Strangely enough part of the empty town is because people have decent working conditions. They actually get time off work to sleep and be with their families/friends! If they had been open at 4am where would the customers be? Yep - tucked up fast asleep in bed. You could have gone to a police station for company. Emergency workers are still hard at work! :-D
Oh yes, the hospitals have the 24 hour cafes! (and toilets). As for getting up early, before the rush hour, maybe, but avoid the rush hour if possible. Cheaper fares kick in at 9:30am. If in London for 3 days or more try a river trip to Greenwich/Thames Barrier or beyond (a two way trip can be boring). The cable car is not as good as the London Eye but as the price is a decimal point down it is worth a try. For not so fine dining try the "Meal Deals" that the supermarket/convenience store chains offer. A sandwich, a drink and fruit or crisps for dessert for ￡3.50 is acceptable in fine weather and you can watch the world go by from a bench.
I think his surprise was not that the streets were quiet but that "nothing" was open, and as someone with extensive experience of London I'm also surprised he found nothing open at 4am in Chelsea. It's normally easy to find at least one coffee shop, fast food place, convenience store etc open at that time pretty much anywhere in London that has a high street.
In the UK some supermarkets used to stay open around the clock. But since covid that is no longer the case and they tend to close for a period every night.
Unless it’s your wife’s birthday/anniversary and you have forgotten - that’s when you start praying and running about like a headless chicken looking for anything - anywhere. OOPS! Of course that has never happened to me cough cough. :>) All the best to you and yours. Rab
Perhaps if you went onto the King's Road in Chelsea, or up to South Kensington/Knightsbridge you might have found some 24/7 life. Otherwise, that area is just a dormitory (all be it a wealthy one).
Ah guys you have to remember in old London before the days of modern construction and sky scrapers, Buildings such as The Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) and the Tower of London were the early London Sky scrapers and would have dominated the London skyline for miles around. Loving the videos, keep them coming.
The Elizabeth tower is quite modern by comparison, only dating back to the 1830s, as a fire destroyed what was there before. Westminster hall by comparison which is the older bit of the parliamentary estate dates back a lot longer. You will be able to see the difference in stonework. Glad you are enjoying my city of birth, but if you want more in terms of nightlife, Chelsea is not the best placecto see it. You qould have to avail yoyrselves of the West end, around Piccadilly circus and Leicester square.
Last time I went to visit my son and his Canadian fiance, we walked so much I had to put paper towels inside my boots as I went right through the souls!!!! In my idiotic youth I walked a lot on one day in fashion boots with a heel and ended up with a bunion that is beginning to blight my life.
The potato-cabbage thing was a bistro version of 'bubble and squeak' which is an old traditional English breakfast but not ever served like that. The original was the remaining vegetables of the Sunday lunch all mashed together and fried, the name comes from the sounds of different foods cooking together in a frying pan.
Yes that "breakfast" looked awful! The bubble & squeak was just wrong and the sausage - shrivelled to hell. Definitely catering to tourists since any local would call them up on that immediately (well i hope they would)
That breakfast looked like something you would get from a stall at the side of the road. NOT at ypical English breakfast. Please don't confuse what you see, do or eat in London as usual for the rest of the country.
@@chrisdavies9821 We locals know where to get a traditional fry up... or better yet... how to make one lol. I wouldn't say that breakfast "looked bad" (put it in a pan and i will eat it).... but it was not a "Traditional and good" English breakfast.
I agree. London has some great places to eat, but good quality traditional English food is hard to find especially the closer to the centre of London you get.
Having lived in London for over 40 years (after moving from the North West of England), I have learnt many little 'secrets' that tourists would not be aware of (even many 'Londoners'). If you want a cheap 'cup of tea' and don't want to fight crowds in a cafe etc. Always keep an eye out for one of the 13 remaining 'Green Cabbies Shelters or Huts' (although only 12 cater to the public and you certainly cannot go inside unless you are a 'black cab driver). But many have a window and serve the public on the street. My sister & brother-in-law were visiting from Canada a couple of weeks ago and while 'walking around', I took them to the 'Temple Place Hut' (Open Mon-Fri / 7.00am-2.00pm only) - I kept the receipt, so here is what I paid: Two cups of tea for £1.00 each, a Latte for £2.20 - A chicken noodle stir fry (made fresh in a wok) £4.00, a breakfast baguette (2 sausages, 1 egg & bacon) £3.50 and BLT sandwich (with mayo etc.) £3.00 - Cheaper than all the tourist cafes nearby. It's just next to the Victoria Embankment Gardens, overlooking the Thames and sitting on a bench, with really good weather - Perfect ! I found two articles about them which are better than most: www.bbc.com/travel/article/20180430-the-secret-green-shelters-that-feed-londons-cabbies cabbieblog.com/green-cab-shelters/13-survivors/
My uncle was a beefeater and actually lived in the Tower - when my cousin got married she had her wedding there and tourists were snapping away as they thought we were royalty😂 We were given a tour of behind the scenes and seeing the Crown Jewels was a treat that I really loved🥰 If u ask a bus driver he will tell you where to get off - at least that’s what happens where I live in Yorkshire England 🏴 Enjoy your time here 🙏🏼🦋🥰💕
For over half the year its pitch black, freezing cold, possibly pissing down with rain at 4 in the morning so we tend to be indoors asleep then, that's why nothing is open.
Foxes have adapted remarkably well to life in British cities. Thirty or forty years ago they were associated with suburban areas with big houses and leafy back gardens. These days, as you noticed, they have moved in to the inner areas as well. On one of my visits to the city I saw one hanging round the platforms at London Bridge station, in broad daylight. A few years ago one moved into St Paul's Cathedral. where it set up home underneath the choir stalls and raided the gift shop for chocolate bars. At first the staff were mildly amused, but the smells associated with it were a serious problem. So "Herod" as it was nicknamed, was captured and sent off to an animal sanctuary.
Being in the UK, you must understand that no one expects people to work 24/7 as in the US, it is just not the norm especially in the area you were staying. As stated there are places you can find things open all the time but it is not everywhere.
A "Tab" is the tally that is used to calculate the "Bill". Tabs are usually used in Pubs where the standard practise is to pay as you go, but some places will allow you to "Run a Tab" and you then pay up the whole amount as you leave.
They should have understood the word Tab. In a pub restaurant perhaps the staff would have been more onto it. But it's just more common to use the word Bill.
That was a breakfast, I guess, but it was NOT a traditional full English breakfast. A full English is: bacon, sausage, eggs, tomato, black pudding, fried bread, mushrooms and baked beans. Most offerings include all but one or two of these.
I can relate to your jet lag. I went across to Tokyo for 3 months - from London - and I didn’t get a good nights sleep in all that time. You guys did so well to crack on while suffering. Great content and so glad you enjoyed my home town
Being located In Chelsea you’re very much in an upper middle class area so not surprising nothing’s open at 4am. If you want to see more of the 24hr city you’d have to go to somewhere like Soho. Sorry to hear that jet lag was an issue for Ethan. Acclimatising to the change in hours as well as acclimatising to a completely new environment can be very tiring and I’m sure is frustrating because you’re not going to enjoy the attractions as much as if you were well rested. Looking forward to more Trooping the Colour and Jubilee flyover stuff.😎👍🏼
I sympathize over your jet lag! Over the years I’ve learned to treat the first day of any European trip as a Zombie day and plan only to do what little is needed to keep me awake until at least 8 pm local time in order to become acclimated to the local time zone.
We don't use tab as standard, we use bill or Londoners would say "what's the damage?" sometimes too in a cafe or bar. But.... most people would understand tab.
Chelsea is a residential area. If you were in the West End it would be a lot busier. However local trading standards do restrict store openings in many more residential parts of the city.
If you haven’t seen them already, Jay Foreman recently did 3 great videos about the history of London’s bridges (including London Bridge and Tower Bridge) as part of his Unfinished London series.
There has always been and still is a night time economy in London, famously around the Markets and Newspaper industries. These are dispersed around now. There are still "early doors" pubs around Smithfield and Borough Markets and cafes around the Mainline Railway Terminals and clubland. You also find 24 hr cafes and supermarkets in some suburbs if they have survived Covid shutdowns. Taxi drivers tend to know where they are.
There's an app called city mapper that will absolutely change your life. It runs live with the traffic/public transport and tells you exactly which coloured routes, busses, numbers, tubes to take and when to walk down to the second. I use it every time I go to London, I couldn't recommend it enough for you, it will take away all of your suffering (apologies if this is a dupe, youtube comments keeps going weird)
Hi guys, so glad you enjoyed your trip to GB😃 I’d like to enlighten you on a couple of points from your day 2 video. The mashed potato and cabbage is what we call bubble and squeak. And we do use the word tab but usually it means that we leave a credit card behind the bar and pay for everything at the end of the night. We usually do this in a pub where we are known or a restaurant. In The situation you found yourself in we would ask for the bill or maybe the cheque I’ve been following you guys for maybe six months now. I really enjoying your content, keep up the good work. Best wishes from SW19
my bank advises against leaving your cards behind the bar as anybody could copy your name long number expiry date and the CC No. from the back and go home and start ordering from on line etc a couple of days later.
