THE BRITISH ISLES
OCTOBER 2023
BY THOMAS CULWELL
FANCY A PINT? OH HELL YEAH WE DO...
There is nothing like starting a trip with lifelong friends at the Centurion lounge at the airport (thank you GC). Prior to our 8:30pm departure from JFK, we all made sure to take full advantage of the all-you-can-eat-and-drink buffet and bar to ensure a smooth, restful flight across the pond to London. Post-boarding, we all put our sleep masks on, earbuds in, and were asleep within two minutes… we love a plan coming to full fruition. As I woke, admittedly a little hungover, the plane had landed and I thought to myself, “what a perfect way to skip the flight”. I looked over to Will and said, “man, that flight really flew by”. Confused at that point, Will checked the time… 10:30pm EST. Turns out, the flight was delayed – we hadn’t moved an inch. Yikes. Safe to say, we made it to London the next morning a little groggy, but we pushed through to make the most of our first day.
Day 1
The West Ham United Premier League game started at 3:00pm, which meant we had about 4 hours from our arrival at London Heathrow to drop our bags and get to London Stadium – except the Airbnb wasn’t ready, so we paid a random guy $30 each to put the bags in the back of his tourist shop and crossed our fingers.
We when arrived at the stadium, we walked directly to the team store, where each of us balled out on West Ham gear, stopped by the pre-game rally, then made our way to our seats. We were able to see a couple goals, but as the final minutes of the game were being played, we found it difficult to keep our eyes open. After the game, we made our way to Chinatown, grabbed dinner, then found our Airbnb, a TINY studio with one bed and one couch for the four of us to sleep.
London Stadium
Day 2
After a good night’s sleep, the crew headed to Beigel Bake for breakfast, a place I had been five years prior and couldn’t stop thinking about. We got the classic salt beef bagel with some spicy mustard, and it did not disappoint. We walked from there down Brick Lane, stopping in Café 1001 for some caffeine, and continuing on to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. We crossed the bridge and made our way west, walking through the Borough Market and grabbing our first pints of Guinness at The Old Thameside Inn on the River Thames.
Beigel Bake & The Old Thameside Inn
Following a couple of pints, we leisurely made our way to The Shard, where we indulged in a variety of cocktails at GŎNG, a lavish Asian-themed cocktail bar located on the hotel’s top floor. After the first round of drinks, we all agreed that we were experiencing one of the best (if not the best) cocktail any of us had every had: the Lebret – a creamy, nutty, sweet, and savory cocktail made with Hennessy, pistachio ice cream, white chocolate viognier, pine leaves, and a few drops of olive oil. Each cocktail ran us close to $20, but the Lebret was well worth it.
GŎNG
In high spirits, we collectively pulled the trigger on going to the Falcon’s game at Wembley Stadium, so we paid the check, caught the train, and entered the stadium with a few minutes to spare. Falcon’s lost – no surprise.
Big Dawg
“You need a napkin”
“Beer’s pretty good”
Wembley Stadium
Getting back to anywhere remotely close to our Airbnb was a nightmare, taking us several hours. However, once we made it back to the city, we stopped by the historic and esteemed Princess Louise Pub, built in 1872, to grab some Sam Smith pints in our cozy, mahogany-partitioned space. That is, until we had a bit of a run-in.
Princess Louise Pub
As we savored our first round of beers and enjoyed ourselves, a woman approached us, asking for money. Politely declining as we had no spare cash, she placed a piece of paper on the table with some writing. Despite our second refusal, she swiftly picked up the paper and departed. Around twenty seconds later, Sam noticed his watch vibrating, signaling a lost connection with his phone. Concerned, he said, “I think she stole my phone…” I’ve had my phone stolen in the past, so I sprang from my seat and took off towards the closest intersection, with Sam following closely. We both scanned the corner, and Sam spotted her. Confronting the woman, we demanded that she return the phone to him. Despite her initial denials, Sam’s insistence and threats of involving the police prompted her to pull Sam’s iPhone out from her pocket. It was truly a movie-like chase – a rush of adrenaline. Out of breath, we walked back to the pub and recounted the entire scene to Max and Will. We were all still in shock, but thankfully we had an incredible pub, classic beer, and good company to decompress and ease up.
