London, Day One

 We landed in London around 11 am, after twelve hours of travel and circling above Windsor Castle for a while.  Honestly, it took awhile to sink in--have you ever wanted and planned for something for so long that when it finally comes to pass, it doesn't even seem real? Spending an hour in line at immigration and the giant "Welcome to London" sign in Heathrow didn't even do it. What did--stepping out of the Underground and into the streets of my favorite city. 

After dropping off our bags, our first stop was the British museum. I love British history, and Tyler loves ancient history, so it was a great combination for our first afternoon. I think we both could have easily spent an entire day looking at all the treasures from all over the planet. Highlights for me were Lindow Man, the Sutton Hoo hoard, a collection of Celtic torcs, the Sword of State, a ring of Richard I's, the Lewis Chessmen, and King George III's library--and of course, the very photogenic Great Court.

After a few hours at the museum, we headed to Forbidden Planet, a huge comic store--and Tyler's one request for the trip. Then we hopped in a cab and headed to Fleet Street for dinner at the Old Bank of England, which may have been my favorite meal of the entire trip (but who doesn't love a steak & ale pie?). It was here that I was also introduced to Cornish Orchards blush cider, and afterward I drank it every opportunity throughout the trip--SO delicious. I'm super bummed that I can't find it here in the states. After dinner we walked around a bit and snapped some photos before heading back to our room for an early night to help balance out our jet lag. 

 We stayed above a pub in Whitechapel--Jack the Ripper territory! :) Thankfully, we didn't run into any serial killers, but we did have a cozy room above a pub called the Culpeper. East London has its own special charm, and we were super close to a Tube stop, which is one of my top three requirements in London accommodations. We each got a free drink from the pub downstairs with our room, so I told the bartender, "Surprise me, but something with whiskey." He made me a whiskey cocktail with lavender--my favorite flavor! I'm just going to take that as a sign that I should move to London. :) Ha! It was the perfect ending to a perfect first day.