Things I love about the Tower of London is all the weapons it contains and that the old Roman wall is near it. London has so much history that you'll always find something new where ever you go.
A tab is what a local corner shop or pub would run form well known people in their local area. The tab would run from one payday to the next (a week at that time back then) It would allow people of low income to eat and drink while running up the tab but of course eventually it caused a lot of problems, with non payment. In restaurants and bars you ask for the bill not the tab.
I lived and worked for 12 years in South London as a groundsman on a 2.7 acre site. The grounds had 9 wild foxes two of which were more friendly and one allowed me to stroke her.There were 6 elderly female tenants whom i also helped though not my job. I would feed the foxes cooked chicken and most of the tenants also fed them and i would obtain antibiotics which i put into their food to cure them if the foxes had mange. We had great fun together and taught me much about animal behavior.
@@mikepxg6406 they have said foxes in UK are now semi domesticated same why cats gradually did when they were allowed to do pest control at farm barns and got used to humans and cohabit with them for safety
@ The Muttleys: as far as the foxes are concerned, it has nothing to do with “destroyed habitat” - foxes live almost everywhere. Just as it is with people, foxes move into urban areas for the presenting opportunities.
The potato thing you had for breakfast was bubble and squeak. It is a mix of mashed potato and cabbage which is made into a patty and fried. The name comes from the sound of the cabbage when it is fried.
When you said people just assume you are from New York etc, that’s what it’s like for us when people assume the uk is London and we all speak like the queen (trust me.. we don’t 😅)
I've been married 37 years, and the last time my wife let me finish a sentence without interrupting me was on the day of our marriage, when I said 'I do'.
I thought that it was the right bus but that they got on it the wrong side of the road .Did they forget about driving on the left ,so that`s the side you need to wait ?
@@gillcawthorn7572 An easy mistake to make, especially in an unfamiliar area, I've done it myself... I should have checked the timetable on the stop post
In the UK, everywhere is walking distance if you have the time. There's footpaths all over the place, connecting towns and cities. My childhood home is 10 miles away and I can walk there with zero roads. I saw a UA-cam video recently where they explained US suburbs are built under the rule of zero pavements. Madness.
@@KissMyFatAxe lolz. We are lucky to have paths here. Check out the "Not Just Bikes" channel. He explains how North America is specifically designed to not allow walking ✌
US planning is literally designed to MAKE you take a car. I am not making this up - to get a subsidised house in the 1950's you had to buy a car and a washing machine and NOT share them with your neighbours. that is NOT a joke.
The Thames is usually pronounced "The Tems". One of the many non-obvious pronunciations that we have. I'm sure you came across a whole bunch more whilst you were here. Recapping each day was a great idea. Looking forward to the rest!
Nice. I've been in 2012 in London with my husband. We are from Germany. It was amazing. I love history. And London is full of it. 1. day we made a 10 hours walk. Our hotel was on north Hyde Park near marble arch. And we also been on the Tower Bridge. Enjoy London
Citymapper will be your best friend in any foreign city. Tells you which bus or tube or whatever you need to get where you’re going. London never feels that busy at ground level and that’s because a lot of people are underground using the tube.
The potato thing you had with your breakfast is called Bubble and Squeak, traditionally eaten as a breakfast dish for a Monday morning as it's the leftovers from the Great British Sunday roast dinner, also the leftover juices from the meat joint normally beef were chilled and the fat called dripping was spread on bread but best on toast with a little salt to taste as an evening Sunday teatime, called Bread and Dripping... So back in the day nothing went to waste and enjoyed and looked forward to as most English households done most of their baking on a Sunday's when the over was on and not to waste the energy so mother's baked cake's, biscuits and breads after the roasts. For the average households across England. Sorely missed from childhoods of today as it taught you how to be frugal with your food waste but today's food waste wouldn't have happened back then but I can see it turning full circle with the way things are going on in this world... You didn't have to go far if you wanted to see The real London Bridge your thinking of is actually in America, Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Also another piece of trivia the reason why the UK had so many pubs (Public Houses, Inns) come from the time when the consumption of water was dangerous especially in London and was better to drink beer as in the brewing of beer 🍻 it was sterile from bacteria, and they brewed the mash three or four times so you had four strengths of one beer , the more they brewed the mash the weaker the beer become to the extent that children could drink if without the effect of getting drunk then later on the production of Gin was almost the downfall of society in city's across England.
Excellently explained mate I nearly answered myself, but I thought surely will explain ,and you did perfectly, I used to love Monday meal because it meant Bubble and squeak day .
@@janefaulkner3749 I know they talk about recycling ♻️. as if it's new just look back , Electric milk floats ,Delivered milk ( not just milk I know) .but let's stick with milk , Right , In glass bottles, each time Delivered they picked up the empty milk bottles ,which in the main we washed out .then they sterilised, and refilled , DON'T know how long a bottle Lasted ,but could be melt8ed down
It is so nice to hear two tourists so excited about your trip so far in the UK. I would suggest that if you are trying to use £ 50-pound notes outside of the London area you might have some problems getting shops or cafes to accept them. Much better to go into a bank and ask them to exchange them for £5, £10 & £20 notes. Here in the UK a good percentage of us no longer use cash but use our contactless debit and credit cards, hence some shops and cafes do not have enough change to provide change for large notes.
With an English fried breakfast it's perfectly acceptable to ask them to leave bits off- I never get Mushrooms and I'm not a fan of the tomato. Sometimes you get an extra sausage or something to make up for it!
I am glad you are enjoying your visit. You are not letting anyone down ❤️ I haven’t followed you for a long time but I am loving your energy and feel you are more open. Have 🤩
On closer scrutiny, your breakfast was also missing slices of fried bread, bacon, and a fried egg. The Full English can feel a bit sloppy in your stomach if you're not used to it, but if you fill up on toast and tea you won't need another meal for many hours. IMO, walking is the best way to get a feel for a city and you end up seeing more of the quirky side of life - you can see the tourist sites on YT ;-).
Thanks for coming - Jet lag is always difficult West to East - I bet going back was fine? It makes you appreciate cabin crew - how do they cope? Always try and book a hotel that is easy to get to after landing and rest. As you say don't try to do too much in the first couple of days. Hope you tried a proper full English later in your trip. That breakfast was what we would call a 'greasy spoon' type place.
Get used to the walking and remember old buildings didn't come with elevators! The point of a holiday is to enjoy your holiday so don't worry about the filming, concentrate on enjoying the experience with your senses. Couple of points: You are right, we don't really use 'tab' for a bill except in a pub and it has a slightly different use. In a pub, you would go in and say 'Can I start a tab?'. A tab is where you leave a credit/debit card behind the bar and people can get drinks without paying for each individual drink and you settle your bill (or tab) at the end of the night. Beware though, if you go to places like Newcastle and ask for a tab you may get a cigarette! There have been many London Bridges at that site and it is mostly famous from the nursery rhyme 'London Bridge is falling down'. People used to live on the bridge in medieval times. The London Bridge that pre-dated the current one is currently at Lake Havasu City in Arizona. The story (since denied by the purchaser) was that the man who purchased the bridge thought it was Tower Bridge. As someone who has worked in the centre of London for years, I walk pretty much everywhere and so walking 1-2 miles from the station to the office is normal for me.
The purchaser of London Bridge new exactly what he was buying he came to London & the Corperation Showed him the bridge the southernmost arch that was on land was not Required & is still in situe!!
I’m a pensioner and walk about 2 miles a day; it’s something I’ve done since childhood as many Brits do, as our towns were mostly built pre-motor vehicle era and unsuitable for travelling everywhere by car.
Usually, when I first arrive, I tend to wake at 4am in the morning...thats why i love going in May. Getting up for a cup of tea and listening to the dawn chorus ( in the countryside ) is one of my joys in life...surreal!
Don't worry about not filming too much, that sounds like a massive hassle. You need to enjoy your time and not be looking at a phone for the whole trip :D I live in the north of England and have only been to London a couple of times, mostly to stay over with family before going to France. This video has made me want to see the Tower of London; I never really knew what it was but have heard about so much that has happened there throughout history and it looks amazing. Thanks for this and hope the trip went well or is going well if you're still over here
Loving this series guys and so pleased you are enjoying our country so far. I used to travel a lot in my business life and found one of the best ways for me to get over jet lag was either just "power" through the day if the idiots doing my schedule had booked meetings as soon as I landed but I trained them to book flights so that I arrived in the evening had dinner and then I had 3 or 4 whiskies within an hour - not enough to be totally drunk but when combined with the jet lag enough to lock me into a long sleep and then ready for work with no hang-over.
