Signpost on Hadrian's Wall Walk

The Hadrian’s Wall Walk: Our Experience

[NOTE: Portions of this post were originally published in an article I wrote for The Philadelphia Inquirer.] Michael and I recently completed the Hadrian's Wall Walk, an 84-mile trail that spans England at its narrowest point. My 60th birthday…
London Christmas lights-above Seven Dials shopping area

London Christmas: Lights & Shopping

The holidays are a magical time in London, Christmas lights are everywhere! They adorn the major shopping areas and London Christmas Markets, making Christmas shopping oodles of fun (even if you don't buy anything 😉). There are so many wonderful…
Tea cup and glass pot at London Tea Exchange
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Best tea shops London

I'm an avowed tea lover, and finding a tea shop in London is always a special treat. The city is great place to shop for tea. Every time I visit, (when I'm not visiting my favorite free things to do in London ), I search out spots were I can…
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Book review: London’s Hidden Rivers

London is one of our favorite destinations in the world to visit. One of the reasons is that there are so many hidden sights in London that we've never heard of before. But with each visit there's less and less new, or in London's case, old,…
top free things in London

Top 10 free things in London

London is one of the most expensive cities in the world to visit, with some museums costing over $20 for a ticket. But with a little planning the tourist can find plenty of free things in London that are still outstanding. Note: this…
Burlington Arcade beadles

7 rather odd hidden sights in London

London is a fascinating city filled with history. From its official naming in the Roman era to its bustling streets today, the city has always been important to England.. We've already written about free things to do in London, and are now…
highland cow (shaggy with big horns) in Devon, England
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Our encounter with killer cows in England

We were staying for two weeks in the bucolic Devon countryside, nestled in a remote cottage perched on the edge of Dartmoor. This legendary, perhaps haunted, bog was made famous in works such as The Hound of the Baskervilles. Our visions of…

London ghosts, the burial spot of Benedict Arnold

We love finding secret spots in a big, touristy city like London. Not far from the murky River Thames lies the burial location of Benedict Arnold; the most notorious traitor of the American Revolution. The American general…

The Benjamin Franklin House in London

In 1757, Benjamin Franklin left his hometown of Philadelphia for a move to England, where he represented the diplomatic interests of the American colonies. His stay turned into a nearly 16 year London sojourn as he mediated disputes…
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Secrets hidden in the fog of Dartmoor, England

We sought a break from the bustle of London at a remote cottage perched on the edge of Dartmoor; the legendary, perhaps haunted, bog in southwest England that achieved fame in novels such as The Hound of the Baskervilles. Our visions of long…
Rocky crossing Abbey Road in London

When Rocky crossed Abbey Road

Two of the most iconic pop culture sites in the world are the Rocky steps in Philadelphia and Abbey Road in London. Tourists run up the Rocky steps in a practically 24/7 rotation while fans emulating the Beatles are constantly holding up traffic…
Royal Observatory greenwich magnetic clock

Where time begins: The Royal Observatory

For geography geeks a visit to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich is a must. Located just down the Thames from central London, it’s the home of both the Prime Meridian (zero degrees longitude) and Greenwich Mean Time; the time upon which all…