European Adventures

My big, fat racing adventure
Euro adventures
and misadventures continued

The Brits are nuts for statues.
Statues honoring war dead
are especially popular.

Of course, I found a model shop along the way, just walking to Chinatown, back of Trafalgar Square.
St. Martin’s, located on St. Martin's Lane, is a real nice shop for those that are avid race car model collectors like myself. They had all the latest from 1/87th scale to 1/8th scale (a Brawn). Exotos, Amalgam, Spark, Minichamps, BBR and all the top brands were there, on display as nowhere in the U.S. that I know of. Truly jealous am I.

Be sure to take a ride on the London Eye, the collosal ferris wheel right on the Thames River.
The first time we saw it, we thought it was not working, as it appeared not to move at all. We realized, when riding the ferris wheel ourselves, that it turns incredibly slow. Each of the very large gondolas holds 25 people or so, and the panoramic view of greater London is unmatchable. The 3D short movie viewed just before entering the ride is also quite fun and excellent. The "freak show" right by the entrance to the ride should be taken in as well. Mimes, magicians, performance artists and musicians all vie for your attention and busker dollars. The living plant guy was priceless.

--racerhead

One guard of the Crown Jewels, housed in the London Tower complex. Note the heavy-duty gun.

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• We enjoyed several dinners at the local corner pub near our London hotel. Contrary to popular belief, British food isn’t bad really, just not that great. We enjoyed many fine beers (try 49er, Erdinger in the tall glass, or a simple Guiness; all on tap, all hand-pumped, no CO2 anywhere). In a town with copious steakhouses, pubs, a great Chinatown and more Indian restaurants than in Bombay, along with every fast-food place you could want, there is no reason to go without something very good to eat. Note to Karen McC: remember these words, Ramatazzi Coffee Shops and Lavazza Coffee machines. Unbelievable coffee, both aromatic and strong. Only in London will you find a cup of coffee larger than a shot glass. On the continent, you’ll drink 5 at a time to get the volume we Americans expect. You’ll never look at Dunkin Donuts coffee with the same affection, though.
• Note to diners going to Germany: never order a “rump steak”. Going with the “best” steak on the menu at our Nurburg hotel dining room,
it had all the taste and consistency of sand. Not the wet kind, either. The only truly bad meal I had in almost
2 weeks.
• On the other hand, we enjoyed some great Wiener Schnitzel in Nurburg upon our return from Spa. Tender veal cutlets fried to golden perfection. Coupled with a Bitburger Beer, it hit the spot.
• The cathedral at the Brussels train station is majestic and so detailed you could spend a whole day picking out one more great thing. Located at the end of a grand plaza at the Brussels train station, It was just about
to be cleaned and restored. The outdoor cafés at the station were terrific; eating in the open air under giant umbrellas was fun. Try the “toasts”, simple open sandwiches on much better than average white bread. The mozzarella, tomato and basil sample I ate was just what I needed with the dark Chimay Bleu beer.