BRUCEMBINDER.COM
Here are some various notes and observations from my London trip.
I tried to visit two pubs per day. Here are the ones I went to. My favorite was The Holly Bush. I went there twice in one day because I told Vince to meet me there after I'd been there for lunch. Also, the staff at The Prince of Wales was particularly friendly. There are many bars with that name, but the most popular name is The Red Lion—I went to two.
Walking through Hampstead I happened on this castle-like residence. I looked it up later and found out it's known as "The Logs" and is somewhat famous (it has a Wikipedia page) and is the current home of Boy George.
One evening a guy stopped me on the street and shook my hand and called me "Ian" or "Liam". When I looked quizical he said "Ian Bentham!" (or "Liam Dathan" or something similar) and said I look just like him. The closest I could find is former crickter and current member of the House of Lords Ian Botham. You decide.
Dukes Bar at Dukes Hotel is famous for their martinis, Ian Fleming having been inspired by them. Unlike James Bond's favorite recipe, Dukes neither shakes nor stirs, but serves them frozen and undiluted, five (plus) ounces per pour. This one made with Plymouth gin and poured from a height of arms-length cost about $25 USD.
At the 300-year old Library of Trinity College Dublin is "The Long Room", a 200+ foot long chamber filled due to the fact that the Library had been given permission to obtain a free copy of every book that had been published in Ireland and Britain.