Im glad you guys had a great trip! It bet you're happy that you recorded these travel journals while you where there and not after you got home because it gives you a much better prespective of how you felt during your travels. I love my travel journals for that! I kind of wish that some of them were on video like these recaps you guys are doing - make it more easy to share with friends and family! Im excited to watch the rest of the videos from your trip! I really want to go travelling again now that I've been watching this (the travel-itch is back, and its gnawing away at my sould haha!).
I went out fr a night walk once about 3am in East London and I felt someone was following me but I couldn't hear anything n the streets were deserted, I turned around and there were 12 foxes following me like the Pied Piper! Everytime I stopped n looked back the whole group just froze in the road looking at me like that children's game when u try n sneak up on the person without being seen! As there were so many foxes, which I love! It was slightly unnerving, and I began to entertain thoughts of how many foxes would it take to take down a human being!!! I decided to cut my walk short....it was very strange to see so many foxes in a large group.😳
Ah lucky you! If you’d really been the Pied Piper, they would most likely have been rats. And then you’d have had the foxes there to hunt them down for you😀
The blue and white paintwork on Tower Bridge dates from the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977. Prior to that it was a rather unpleasant chocolate brown. There hasn't been a major repainting of the bridge since then as far as I know. My office is nearby - you walked past it - and I think we'd have noticed.
@@glastonbury4304 Buying a coffee at 4am, in Chelsea or otherwise, is entirely discretionary and not "totally necessary". But a very large part of the economy, if not the majority, falls under the category of discretionary and if all discretionary transactions stopped then the economy would collapse and millions would be out of work. So yes, not "totally necessary" activities such as buying coffe at 4am help the economy. Even someone who thinks emojis are a substitute for logical thinking should be able to grasp that.
Really enjoying these videos and will be very interested how you got on around Westminster and the Trooping of the Colour. When you were walking across Tower Bridge, I hope you noticed the blue line of workers with their brass plaques to celebrate the ordinary people who have worked at the Bridge since its construction....a really interesting snapshsot of the ages and job titles everyone had. How we cope with jetlag is so personal, but all that walking - however painful - would've been a great way to reduce its effects. My worst experience was a flight from Honolulu to Auckland....left on the Thursday, arrived on Saturday having lost virtually 24 hours in the time difference.....crazy 🤣 Your learnings of London will be very helpful for anyone else planning a trip, and if I'm still living here when you return I'd happily take you on a drive (or ride if you can handle riding pillion) around all the central tourist spots and 'secret' gems of London..... after 10pm is a great time to spend a couple of hours on the roads. And I know where to get you some midnight food 😅
The man in red at the Tower is a guard called a beefeater. They really give a great history of the tower, 400 people were beheaded there, and even though 13 ghosts haunt it. The one best remembered is Ann Bolyn. They have the executioner’s ax on display ( definitely would not want to die that way. I posed for a picture with a beefeater, and in our conversation it turned out his daughter, had lived in Canada for two years……in my city Winnipeg…..small world!
@@orwellboy1958 Hi back, I haven’t been to Gimli for years. Had a friend of Icelandic heritage….lots of Icelandic/Canadians up there, everyone super friendly.
bubble and squeak is the greens and other stuff fried ( sometimes with egg on the top ) its a result of people from way back when not wanting to waste food. We had it every Monday evening made up from the left over veg from the Sunday roast. Every family would have their own recipe based on what leftovers they were usually left with. That's why nothing beats your mums 'Bubble'.
What I used to do when I had friend or family coming over to visit, was I used to take them to the Westminster tube station, and come out from a specific stairway where you'll start seeing big been growing in front of you while you climb the stairs. Not once it failed to impress.
Fry up is a hangover cure that's why it's loved so much. You could be feeling like death warmed up from the night before and eat fried breakfast and feel brand new
We normally only use 'tab' for when you keep a running debt with a bar. This means you don't pay for each drink, but you 'run a tab' and pay all at the end of the night or sometimes at the end of a longer period, like a month. Normally only locals are allowed to do that. Because they are known to the bar-staff or landlord/lady they drink without paying, and the bar keeps a record... then (maybe once a month) they 'settle their tab'. It's not very common, especially not in big cities where people frequent multiple regular places, but it does still exist in the countryside. If you are in a restaurant or cafe at a table and you want to pay you could say "Can we get the bill please?", "Can we get the check please?", or simply "Can we pay?"
Ah don't worry about what you manage to film/not film, you can only ever go with the flow and share what you can - it's great just hearing you talk about it anyway. Looking forward to hearing how the rest of the trip went!
I wanted to check the comments first, because I was about to say that a 'tab' in the UK is a 'bill' you run up at a bar. In some places you just leave your debit / credit card with the barman (barperson - LOL) and pay it all in one go when leaving...
Oh yeah no that is absolutely NOT a full or traditional English breakfast 😛 a pub might be better to find one. I don't use the buses, but the great thing about the tube is that you can get on and off real quick and they come every 3 minutes so awesome if you're new/getting lost Don't ask the pubic for directions, they'll tell you to get public transport for something 400 meters away
It's great that you're thinking about what content people want to see, but don't let filming feel like an obligation! It was your trip - we're just happy to be along for (some of) the ride ✈️
Shops will take the new plastic polymer £50 notes without hesitation because they have only been released in the last 18 months or so and (as far as we know) there are no counterfeits. Whereas the old paper £50 had lots of fakes in circulation which is why most shops refused to take them. Glad you enjoyed your trip.
I love these videos so far. To be honest, that English Breakfast you had in London didn’t look particularly appetising to me, and it’s something that I love. When we make it at home, we use the best ingredients, top quality bacon and sausages, and I have small tomatoes as they have some flavour to them - the big tomatoes are invariably tasteless. You can eat a good cooked breakfast when you are out, but of course you have to know the best places to go - or need to check Trip Advisor.
And you didn’t let us down. Jet lag is horrible, but seasoned travellers know all the hacks to reduce the impact. And all the walking you have to do as a tourist IS exhausting because it is invariably on hard surfaces, which jolts everything and makes you foot-sore. I can walk for miles in the countryside with no problems, but in urban areas, I really suffer.
Guys, don't worry about the filming thing. Just recharge your batteries then go off, explore and have a nice little holiday, yeah? If you have time, Hampstead-Camden-Primrose Hill is a nice area to wander around in North London; Shoreditch/East London is arguably the cooler part of town these days, some nice bars and smaller band venues if you fancy checking those out. Also, if you have time, I'd say hop on an early train one morning to the south coast, Brighton's about 90 min away and a lovely place this time of year. Just feel a bit bad for y'all, things are a bit rougher here after two years of Covid stuff, places closed down, etc. Things have opened up again of course but we did lose a bunch of nice smaller shops, bars and restaurants in that time, plus all the prices rises from certain factors, etc. Anyway, have a lovely time yo.
A TAB. In the uk if you’re a ‘local’ who regularly drinks in the same Pub you can sometimes ‘have a tab’ where they won’t charge for drinks but write it in a book. And you pay maybe at the end of the week or payday or when your TAB gets too high 😆😆
So glad you guys had great time in London 🤗with your family. The walkway that you went on over Tower Bridge was closed off to the public for so many years as it was an open walkway and alot of people would commit suicide by jumping off and then after it was enclosed (what you got to see) it was reopened. I got to see your video of the Flypast 👍really great video,this was history in the making as we will never see an event like this again and you were here to witness such an historic moment you now have the privilege to brag to all and sundry for the rest of your life🇺🇸👑✨😂it's just a shame that you couldn't have stayed for the Concert. I'm so looking forward to seeing your videos of the rest of your visit to the UK I really hope that you enjoyed your time in the UK and that one day you can visit with your children 💖🤗 Take Care and Stay Safe 🇬🇧💖😀 PS. Where do you keep your Marmalade Sandwiches😂
I smiled somewhat at the mention of the spoon amongst the Crown Jewels - it is the anointing spoon used for the most sacred part of the coronation. It is one of the few surviving items from the regalia of Edward the Confessor. It is almost 1,000 years old and really could be worth £ 10 million because of its history. The Tower of London is worth a whole day to itself and worth every penny of the entrance fee. It is a marvelous experience - the staff are friendly and approachable, and it is a great idea to have guided tours by Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters).
It's interesting that you found the combination of items on the breakfast strange. I've been in hotels on numerous occasions where I've seem Americans visit the breakfast buffet and pile sausages, eggs, croissants and fruit and even porridge on the same plate!
