12/16 - One More Off-Topic on London - Food (Fast or Otherwise)

Many people have worried about eating in London and in the U.K. in general because they have heard that British food is horrible.  That used to be true, at least to some degree, but London is a huge city and incredibly diverse, so food is diverse as well.  Think about the cooking shows you have watched lately on TV.  How many of them come from British cooks?  Gordon Ramsey ring a bell?  And The Great British Bake Off? 

"Classic" British food can still be found everywhere in the United Kingdom, with the term "classic" referring to things like fish and chips, bangers and mash, sausage rolls, shepherd's pie, hot pots, Cornish pasties, and Sunday Roast.  Most of these traditional foods tended to be a bit under-spiced, and rather bland, but you can still find them in pubs and local restaurants. And almost every museum, attraction, or art gallery will have a tea room, which serves tea, coffee, soft drinks, and a wide variety of what the English do best--cakes and pastries!!  (If you have never had Victoria Sponge cake, you are missing out on one of life's greatest pleasures! Ditto for freshly baked scones filled with strawberry jam and a huge clump of clotted cream!)  

On the other hand, London and most large cities have been overrun in the past couple of decades with just about every fast food restaurant you can think of:  McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, Subway, Wendy's, Starbucks, and Five Guys.  These can easily be found in train stations or just outside of train stations.  

Today, London has 8.8 million residents, with almost half of them having been born in other countries!  And when people come, so does their food, so you can find almost any kind of food in London.  You might need to ask around for some of the best which tend to be outside the tourist areas, but they will be worth the effort. 

Also, the British office workers and shoppers rely heavily on "grab and go" food, which tends to be fresher and more widely available than in the U.S.  By take-out, I am mostly referring to pre-made sandwiches, soups, salads, and deserts available in refrigerator cabinets in convenience stores, department stores, grocery stores, and dedicated take-out stores such as Pret a Manger, which is an excellent all-organic and freshly made food.  You can hardly walk anywhere in London without seeing one of these shops.  

Of the above, my favorite is Pret because they donate all sandwiches, salads, and most other unsold things every evening after closing.  The recipients are various rescue charities and food banks.  Employees arrive very early every morning to make the day's replacements, so you can be sure everything you buy there is fresh.  In addition, because they specialize in organic food, if you find something with ham in it, the meat comes from a big sliced whole ham, not a deli that slices preserved hams.  Ditto for a chicken sandwich containing only freshly cooked chicken breasts, not chicken deli pressed and formed meat.  

Another place I relied on heavily when I traveled in London was M&S, or Marks & Spencer, which is a major clothing store.  Sound strange?  Just walk past the clothing racks to the back of the store, and you will find a grocery store focusing heavily of pre-made sandwiches, salads, and other foods, plus things like cookies, chocolate, coffee, tea, and other things you might want to take to the office or home for a treat.  

Also, if you are grabbing a sandwich or salad and a drink in a supermarket or clothing store, ask about what they call a "meal deal."  A meal deal is fairly new but has spread like crazy.  Basically, it is a main, snack, and a drink.  The "main is likely to be a sandwich or a salad" and the snack can be something sweet like a piece of cake or pastry to a chocolate bar.  It can also be something salty like chips or pretzel.  They cost about £4-5, so you save quite a bit on these.  Pret just started its own meal deal, and it costs between £6-7, but their food is all organic, and worth it.  They meal deal includes "any bread-based sandwich, crisps, and a drink."

You will not go hungry in London, but one tip is to choose a hotel in or very near a commercial area with lots of shops.  The first year I went there, I picked a hotel in an area with a lot of high-rise office buildings, and everything closed at 5 pm, so I had quite a walk in the dark to find a restaurant or fast food.  

In any case, when you can't find what you like, don't forget that the larger train stations are filled with restaurants and shops. 

Oh, and the big news is that McDonalds in the UK now serves breakfast, but be aware that almost all of their breakfast sandwiches have mayonnaise on them, even things like Egg McMuffins, so you might want to change the condiments. 

A Warning:  A big item that people from the U.S. and the British strongly disagree on is the necessity for ice in drinks.  Basically, Brits do not like ice in drinks and feel it waters them down too much.  Even if you ask for ice in your drink, you will probably get no more than one or two ice cubes.  I remember once getting a Dixie kitchen cup with one ice cube in it to accompany my 16 ounce  Pepsi!  I should have taken a photo.  

And do read labels of drinks.  Many of them contain artificial sweeteners even if they are NOT labeled as diet drinks.  I wrote about this here in third and fourth paragraphs: https://2025humongousenglandwalesadventure.blogspot.com/2025/08/723-food-restaurants-in-uk.html   

12/11 Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Juno Beach, FL

This is a sea turtle hospital and rehabilitation center just south of Jupiter, FL, on U.S. Highway 1.  There is no cost for visiting here, but donations are welcome.  

