We arrive at O’hare airport three hours early and it takes us a whopping 20 minutes to arrive at our gate. Maybe this was overkill, however we did NOT want to miss this flight. This is our big trip, our dream vacation and we didn’t intend on missing a minute of it. We spent the next 20 minutes trolling our gate looking for a seat with a charger, which is strangely difficult as they don’t all work. We were unsure if our 7:15pm flight would include dinner (it did), so we ended up splitting a sandwich before boarding. Besides a lack of sleep, our flight was on time and we had no issues. It was incredibly difficult to sleep in economy. We would highly recommend upgrading for more legroom, at least when you are flying overnight and intend to sleep. At least we had free wine and The Good Place to keep us company.

We landed around 9:00 A.M., an hour ahead of schedule.

Since we had so much time to kill, we figured out public transportation right away. Luckily for us, there was an incredibly helpful Heathrow Airport employee who was willing to walk us through what to get on our Oyster cards. She probably ended up saving us at least $80. To get through the majority of the tourist areas of London, you really only need an Oyster card that takes you to Zones 1-2. The airport was in Zone 6, so we needed to add five pounds on each card to get us into London and back to the airport. We never would have figured it out on our own.

Once we got off in South Kensington we stopped to fuel up at the first coffee shop we stumbled upon - Starbucks. We enjoyed our large coffees and made our way through to Chelsea - our home base for the trip. We arranged to get into our AirBnB early so we didn’t have to carry our bags through London as we explored. After finally making it to our AirBnB, it took everything we had in us to go back out and explore the city. We worried that staying and relaxing we would have made the jet lag worse than it already was.

We had prepared for this exact scenario and booked a hop on hop off bus tour before we left for the trip so we would be forced out and about.

On the tour we marveled and took note of attractions we were interested in seeing during our trip. It was a nice introduction to the city and gave us a good idea of how it was laid out. It also gave Martin an opportunity to try and sneak some shut eye, much to Melanie’s dismay. The tour actually took us back into Kensington.

We got off at the Kensington Gardens stop and was pleasantly surprised when we stumbled upon a picnic area with a coffee and ice cream stand. We enjoyed a clotted cream and berry cone while taking a walk through the park. This park also happens to be the location of Kensington palace. We admired the castle and explored the gardens before turning in for the evening.

We were not in the mood to go out for dinner, so we were very grateful to be able to grab some premade dinner from the grocery store and cook at our flat. Thanks to European food laws, the packaged food is made with the freshest ingredients and was nothing like your typical American TV dinner - thank goodness.

We had an early morning and set out for our first day trip - Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, and Bath.

After arriving at the Victoria bus station to catch our tour bus, we decided to grab breakfast. Pro tip, don’t ask for cream in your coffee. You’ll get laughed at. Only milk. Also, no shades of roast. You’ll also get laughed at. Most tour companies don’t allow hot drinks on their busses, so we drank what we could and enjoyed our breakfast.

Windsor Castle was our first stop. We didn’t have a lot of time at any of our locations so our tour guide gave us the advice, “look, admire, move”. This would come to be our mantra for much of the vacation, and was especially true today. We had only a few short hours to enjoy the castle AND grab lunch before getting back on the bus. We were able to tour the queen’s state apartment. The show of wealth was present. There was something incredible about touring an active castle. As if you are walking right through history as it happens around you. We were not able to walk through the cathedral being it was Sunday and they had actual services going on that day. That came to be a blessing in disguise. We would have been so rushed otherwise. After meandering through the ground and almost being trampled by a marching cluster of the queen’s guard, we made our way to a cute shopping square with to go lunch options.

After getting back on the bus to have lunch and some history provided by our tour guide, we made our way to Bath. Our tour included access to the Roman Bath museum. It was interesting to be able to walk through the ruins. It was all surprisingly in good shape. We were also able to drink some of the water, which is supposed to aid in health. So far so good! We enjoyed another ice cream cone to beat the heat and made it back on the bus.

