London

The journey from Leipzig to London was an adventure, so much so that at times we weren't sure if we'd make our connecting flight from Munich to London, and even if we did, would we be able to get from Heathrow to our airbnb in Westminster.

Well thankfully, it all worked out. It got a little hairy at times (we briefly thought we'd lost Calder in customs at Heathrow and I wondered how we'd explain that to his parents) but we DID find him and made it to our place. Our wonderful driver navigated the streets of London with aplomb.

I ate my first British fish & chips last night at a place called the Barley Mow just a stone's throw from our flat. It at least "looked" like a "real pub" to this hayseed from the Midwest (though I must assume it gets its fair share of tourists, and being in Westminster likely lacks the grit of a genuine English pub). That said, it was good enough for me. I also had my first mushy peas (I liked them) and my first beer in England was a Camden Hells lager.

Now, we are discovering all the little, er, eccentricities of this airbnb flat. The shower overflows and floods, the lights don't seem to all work properly, the TV is only equipped for streaming services (no concern of mine because I don't plan on watching television), the clothes dryer is not functioning. So yes, these bits have been annoyances. But what the hell, at least we're in London.