After the insanity of the situation died down and we had our fill of Sam Smith, we decided it was time to head back to the Airbnb – a spot that, I failed to mention earlier, was a thirty second walk from The Hippodrome Casino. Naturally, we wrapped up the night with a little bit of gambling – or, well, losing.
Day 3
When we woke the next morning, albeit on the later side, we hopped on the train to Bath – a city known for (and named after) its Roman-built baths. We visited the Roman Baths, listening to and learning about the history and stories of the 2,000-year-old site.
Sam and Will spent more time at the baths while Max and I decided to visit the oldest house in Bath (c. 1483), Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House – a restaurant and tearoom serving the famous Sally Lunn Bun. We both ordered tea and split one savory bun and one sweet. This quaint teahouse should definitely be on your list if you are traveling through Bath.
Roman Baths (I)
Roman Baths (II)
Sally Lunn’s (I)
Sally Lunn’s (II)
The four of us met back together around 2:00pm and departed northwest towards the countryside Bath Racecourse. We spent the remainer of the afternoon here, eating hotdogs, drinking cider, and placing a few bets on the three remaining afternoon horse races. Somehow, we netted positive in a thrilling finish by some horse that I forget the name of, so we headed back to London in good spirits.
Bath Racecourse
Dinner was at Michelin-starred, game-focused pub, Harwood Arms. The four of us ordered every dish on the menu, washing it all down with a few pints of Guinness. Of the dishes we ate, a few stand out. As you’ll read from other sites online, the scotch egg was unreal – a must order. Additionally, standout entrees included the monkfish and the bird specialty of the evening (I believe it was a Cornish hen, although I can’t recall with 100% certainty).
The Harwood Arms
Day 4
We woke up fairly early on Tuesday to catch our flight to Shannon Airport, a smaller airport on the western coast of Ireland – an hour drive from the Cliffs of Moher. Sam was brave enough to be the first one to drive on the left side of the road through the windy roads towards the Cliffs of Moher, where we spent the rest of the day.
The cliffs were absolutely stunning. Many people gathered near the visitor’s center and O’Brien’s Tower, but we trekked farther south along the coastal cliffs past Viewpoint South all the way to Moher Tower at Hag’s Head. If you are traveling to the Cliffs of Moher, or even Ireland in general, the view and experience at Moher Tower is one of the coolest, with crisp, strong winds almost blowing you away as you watch the sun set over the deep blue North American Ocean waters. Once the sun set, we drove through Limerick to our Airbnb in Dingle, where we all showered and hit the sack.
Cliffs of Moher
Day 5
Day 5 was a fantastic one. In the morning, we languidly walked around Inch Beach, gazing at the background of rolling hills, breaking waves, and perfectly flat sand. We continued on, stopping once at Jacks Bakery & Deli for a mid-morning breakfast of pastries and sandwiches, and once in the middle of nowhere.
Inch Beach and The Middle of Nowhere
We arrived to Waterville Golf Links, where we were told that our tee time wasn’t until the following day – big oops. Thankfully, they had a few open tee times, so we were able to change and hop on the course within the hour. Waterville Golf Links was the single coolest course and most incredible round I’ve ever played. It was four hours of laughter, frustration, and good bonding with the guys. After the round, we made sure to raid the pro shop, then we drove down the road to The Smuggler’s Inn for dinner.
Waterville Golf Links
When we sat down for dinner, we were greeted with a bottle of wine, a gift from Will’s girlfriend Allie – such a kind gesture and fantastic way to start the evening. We ate, drank, played music, and sang ‘till the early hours of the morning.
