Day 1: Hyde Park / Kensington Gardens

After we settled into our hotel and rested, we wanted to go for a walk. I’ve read about Hyde Park in tons of Regency romances and historical novels, and it was just half a mile from our hotel. I learned that one side of the Serpentine is Hyde Park, and the other side is Kensington Gardens, where Kensington Palace is, which you can almost see in the background of one of the photos. We didn’t get close to the palace, we were just out for a little walk. On our way there, a couple on the street asked us where…

We made it!

It wasn’t without mishaps, and don’t get me started about airplane food. Our poor kitty cat doesn’t know where we are, and we can’t explain it to her because she doesn’t speak English. But we got inexpensive SIM cards and the two together rail pass that will give us discounts on our train rides, and have now had a brief nap or shower. What we learned: Dixons, which sells cheap SIM cards, was on the wrong side of security. Vodafone has a SIM card as cheap as the O2 one, with more data. You can get cheap passport photos in…
british flags across the street in front of an old building

England trip itinerary

We’re planning to visit three places in England: Bath, Devon, and London. Bath Bath originated as a Roman spa, and was popular during the Regency period. Jane Austen set much of Persuasion there, and there’s a Jane Austen museum (we’re going to go). We picked Bath because there’s plenty to see, it’s easy to get to from London, and it’s more calm than London. We like having somewhere not-so-overwhelming while we’re getting over jet lag. In Scotland, we started in Oban for the same reason. We’re staying in an Airbnb, and we’re taking a couple of day tours, to Avebury…

6 miles in San Pedro Park

We’re 23 days away from our trip, and 30 days away from our hike. So, we dragged a couple of friends on a 6 mile walk with us today in San Pedro Park, in Pacifica. The weather started out perfect: cool and overcast, with a 20% chance of rain. By the end, the sun was coming out and we were hot and tired. But it was beautiful along the way, and we encountered a pair of wild turkeys. You don’t see that just anywhere!