10:56 a.m. by shadow63
I'm about to leave Scotland which was a very nice place and I'm flying to London England for a few days then to dublin Ireland for a few days. Anyone have any recommendations of good pubs or fun things to do off the beaten path? Where going to tower London and stonehinge in England and the Guinness brewery and a few castles in Ireland.
I will address London.
The National Library has a very interesting collection of manuscripts that include original Beatles' lyrics penned by Paul and John.
High tea at the Savoy is highly recommended, but only if you enjoy dressing up to eat scrumptious pastries, and finger sandwiches.
The Mousetrap is a London institution. It is a play written by Agatha Christie which holds the record for the most performances. A clever little whodunnit.
The National Museum has some interesting highlights. Chief among them, for me at least, is the Rosetta Stone.
I enjoyed walking up to the top of St Paul's and putting the "whispering gallery" to the test.
You and a friend stand on either side, you speak into the wall, and the person on the other side can hear you.
Avoid the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. It is dull.
March 22, 2018 11:35 a.m. Edited.
I was a fan of Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in London. There has been a pub on that location since 1538, with the current building having been rebuilt just after the great fire in 1666. It was Charles Dickens' local, and is mentioned in A Tale of Two Cities. Other English literary grates, such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Alfred Tennyson frequented the establishment, and Mark Twain was known to visit when in London.
The atmosphere is great, they have some cool early editions of Dickens' works on display. The food was quite decent--not the best pub food I've ever had, but far from the worst. My fish and chips were quite nice, though the mushy peas on the side were rather unpleasant (I'm not really a fan of peas though). I was there with family, and tried their dishes--besides the peas, everything was enjoyable.
March 22, 2018 11:39 a.m.
Pea and pie floater (in gravy) is very British, but tricky to find these days.
March 22, 2018 11:42 a.m.
Since I missed the "off the beaten path" part during my first skim, focusing on the pub question, here are some other places I'd recommend:
If you are interested in military history, the Imperial War Museum is fascinating. They have an extensive set of items from England's long military history, including a truly horrific model of a trench where they've inundated the air with the smell of gangrene, rot, and death. It was one of the most harrowing displays on the Great War I have ever visited.
I second Argy's recommendations, particularly about the London museum. I feel like I could spend a week in that place and still feel wonder.
In addition to Saint Paul's, Westminster Abbey is another church that's worth viewing--it's gorgeous, and has the graves of some of history's most important figures. I'm a stickler for old churches.
The Tower of London was well worth a tour. Fascinating history and architecture, with great displays.
The Science Museum was also quite fascinating.
March 22, 2018 11:51 a.m. Edited.
Well my group isn't the type to dress up but the place with the Charles Dickenson stuff seems really cool we might check them out
abby315 says... #2
If youre into books, Dublin has a fantastic literary scene. Awesome little bookshops and you can almost always find some famous author giving a reading or book launch on weekends. The various historical tours of Dublin are also very cool - history is skin deep there. So like Im a nerdy traveler - but cant really go wrong with any pubs in the city either!
March 22, 2018 10:59 a.m.