Leonardo Royal Hotel London City

A few visuals from a top floor stay at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London City in London, UK.

A Glass of Scotch at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh

Before we even arrived in Scotland I had made it clear that I wanted to get a glass of scotch at the whisky bar in the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh. It just seemed like an iconic thing to do. If you're unfamiliar, the Balmoral has been a fixture along Princes Street in Scotland's capital since opening in 1902, and to this day is one of Edinburgh's most recognizable landmarks.

What I hadn't anticipated over our stay in Scotland, however, was just how much whisky / scotch I would end up sampling. By our final night, not only had I had my fair share of variety already, but I had collected a mini-bars worth of small bottles to bring back home. The reason this is noteworthy is because looking back at this now, I can't remember exactly what kind of scotch I ended up having on that final night when I finally sat down in the Balmoral bar. 

I know I wrote it down, but have yet to find where I hid the note.

Memory loss seems a fitting end when making a point of sampling a lot of scotch in Scotland, I suppose. What I do remember is that the whisky I chose was aged 18 years, the Balmoral itself was incredibly beautiful, and the drink I had was by far the most expensive pour of all the variations I tried that trip. I may not remember the brand, but there's no denying I felt like a king in the castle that night in Edinburgh, Scotland.  

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.