I have found that London is the perfect destination to meet up with friends during a short two day getaway. While visiting friends in London, we spent most of our time at the local pubs, having a drink or two and catching up on everything. However, we do manage to get out into the city as well.
Buckingham Palace is our first stop, so that we can see where the current reigning monarch lives and works. The Palace might not be as large as other places in the world, but it has 77,000 square meters of floor space with 775 rooms. We were not one of the fortunate ones who have been invited into the Palace, however every year approximately 50,000 guests are invited in for numerous parties, receptions and banquets.
There have been numerous bridges, known as London Bridge, over the years that let people go across the River Thames. The current bridge was built in 1974 and it replaced the 19th century stone arched bridge. The most recent bridge is more upstream than any of the bridges before it and I wish that I could have seen the medieval bridge that had been in use for 600 years. This new bridge is nice and the views from it are spectacular, but it doesn’t have the history that the older bridges would have had if they were still standing. However, there is a certain ring to the words, “I stood in the middle of the London Bridge”.
One area that Fabian and I really enjoyed was Shoreditch. It is an inner city district on the East End and it is growing in popularity. One of Fabian’s favorite pubs in the area is Old Fountain, because it has a rotating selection of cask ales as well as craft kegs and bottles. Their food is delicious, especially their Fountain Burger, and they have live music every Saturday night. We got there early enough during this trip, so we were able to experience the atmosphere on their new roof terrace.
The Princess of Shoreditch was another pub that we visited during this trip. We almost didn’t find it because it is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the main roads. We sat downstairs and managed to get one of the few tables in the bar, but they do have an entire dining room upstairs for people who want more of a quieter setting. I really recommend the Beer Battered Haddock and Chips followed by the Almond Shortbread.
We really enjoyed our time in London with our friends. We manage to have fun every time we get together while we are enjoying a beer and catching up. Plus, we never know if or when we might meet up with some royalty during our stay.
Fabian and Unique
