Simpsons Visit!

Ash Cloud be damned! Nothing was going to stop our friends Laura and Scott Simpson from getting on a plane and coming over for their visit! They arrived on Friday 23 April...after an overnight flight. Thus, it was my mission to keep them awake, which my guests know I take very seriously!

We started with a walk through Regent's Park. The Simpsons brought lovely weather with them and it was a nice break from the cold, dark, grey days we had been having! We wandered around the Queen's Rose Garden and then through Marylebone via the High Street to Oxford Street, Regent Street and then over to Covent Garden. Along the way we stopped for many a pint and had too many laughs to count.








John met up with us at the Borough Market - unbeknownst to us it was St. George's Day, which is England's answer to St. Patrick's Day. Needless to say there were many people on very long pub lunches and a lot of pints were being raised. After the Borough Market we wandered over to Le Pont de la Tour for dinner. We had a great dinner with the Tower Bridge all lit up and offering a splendid backdrop to dinner with our dear friends.


On Saturday after Team Mueller went to baseball and the Simpsons went on a little walk around town, we took the Simpsons to see an English Premier League game! Arsenal v. Manchester City. We introduced them to a world of legalized betting on footie matches and also enjoying a pint (or 5) post-game. After the game we went to my new favorite pub in London - the Prince Alfred on Formosa Street in Maida Vale...and a quick stop at The Warrington on the walk home.


On Sunday John and I played tour guide and decided to take Scott and Laura to the Tower of London and the Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum. I was unaware, however, that it was the day of the London Marathon! It was absolutely crazy busy in the city and the tube was jammed! We made it to the Tower, enjoyed a Yeoman Warder Tour and sent Laura and Scott into the Jewel House. Then rather than fight the crowds on the tube we took a boat ride down the Thames to Waterloo Bridge and walked over to the War Rooms. We had a great afternoon and finished up with a relaxing BBQ at home with the kids.

On Monday I was on tour duty again - we took a double decker bus tour through the city, stopping off in Kensington for a walk up Kensington Church Street to my favorite place for Thai - Churchill Downs. After a great lunch and a few pints, we hopped on the tube to resume the bus tour at Oxford Street. We finished up the tour and then headed over to Southwark to meet up with John for dinner at Waterloo Brasserie and the play, "The Real Thing" at the Old Vic.

Sadly we had to say farewell to the Simpsons on Tuesday...we had a great time with them and really look forward to seeing them this summer when we get to the Cape!

Cheers!