We made our way through Heathrow and out to a parking structure where we found our Uber and started off to our first hotel. I was practically giddy just being in London. The buildings, shops, and people that passed by as we drove along were all so new to me and it felt wonderful. I sat back in my seat and breathed deeply. We had made it.

Our hotel in London, called myHotel Chelsea, was located in the Chelsea neighborhood and was one of the most beautiful and comfortable boutique hotels I have stayed in. The staff were pleasant and helpful, and they upgraded our room after we told them we were on our honeymoon. Our room had an amazing view of the neighborhood and sitting by the window while writing in my notebook was an unexpected highlight.

Our first night we went to our first of many pubs on this trip, the Admiral Codrington in Chelsea. Pub culture is nothing like a bar in the states. A pub is a place where you can bring your family, where friends gather and catch up in a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere. The food was good, the beers were great, and it was an excellent end to a long journey.

Day 2 - Walking the Thames

The first thing I heard was a little bird singing while perched outside our hotel window.

We woke very early thanks in part to jet lag, in part to my overwhelming excitement to get out and see the city. We slipped on our walking shoes and were out the door. Holding my wife's hand while strolling through the streets of Chelsea gave me a sense of contentment that I had not had before. We made our way to a cafe called A Wanted Man on Kings Road where we had a seriously fantastic breakfast and some perfectly pulled espresso.

We made our way down to the Thames where we spent the remainder of the morning walking along the river and taking in the sights. Seeing the MI6 building in person was fantastic.

One of the highlights of that morning was getting to check out the Tate Britain. Specifically, seeing the work of Joseph Mallord William Turner was very cool.

We then made our way to the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben. Our visit took place exactly one week after the attack on the bridge. Outside the palace there was a beautiful memorial where people were bringing flowers, cards, and other items.

We stayed only long enough to take an obligatory photo of Big Ben and chat with a couple people before heading across the bridge and having lunch at a small cafe in Vauxhall called the Kennington Lane Cafe.

After lunch we took a long stroll through Regency Park before heading back to our hotel.

Day 3 - Great food and Hyde Park

On our second morning in London we walked for a while to a little restaurant called Rabbit. This may have been the best meal of our trip. I hold no illusions of knowing about food but I like to try new things and we both loved this restaurant and our meal. The service was excellent and everything we tried was absolutely delicious.

After our late breakfast we did a little shopping and made our way to the British Museum of Natural History. There, we were able to see an incredible exhibit on Earnest Shackleton's voyage to the Antarctic among other very interesting pieces of antiquity.

We then made our way through downtown London, passing by the historic Harrods Department Store on our way to Hyde Park. Walking through the park was a trip through my childhood imagination. So many of the books and films from my youth used Hyde Park as a backdrop and the visit was surprisingly nostalgic. Also, it's just a beautiful park.

Our next stop was the Wellington Arch where we took some time to view the several war memorials surrounding it.

Next, we walked down Constitution Way to get to Buckingham Palace.

Day 4 - Trains and learning to drive

The morning of our fourth day was a logistical whirlwind. We slept through our alarm and woke up quite refreshed but without much time to pack and make our train to Kendal. We quickly stuffed our bags and sent for an Uber to take us to South Kensington Station where we would catch our northbound train.

Once onboard, we found our seats and for the next five hours watched England slide by outside our little square window.

We changed trains somewhere along the way before arriving in the town of Kendal. Kendal is what you might imagine when thinking of a typical English town; small buildings of white plaster and old stone works. A stream runs through the town which is crossed at several parts by beautiful old stone bridges.

We rented (hired) a car and made our way to Bowness-on-Windermere, the town we would stay at in the Lake District. This was also my first time driving in the UK, or any country other than the US. Honestly, it was jarring at first with everything being opposite, but after a few miles it started to feel pretty natural. The round-abouts never stopped being scary though.

We checked into the Macdonald Old England Hotel, dropped our bags, and were immediately out the door again. Before we left on this trip I was speaking to a friend who lives in Newcastle about where to shoot in Northern England, as the options were endless and I wanted to make the most of my time. He suggested we meet up and photograph Hadrian's Wall. The drive was an adventure as we experienced some of England's more rural roads for the first time.

It took us about two hours to reach our meeting place at the car park near Housesteads. Driving through the northern countryside as the day turned to twilight will stick in my memory for some time to come. The landscape was ethereal. Deep green rolling hills broken by old stone walls and small farms where flocks of sheep roamed. The view giving way to distant villages. I don't think we saw another person for the last hour of the drive.

We met up with my friend, grabbed our cameras and the three of us were off into the country. We walked to the wall and I was struck with the thought that at one point, in year 122, a Roman soldier may have stood where I was, looking toward what was once the northern most border of the Roman empire.

Day 5 - Rain and wandering

Our fifth day was spent exploring the town of Bowness-on-Windermere. We had originally meant to spend this day hiking the lake but the weather had other ideas. Fortunately the town presented an excellent day of exploring and taking in the little shops and sights. We also sampled lots of British beer.

Day 6 - The Castle

We ate breakfast in the hotel, made a couple more stops to buy souvenirs and slowly made our way back to Kendal. Before returning the car we took some time to check out Kendal Castle.

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"The castle was probably built in the late 12th century as the home of the Lancaster family who were Barons of Kendal. The best-known family associated with the castle was the Parr family; including Queen Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII of England. Her family had lived at Kendal since her ancestor Sir William Parr married the heiress of Kendal, Elizabeth Ros, during the reign of Edward III of England. By the time Catherine Parr was born, the family had long deserted the castle which was already falling into disrepair. Catherine's father preferred to live in the centre of court in London. Sir Thomas's father seems to be the last of the Parrs to have lived at Kendal Castle. The building has been a ruin since Tudor times but imposing stonework remains are still present."

- Linda Porter. Katherine, the Queen, Macmillan, 2010

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We successfully returned the car and boarded our next train to Manchester! We stayed at a hotel called The Didsbury House Hotel. It's a converted manor house and our room was in the former attic.

Day 7

This was our only full day in Manchester and our last day in England. We woke up early and headed off to a pub for breakfast.

We first checked out the Museum of Science and Industry where we saw exhibits on British mechanical innovation. I particularly liked the room dedicated to the development and progress of train engines.

We then headed to the John Rylands Library which we both agreed was the perfect way to end the trip. Living in California, we don't have buildings of this age and grandeur. The stone corridors, rooms filled with old books stretching to the ceiling, and beautiful sculptures.