Why Vienna and England?
My best friend Peter's birthday is on May 6. We last celebrated in person in 2024, so I figured it was time. I'll leave on May the Fourth be with you and arrive on the 5th in Vienna. Hopefully we'll get some Wiener Schnitzel at some time and do 2 escape rooms. This time with his wife Hanni for the first time! Then I'll fly to London, stay at an AirBnB and hang around for 5 days going to plays or shows every night, including Stranger Things: First Shadow (for the 4th time). I'll be doing a lot of walking with plans for a lot of Sticky Toffee Pudding. The best so far was at the Mug House, but I will try it everywhere I can. Also Scotch Eggs!
I'll rent a car on Wednesday the 13th and drive to Milton Keynes - again staying in an AirBnB. Milton Keynes is where Bletchley Park is. It's also not too far (90 minutes) to Oxford (west) and Cambridge (east). I'm going to go on a guided walking tour in each, also a food tour in Cambridge and then to see Austentatious for a second time. Each show is different because it is based on what the audience feeds as the fictitious Jane Austen book title. It will be interesting to see the difference between London and Oxford audiences.
I'll be heading to Warwick Castle to tour it - it seems like more a souped up tourist destination, but I'll see. Also, going to Cadbury World near Birmingham. And speaking of chocolate, I'll be squeezing in a chocolate making class at the Secret Trufflier.
That's pretty much the plan. I will be posting each day here as opposed to having a separate page for each day. I liked that better than having to go through pages to find the right image.
Itinerary
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| Mon 5/04/26 | Atlanta to London |
| Tue 5/05/26 | London to Vienna |
| Wed 5/06/26 | No Way Out Escape Rooms - Houdini |
| No Way Out Escape Rooms - Magic Adventure | |
| Thu 5/07/26 | Vienna to LHR |
| The Wellington for Sticky Toffee Pudding | |
| Fri 5/08/26 | Waterloo Bridge > Borough Market > Mug House |
| Tower Bridge > Tower of London | |
| I'm Sorry, Prime Minister - Apollo Theatre | |
| Sat 5/09/26 | Charbonnel et Walker for Pink Champagne Truffles |
| One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Old Vic Theatre | |
| Natalie Cuomo - Leicester Square Theatre | |
| Sun 5/10/26 | London Canal Museum, British Library, British Museum |
| Stranger Things: First Shadow - Phoenix Theatre | |
| Funland Arcade for Pinball | |
| Mon 5/11/26 | Sherlock Holmes Museum |
| Austentatious - Vaudeville Theatre | |
| Tue 5/12/26 | Bakery/History Tour with Jen Earle |
| Inter Alia - Wyndham Theatre | |
| Wed 5/13/26 | Rent Car - Drive to Milton Keynes |
| Thu 5/14/26 | Bletchley Park |
| Fri 5/15/26 | Secret Truffletier Chocolate Making Class |
| Oxford University Walking Tour by Alumni | |
| Sat 5/16/26 | Hidden Cambridge Food Tour |
| Cambridge University Walking Tour by Alumni | |
| Sun 5/17/26 | Bletchley Park |
| Austentatious - New Theatre Oxford | |
| Mon 5/18/26 | Warwick Castle |
| Tue 5/19/26 | Cadbury World |
| Wed 5/20/26 | Fly to Atlanta |
Trip Day 0-1 - May 4-5, 2026 - Atlanta -> London -> Vienna
My trip to Vienna - stopover in London with hopefully enough time to get from one flight to another. Peter will pick me up from the airport.
Trip Day 2 - Wednesday, May 6, 2026 - Peter's Birthday
2 Escape Rooms, lunch, dinner, and maybe pinball.
Trip Day 3 - Thursday, May 7, 2026 - Vienna -> London
We will have lunch at the Schwarzenschaff then I fly to London. I'll be staying at an AirBnB near the Strand.
I plan to do a bit of shopping, then eat dinner at The Wellington.
Trip Day 4 - Friday, May 8, 2026 - London
Head to Charbonnel et Walker and buy a lot of Pink Champagne Truffles. Drop off purchases then walk to Mug House for lunch. Head to Tower of London, then return to base.
Go to Apollo Theatre for I'm Sorry, Prime Minister
Trip Day 5 - Saturday, May 9, 2026 - London
A busy day - going to the Old Vic Theatre to see One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, then to see Natalie Cuomo at Leicester Square Theatre.
Trip Day 6 - Sunday, May 10, 2026 - London
Walk to London Canal Museum, passing the British Library and the British Museum.
Stranger Things: First Shadow at the Phoenix
Go to Funland Arcade to play pinball
Trip Day 7 - Monday, May 11, 2026 - London
Sherlock Holmes Museum. Austentatious at the Vaudeville Museum
Trip Day 8 - Tuesday, May 12, 2026 - London
Meet with Jen Earle for Chelsea Bakery Tour.
See Inter Alia at Wyndham's Theatre
Trip Day 9 - Wednesday, May 13, 2026 - London -> Milton Keynes
Pick up car at Alamo and drive to Milton Keynes to the AirBnB.
Trip Day 10 - Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Milton Keynes
Bletchley Park all day
Trip Day 11 - Friday, May 15, 2026 - Woolmer Green, Oxford
Chocolate making class at the Secret Trufflier. Oxford University Walking Tour With University Alumni Guide.
Trip Day 12 - Saturday, May 16, 2026 - Cambridge
Hidden Cambridge Food Tour.
Cambridge University Walking Tour.
Trip Day 13 - Sunday, May 17, 2026 - Milton Keynes, Oxford
Pixel Bunker probably 10-1 and 1:30 - 4:30. Oxford New Theatre to see Austentatious
Trip Day 14 - Monday, May 18, 2026 - Warwick Castle
Castle and dungeon tour
Trip Day 15 - Tuesday, May 19, 2026 - Cadbury World
Drive to Birmingham to visit Cadbury World
Trip Day 16 - Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - LHR -> Atlanta
Return car and fly home.