Our last, and perhaps best, destination of the day was Stonehenge. Honestly, we weren’t sure what to expect. On arriving we were taken to the stones by shuttle. We weren’t able to walk among the rocks, which was disappointing. however, there is an aura of mystery that surrounds the entire site. It was easy to feel caught up in the buzz and the crowds. We were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed our visit. Before getting back on the bus, Martin was stoked to find an Orange Fanta. He was told it would be completely different from American Fanta. It was definitely different! We had our first dinner out at the Jugged Hare where we enjoyed a traditional meat pie. Fullers pubs were highly recommended for good food and fresh beer. We really enjoyed the vibe of those pubs and the food.

We took a much needed break today and relaxed in Chelsea for much of the morning. After finally mustering up the energy to head into ChinaTown for lunch, we settled on Dumplings Legend and enjoyed three bowls FULL of dumplings. It was a lot of dumplings. We also found an authentic Chinese bakery and enjoyed some red bean paste fish and Tang Yuan as we wandered around the city looking for some museums to enjoy (and some AC to cool off in).

We accidentally wandered into the National Portrait Gallery thinking it was the National Gallery, but still enjoyed the history behind all of the portraits featured. We headed up the street to begin our trek through the National Gallery. There were really only a few paintings we were interested in viewing (and had time to see), but the museum was filled with incredible works of art. Many of the most famous pieces were difficult to truly appreciate as they were surrounded by tourists trying to get pictures with them. Despite the crowds, it was unreal to see these pieces that are so highly regarded and painted by such famous artists.

Also, all of this was free! That was one of the best perks of the museums, all of them in London were free to enter.

We also spent some time in the British Museum, seeing all of the featured artifacts such as parts of the Greek Parthenon and the original Rosetta Stone. We could have spent multiple days exploring all of the museums in London, but we were grateful to have been able to enjoy even a little bit of time enjoying all of these pieces of history.

We quickly made our way toward the closest train stop to find a restaurant nearby for dinner, and enjoyed a quick bite at the Crown and Anchor before heading to Whitechaple for a Jack the Ripper tour, which offered a full walkthrough of the area where the crimes occurred and theories on a possible motive. It was thought provoking and made it a little spooky to make our way back to the train station once the sun set.

Today was our busiest day in London. We decided to try to fit in as many sights as possible around the city. We purchased a one day London pass to try to save a little money.

We started at St Paul’s Cathedral, which was an incredible start to the day. The vast expanse and artistry within the cathedral was unparalleled. They also have a crypt under the cathedral where notable figures such as Florence Nightingale and the Duke of Wellington are buried. There is a nice audio tour which was also included in the London Pass which gave us some history and offered a walking tour of the cathedral. We would highly recommend a quick visit.

Next we walked to the Tower of London. We walked through the entire tower and enjoyed some great views of the Tower Bridge (often mistaken for the London Bridge). We also got to marvel at the crown jewels, one of the most impressive collections of jewels we’ve ever seen. At this point we were hungry and close to the London Borough Market. It is a popular lunch spot for locals featuring a multitude of options for food ranging from sandwiches to rice bowls. We cooled off with a Pimm and enjoyed a sandwich while taking in the people watching. The market was incredibly busy but we were still able to find some seating.

The last thing we had time for was a trip to the Shard, allowing us to experience some incredible views of London from the 78th floor.

All of these attractions were included in our London pass. This was also the only day we had trouble with the train. We made it one stop during rush hour before we were all forced off the train due to a closure of the line. We were in an unfamiliar area but were able to quickly find another line that brought us to our stop. We really appreciated how easy the public transit system was and how helpful everyone was when we were needing assistance.

We finished off the day with an authentic Italian dinner in Chelsea at La Mia Mama. This restaurant features a rotation of “mamas” from different regions of Italy who bring in their regional recipes and offer an authentic meal. Our mama was from Naples, and just like most mamas, kept our plates full all night long. We turned in pretty early because we had quite the early morning tomorrow…

PARIS DAY! Melanie has been dreaming of the Eiffel Tower since she was a little girl, so this was a dream come true.

