There is only about 3 months left in Toronto before we move on so we have started making some concrete plans for the end of our adventures abroad. This Map shows all of our planed destinations, you can zoom in with the controls on the left, click and drag to move around in the map, click on any of the balloons for details and can switch to a satelite view via the buttons at the top. I will update the map if there are any changes to our plans.
http://www.mapbuilder.net/UserMapFrame.php?UserName=simmogem&Map=Travel+Plans
Whilst we have planned which cities we want to go to, we haven’t looked too far into what we will do in each. To help us plan, we would love to hear suggestions as we know we have a few seasoned travellers amongst our readership, keep in mind we only have about 2 nights in each of the marked destinations.
Oh and before anyone asks, we are not going to Houston, Texas to pay homage to George dubya in any way but to visit our friends Ben and Louise. After reading this piece of news we had second thoughts and commented that we’d rather stay out of the USA in protest, but alas our tickets are booked and are non-refundable, oh and we coudn’t go halfway across the world and not stop in on our Aussie friends! (Gem can’t wait Lou).
So the challenge has been laid, I’m looking forward to a favourite London pub from Waratah, some local knowledge from Brian and input on other european locations from Degrassi & Dwyer.
-Simmo
PeopleWhoDoStuff - Blog 
Your map is very cool but for those who are geographically or technically challenged a link to a diary type log eg day 1- 4 in such n such a place might be helpful
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simonmost of the pubs i knew have been pulled down after nearly 30 Yrs apart from the normal tourist attractions the best part of London is leaving it and go down south to Dick Turpin country take a drive down to Goodwood racecourse and try the old pubs as tou go through the villages , Dont forget to duck when you go into them youve got to remember the Elizabethians were really short. Try Hampton Court as well its on the internet dont forget to get me a cigar in Amsterdam and dont have meat balls in Barcelona especialy after the bull fight they tend to be a bit chewy, have fun Dell
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Thanks for the suggestions Dad, note taken re the cigar, shall do my best! We plan to hire a car and do some touring, check out Bath and then go north to York and if we have time head up to Scotland. I think you will be suprised about the number of pubs that have survived the last 30yrs, pommies dont like change remember. I shall do some research.
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Dear Gemma and Simon,
The itinerary you’ve mapped out looks good!
London pubs, eh? So many ways to begin…
In no particular order:
The Eagle, Farringdon Road, Clerkenwell – the original London gastro-pub. The world seems to be divided into those that love The Eagle, and those that hate it, with no in between. It’s open plan, with the kitchen in plain view. The food is a little expensive, but not over the top, and it is good. Always busy in the evenings, so sometimes hard to get a table. Not a great range of ales, but enough to be going on with. Full of Guardian journos – their office is just up the road.
Jerusalem Tavern, Britton Street, Clerkenwell – just about the oldest pub in London, it commenced trading in the seventeenth century. Tiny, with wooden benches and candlelit, it has some very tasty beers on tap. Try the St Peter’s ales, which are hard to find elsewhere, and certainly the atmosphere is hard to beat.
Museum Tavern, Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury – strangely enough, it’s located across the road from the British Museum (well worth a visit). Plenty of tourists, but still a genuine old pub. Karl Marx was a regular, ducking in after he’d had enough of postulating the surplus theory of labour value, and trying to understand dialectical materialism, which sounds like thirsty work to me. Try the Theakston’s Old Peculier if it’s available. A classic dark ale, more of a meal than a beer.
The Sun, Parkshot, Richmond – a rugby pub if there ever was one. First visit was with some FBU comrades after we’d been to the England v Australia Test at Twickenham, yes, that one where the Wallaby scrum was destroyed. Second time was after England had just lost to NZ, then we got to the pub in time to watch Wales trounce Australia. Much rugby memorabilia on the walls, and packed both times. Friendly, and much enjoyment was had despite the defeats.
The White Cross, Water Lane, Richmond – right on the Thames at Richmond. Nice atmosphere, perfect after a riverside walk, or a visit to Kew Gardens (just up the line a couple of stops) in London’s brisk early spring. If it’s Sunday, they do a full old fashioned roast with all the trimmings. If you’re into that sort of thing.
The White Horse, Parsons Green, Parsons Green – fairly posh crowd, but don’t let that put you off. Great selection of local ales, with some Belgian draughts thrown in for variety. Good food, but fairly expensive (anything half decent in London always is). Apparently also known as the Sloaney Pony.
Le Chemic, 9 Johnson Street, Woodhouse, Leeds – OK, obviously it’s not London, but if you’re up north, well worth a visit. A true local, unpretentious, full of character, and possibly the friendliest pub I’ve visited. They pull a great Tetley’s Bitter, and have impromptu music nights. Anyone who brings an instrument can join in.
Cheers,
George
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Well its good to see you enjoyed your time in London. Thanks for the detailed listing. We won’t have time to get to all of them but I like the sound of the Rugby pub, should be around Finals time for the Super 14’s too.
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Hi guys!
Need any hints for Nova Scotia or PEI? There’s a great little hostel on the Cabot Trail that I stayed in http://www.cabottrail.com/hostel/#
The owner is a really nice guy – he sometimes takes groups out to see Moose in the area. Let me know when you’re on MSN next and I’ll fill you guys in.
Hope you guys are having a fab time
Johnny
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Hey Johnny,
Would love some PEI/Nova Scotia tips. We are planning on hiring a car heading along the Cabot trail to Cape Breton, staying one night then going to PEI for two nights before returning to Halifax. Still haven’t seen any Moose yet so will be very keen to go hunting (for photos).
I wouldn’t mind checking out a few of the whale watching spots as well, oh and eating lots of shellfish!
Gem
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G’Day Simon and Gemma.
If you let me know when your going to be in London or Frankfurt I’ll try and bid for a trip and catch up with you guys for a day. There is heaps to do and see in London and the areas around it. Transport is really easy!!! There are lots of great places only a few hours out. Train travel on some of the lines is quite expnsive as it is all privatised, but well woth the cost. Places I’ve enjoyed are Cambridge, Brighton, Greenwich, Oxford and a lot of places around London. It all depends on what you want to see. Still on my list are dover, bath, and windsor to name a few. As far as Frankfurt goes, the best thing to see (in my opinion) is the Rhine. Depending on what time of year you go they have fantastic boat tours down the river from Mainz. You can have a few glasses of wine while watching the castles on the cliffs go by as you make your way to St Goar where you can hop off, explore a castle and enjoy the fantastic German food. Rudersheim is also on the way on the river and is very pretty. It has a great statue of the first Kaizer who unified feudal Germany and a cable car ride up the mountain to see it. Depending on what time you go the Germans have great festivals at various times in the year in the square at Mainz (and everywhere else) where you can sample some great German traditions with cuisine and my favorite… Alcohol.
Cheers,
Griff.
Ps. who are you flying home from Europe with?
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Hey Griff,
Flying to and from Europe with British Airways (but they are coming from and going to the USA).
Thanks for the tips on London, Frankfurt and surounding area. We will arive in London on April 16 and have till the 28th in the UK. We are going to try and get up to Scotland, possibly Ireland down to Bath and back to London before we hit Paris.
At this stage we will be in Frankfurt on May 16/17 although we are still not 100% on that. We are looking into doing a rhine cruise which might see us skip frankfurt altogether. What do you think?
Great to hear from you.
Simmo
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