Good way to spend a long weekend.  Also, check out Brian's new mash paddle.

I punched the Voice Search on my Droid.  I said, "Navigate to Poor Phil's."  It then proceeded to navigate to porn films.

We got into London on Monday night. Our hotel was well located, though we had some issues there that I won't go onto here (in the hopes of keeping the exhaustingly boring to a minimum. Despite the fact we were both (by this point) battling raging head colds, we managed to pack a fair amount in while gathering enough rest to stay conscious during the sightseeing. Tuesday was St. Paul's cathedral and a pub visit, Wednesday was the GBBF, Thursday was the National Gallery (great exhibit on detecting fakes and other hidden gems inside old artworks) and a pub visit, Friday was a return visit to the British Museum (which you really need at least a week to visit properly - two if you move slowly through museums on general). The GBBF was the seed for this trip, and was quite fun. If you like real ales, it's worth going to. The second day is a good day to go, as the beers are still fresh, but it's not the madhouse that opening night can be. We had the good fortune of hooking up with friends from the US (Chicago) and the UK (Wantage) there which made the visit all the better. Made some friends, too, natch. Ah, and our pub visit on Tuesday was also quite entertaining, chatting with Owen the beer writer who'd just come from the press event at the GBBF and later Ken the photographer and his brother, who were charming and entertaining. Today we're on the train to Edinburgh, though we're immediately getting a car and driving to Glasgow as our base of operations to see some Scottish countryside while avoiding the madness of the Fringe Festival. On Monday night we'll catch a night train back to London for one last day before flying home on Wednesday. In the intervening days, I expect cool weather, charming countryside, ales, and whiskeys.

Just making note of the beers I sample in the various pubs (and at the Great British Beer Festival) in and around London. I really love the ales I get here in The UK. I get cask ales home when I can, and they're good, but they just don't stand up to what I can get here (depending on the style). As soon as I lift that pint glass to my lips, and I get that first aroma in my nostrils, and the first taste on my tongue, I am transported back to that first pint I had here the fall of '06, where I truly fell in love with it. I need to investigate what it would take to try to recreate some of these flavors and do some genuine cask ales Tuesday, at the Royal Oak (one of our favorite pubs), I enjoyed Harvey's Armada (flavorful, hoppy - happy I tried it), and Tom Paine, Harvey's take on an APA, in cask. Had this last year, and it's as yummy as I remember it. On Wednesday, at the Great British Beer Festival, I had more types than I could count. I remember quite enjoying Adnan Gunhill. Thursday, we found ourselves at the Bree Louise (our other favorite pub), I sampled Brewdog Trashy Blonde (fizzier than I was expecting), and some other beers whose names, alas escape me. I went Friday without a pint - not sure how I managed that. Must be the head cold.

Is the US the only place with air conditioned public transit? Actually, I think I've decided that Europeans (or at least, the places we've been) generally eschew A/C altogether, and are generally more comfortable being warm than I am. Copenhagen's subway looks, acts, and feels like an airport tram. Apparently, Brian Posehn (a comic we really like) is in town, and playing a show tomorrow night. Also, he's staying at our hotel. I think we may have to take in that show.

No Bier circus for us. They're closed on Sunday and Monday, which means my tire adventure prevented me from going to somewhere i wanted to revisit. Dur. Last night, we went to a great little bar across the street from Manneken Pis (a very overrated tourist sight that's a statue of a little boy peeing). It's called Le Poechenellekelder (don't ask me how it's pronounced), and well worth a visit. Today, we visited Cantillon brewery, the last of the authentic Lambic breweries. These guys do it it the old fashioned way, with genuine wild spontaneous fermentation and multi-year fermentation times. But the product they come up with, while certainly an acquired taste is amazing. Following that, we had an aborted trip up to Le Bier Circus, only to discover it's also closed on Mondays, and instead made our way to A La Mort Subite, a place we enjoyed last time. We also had a few drinks at Delirium Tap House to round out the day. Now we sit waiting for our chunnel train to London on the Eurostar. My random summary of our time on the continent: 1: We recommend strongly the Hotel Birger Jarl is Sweden. Also, the Hotel Centrale in Brussels is well situated. The Hotel Sylter Hof in Berlin is fantastic, and the CABINN city in Copenhagen is… well… cheap. 2: The area around Brussels Gare-Midi/Zuidstation is generally to be avoided after dark. 3: If you're ping to rent a sport car to drive across Germany, spring the extra bucks and ensure you get what you want. 4: Sundays and Mondays are both generally 'closed' days. 5: The sun practically never sets in Scandanavia. 6: River/canal cruises are fun. 7: Brussels is a place where even in a tiny cafe, you can usually count on getting a really good beer. (He said as he sipped a Chimay Blue in the train station.) 8: If you've got a deodorant/antiperspirant you really like, bring enough of it with you. You won't find it here. 9: If you rent a car, get a diesel. Petrol costs 7.11 a gallon here right now. That ought to do it. Soon, we'll be in London, ready for the next stage of our adventure. Pics coming soon.

For the first time, we didn't set an alarm. Slept until around 10 AM, and it felt great. Well, it did for me. Yesterday morning Tisha discovered she's come down with a cold, so she's fighting that. I feel so bad for her; coming down with a cold just as we're entering the land of her favorite things -- sour beer and chocolate. (Separate, not mixed. Ew.) A day off our feet did wonders for all four of the feet involved, and walking around the city was pleasant. But there was only a short amount of walking before we had to deal with that rental car, an albatross around our neck. After re-entering that seedy part of town I'd just as soon avoid, and still only finding automated gas stations, I got fed up and decided to return the car to the airport (20 miles away), regardless of how much gas was in the tank. Happily, on the way to the airport, we found a manned station and got the car full of petrol as well. This car was a super-efficient car with this economy mode that did interesting things such as every time I was in neutral with my foot off the clutch and not moving (like at a red light), it would turn off the engine. Then, when I pressed the clutch to go into gear, it would restart. Little things like this are important when gas is over $7 a gallon. The return at the airport was quick and problem-free, and we caught a train back to the city to begin our day. First order of business was breakfast/lunch, which we accomplished at a little cafe just near Grand Place (main square). Following that, we wandered the square, had a beer, and took in the Brewing Museum right on the square. It wasn't anything particular informative to someone who knows how to brew, but it was only €5 and it included a beer. Tisha was still pretty tired, and everything else we want to see isn't open until tomorrow, so I suggested we rest up at the hotel, grab dinner at Bier Circus tonight and call it a day -- we'd been here before and the main reason for coming back was to visit Cantillon Brewery, which we'll do tomorrow, and to catch the Eurostar to London tomorrow night. So there we sit. Tisha's snoring behind me, and I'm enjoying some down time by finally jotting down my recollections of the journey. Tonight, yummy yummy beer.