We were up at 4:45 A.M. to catch the 5:00 A.M. bus to the Eurostar station. We had an 8:00 A.M. train ride and got to the station at around 6:00 A.M. We were very early for both our departure and return which was definitely overkill. We were determined not to miss either train and it was definitely worth it. We were able to eat both breakfast and dinner before getting on the train, which we were happy to not have to worry about while in Paris.

We booked a hop on hop off Paris tour through Big Bus, which had a drop off/pick up point right outside of the train station. We intended to spend most of the day on the bus, enjoying the sights and soaking up as much of Paris as we could within such a short time period. We were only there for a day. The bus tour started at the Louvre, which is HUGE. We were told if you spent 30 seconds looking at each piece of art featured in the museum, you would be there for THREE MONTHS. Now, we did not have that kind of time, but it was very impressive to view from the outside and walk the grounds. We were also taken past the Notre Dame, which is closed for restoration after a fire burned through earlier this year. It appeared to be well intact from the outside, but when looking at the side of the church, one could see all of the construction and scaffolding on the grounds.

We ended up wandering around the area of the cathedral, enjoying what else but a basket of croissants and chocolate gelato for lunch, taking home a variety of macaroons. We also were able to spend time at Shakespere and Company, a famous bookstore that was frequented by authors such as James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway. Being avid book readers, we were stoked to be able to pick up a few pieces of famous French literature and enjoy their free library open to the public and the cat that roams the premises.

We hopped back on the bus to take in some other sights, such as the Arc de Triomphe and Moulin Rouge. However, the most notable sight of the whole day was the Eiffel Tower. Talk about a dream come true. It really is a sight to see and we couldn’t get enough. Really, all of the architecture of Paris was incredible and romantic. The Seine was beautiful and the little art stands scattered along the river added to the romantic vibe of the city. While it was a short time spent in the City of Love, we were grateful to have been able to visit at all.

Our last full day in London, and boy was it bittersweet. In just the short time we spent there, we fell in love with the city and its people.

We started the day venturing to view Buckingham Palace. It was very cool to be able to see the palace from the outside, and it was a bustling area of the city. We were able to enjoy a walk through Green Park to come in and out of the palace grounds. The number of parks scattered across the city were incredible, and each offered a moment of respite as the city continues to move around you.

We had intended to eat lunch at a Thai restaurant, but it was too crowded, busy, and warm inside to be enjoyable. It’s funny how things work, though, because we ended up stumbling on street lined with food booths. We really wanted bao buns - which we ended up getting SUPER SIZED. One of the street stands was offering these huge, loaded bao buns and they were SO GOOD. Possibly the best lunch we had while traveling. Really, though, we don’t think you can go wrong in London. There is a plethora of food options all across town. We never ended up having anything bad the entire time.

We ended the day walking through Covent Garden and Soho areas and enjoying a drink at one of the oldest pubs in Covent Garden - the Lamb and the Flag. The pubs were all super interesting and full of history as some of them were established in the 1800s or earlier. The Lamb and the Flag was actually opened in 1798!

BEWARE - when visiting Covent Garden station, there are no escalators to the train station and there are 193 steps on a spiral staircase. They recommend you take the lift, especially when going up. We walked the steps going down, and we were definitely feeling a little dizzy. We had a quiet night in packing up after an AMAZING trip in London. We are already counting down the days until we can return. We couldn’t be too disappointed, as tomorrow we head to IRELAND! Another dream come true.

This was a dedicated travel day for us. We took the train bright and early from Chelsea to Heathrow Airport for our short flight to Ireland. We ended up having to check our bags since the plane was so small and there was a slight delay upon arrival when going to pick up our bags. We also experienced another delay trying to go into the city due to an accident. The public transportation system was less clear than in London, so we ended up missing the first bus. We also got a little turned around trying to find our AirBnB and ended up walking in the opposite direction. It wasn’t exactly the start we were going for when we got to Ireland. When we finally found our apartment, we were so relieved. The place was spacious and homey with a cute little balcony overlooking the parking lot and a garden area with fountains. It was exactly what we needed. We got in pretty late and wanted a quiet evening in, so we just picked up some groceries for the next few busy days and turned in for the night.