Tash & Mike's Wedding in Bognor... London for NYE

On Boxing Day (Dec 26th), we travelled to Bognor Regis, a town on England's southern coast, to witness Tash & Mike's Holy Matrimony.

Jellied eel?  I am willing to try any seafood (at least once)

We stayed at The White Horses Inn, a few steps from the English Channel.

Photog Scoots snapping sunset shots

Scoot's peaceful pic

From the start, I was fond of the Brits' witty sense of humor and vibrant energy.  This was going to be a brilliant time to practice my accent and learn new vocabulary!

We met all the local relatives and out of town guests at a lovely welcome party, at The Barn Pub (fitting name for Tash & Mike who are always "at full gallup")!

Bognor Regis is a small town and friendly chaps, perhaps intrigued by our new faces, greeted us with pleasure.

The stereotype of Englishmen with horrendous teeth was bloody true in this man's case; he clearly learned to compensate with this half arsed smile - disappointing since his chompers were unreal

When Oliver (above) asked me "What's your star (pronounced stahhhh) sign?,"  I wandered away and left him to bond with Scoots (another old soul intrigued by the universe).

 Sassy Sheila (on left) became my favorite British wedding guest when she shared her sausage with me and scolded Tash about her sleeping arrangements for the night before the wedding

The next day, Tash's Uncle Dave took 17 of us wedding guests in a passenger van on a "mystery" pub tour through the countryside.  First stop, was for a round of pints by the fire at St Mary's Gate Inn.  We ordered a snack to prepare our guts for a full day of imbibing.

Bangers and Mash (free-range chicken sausage and rosemary whipped potatoes with scrumptious green peas)

Castle in Arundel which is home to the Duke of Norfolk

We admired beautiful castles and cathedrals as we rode to the George & Dragon Pub.

Trish, Maddie, Tash, Sheryl, Karen, Me

Historical facts surrounded us at these old countryside establishments. 

Fighting wars and drinking ales in England =  Crab cakes and football in Maryland

Next stop, The Maypole Inn which has a legendary jukebox and "skittles."

The bride was glowing- no cold feet on this lady

Tash had introduced us to her friends, the Wageners who lived in Stuttgart, a year ago when we moved to Germany so it was great to travel with them to the wedding.

Me, Sheryl Wagener, and Tash-  also notice "Skittle Alley" sign in background

We got to play "Skittles," old school British bowling.

Tearon, the best man, bowling in the pub!  Bloody Brilliant!

Tash & Mike (an Irishman) gave us all authentic scarves from Ireland to keep us toasty warm.

Mike (the Groom), Uncle Dave (pub tour leader), and Scoots

A wide range of beverages were consumed and I tried a local small batch cider.

 Scrumpy Cider- 7.3% - surprisingly powerful for a tart refreshing cider...light switch

Last stop, was The Murrell Arms for "real ales."

Joyful

Me, Tearon, and Kendra (awkward hand placement due to plentiful cider)

Scott, Karen sporting fur hat, Me, Tearon, Mike and Tash up front

The entire crew gathered for pics after a full day of site seeing and celebrating!

Tash's adorable and inspiring "Mom Pat" (right of me above wearing a cap)

The rain stopped and the sun (kind of) came out on Tash's wedding day!

The glorious weather must have been a sign of their eternal love and happiness

After mass, we gathered at Littlehampton Golf Club for the reception.  The Duke of Norfolk is indeed a member of this classy links course.

Groom, my girl sassy Sheila & Me

We popped Christmas Crackers, an English tradition, and wore crowns at the wedding feast.

Scott and his best bud Uncle Dave (left)

Splendid warm goat cheese & mushroom appetizers in front

We were served a typical British Sunday Lunch, beef "roast" with carrots, cabbage, parsnips, and roast potatoes served with Yorkshire pudding.  

 A condiment of thick and creamy horseradish sauce soon coated my entire plate, perhaps the greatest thing I ever tasted in the UK

After the wedding dinner, we went to The George, a local pub, once frequented by Tash's grandparents.  Scoots got the karaoke started with his classic rendition of "I Cant Dance."

Passion

The bride was truly the star of the show with help from the groomsmen.

Groom, Bride and English Buddy Tim wailing out a painful rendition of "Livin on a Prayer."

The next day, we headed off to London to ring in the New Year.

Indian and Fish n Chips - 2 cuisines on my crucial London "must eat" list

The first night, we strolled along the Thames and rode the London Eye like supreme tourists.

Views of London from the top of the "Eye" were spectacular at night.

The Palace of Westminster and Big Ben in background

Iconic British red "telephone box"

A London resident we met on the slopes of Austria suggested we check out Gordon's Wine Bar and Joe found it's address in his trusty tourist book.

Oldest wine bar in London

It is magically set up inside a dark and dingy cellar, serving wine and tapas by candlelight. 

  I highly recommended this gem!

We ordered some fantastic sherry and port to sip with the locals

Later that night, we met Mariel's Londoner friend Alex at a pub on the Thames with spectacular views of St Paul's.

View of St. Paul's Cathedral from The Founder's Arms Pub

The next morning, we walked around the city, stopping at the famous British Museum (it's free).

One of many phallic objects (God Phallus above) on display in the museum's "Enlightenment" section

Gandhi once said, "An eye for an eye and the whole world's  blind."

Scoot's professional grade photo of St Pancreas Hotel near King's Cross Station

London's Chinatown was full of energy and strong scents at night.

Ducks roasting in the window

We devoured lots of fresh tasty dim sum.

Steaming prawn & chive and vegetable dim sum,  fried seaweed (on right)

On NYE, we sang classic songs as we strolled across London Bridge but it did not collapse.

Me, Mariel and Tower Bride in background

We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Vinopolis Cantina near Borough Market.

London has an innovative food scene- creative steak presentation above

Scoots and Me on NYE

Freezing rains and high speed winds did not stop us or a crowd of thousands from watching the epic fireworks on the Thames.

Fireworks were shot out sideways from the Eye in a dazzling array of colors.

We snagged prime seats with the Ballards on a ledge along the river

Happy New Year!!!

 Special thanks to Tash's wonderful family for a lovely trip. 
Final thoughts: England has really cool dogs, craptastic weather, and contrary to its reputation, delectable high-quality cuisine.  In conclusion, if you enjoyed this blog, you really must watch a glorious television series called Downtown Abbey!