You are doing so well. Jet lag is awful. We’ve often flown over to visit friends in Milwaukee and the west to east trip home always knocks us out for a few days.
The word "Tab" used here usually refers to kind of credit...like a "slate" its not commonly used to describe the bill for food, we mostly say "can we get the bill?". Although tipping is accepted in places, in a few places because the staff are reasonably well paid with basic incomes they dont have to survive on tips alone.
Maybe also, your day is still out of kilter and just not ready for having, to you , a large unusual meal at that time of day. A bit difficult to explain, but I hope you can guess what I mean.
Enjoying your updates and reflections. London is wondrous but so tiring I'd never recommend starting my holiday there. Save it for the last few days, is my view. Having visited a variety of counties and countries and sampled loads of dialects and foods and beers you'd feel much more settled and contented and would take London in your stride.
Agreed. Unless you have been there before, it can be overwhelming and tiring straight off the plane, if you are jetlagged and not used to such a big city. I made this mistake with my future wife - she felt a little panicked by the busy-ness and crowds of London, so we cut our visit short. After touring the rest of Britain she was acclimatised enough to cope with London by the end of our trip! (Jetlag was MY only problem - for a day 🙂)
I've used buses in new areas to me, and I've used Google Maps. It shows you the number, where to catch it, where you are on the maps and even puts each bus stop on the map so you can see your progress. I'm not a big eater, but that breakfast was missing bacon and a slice of black pudding; also you need toast and a cup of tea. Also, walking is a thing in Britain especially in London unless you wanted to sit on a crowded bus or train. It's normal to walk that far even with kids on a day out, and the bonus is the children sleep like kings at the end of the day.
I was about to mention that! Why don't they use Google Maps to work out which bus to take and which stop to get on/off at? Google Maps has made everything so much easier. Very difficult to get lost nowadays.
@@Mad5am Maybe it's a thing they will use while in the UK, and I agree it's much easier nowadays to drive, catch a train or a bus and see where you are going.
@@martinbobfrank I just learned about it relatively recently because I don’t take the bus where I live. It wouldn’t have been on my radar if someone who travels a lot internationally hadn’t told me about it.
It is nice our shops close about 11PM. Not in all places. Some clubs where I live are open to 5AM. Also you may find a cafe or take-away. Of course central London is open. Chelsea I don't know! But you do seem to be having fun. I hope you can come back and perhaps stay at least a week. When I was younger 2AM was it. Just enjoy the peace.
'tab' means credit at the bar, running up a tab to pay later or put it 'on the slate' as you would say. Most people don't work at 4am here because they have better things to do like sleeping. No point in opening at business at the time when your only customers might be a couple of tourists wandering the streets out of curiosity.
It's really interesting to me that you thought your English breakfast food was a strange mixture. When I think of American breakfast I always wonder why people have syrup on everything (stereotype I know) it's funny 😁
I remember when I first moved to England from Latvia, it was very difficult to get used to that most of places were closed at 6pm. That’s the time when usually people finish work and start socialising and I was so used to that. If I wanted to go and get a coffee later in the evening, after work, I used to go to a hotel. Unless you want to go to a pub, there wasn’t anywhere else really to go. Even in central London only bars and pubs were open in the evening. When my mum visited and we wanted to get a cup of coffee after a long day of sightseeing, we found it impossible to find any coffee shop open past 6pm. It seemed so strange. It’s just one of those things you have to get used to.
@@kateteixeira3000 Yes, fast food place is an option. We just wanted to sit in a nice coffee shop 🙂 Ended up getting coffee at the train station, which wasn’t that great, it did the job. That was a long time ago though. I’ve learnt more since then. 😀
You wondered why at 4 am you saw nobody and nothing was open, the area is also residential, people live above premises and in side roads, they have to be up the next day, they don't want to be disturbed by noise or drunken behaviour, you were awake because your body clock was still on American time, in another weeks time and you would also be sound asleep at 4am.
It’s really funny when you talk about seeing foxes in London, I’ve spend most of my life living in the countryside and yet the only foxes I’ve ever seen were in London and Manchester.
I've lived in London 30 years. When I first moved here you very rarely saw a fox. Now they're everywhere. One time they had a Chinese take away in my back garden - left the foil containers behind when they were done.
I see them (but no often enough!) when they try to raid my chicken coops. I’ve had to sink wire mesh two feet into the ground, to stop them burrowing into the run!
The word Tab is common, bar/restaurant staff will often say 'do you want to run a tab?' the person you spoke to couldn't have understood correctly, if you'd wanted' tap water' you would have used those two exact words.
Because in Britain, we like to sleep at night , work in daylight. Work life balance is very important. To us ,alot more than convenience.
So right! The great majority of us don't really miss not having somewhere to go to drink coffee in the middle of the night.
Strangely enough part of the empty town is because people have decent working conditions. They actually get time off work to sleep and be with their families/friends! If they had been open at 4am where would the customers be? Yep - tucked up fast asleep in bed. You could have gone to a police station for company. Emergency workers are still hard at work! :-D
Oh yes, the hospitals have the 24 hour cafes! (and toilets). As for getting up early, before the rush hour, maybe, but avoid the rush hour if possible. Cheaper fares kick in at 9:30am. If in London for 3 days or more try a river trip to Greenwich/Thames Barrier or beyond (a two way trip can be boring). The cable car is not as good as the London Eye but as the price is a decimal point down it is worth a try. For not so fine dining try the "Meal Deals" that the supermarket/convenience store chains offer. A sandwich, a drink and fruit or crisps for dessert for ￡3.50 is acceptable in fine weather and you can watch the world go by from a bench.
Yes get ya butt to bed 👍
Very true! No one is up at 4am so the cafe wouldn't make any money by staying open 24/7.
What Margaret said. We work when we get paid and that's it. We have laws in place to stop slavery
I think his surprise was not that the streets were quiet but that "nothing" was open, and as someone with extensive experience of London I'm also surprised he found nothing open at 4am in Chelsea. It's normally easy to find at least one coffee shop, fast food place, convenience store etc open at that time pretty much anywhere in London that has a high street.
You can ask the bus driver if you're getting on the right bus. They deal with lost tourists all the time.
..and realise when the bus gets to one end of its route it turns round & goes back! You need to wait at a stop on the right side of the road.
@@ethelmini that was their problem, you need be on the left side of the road 😉
Perfect advice.,,.................bus queries..........
That is one of the differences from the US - in the UK nobody wants to go shopping at 4am!
In the UK some supermarkets used to stay open around the clock. But since covid that is no longer the case and they tend to close for a period every night.
Unless it’s your wife’s birthday/anniversary and you have forgotten - that’s when you start praying and running about like a headless chicken looking for anything - anywhere. OOPS! Of course that has never happened to me cough cough. :>)
All the best to you and yours. Rab
@@raibeart1955 😂
Perhaps if you went onto the King's Road in Chelsea, or up to South Kensington/Knightsbridge you might have found some 24/7 life. Otherwise, that area is just a dormitory (all be it a wealthy one).
Unions are a thing in UK and other countries apart from the US. Therefore workers don't want to or expect to have to work at odd times of day
Ah guys you have to remember in old London before the days of modern construction and sky scrapers, Buildings such as The Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) and the Tower of London were the early London Sky scrapers and would have dominated the London skyline for miles around. Loving the videos, keep them coming.
The Elizabeth tower is quite modern by comparison, only dating back to the 1830s, as a fire destroyed what was there before. Westminster hall by comparison which is the older bit of the parliamentary estate dates back a lot longer. You will be able to see the difference in stonework. Glad you are enjoying my city of birth, but if you want more in terms of nightlife, Chelsea is not the best placecto see it. You qould have to avail yoyrselves of the West end, around Piccadilly circus and Leicester square.
The Victoria tower of the Parliament complex when first built, was the tallest non religious building in the World. 🇬🇧
Potato and cabbage fried for breakfast is called 'Bubble and Squeak'. Usually made from left-overs from the day before.
Welcome to Europe!
...people walk, everywhere! 🤣
Love your enthusiasm 🤗
hello from Denmark 🌸🌱
So true 😂 🇬🇧
Yup anywhere we can walk to we walk to
Last time I went to visit my son and his Canadian fiance, we walked so much I had to put paper towels inside my boots as I went right through the souls!!!!
In my idiotic youth I walked a lot on one day in fashion boots with a heel and ended up with a bunion that is beginning to blight my life.
The potato-cabbage thing was a bistro version of 'bubble and squeak' which is an old traditional English breakfast but not ever served like that. The original was the remaining vegetables of the Sunday lunch all mashed together and fried, the name comes from the sounds of different foods cooking together in a frying pan.
Yes that "breakfast" looked awful! The bubble & squeak was just wrong and the sausage - shrivelled to hell. Definitely catering to tourists since any local would call them up on that immediately (well i hope they would)
That breakfast looked like something you would get from a stall at the side of the road.