Dinner at The Smuggler’s Inn
Day 6
We started the day with a full Irish breakfast at Smuggler’s and continued our road trip east bound towards Killarney. We made a stop in Sneem to check out a few cool murals, then continued on around the Ring of Kerry, driving through the Black Valley and Gap of Dunloe, two sites that looks otherworldly. This drive was mind blowing. Check it out:
We arrived in Killarney approaching dinner time, so we fueled up at a Japanese restaurant, completely drawn in due to the food we saw through the window. From there, we experienced the wonder of John M. Reidy’s. When we first settled into the relatively cramped pub, we ordered a few pints and continued in conversation. But as I made my way to the bathroom, Reidy’s quickly revealed its enormity. I told the guys when I got back, and we explored all of the different rooms, including an outdoor area featuring a two-man band, a percussionist and an accordion player, singing harmonies of all of the famous hits. We finished the night at The Killarney Grand, where the night progressed from a live band performing rock classics to a full nightclub setting with a DJ.
The Killarney Grand
Day 7
The road trip continued, heading farther east along the southern coast, making one notable stop: Old Head. Unfortunately, Old Head Golf Links is off limits to the general public, but we were able to see some incredible views from the Cliffs at Old Head. Additionally, we had a super insightful history lesson at the Lusitania Museum & Old Head Signal Tower. Shannon Forde, a local historian and genealogist, provided us with tons of information. She was an excellent storyteller, and the stories captured and retold in that museum were moving.
We stayed the night in an Airbnb in the outskirts of Cork, keeping it lowkey to prepare for the next two days in Dublin.
Cliffs at Old Head (I)
Cliffs at Old Head (II)
Day 8
We completed our road trip and returned the rental car in Dublin, where we hit the following places:
The Brazen Head. Coined as Ireland’s oldest pub, documents include the Brazen Head’s name as far back as 1653, while there has been a hostelry there since 1198. Will, Sam, and I all got the Beef and Guinness Stew and Max grabbed the fish and chips. This place not only exuded a cool and homey traditional vibe but also delivered exceptional food.
Trinity College. We really wanted to visit the Library at Trinity College, but unfortunately it was sold out. Instead, we leisurely wandered around the stunning and vibrant campus, soaking in the picturesque views.
Bowe’s Lounge Bar. On the way from Brazen Head to Trinity College, we stopped for a pint at Bowe’s Lounge Bar, another traditional Irish pub serving delicious, creamy Guinness. While we were there, we asked the bartender for the best recommendations for places to watch the upcoming Rugby World Cup match between Ireland and Scotland. He mentioned a few places, but encouraged us to go to the Camden because he said, and I quote, “they have a massive screen”.
The Camden. Man, that bartender was spot on… really big screen. We got to the bar a couple hours prior to gametime and still only found standing room. At kickoff, the place was absolutely slammed, turning the task of getting a drink at the bar into a more laborious effort than brewing your own beer it felt like. That being said, the atmosphere was electric, and when Ireland scored, the place went berserk. Ireland ended up securing the victory, and The Camden turned from watch party to party party, so we stayed there for a few hours to revel in the Irish win.
Day 9
Day 9 was the final day of our trip, and we were all beginning to hit empty on energy. That being said, we really only had one activity planned for the day: The Guinness Storehouse. We took a “hop-on-hop-off”-style bus around Dublin, seeing and learning about all of the major sites, like St Patrick’s Cathedral, the Dublin Castle, and the Wellington Monument. But once we reached the storehouse, we hopped off and walked in.
Guinness Storehouse
For the past five out of six years, Machu Picchu in Peru held the title of the world’s leading tourist attraction. However, in 2023, The Guinness Storehouse claimed the top spot, surpassing Machu Picchu in popularity. Overall, it was an exceptional experience, topped off with a pint at the top of the storehouse, where we savored the panoramic view of Dublin.
Finally, on the way back to the Airbnb, we wrapped up with Five Guys for dinner, then decided to call it a night and a successful trip.