Actually, I have visited this place three times in the last 13 years.  The first time was when the old center was there, but the second time about four or five years ago, half of it was newly constructed and half was still under construction.  The big tanks were temporarily in the new office area.  I visited this place today for the third time because I wanted to see the finished center, and it was well worth the trip.  

There are two parking areas, a smaller one along Highway 1, and a larger lot in the back along Ocean Drive, facing the beach.  I parked in the larger one because my vehicles takes up several  spaces, and I was concerned that the front lot would be too cramped.  It was a good decision, even if I had to walk all the way around the building to find an entrance.  If both these lots are full, there is a small shopping mall across Highway 1, and another down a side street. 

Every turtle has his or her name painted on his back so he can be positively identified. 

There are a lot of available pools for turtles that might be brought in on short notice.  Last week they received 25 juvenile sea turtles from a turtle hospital in New England that had 600 turtles brought in with frostbite and was only able to handle 400.  They made calls to a lot of other turtle sanctuaries in warmer places such as Florida and shipped the juveniles out by plane.  Once they are healed, in about two week, they will be dropped off at Canaveral which is warmer than where they came from!  

This sign identifies the turtle above, which was one of the turtles sent from New England.  They don't need any treatment other than some antibiotics, pain control, and warmer water for a while.  

This turtle has been here for a few weeks.  It lost part of its left front flipper to a shark attack, but seems to be able to swim and catch fish, so it also will be released after a few weeks of healing of its bad flipper.  

Who is looking at who?  

This sign describes the above turtle.  

About half of these tanks were empty, which is good because they can accept more turtles. 

Another view of all the tanks.  

 

 

Interesting map of the facility.  

I thought this skeleton of a sea turtle was interesting because you can tell that their shell was part of their ribs and other bones, not just something separate stuck onto their bodies.  That is why they can feel when you touch their shells or brush them with a stiff brush. 

The next three images are of the three main types of turtles housed here"  Green, Leatherback, and Loggerhead. 

 

 

My rig in the back parking lot!

12/4 More Than Slightly Off-Topic - Visiting London

This is certainly out of place, but I have been talking to a couple of old friends who are planning on visiting London next year, and this brought up some things I have been thinking of.  (I'm also going to post this in my blog about my trip to the UK this past summer.)

First, I have been to London several times in the past 25 years, and love the city because it has everything--history, shopping, dining, shows, and some unique places.  Each time I have gone, I have discovered a few more interesting places, most of which are not on the usual tourist routes.   

Most people, especially Americans, spend anywhere from 2 to 4 days in London.  That gives them time to see the following:

• The Tower of London (lovely place to spend an afternoon)
• Tower Bridge (go inside to see the operating machinery)
• Westminster Abbey (take a verger tour for the best experience)
• Big Ben (This is a bell, but most people refer to the tower as Big Ben, and you can only see that from the outside.) 
• Harrods (Visit the food court and buy some tea or a sandwich for a picnic lunch)
• The London Eye observation wheel (overpriced and long lines) 
• Horse Guards (maybe)

By the way, if someone tries to sell you a ticket to see Buckingham Palace, know that it is only open a couple of months each year, so that ticket is going to be mostly your standing outside the gates and looking at it from the front.  And the tower that holds Big Ben is NOT open to tourists, so you will only be looking at this from the windows of a bus or standing outside of it.  And Westminster Abbey is worth several hours, not 30 minutes!  In other words, don't be talked into a "tour" when you can walk or take the Tube there on your own and join the crowd looking at these places.  Do, however, check online to find out when the changing of the guard occurs and when there are horse or royal guard parades on streets.  And the hop-on-hop-off bus is a good idea.

Another tip is to research bank holiday dates and British school holidays.  Most British schools do not start summer breaks until mid-July, so late May and early June are good times to travel in the U.K. without extra crowds.  And don't even THINK of driving a car into London, Edinburgh, or York ANYTIME!  Take the train to those cities, and if you want to rent a car, check prices in small towns and rent from one of the big U.S. owned chains.   

The things-to-see list above is a legitimate list, but there are a lot of other things in London to see that are free or almost free and much more interesting.  For example, here is my list of places I like to visit, many of which are free:

