London: she calls you back

Jordan

In the 3 years since our 2022 EuroMission, I’ve had considerable time to reflect on everything that went very well… and everything that could have used a little reworking. Really, logistics aside, the only aspect that needed major adjustment was my attitude.

Throughout a packed life season in Boston, full of North Eastern adventures and new experiences and evolution, two things were percolating in the background: my desire to see England in its fullness, and Dad’s ever-growing Anglophilia. Having had all kinds of personal revelations about my researching and planning tendencies, I was determined to have a redemptive trip arc that checked that pesky box from 2022 – just stick with one country and chill out!

When The Magpies began to have a heck of a season, I knew I had to make my pitch. Back in September 2024, I proposed Dad and I take a week-long England trip that would conclude with a Newcastle vs. Crystal Palace match at St. James’ Park. (Un)fortunately, the lads did so well for themselves, our match was rescheduled, and we cancelled the Newcastle leg of the trip just a few weeks prior to flying out. This change of plans lead to a glorious unfolding of events: a 9-day jaunt between the city and the countryside, complete with a Bournemouth vs. Tottenham match, the full Bath and Oxford experiences, and a Carabao Cup celebration in Covent Garden with every single NUFC fan in London.

One flight from DC for me and a couple from STL through MSP for Dad later, we arrived to LHR bright and early on a Saturday morning. Having really put the work in to understand the tube on previous visits, we needed no time to decide on our favorite Elizabeth Line into the City. Also a lesson from previous trips: stash your luggage near Paddington and STAY AWAKE.

Our first of (7?) full English breakfasts at a little hole-in-the-wall diner and a fart walk through Hyde Park set us right, and we were off to the British Museum.

Say what you want about the Brits and their bloody unjust conquests, but they do have a heck of a lot of cool stuff in an extremely cool building. We wandered through Old Kingdom Egypt, the whole span of China’s dynasties, Greek and Roman periods, India centuries before the Raj, and more. There was even a brief glimpse of the Rosetta Stone through the sea of unwashed masses yearning to get a pic on their Google Pixel.

Oh, and, they’ve got hella bowls. All across space and time, bowls, bowls, lotsa bowls.

High on the thrill of seeing the greatest treasures humanity’s ever stolen, we had a quick dump of stuff (in all senses) at our hotel. We got to explore the flavors of Notting Hill very briefly with an unbelievably yummalicious dinner at The Shed (really, a surprising level of class from a place called The Shed). We’re talking Goat’s Cheese Mousse Tartlet with Sussex Honey, Roasted Duck Breast in a Yorkshire Sauce, Raspberry Vodka Cosmos with Rose Syrup and Yuzu, and more!

Sunday was a day to contemplate the duality of man.

We had a quick wander around the remains of Christchurch Greyfriar’s, of which only some wall components and a side wing remain after WWII. A lovely garden and memorial create a tiny oasis in the midst of post-modern development all around. There was something incredibly surreal about standing in the middle of the courtyard, spying into both the adjacent cathedral and a high-rise apartment complex concurrently, and feeling acutely the passage of time.

We topped off our musing with another lovely full English at Côte St. Paul’s, and then got to experience the most wonderful choral matins service out on the open floor under the central dome. Meditating while surrounded by the sound of the choir and singing hymns with believers from around the world was a singular life experience.

However, I did mention duality. Shaking off the reverie, we took a spontaneous little jaunt across the Thames over the Millennium Bridge and would you look at the time! We had to book it to Liverpool Street Station to catch a commuter rail up to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Sausage rolls, cold beer, water that comes in boxes! What more could you want? In this stadium from the future, no seat is a bad seat. What a great day for the unaffiliated spectator. My favorite part was when they brought Dad down to the pitch so they could interview the man who broke a Guinness World Record for most Newcastle references at a Tottenham match.

And of course, no Sunday in London would be complete without a roast. Lucky us that we had some time before said roast to pop around the St. Pancras King’s Cross area, throw back a little aperitivo, and take a gander at all the folks passing by.