NOT at ypical English breakfast. Please don't confuse what you see, do or eat in London as usual for the rest of the country.
And where was the bacon?
@@chrisdavies9821 We locals know where to get a traditional fry up... or better yet... how to make one lol.
I wouldn't say that breakfast "looked bad" (put it in a pan and i will eat it).... but it was not a "Traditional and good" English breakfast.
I love bubble and squeak with a dollop of HP sauce on it
I love Angela, her excitement is so infectious. That's worst breakfast I've seen and definitely not traditional!
I agree. London has some great places to eat, but good quality traditional English food is hard to find especially the closer to the centre of London you get.
Awe you're too sweet😊
English Breakfast without bacon. Yeah right.
I agree; Angela seems lovely.... 🤗 the breakfast less so.... 😐
She is great, her enthusiasm is fantastic. He needs to stop talking over her
The direction of the bus will depend on which side of the road the bus stop is. This may have thrown you as we all drive on the correct side :)
Having lived in London for over 40 years (after moving from the North West of England), I have learnt many little 'secrets' that tourists would not be aware of (even many 'Londoners'). If you want a cheap 'cup of tea' and don't want to fight crowds in a cafe etc. Always keep an eye out for one of the 13 remaining 'Green Cabbies Shelters or Huts' (although only 12 cater to the public and you certainly cannot go inside unless you are a 'black cab driver). But many have a window and serve the public on the street. My sister & brother-in-law were visiting from Canada a couple of weeks ago and while 'walking around', I took them to the 'Temple Place Hut' (Open Mon-Fri / 7.00am-2.00pm only) - I kept the receipt, so here is what I paid: Two cups of tea for £1.00 each, a Latte for £2.20 - A chicken noodle stir fry (made fresh in a wok) £4.00, a breakfast baguette (2 sausages, 1 egg & bacon) £3.50 and BLT sandwich (with mayo etc.) £3.00 - Cheaper than all the tourist cafes nearby. It's just next to the Victoria Embankment Gardens, overlooking the Thames and sitting on a bench, with really good weather - Perfect !
I found two articles about them which are better than most:
www.bbc.com/travel/article/20180430-the-secret-green-shelters-that-feed-londons-cabbies
cabbieblog.com/green-cab-shelters/13-survivors/
Good shout, and there are equivalent though less historic Dog roll vans all over town if you know where...
My uncle was a beefeater and actually lived in the Tower - when my cousin got married she had her wedding there and tourists were snapping away as they thought we were royalty😂
We were given a tour of behind the scenes and seeing the Crown Jewels was a treat that I really loved🥰
If u ask a bus driver he will tell you where to get off - at least that’s what happens where I live in Yorkshire England 🏴
Enjoy your time here 🙏🏼🦋🥰💕
I walked during COVID through central London around 4 5am multiple times. Loved it, super surreal and therapeutic.
For over half the year its pitch black, freezing cold, possibly pissing down with rain at 4 in the morning so we tend to be indoors asleep then, that's why nothing is open.
Foxes have adapted remarkably well to life in British cities. Thirty or forty years ago they were associated with suburban areas with big houses and leafy back gardens. These days, as you noticed, they have moved in to the inner areas as well. On one of my visits to the city I saw one hanging round the platforms at London Bridge station, in broad daylight. A few years ago one moved into St Paul's Cathedral. where it set up home underneath the choir stalls and raided the gift shop for chocolate bars. At first the staff were mildly amused, but the smells associated with it were a serious problem. So "Herod" as it was nicknamed, was captured and sent off to an animal sanctuary.
Being in the UK, you must understand that no one expects people to work 24/7 as in the US, it is just not the norm especially in the area you were staying. As stated there are places you can find things open all the time but it is not everywhere.
A "Tab" is the tally that is used to calculate the "Bill".
Tabs are usually used in Pubs where the standard practise is to pay as you go, but some places will allow you to "Run a Tab" and you then pay up the whole amount as you leave.
They should have understood the word Tab. In a pub restaurant perhaps the staff would have been more onto it. But it's just more common to use the word Bill.
That was a breakfast, I guess, but it was NOT a traditional full English breakfast. A full English is: bacon, sausage, eggs, tomato, black pudding, fried bread, mushrooms and baked beans. Most offerings include all but one or two of these.
Morrison's supermarket Café serves a nice Full English.
You missed the hash browns.
Don't forget the spam, egg, spam, beans, spam and spam
I can relate to your jet lag. I went across to Tokyo for 3 months - from London - and I didn’t get a good nights sleep in all that time. You guys did so well to crack on while suffering. Great content and so glad you enjoyed my home town
Being located In Chelsea you’re very much in an upper middle class area so not surprising nothing’s open at 4am. If you want to see more of the 24hr city you’d have to go to somewhere like Soho.
Sorry to hear that jet lag was an issue for Ethan. Acclimatising to the change in hours as well as acclimatising to a completely new environment can be very tiring and I’m sure is frustrating because you’re not going to enjoy the attractions as much as if you were well rested.
Looking forward to more Trooping the Colour and Jubilee flyover stuff.😎👍🏼
I sympathize over your jet lag! Over the years I’ve learned to treat the first day of any European trip as a Zombie day and plan only to do what little is needed to keep me awake until at least 8 pm local time in order to become acclimated to the local time zone.
We don't use tab as standard, we use bill or Londoners would say "what's the damage?" sometimes too in a cafe or bar. But.... most people would understand tab.
There are places, you just need to know where they are.
Chelsea is a residential area. If you were in the West End it would be a lot busier. However local trading standards do restrict store openings in many more residential parts of the city.
It is not dead......,,.l think everyone saw you meandering and thought.,.....sod off........,
If you haven’t seen them already, Jay Foreman recently did 3 great videos about the history of London’s bridges (including London Bridge and Tower Bridge) as part of his Unfinished London series.
Well worth watching them guy's even if your not a Londoner.
Jay Foreman's videos are hilarious, as are his Map Men series - funny and educational!
I was just going to suggest this!
There has always been and still is a night time economy in London, famously around the Markets and Newspaper industries. These are dispersed around now. There are still "early doors" pubs around Smithfield and Borough Markets and cafes around the Mainline Railway Terminals and clubland. You also find 24 hr cafes and supermarkets in some suburbs if they have survived Covid shutdowns. Taxi drivers tend to know where they are.
There's an app called city mapper that will absolutely change your life. It runs live with the traffic/public transport and tells you exactly which coloured routes, busses, numbers, tubes to take and when to walk down to the second. I use it every time I go to London, I couldn't recommend it enough for you, it will take away all of your suffering
(apologies if this is a dupe, youtube comments keeps going weird)
Also City Mapper is a free app available on Apple and Android. It works for many cities as well as London
Yep, used it before, it's so under rated.
Things are closed because it is 4 am 😂 Why would anyone be up?
Especially coffee shops lol.
Thankyou for enjoying and appreciating my country
Hi guys, so glad you enjoyed your trip to GB😃
I’d like to enlighten you on a couple of points from your day 2 video.
The mashed potato and cabbage is what we call bubble and squeak.
And we do use the word tab but usually it means that we leave a credit card behind the bar and pay for everything at the end of the night. We usually do this in a pub where we are known or a restaurant. In The situation you found yourself in we would ask for the bill or maybe the cheque
I’ve been following you guys for maybe six months now. I really enjoying your content, keep up the good work.
Best wishes from SW19
my bank advises against leaving your cards behind the bar as anybody could copy your name long number expiry date and the CC No. from the back and go home and start ordering from on line etc a couple of days later.
Tourist Rule No. 1...Never hand your card over to someone.
Things I love about the Tower of London is all the weapons it contains and that the old Roman wall is near it.
London has so much history that you'll always find something new where ever you go.
Yeah, oddly, most people don't want to go into town for coffee at 4am 😳😂
A tab is what a local corner shop or pub would run form well known people in their local area. The tab would run from one payday to the next (a week at that time back then) It would allow people of low income to eat and drink while running up the tab but of course eventually it caused a lot of problems, with non payment. In restaurants and bars you ask for the bill not the tab.
I lived and worked for 12 years in South London as a groundsman on a 2.7 acre site. The grounds had 9 wild foxes two of which were more friendly and one allowed me to stroke her.There were 6 elderly female tenants whom i also helped though not my job. I would feed the foxes cooked chicken and most of the tenants also fed them and i would obtain antibiotics which i put into their food to cure them if the foxes had mange. We had great fun together and taught me much about animal behavior.
@mary carver Foxes were here before humans.
It's human waste that sustains the population.
@mary carver And all the waste food left outside. I live in a small coastal town In Kent by the sea we have foxes too its not just London !!!