• British Museum, Free. This is a whopper of a museum, so it cannot be done in one day.  Also, be prepared to wait in a long line to get in if you are there on a weekend or during the busy late summer season.  (On my last trip, my feet and back were hurting, and I told the guards at the entrance how old I was and asked was there some way to skip the long line.  They kindly let me go directly in!)   My favorite area is ancient Britain in this museum, though I have spent time in other areas.  
• Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington, on Cromwell st.  https://www.vam.ac.uk/south-kensington.  Free. You can't do all of this museum in one day either, so pick one area and visit it, then come back another day or another trip.  My favorite is the jewel collection in the basement where you can view more diamonds and precious stones than you can imagine.  Check out Queen Victoria's tiny crown here.  There is also an extremely nice gift shop in this museum, and if you walk past it and out the rear center doors, you will find a lovely little garden and a cafe.  Good place to rest your feet and whatever else bothers you!  
• Natural History Museum, just west of the V&A.  https://www.nhm.ac.uk/.   Free.  It is mostly your typical dinosaur museum, but the inside of this building has a unique and incredible architecture.  Take the elevator to the second floor near the entrance, and look up at the ceiling where there are several hundred panels depicting living plants.  Also, take a walk through the little garden on the way back towards the V&A, and see if you can find the two small Wollemi pine trees.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wollemia   These trees have been around as long as the dinosaurs, but were thought to be extinct until several were found in an Australian canyon.  You will find two of these in this garden, each one about 3' tall and in pots. 
• Museum of London, Docklands, but soon to be Smithfield.  Free.  https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/  Unfortunately, the old London Museum in the Barbicon area has been closed for the past two years. The Docklands museum is currently open, but it contains only part of its collection of London history.  The original museum contained examples of Ancient and Roman life in London. The new museum is scheduled to open in late 2026 in Smithfield, which is not too far from its original location, and I somehow may make a quick trip to visit it sometime.    
• Banqueting House - About $6.  https://www.hrp.org.uk/banqueting-house/   If you are looking at the horse guards on Whitehall Street, just turn around and walk a hundred feet south and cross the street.  This historical building seems unassuming from the outside, but it was originally part of Whitehall Palace which was enlarged by Henry VIII and destroyed by fire in 1698.  Inside, there is a magnificent ceiling painted by Peter Paul Rubens.  There are tables with mirrors on them and beanbags on the floor you can sit or lie on to view the ceiling more easily.  Much more interesting than watching stupid tourists take selfies of themselves and the poor guard horses!!  
• Tate Modern, Tate Britain, National Gallery, and more.  London has quite a few art museums, and most of these are free.  Take your pick of one or two and enjoy the smaller crowds.  Tip: Restrooms are scarce in London because many restaurants do not like you dropping in just to use them.  When you need a restroom, a good place to look is in one of the free museums in London!!  Another place to find a restroom is one of the major chain clothing stores, such as Marks and Spencer, aka M&S.  
• All Hallows by the Tower, This is the oldest church in London is on the edge of where the London Fire was.  Free.  https://www.ahbtt.org.uk/.  When you are done visiting the Tower of London, head for the Tower Tube entrance just north of the tower, and look left or west down Tower Hill Street for a pointed church steeple. (Look for bits of Roman City of London walls around the subway entrance, also.)  Ignore all the modern tall office buildings and imagine yourself in London when this church was founded in 675 A.D. by the Abbey of Barking. This makes this church 300 years older than Westminster Abbey!  And Roman ruins still exist in the church's crypt underneath the church, so make sure you go down the stairs to see this museum underneath. The inside of the outside walls of the church are blackened by bombing in WWII, but this church survived the Great Fire of London and a lot of other history.  It is a working church and was saved from the Great Fire by the diarist, Samuel Pepys, and Admiral Penn, the father of William Penn who founded Pennsylvania and was baptized in this church!  Also, John Quincy Adams was married in this church in 1797!  Pepys and Penn watched the fire from the tower and got permission from the Lord Mayor of London to have Navy sailors blow up and tear down wooden buildings that were feeding the fire, thus helping to put it out.  Note that this church and the one below are almost the only buildings surviving in this area of modern skyscrapers, certainly due to Samuel Pepys who lived nearby!  (His name is pronounced like those little yellow chicks sold at Easter--Peeps.)
• St. Olave's Church, Seething Lane. Free.  https://saintolave.com/  After leaving All Hallows, cross the street, and cut through the outdoor restaurant tables to find yourself on Seething Lane.  If you have read The Diary of Samuel Pepys, you will recognize the name of this street.  Pepys and his wife, Elizabeth, referred to this church as "Our Own Church," and attended services here regularly, sitting in a dedicated Navy pew.  Both Samuel and Elizabeth are buried in the nave of this church.  (If you have not read this fascinating 11-year-long diary, you can follow it online at https://www.pepysdiary.com/.)  One interesting posting from his diary tells us that he and his wife dug a hole in his rear yard and buried two of their most important possessions--their silver and a Parmesan cheese!    
• Liberty London, 14 Great Marlborough St. This is a several story upscale store that sells sewing materials, some clothing, and other things for the home.  It is not ancient, but has a distinctive Tudor exterior and an interesting interior architecture. I have bought candles and stationery here, and it is all expensive, but excellent quality and good for gifts to take home.  Make sure you take the elevator and explore all of the levels. This whole area is filled with interesting shops and restaurants, so worth a couple of hours at least.  Just  east of the store is Carnaby Street, made famous by the Beatles. Take a walk down Carnaby Street and check out the ancient pub at the other end, which was supposedly a model for the pub in Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter movies.      
• Hamleys Toy Store, Just east of Liberty London, on Regent Street.  TripAdvisor describes this as "paradise on Earth for children, teens and adults."  It opened in 1881, and is several stories tall.  There are employees demonstrating toys throughout the store.  Take the escalator and ride up to each floor.  Fun place, even if you do not buy anything!  Restrooms are on the top floor. 
• James Smith & Sons Umbrella Store,  New Oxford Street near Bloomsbury St.  This place was closed when I was there, but I could not resist peeking in all the windows.  This store was established in 1830, and I am certain this is where James Bond bought all of his umbrellas and canes!!  
• Oxford Street.  This is sort of a mile-long Times Square in London.  Need shoes?  There are at least nine shoe stores in a three-block area.  You will find every chain you have ever heard of on this street and thousands of people walking and shopping.  Enjoy! 

