London

I don't want this to become the blog equivalent of the dreaded slide show so I only going to include highlights. Same goes for Paris.

We were fortunate to have 2 of the best guides you could have: our friends who are London locals. Both born & bred. The best host is the one who is willing to partake in sightseeing in their own town. I can honestly say that while living in New York I was a bad host. I hardly ever went above 42nd Street and encouraged visitors to see the Statue of Liberty & Empire State Building and to call when they were done. I think my attitude has since changed.

Buckingham Palace - this was one of the highlights of the trip. In August & September, they open the state rooms here while the queen is summering at Balmoral. We had access to the mews (horse stables, garages for cars & carriages) and public rooms inside the palace. Very cool. Audio tour is free (a nice perk since they charge you everywhere for it in the States) and you really feel immersed in the lives of the royals family. They also have an extensive art collection throughout the residence. If you visit in late summer, I highly recommend this.

Tate Modern - We are big art fans and while I think you can get art overload especially when all the artists start to look the same and you can point out works you've seen in New York, Chicago & Florence but the Tate delivered in a very unique way. The collection here are very unique and provocative. In addition, they have a lot of interactive exhibits. They are currently undergoing a renovation a la MOMA and have clear glass panels exposing it. The Tate is housed in an old factory building along The Thames. The building itself is an exhibit. Free admission and a gift shop to rival the new one at MOMA.

Being Locals - Since we were accompanied by our friends we did a lot of local stuff. For example, we took the 11 bus throughout the city since it is one of the best ways to see everything. Why pay for the double decker when your oyster card can get you the same for only a few quid? We partook in watching rugby accompanied by ciders (first time I tried - really enjoyed it, much better than beer.) We went for a curry at Le Taj in Battersea, tea at The Berkley (a wonderful experience), they even hosted dinner at their flat serving a traditional British meal which was absolutely delicious. This really made the trip.

Eating - I would be remiss if I didn't mention at least one meal out. We ate at Eight Over Eight, an asian inspired restaurant located on Kings Road. Food was great. It's an extensive menu of small plates of all kinds of delicious concoctions. Gow Gee (like dumplings), miso cod, wagy beef (Kobe to us Americans), chili salt squid, sweet potato curry...I think we tried just about everything on the menu. Highly recommend it.