@@mikepxg6406 they have said foxes in UK are now semi domesticated same why cats gradually did when they were allowed to do pest control at farm barns and got used to humans and cohabit with them for safety
@mary carver all urban areas have foxes as we have destroyed so much of their habitat.
@ The Muttleys: as far as the foxes are concerned, it has nothing to do with “destroyed habitat” - foxes live almost everywhere. Just as it is with people, foxes move into urban areas for the presenting opportunities.
The potato thing you had for breakfast was bubble and squeak. It is a mix of mashed potato and cabbage which is made into a patty and fried. The name comes from the sound of the cabbage when it is fried.
When you said people just assume you are from New York etc, that’s what it’s like for us when people assume the uk is London and we all speak like the queen (trust me.. we don’t 😅)
They do in Chelsea
I like how you are constantly interrupting each other but never once with a hint of irritation. This is a solid marriage kids!
I've been married 37 years, and the last time my wife let me finish a sentence without interrupting me was on the day of our marriage, when I said 'I do'.
@@tomarmstrong5244 that made me laugh
@@tomarmstrong5244 As long as your not bitter, Tom
Guys, ever considered asking the driver if the bus goes by the location you want to visit ? 😄
Agreed, most drivers wwill be helpful and probably be able to point you to the right stop.
They are American and probably don't speak English. And many bus drivers in London don't speak American.
@@quintoblanco8746 Come on, most bus drivers can handle American, they deal with them all day.
I thought that it was the right bus but that they got on it the wrong side of the road .Did they forget about driving on the left ,so that`s the side you need to wait ?
@@gillcawthorn7572 An easy mistake to make, especially in an unfamiliar area, I've done it myself... I should have checked the timetable on the stop post
In the UK, everywhere is walking distance if you have the time. There's footpaths all over the place, connecting towns and cities. My childhood home is 10 miles away and I can walk there with zero roads.
I saw a UA-cam video recently where they explained US suburbs are built under the rule of zero pavements. Madness.
I mean, technically speaking, the whole world is walking distance if you have the time...😆
@@KissMyFatAxe lolz. We are lucky to have paths here. Check out the "Not Just Bikes" channel. He explains how North America is specifically designed to not allow walking ✌
@@KissMyFatAxe A boat might prove useful on that “walk”, though :D
US planning is literally designed to MAKE you take a car. I am not making this up - to get a subsidised house in the 1950's you had to buy a car and a washing machine and NOT share them with your neighbours. that is NOT a joke.
The Thames is usually pronounced "The Tems". One of the many non-obvious pronunciations that we have. I'm sure you came across a whole bunch more whilst you were here. Recapping each day was a great idea. Looking forward to the rest!
I'm probably the only British person who pronounces it how they pronounce it then!
@@shanadeoreilly7416 how do u say it then?
Thames like james!
😬
@@shanadeoreilly7416 I think it is pronounced Tames at the source in Golousteshire. In London it is pronounces Tems
Nice. I've been in 2012 in London with my husband. We are from Germany. It was amazing. I love history. And London is full of it. 1. day we made a 10 hours walk. Our hotel was on north Hyde Park near marble arch. And we also been on the Tower Bridge. Enjoy London
Citymapper will be your best friend in any foreign city. Tells you which bus or tube or whatever you need to get where you’re going.
London never feels that busy at ground level and that’s because a lot of people are underground using the tube.
Having travelled to the US a lot on business trips (about 20 different states), there is nothing much open there either at 4am!!
Slightly odd-looking 'English breakfast' tbh.
The potato thing you had with your breakfast is called Bubble and Squeak, traditionally eaten as a breakfast dish for a Monday morning as it's the leftovers from the Great British Sunday roast dinner, also the leftover juices from the meat joint normally beef were chilled and the fat called dripping was spread on bread but best on toast with a little salt to taste as an evening Sunday teatime, called Bread and Dripping...
So back in the day nothing went to waste and enjoyed and looked forward to as most English households done most of their baking on a Sunday's when the over was on and not to waste the energy so mother's baked cake's, biscuits and breads after the roasts. For the average households across England.
Sorely missed from childhoods of today as it taught you how to be frugal with your food waste but today's food waste wouldn't have happened back then but I can see it turning full circle with the way things are going on in this world...
You didn't have to go far if you wanted to see The real London Bridge your thinking of is actually in America, Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
Also another piece of trivia the reason why the UK had so many pubs (Public Houses, Inns) come from the time when the consumption of water was dangerous especially in London and was better to drink beer as in the brewing of beer 🍻 it was sterile from bacteria, and they brewed the mash three or four times so you had four strengths of one beer , the more they brewed the mash the weaker the beer become to the extent that children could drink if without the effect of getting drunk then later on the production of Gin was almost the downfall of society in city's across England.
Excellently explained mate I nearly answered myself, but I thought surely will explain ,and you did perfectly, I used to love Monday meal because it meant Bubble and squeak day .
@@maxwellmoore8424 they were the days not like the wasteful society of today...
Mm, bubble and squeak, and/or rissoles - lovely grub for a Monday! 👍
@@janefaulkner3749 I know they talk about recycling ♻️. as if it's new just look back , Electric milk floats ,Delivered milk ( not just milk I know) .but let's stick with milk , Right , In glass bottles, each time Delivered they picked up the empty milk bottles ,which in the main we washed out .then they sterilised, and refilled , DON'T know how long a bottle Lasted ,but could be melt8ed down
It is so nice to hear two tourists so excited about your trip so far in the UK. I would suggest that if you are trying to use £ 50-pound notes outside of the London area you might have some problems getting shops or cafes to accept them. Much better to go into a bank and ask them to exchange them for £5, £10 & £20 notes. Here in the UK a good percentage of us no longer use cash but use our contactless debit and credit cards, hence some shops and cafes do not have enough change to provide change for large notes.
If the tower of Big Ben was as tall as you thought it should be ,how would people have seen the clock faces ?
Nice one!
That's actually an excellent point!
Good point
Not everything has to be big to be impressive its the history
With an English fried breakfast it's perfectly acceptable to ask them to leave bits off- I never get Mushrooms and I'm not a fan of the tomato. Sometimes you get an extra sausage or something to make up for it!
Why never get mushroom?? It's a personal choice but I really like fried mushroom. And tomato!
@@ellentronicmistress4969 - I love mushrooms too ! Hail the shroom and fried toms...
@@stewedfishproductions7959 tomato should be left for salad. I like a fried mushroom though 😉
@@declanrussell2232 Each to their own. But I just like food... Very little I won't eat! LOL!
@@declanrussell2232 - You get a thumbs up for liking mushrooms 👍😊
I am glad you are enjoying your visit. You are not letting anyone down ❤️ I haven’t followed you for a long time but I am loving your energy and feel you are more open. Have 🤩
On closer scrutiny, your breakfast was also missing slices of fried bread, bacon, and a fried egg. The Full English can feel a bit sloppy in your stomach if you're not used to it, but if you fill up on toast and tea you won't need another meal for many hours. IMO, walking is the best way to get a feel for a city and you end up seeing more of the quirky side of life - you can see the tourist sites on YT ;-).
For myself it was a pretty sloppy and meagre presentation. A single sausage floating in a pool of beans is a no no. Not typical.
That was not an English breakfast, wierd content and badly presented.
Thanks for coming - Jet lag is always difficult West to East - I bet going back was fine? It makes you appreciate cabin crew - how do they cope? Always try and book a hotel that is easy to get to after landing and rest. As you say don't try to do too much in the first couple of days. Hope you tried a proper full English later in your trip. That breakfast was what we would call a 'greasy spoon' type place.
Get used to the walking and remember old buildings didn't come with elevators! The point of a holiday is to enjoy your holiday so don't worry about the filming, concentrate on enjoying the experience with your senses.
Couple of points:
You are right, we don't really use 'tab' for a bill except in a pub and it has a slightly different use. In a pub, you would go in and say 'Can I start a tab?'. A tab is where you leave a credit/debit card behind the bar and people can get drinks without paying for each individual drink and you settle your bill (or tab) at the end of the night. Beware though, if you go to places like Newcastle and ask for a tab you may get a cigarette!
There have been many London Bridges at that site and it is mostly famous from the nursery rhyme 'London Bridge is falling down'. People used to live on the bridge in medieval times. The London Bridge that pre-dated the current one is currently at Lake Havasu City in Arizona. The story (since denied by the purchaser) was that the man who purchased the bridge thought it was Tower Bridge.
As someone who has worked in the centre of London for years, I walk pretty much everywhere and so walking 1-2 miles from the station to the office is normal for me.
The purchaser of London Bridge new exactly what he was buying he came to London & the Corperation Showed him the bridge the southernmost arch that was on land was not Required & is still in situe!!
