Your mom and I kept exploring the areas surrounding London, this time heading north towards Hampstead Heath, a ritzier suburb with some famous residents and a little more spacious vibe. It was time to get out of the urban area for a bit.
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| Of course we can't help but appreciate the legendary architecture around here... |
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| We stopped for a full breakfast at this famous pub, The Euston Flyer, on our way to the British Library. |
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| Across the street was the amazing British Library. Your mom explored and I snapped some photos. In one really awesome area, it was more like a literature museum, where they kept some historical relics right up your mom's alley, including Jane Austen's writing table (a gift from her dad in 1794), and the manuscript of Bronte's Jane Eyre open to a page where you could see where she'd actually scratched out a scene! |
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| Nearby inside an old Victorian "gatehouse" was a beer place I'd learned about before the trip, Euston Tap. It had an amazing selection of craft beers and a really cozy lounge upstairs. It was interesting trying some English made beers inspired by the American craft beer movement, like these really hoppy and fruity IPA's totally different from the classic English styles. |
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| Heading northward I finally got to try out an actual English brewery at the source. This one was pretty new in the grand scheme of things and reminded me of some of the California "nanobreweries" I'd gotten used to. This was Camden Town Brewery. |
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| Your mom found a cool vintage clothing store that double as a salon, and we browsed looking for some cool English hand-me-downs. |
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| Outside Hampstead is another famous pub, The Stag, where we stopped yet again for some liquid refreshment. |
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| I once again noted the influence of the American craft beer movement, as they were pushing an American beer imported from Washington. I chuckled at how small the world really is, since I had just visited the Redhook brewery with Marshall a couple months before. |
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| Hampstead Heath and the homes around it are beautiful. |
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| Seeing us taking some photos, a random stranger named Margaret introduced herself and told us a little bit about the place. She's a celebrity dog-walker and knows some of the famous residents! |
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| We wrapped up another long day at this excellent restaurant, The Wells. Your mom was wriggling and squealing in her chair enjoying this risotto dish she got, so we knew we'd be back before the end of the trip. |
