Fish & Chips in a London Pub

On what began to feel like a tour of British stereotypes, our visit to London, England wouldn't have been complete without all of the pub visits, all of the beer, and all of the variations on fish & chips we enjoyed around the city. What more do you really need?

 

Heathrow Airport in London, United Kingdom

A few visuals from London Heathrow, the UK's busiest airport. 

Paris to London Train: Riding the Eurostar

The Eurostar is an exclusive high-speed train linking Paris and London (among other cities) and is widely known for its route that takes passengers under the English Channel. 

Leaving from Gare du Nord in Paris, you will go through customs in the train station, and a short two and half hours later you will arrive at St. Pancras International in London. This highly efficient route is comfortable, fast, and will leave you just steps from King's Cross, the iconic Platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter, and with numerous options to head out and explore London. 

Here are my 4 main takeaways from riding the Eurostar from Paris to London:

1. Navigating train stations with a brand new suitcase in which two wheels have recently disintegrated is irritating for everyone in your vacinity - particularly in queues. I blame the cobbles. Given the frequency at which I'm documenting / taking pictures the type of irritation was different, but I imagine the general levels were unchanged. But did you see this train station? Lol.

2. Going underneath the English Channel is cool, and no question, the tunnel is an engineering marvel, but even if you capture the moment you go under there's still not much of a view. 

3. Arriving at St. Pancras International you'll find yourself just steps from King's Cross and Platform 9 3/4 ... however, even if you've edited hilarious Harry Potter outtake shots of your friends at the photo-op, it will be followed with "no one can ever see these". 

4. I really do like fast trains.

 

A Month of Travel Shoots Across Europe

For the month of September I was having the time of my life on what I can only describe as the most elaborate, continuous travel shoot I've completed to date. With shoots taking place across Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, England, and Scotland, there was no shortage of things to do, places to see, and experiences to capture. It was a wild month!

While content from these shoots won't really start to emerge until 2023, I did share a handful of highlights on the Editing Luke Instagram @editingluke as things were unfolding. Unlike most shoots were it feels relatively easy to sum up the adventure under a single banner or theme, I'm still reeling from just how varied and expansive this entire undertaking was. I'm going to need some time to be a bit more thought provoking - but, in short, it really was incredible.  

Unpacking a Suitcase of Travel Shoot Souvenirs

While the experience was undeniably incredible, I'm currently feeling a bit overstimulated and numb from this last month of travel shoots around Europe. It really was the adventure of a lifetime. A lot of this content won't surface until 2023 now, but I'm enjoying rediscovering all of the random bits and pieces I've brought home as I unpack and reorganize. 

Here are a few early highlights.

1. Kitschy French singles from a Parisian thrift shop.

2. Various pieces of the Berlin Wall.

3. A mini bar's worth of different Scotch from Scotland.

4. Belgian comicbook souvenirs - with an emphasis on finds from Tintin and Lucky Luke.

5. Retro inspired merch from Euro Disney's 30th anniversary - now known as Disneyland Paris.

6. A handcrafted "willy warmer" from Amsterdam ... for dressy occasions.

These were clearly all must haves in the moment lol.

Queen Elizabeth II's Funeral in London, United Kingdom

With a series of travel shoots across Europe organized and scheduled months in advance, I can't say that I expected our arrival in London, England to coincidentally line up with the passing and funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. From the memorials and crowds to the media coverage and profound focus that such a singular event manifested, our visit to London unexpectedly provided a front row seat to a defining moment in British history.  

Queen Elizabeth II was the longest reigning monarch in British history and celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in 2022 marking 70 years of service. Her funeral was held at Westminster Abbey in London on September 19, 2022. She was 96 years old.