I’m a pensioner and walk about 2 miles a day; it’s something I’ve done since childhood as many Brits do, as our towns were mostly built pre-motor vehicle era and unsuitable for travelling everywhere by car.
One used to have a tab at one's local and pay the publican on pay day, hopefully it was less than one's wages and the publican was honest.
Usually, when I first arrive, I tend to wake at 4am in the morning...thats why i love going in May. Getting up for a cup of tea and listening to the dawn chorus ( in the countryside ) is one of my joys in life...surreal!
Don't worry about not filming too much, that sounds like a massive hassle. You need to enjoy your time and not be looking at a phone for the whole trip :D I live in the north of England and have only been to London a couple of times, mostly to stay over with family before going to France. This video has made me want to see the Tower of London; I never really knew what it was but have heard about so much that has happened there throughout history and it looks amazing. Thanks for this and hope the trip went well or is going well if you're still over here
Loving this series guys and so pleased you are enjoying our country so far. I used to travel a lot in my business life and found one of the best ways for me to get over jet lag was either just "power" through the day if the idiots doing my schedule had booked meetings as soon as I landed but I trained them to book flights so that I arrived in the evening had dinner and then I had 3 or 4 whiskies within an hour - not enough to be totally drunk but when combined with the jet lag enough to lock me into a long sleep and then ready for work with no hang-over.
Nice video - however regarding Big Ben - you must keep in mind when the tower was actually built - skyscrapers came very much later.
Im glad you guys had a great trip! It bet you're happy that you recorded these travel journals while you where there and not after you got home because it gives you a much better prespective of how you felt during your travels. I love my travel journals for that! I kind of wish that some of them were on video like these recaps you guys are doing - make it more easy to share with friends and family! Im excited to watch the rest of the videos from your trip! I really want to go travelling again now that I've been watching this (the travel-itch is back, and its gnawing away at my sould haha!).
I went out fr a night walk once about 3am in East London and I felt someone was following me but I couldn't hear anything n the streets were deserted, I turned around and there were 12 foxes following me like the Pied Piper! Everytime I stopped n looked back the whole group just froze in the road looking at me like that children's game when u try n sneak up on the person without being seen! As there were so many foxes, which I love! It was slightly unnerving, and I began to entertain thoughts of how many foxes would it take to take down a human being!!! I decided to cut my walk short....it was very strange to see so many foxes in a large group.😳
What's the Time. Mister Wolf?
@@Lily-Bravo 👍😉
How weird! 🦊🦊🦊What a great memory for you. 😎
I'd love to have seen that, the rotten farmers kill them here.
Ah lucky you! If you’d really been the Pied Piper, they would most likely have been rats. And then you’d have had the foxes there to hunt them down for you😀
The blue and white paintwork on Tower Bridge dates from the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977. Prior to that it was a rather unpleasant chocolate brown. There hasn't been a major repainting of the bridge since then as far as I know. My office is nearby - you walked past it - and I think we'd have noticed.
Isn't it wonderful in Europe that people don't have to work at night unless totally necessary?
exactly...can't be that productive in the States if you spend your life living to work....slowly..🤷
If everybody only did jobs that were "necessary" the whole economy would collapse.
@@citizenpb so having a coffee shop open at 4am in the morning in Chelsea would help the economy!! 🤦😅
@@glastonbury4304 Buying a coffee at 4am, in Chelsea or otherwise, is entirely discretionary and not "totally necessary". But a very large part of the economy, if not the majority, falls under the category of discretionary and if all discretionary transactions stopped then the economy would collapse and millions would be out of work. So yes, not "totally necessary" activities such as buying coffe at 4am help the economy. Even someone who thinks emojis are a substitute for logical thinking should be able to grasp that.
@@citizenpb you really are the perfect example of a vacuous passive aggressive , who is desperate to be heard ...
Really enjoying these videos and will be very interested how you got on around Westminster and the Trooping of the Colour.
When you were walking across Tower Bridge, I hope you noticed the blue line of workers with their brass plaques to celebrate the ordinary people who have worked at the Bridge since its construction....a really interesting snapshsot of the ages and job titles everyone had.
How we cope with jetlag is so personal, but all that walking - however painful - would've been a great way to reduce its effects. My worst experience was a flight from Honolulu to Auckland....left on the Thursday, arrived on Saturday having lost virtually 24 hours in the time difference.....crazy 🤣
Your learnings of London will be very helpful for anyone else planning a trip, and if I'm still living here when you return I'd happily take you on a drive (or ride if you can handle riding pillion) around all the central tourist spots and 'secret' gems of London..... after 10pm is a great time to spend a couple of hours on the roads. And I know where to get you some midnight food 😅
The man in red at the Tower is a guard called a beefeater. They really give a great history of the tower, 400 people were beheaded there, and even though 13 ghosts haunt it. The one best remembered is Ann Bolyn. They have the executioner’s ax on display ( definitely would not want to die that way. I posed for a picture with a beefeater, and in our conversation it turned out his daughter, had lived in Canada for two years……in my city Winnipeg…..small world!
Hi Cheryl, when I was 12 (many years ago) I visited your wonderful city, just for a few days before moving up to Gimli. You have a beautiful country.
@@orwellboy1958 Hi back, I haven’t been to Gimli for years. Had a friend of Icelandic heritage….lots of Icelandic/Canadians up there, everyone super friendly.
bubble and squeak is the greens and other stuff fried ( sometimes with egg on the top ) its a result of people from way back when not wanting to waste food. We had it every Monday evening made up from the left over veg from the Sunday roast. Every family would have their own recipe based on what leftovers they were usually left with. That's why nothing beats your mums 'Bubble'.
What I used to do when I had friend or family coming over to visit, was I used to take them to the Westminster tube station, and come out from a specific stairway where you'll start seeing big been growing in front of you while you climb the stairs. Not once it failed to impress.
That was my first view of Big Ben as well many years ago. So cool the way it just unfolds as you walk up the steps
Jack and the been stalk?
Fry up is a hangover cure that's why it's loved so much. You could be feeling like death warmed up from the night before and eat fried breakfast and feel brand new
We normally only use 'tab' for when you keep a running debt with a bar. This means you don't pay for each drink, but you 'run a tab' and pay all at the end of the night or sometimes at the end of a longer period, like a month. Normally only locals are allowed to do that. Because they are known to the bar-staff or landlord/lady they drink without paying, and the bar keeps a record... then (maybe once a month) they 'settle their tab'. It's not very common, especially not in big cities where people frequent multiple regular places, but it does still exist in the countryside. If you are in a restaurant or cafe at a table and you want to pay you could say "Can we get the bill please?", "Can we get the check please?", or simply "Can we pay?"
Ah don't worry about what you manage to film/not film, you can only ever go with the flow and share what you can - it's great just hearing you talk about it anyway. Looking forward to hearing how the rest of the trip went!
A tab in Britain is when you have a credit account at a pub. The bill is called the bill!
I wanted to check the comments first, because I was about to say that a 'tab' in the UK is a 'bill' you run up at a bar. In some places you just leave your debit / credit card with the barman (barperson - LOL) and pay it all in one go when leaving...
Oh yeah no that is absolutely NOT a full or traditional English breakfast 😛 a pub might be better to find one. I don't use the buses, but the great thing about the tube is that you can get on and off real quick and they come every 3 minutes so awesome if you're new/getting lost
Don't ask the pubic for directions, they'll tell you to get public transport for something 400 meters away
Your last two videos have reminded me of the way I felt coming back aftermy New York trip.
Jet lag is horrible 🤔
It's great that you're thinking about what content people want to see, but don't let filming feel like an obligation!
It was your trip - we're just happy to be along for (some of) the ride ✈️
Don't beat ur self up, jet lag can be a killer, a holiday is supposed to be enjoyable and not about appeasing what other people want you to do xx
Spot on!
Shops will take the new plastic polymer £50 notes without hesitation because they have only been released in the last 18 months or so and (as far as we know) there are no counterfeits. Whereas the old paper £50 had lots of fakes in circulation which is why most shops refused to take them. Glad you enjoyed your trip.
I love these videos so far. To be honest, that English Breakfast you had in London didn’t look particularly appetising to me, and it’s something that I love. When we make it at home, we use the best ingredients, top quality bacon and sausages, and I have small tomatoes as they have some flavour to them - the big tomatoes are invariably tasteless. You can eat a good cooked breakfast when you are out, but of course you have to know the best places to go - or need to check Trip Advisor.
And you didn’t let us down. Jet lag is horrible, but seasoned travellers know all the hacks to reduce the impact. And all the walking you have to do as a tourist IS exhausting because it is invariably on hard surfaces, which jolts everything and makes you foot-sore. I can walk for miles in the countryside with no problems, but in urban areas, I really suffer.
