England: Day 1 & 2 - London

 Long weekend in London? Count me in!

Abby and Nate were approaching a year in The Big Smoke and I was determined to make a trip to see them. We worked out that we could take a direct flight leaving Thursday to arrive Friday morning and leave Monday morning to arrive back in Nashville by the evening. Thus this trip materialized. 

Of course, we had to book something upon landing in London. We had tickets to the British Museum. Much like the Louvre, we could have spent HOURS here. We saw the Rosetta Stone and walked through what seemed like miles of history and decades of artifacts.

We went back to the hotel in Archway and freshened up before meeting up with Abby and Nate. We met them at a pub and had a few rounds of drinks before heading to Notting hill. We then had some cocktails below the restaurant at a speak-easy-style tequila bar called Naked&Famous. After a drink, our table was ready and we ascended the stairs to Zephyr. It was so fun to catch up with Abby and Nate. We always have the best conversations about world news, politics, and family dynamics. I love Nate's 'devil's advocate' perspective. 

The following day we got up and did a guided tour by Abby and Nate to show us London's most iconic spots! We walked past the Tower of London, across Tower Bridge, took pictures at the best vantage point for Big Ben, saw the London Eye, waved at PwC, and then stopped for lunch at Borough Market. We ate sandwiches at The Black Pig and I got a Humble Crumble custard with Rhubard. 

Later in the evening we took our spots in the queue for Dishoom. It was well worth the wait as we ate to our hearts' content. London really does have great Indian food. We stayed for hours and then popped down the street to a classic English pub that played American music. It was so lively and we got bottle after bottle of white wine and danced into the night, like the good ole days! 

Max and I had to make a pit stop at Mackers after our late evening 👀 Just call us typical Americans, I don't mind 

Peru: Day 8 - Lima

 This was our final day in Peru and it was completely open! Again, I don't think we looked at our itinerary closely to see that we had nothing planned and our flight home wasn't until late in the evening. I found a self-guided walking tour through Lima so we decided to give it a try. We walked along the beach and ate crepes by the ocean, through a park full of mosaics, through an outdoor mall, saw cats roaming freely through Roosevelt Park, art and jewelry vendors set up along the sidewalks, stopping for drinks and snacks at random spots whenever we felt like it. We passed over a 'lucky bridge' and sat on benches in parks, just soaking in the last of Peru.

Our last restaurant from the napkin we went to was Panchita. It was over an hour wait but we had time! Max had his last Pisco Sour (Cathedral-sized!) and we had a delightful meal with all the traditional foods like Peruvian corn, breads, and potatoes.

We finally headed to the airport for the long journey home. I cannot put into words how much this trip meant to me. We hadn't taken a trip just the two of us since our honeymoon! It was amazing to be together and witness the raw beauty of Peru. I cannot wait to return one day and do it all again 💓

Peru: Day 7 - Ica & Huacachina

 Another instance where we didn't look at the itinerary closely: we had a 5 hour journey to Huacachina. I think Max and I really both were dreading this long day-trip. We were informed that we'd make a stop for lunch and then a stop in a town called Ica to see yet another museum. We were getting quite tired at this point -- all the early mornings, hectic day-trips, transportation, and late evenings. If Max had said 'let's cancel it', I probably would have said 'sure.' 

Our first stop was a Pisco Tasting Tour. It was a pretty small establishment and we had about 8 other people on our tour. We tasted several piscos and learned for the first time how to drink high-proof alcohol without the burn. The method is about swishing the liquid, swallowing, breathing in through your nose, and then our through your mouth... all very slowly and deliberately. It's the sting of oxygen that hits the alcohol that makes the burning sensation that actually detracts from the tasting of the spirit. A very interesting technique that Max and I both took from Peru and still use when doing tastings!

Maybe it was because we went in with such low expectations, but Ica was truly a diamond in the rough. We went into what appeared to be a quaint museum ended up being one of the highlights of our trip! Our guide was from Ica and had extensive knowledge about the culture and history of the Ica tribe. Max was engaged from the beginning and our guide could answer every question Max threw his way. It was amazing to see so many intact artifacts, from textiles to pottery, to human mummies, that had all been delicately preserved by the dryness of the land. I am so glad we were able to see this museum that we would have otherwise skipped over. 

Now time for the sand dunes. We entered into the oasis in the desert. A watering hole, you could say, that's been pretty commercialized. No one really lives in Huacachina but there are many shops and restaurants that surround the lake that's in the middle of the drylands of Southwest Peru. We got into a dune buggy where a professional drove us over endless mountains of sand and eventually, we got to slide down a few with sandboards. The hot sun, sand, and speed kept me smiling the entire time! 

Five hours back, we dozed off when we could. Max was exhausted; I was hungry. I ordered pizza which Max sort of scoffed at (pizza in Peru?) but it turned out to be delicious 😆 Thank goodness we could sleep in tomorrow because it had been a VERY long day. We went to bed happy and bellies full. Last day is tomorrow ..