Slightly Outside of London - Good for a Day Trip 

• Hampton Court.  About $35 - $45 depending on peak or not peak time of your visit.  You can take a subway/train here or a lovely, relaxing boat ride that takes several hours and goes through a couple of Thames Locks.  This is the palace that Henry VII built and where his son, Henry VIII, lived and did all his dastardly deeds to his wives.  Take a tour and spend a few minutes afterwards in the rose garden if it is spring or early summer.  Worth 3-4 hours, minimum.
• Windsor.  About $35 - $45 to tour the palace.  This town really deserves a couple of days, but you can do it in a day if pressed for time. Tube takes about an hour to get there. Need to take a tour of the palace and a stroll on the Long Walk.  Lots of nice shops near the train station, so enjoy window-shopping.  Lots of restaurants in the train station, also.   
• Kew Royal Botanical Gardens.  About $40. Tube ride is about 30 minutes.  Well worth two or three hours' visit. They have powered wheelchairs you can borrow at no cost if any are available.  I used one of these on a trip before I had my knees replaced.
• Greenwich. This is literally where time starts for our clocks.  Visit the National Maritime Museum and wander around the port area.  And please pronounce it "Gren-itch," not "Green-witch." 
• Stonehenge and Avebury.  You can take a day tour from London that includes Bath or Windsor, but you will not see much of each.  Better to find a tour that will take you to Stonehenge and Avebury, which is part of the Salisbury Plain ancient area.  You can also find a bus or train that will take you to the nearby town of Amesbury, where you can take a cab to Stonehenge and Avebury.  If you go to Avebury, check out the enormous and amazingly old trees that are holding up the roof of the visitor center!  

TIP: If you are a senior, ask for a senior or a "concession" admission ticket.  This will often save you a couple of GBPs.     

Places to Stay in London

Skip the Hiltons, Marriotts, Holiday Inns, and other big hotel chains that cater to American tourists, and try some British hotels.  When I started traveling to the U.K., I tended to look for cheap bed and breakfasts or small budget hotels.  As I have gotten older, I prefer something more reliable and consistent, so have switched to the budget chains in the U.K.  My favorite is Premier Inn, which is a lot like a Holiday Inn, but with an attached bar and restaurant.  Occasionally, the restaurant has limited menus for lunch and dinner, but nearly all have substantial breakfasts.  Premier Inn has some superior Premier Inn Plus hotels and some HUB hotels which have very small rooms with queen-sized beds and private bathrooms for a cheaper price and are good for one person who is not going to spend much time in their rooms.

My personal favorite Premier Inn is the Hub Westminster on Tothill Street.  It is a block from Westminster Abbey and the Thames, and a block the other direction from the St. James subway station.  It also has a Pret a Manger takeout restaurant half a block away, and there is a Starbucks on the way to the Tube in case you need a morning coffee or iced tea,  It is also close to the Horse Guard Parade and Buckingham Palace and the Mall.  In other words, it is close to almost everything! 

There are also Travelodges, Ibis Hotels, and some Holiday Inns which qualify as budget hotels. 

One BIG TIP I learned about last summer:  If you are going to be in London in July or August, make sure your hotel has air conditioning!  Global warming is making things a bit hotter during the summer, but the British have really not kept up with air conditioning, so don't assume it is available at your hotel!!!!!  Most older hotels still rely on opening windows to cool off rooms, and I had a few very uncomfortable nights in hotels without AC.  I could open windows, but almost no U.K. buildings have screens, and I worried about insects and birds coming in.  In one memorable instance, I stayed three nights with my windows opening onto a main road in a town.  I was on the second floor (or first floor, per U.K. naming) and there were cars without mufflers and some shouting drunks on the sidewalk most of the night!   

Any other suggestions from anyone???