(O) London/Manchester/Brighton. (2005, March 10 to 19) Grade: B+/A/B
Thoughts: London was: busy, crowded, fast walkers, jay walking, expensive, the Underground, nice people, rude people, hostel at King's Cross (with German guys) Camden Crawl (which we missed), Portobello Market (got a nice ring), pubs (half-pint and pint), Boddingtons, Big Ben, Paraliment, Buckingham Palace, The Mall, Piccadilly Circus, St. James Park, St. Paul Cathedral, National Portrait Gallery (with Blur Greatest Hit cover work and Frida Kahlo exhibit), Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, Westminister Abbey, Kensington Park, Chinatown, boba for $6, BA London Eye (cost $24 bucks to ride so I passed), County Hall (nice China exhibit), Tate Modern (too big to see all), House of Parliament, Arcade Fire, Underworld (to see bad bands), Mary Poppins (best ever), Cafe Nero, and so on.
Manchester was: not busy, walking, bus, COLD, raining, gloomy, windy, Raveonettes, rasberry beer, Free Trade Hall (where key bands like Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks and Bob Dylan played, now a Radisson Edwardian Hotel), G-Mex (where New Order and the Smiths played), the Ritz (Smiths first concert place and where the Doves still play), Band on the Wall (old building where tons of people have played), Afflecks Palace (Melrose in a building), Hacienda (influential club and where 24 Hour Party People was based upon, now apt. buildings), St. Patrick's Day parade, Whitworth Art Gallery, Chinatown, and so on.
Brighton was: very COLD, the pier, rocks, no sand, quiet, racist (???), fish and chips, Royal Pavilion (very nice), Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Fishing Museum, Clock Tower, no Robert Smith :( and so on.

(O) British Airways. (2005, Flight Home) Grade: A++
Thoughts: So Pigern and I head to the airport all ready to say bye to London and hello to home. However when we get there we are informed the flight is too booked and we would have to leave tomorrow at 11 am. BA feels bad about the situation so they give us a free night with our own rooms at the Radisson, dinner, breakfast, shuttle to the airport and ..... wait for it ..... $800 dollars EACH. :) Well needless to say that covered half our trip and we were happy campers.