Guys, don't worry about the filming thing. Just recharge your batteries then go off, explore and have a nice little holiday, yeah? If you have time, Hampstead-Camden-Primrose Hill is a nice area to wander around in North London; Shoreditch/East London is arguably the cooler part of town these days, some nice bars and smaller band venues if you fancy checking those out. Also, if you have time, I'd say hop on an early train one morning to the south coast, Brighton's about 90 min away and a lovely place this time of year.
Just feel a bit bad for y'all, things are a bit rougher here after two years of Covid stuff, places closed down, etc. Things have opened up again of course but we did lose a bunch of nice smaller shops, bars and restaurants in that time, plus all the prices rises from certain factors, etc. Anyway, have a lovely time yo.
That didn't look like a good full English breakfast. Try somewhere else. Also there are things called 'taxis'.
Okay, Uncle Moneybags.
These clips are so enjoyable. I love your enthusiasm and enjoyment. You really are a delightful couple…keep enjoying yourselves
A TAB. In the uk if you’re a ‘local’ who regularly drinks in the same Pub you can sometimes ‘have a tab’ where they won’t charge for drinks but write it in a book. And you pay maybe at the end of the week or payday or when your TAB gets too high 😆😆
I love your review of London (my home), looking forward to the next instalment!
So glad you guys had great time in London 🤗with your family. The walkway that you went on over Tower Bridge was closed off to the public for so many years as it was an open walkway and alot of people would commit suicide by jumping off and then after it was enclosed (what you got to see) it was reopened.
I got to see your video of the Flypast 👍really great video,this was history in the making as we will never see an event like this again and you were here to witness such an historic moment you now have the privilege to brag to all and sundry for the rest of your life🇺🇸👑✨😂it's just a shame that you couldn't have stayed for the Concert.
I'm so looking forward to seeing your videos of the rest of your visit to the UK
I really hope that you enjoyed your time in the UK and that one day you can visit with your children 💖🤗
Take Care and Stay Safe
🇬🇧💖😀
PS.
Where do you keep your Marmalade Sandwiches😂
I smiled somewhat at the mention of the spoon amongst the Crown Jewels - it is the anointing spoon used for the most sacred part of the coronation. It is one of the few surviving items from the regalia of Edward the Confessor. It is almost 1,000 years old and really could be worth £ 10 million because of its history. The Tower of London is worth a whole day to itself and worth every penny of the entrance fee. It is a marvelous experience - the staff are friendly and approachable, and it is a great idea to have guided tours by Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters).
It's interesting that you found the combination of items on the breakfast strange. I've been in hotels on numerous occasions where I've seem Americans visit the breakfast buffet and pile sausages, eggs, croissants and fruit and even porridge on the same plate!
Or there’s dishes like chicken and (American) waffles
Strangely engaging videos. Quite lovable couple. Slowly working through these videos. Fortunately the videos have the DAY NUMBER on them.
You are going to miss a ton, of course, accept that. Just relax and enjoy the moment. It is usually the small things that you remember
You are doing so well. Jet lag is awful. We’ve often flown over to visit friends in Milwaukee and the west to east trip home always knocks us out for a few days.
I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto.
The word "Tab" used here usually refers to kind of credit...like a "slate" its not commonly used to describe the bill for food, we mostly say "can we get the bill?". Although tipping is accepted in places, in a few places because the staff are reasonably well paid with basic incomes they dont have to survive on tips alone.
That breakfast looks a bit weird. You will have come across much better ones I'm sure during the rest of your trip.
I completely agree. Why was the sausage randomly in the middle of the beans. No bacon?
Maybe also, your day is still out of kilter and just not ready for having, to you , a large unusual meal at that time of day. A bit difficult to explain, but I hope you can guess what I mean.
Enjoying your updates and reflections.
London is wondrous but so tiring I'd never recommend starting my holiday there. Save it for the last few days, is my view.
Having visited a variety of counties and countries and sampled loads of dialects and foods and beers you'd feel much more settled and contented and would take London in your stride.
Agreed. Unless you have been there before, it can be overwhelming and tiring straight off the plane, if you are jetlagged and not used to such a big city. I made this mistake with my future wife - she felt a little panicked by the busy-ness and crowds of London, so we cut our visit short. After touring the rest of Britain she was acclimatised enough to cope with London by the end of our trip! (Jetlag was MY only problem - for a day 🙂)
I've used buses in new areas to me, and I've used Google Maps. It shows you the number, where to catch it, where you are on the maps and even puts each bus stop on the map so you can see your progress. I'm not a big eater, but that breakfast was missing bacon and a slice of black pudding; also you need toast and a cup of tea. Also, walking is a thing in Britain especially in London unless you wanted to sit on a crowded bus or train. It's normal to walk that far even with kids on a day out, and the bonus is the children sleep like kings at the end of the day.
Yes! I used Google Maps to ride the bus in Edinburgh last week. It was really helpful.
I was about to mention that! Why don't they use Google Maps to work out which bus to take and which stop to get on/off at?
Google Maps has made everything so much easier. Very difficult to get lost nowadays.
@@katzablot599Now I think about it they did mention they don't often catch a bus, and so maybe it's not a thing in America; just here.
@@Mad5am Maybe it's a thing they will use while in the UK, and I agree it's much easier nowadays to drive, catch a train or a bus and see where you are going.
@@martinbobfrank I just learned about it relatively recently because I don’t take the bus where I live. It wouldn’t have been on my radar if someone who travels a lot internationally hadn’t told me about it.
It is nice our shops close about 11PM. Not in all places. Some clubs where I live are open to 5AM. Also you may find a cafe or take-away. Of course central London is open. Chelsea I don't know! But you do seem to be having fun. I hope you can come back and perhaps stay at least a week. When I was younger 2AM was it. Just enjoy the peace.
'tab' means credit at the bar, running up a tab to pay later or put it 'on the slate' as you would say. Most people don't work at 4am here because they have better things to do like sleeping. No point in opening at business at the time when your only customers might be a couple of tourists wandering the streets out of curiosity.
Really glad that you guys are having such a great time.
The River taxi boats are a easy and fun way to get around that part of the city
It's really interesting to me that you thought your English breakfast food was a strange mixture. When I think of American breakfast I always wonder why people have syrup on everything (stereotype I know) it's funny 😁
I remember when I first moved to England from Latvia, it was very difficult to get used to that most of places were closed at 6pm. That’s the time when usually people finish work and start socialising and I was so used to that. If I wanted to go and get a coffee later in the evening, after work, I used to go to a hotel. Unless you want to go to a pub, there wasn’t anywhere else really to go. Even in central London only bars and pubs were open in the evening. When my mum visited and we wanted to get a cup of coffee after a long day of sightseeing, we found it impossible to find any coffee shop open past 6pm. It seemed so strange. It’s just one of those things you have to get used to.
Certain cafes shut early...but you can always get tea & coffee in a pub or fast food place later x
@@kateteixeira3000 Yes, fast food place is an option. We just wanted to sit in a nice coffee shop 🙂 Ended up getting coffee at the train station, which wasn’t that great, it did the job. That was a long time ago though. I’ve learnt more since then. 😀
I think things not going well together is how we feel about some American dishes which feel very eclectic - lots of mixing of sweet and savoury
syrup on bacon for example
The original London Bridge was bought by an American Robert P. McCulloch in 1968 and is now in Lake Havasu City in Arizona!
TERRY'S didn't give you bacon, black pudding or a fried slice, not good enough; substituting bubble & squeak, one way to maximise a profit I suppose.
Thumbs up to you two you are so down to earth.a breath of fresh air
From my ONE trip to the US (Atlanta in 1992 for 2 weeks business trip) it took me 3 days to get over jet lag.
Yes, it's one of the worst feelings.
You wondered why at 4 am you saw nobody and nothing was open, the area is also residential, people live above premises and in side roads, they have to be up the next day, they don't want to be disturbed by noise or drunken behaviour, you were awake because your body clock was still on American time, in another weeks time and you would also be sound asleep at 4am.
It’s really funny when you talk about seeing foxes in London, I’ve spend most of my life living in the countryside and yet the only foxes I’ve ever seen were in London and Manchester.
Same, I’ve seen 3 foxes in my life in the country, I’ve seen at least 3 in the space of a few minutes in large cities and towns
Never seen a fox
I've lived in London 30 years. When I first moved here you very rarely saw a fox. Now they're everywhere. One time they had a Chinese take away in my back garden - left the foil containers behind when they were done.
I see them (but no often enough!) when they try to raid my chicken coops. I’ve had to sink wire mesh two feet into the ground, to stop them burrowing into the run!
The word Tab is common, bar/restaurant staff will often say 'do you want to run a tab?' the person you spoke to couldn't have understood correctly, if you'd wanted' tap water' you would have used those two exact words.