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Tuesday, January 16, 2018

London, England: Jack The Ripper Tour - Worth It Or Not?

Jack the Ripper Tour

77 Whitechapel High Street

London E1 7PE, United Kingdom

Aldgate Underground Station - Exit 3

Phone number +44 7803 067544

Website: thejacktherippertour.com

Prices: ££££

The infamous serial killer, Jack the Ripper, got his name from a letter sent to the police, supposedly, by the killer himself.

"Dear Boss" Letter *

"The canonical five", as the Ripper's victims have come to be known, were Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly, prostitutes on London's East End and slaughtered, even dissected, on the streets between August 31st and November 9th 1888.

Annie Chapman Morgue Photo *

The Jack the Ripper tour starts just a few blocks away from the first murder scene at exit 3 of the Aldgate East Station (77 Whitechapel High St, London E1 7QX - just west of Brick Lane and next to the Whitechapel Gallery). Note that there are at least three exits, hence "exit 3", so make sure you are at the right one at the appointed time or they will leave without you. We took the 7:30PM tour and the fee was £10 ($13.25) each. You need to book online at the website above.

CLICK HERE TO READ AN ASSOCIATED ARTICLE BY A FRIEND WHO ACCOMPANIED US ON THE TOUR

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the Jack the Ripper case, although impersonal, taking us on a 2-hour whirlwind tour (walking from site to site at a very brisk pace - if you are older, disabled, or have small children, this tour will be difficult for you) through the East End.

Street, Reportedly, Where "Diagon Alley" in "Harry Potter" Was Filmed *

The areas is much more modern and upscale now than it was at the turn of the century with a 50/50 mix of quaint Victorian buildings and recent eyesores.

We visited a few of the crime scenes, but many were torn down long ago or "too far away" to visit during our two hour marathon. Honestly, you could read the history on Wikipedia and map out a walking tour of the area yourself on Google Maps. I did it for you in about 15 minutes (CLICK HERE FOR WALKING ROUTE) using information from Wikipedia on "Jack the Ripper" and "Whitechapel Murders" and the route, which is much longer than the one we took, takes less than an hour on foot.

Walking Tour Route - Google Maps

10 Bells Pub - Where Two of the Victims Drank Prior To Their Murders

Christ Church, Spitalfields

Dormitory Where One Of The Victims Slept

Crime Scene Photo - Murder Scene *

Crime Scene - Present Day

Crime Scene - Early 1900s *

13 Millers Court - Site of Mary Kelly's Murder *

The tour would have been much more interesting and worthwhile had they used some theatrics, period costume(s), and playacting with a character or two, Jack the Ripper knife-in-hand and a bloody victim or two, along the way to provide some excitement. Our guide did have a handheld device from which some of the images you see (*) were projected onto walls and ceilings along the route, making it a little more realistic and gruesome.

Coroner's Sketch - Mary Kelly *

Catherine Eddowes Morgue Photo *

Message Written on Wall by Killer aka "Goulston Street graffito" *

Mary Kelly Crime Scene Photo *

For £10, it was interesting and I got a good workout in, so I cannot complain too much. If you take the tour, either this one, one of the others available or a self-guided tour (recommended), I suggest you do it during the day if you want better photos or at night if you prefer more realism and a dramatic feel.

Suspect #1 - The American Doctor *

1888 Eyewitness Drawing - Suspect #2 *

Modern Composite Drawing of "Jack the Ripper" From Eyewitness Accounts (Several Murders)

CombatCritic Gives The Jack The Ripper Tour 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Continue Mission"

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Xlendi, Gozo (Malta): A "Diamond" In The Rough Waters Of Xlendi Bay

The Diamond
16 Triq Sant Andrija Xlendi
Xlendi, Island of Gozo, Malta
Phone: +356 7904 1812
Website: https://www.thediamondxlendi.co.uk/
Prices: €€€€

With unusually rough Mediterranean seas during our stay in Xlendi due to high winds, The Diamond was a calming influence. A simple, yet efficient little pub/restaurant not visible to the eye from the main square of Xlendi, you must head down the street to your right (looking toward the bay from the plaza), turn to your right at the end of the block and look to your right. There you will see The Diamond, if you look hard, with the black and white sign and barely wider than the double doors in the front.

Inside it gets a tad wider, but not much, toward the back. There are only about six tables, so hope it is not a busy night. The owner, Robin, is from Newcastle upon Tyne, is a friendly lad, and efficient as well. He runs the front and Diane, who may be his spouse, runs the kitchen.

There is no draught beer, so you will have to settle for a bottle or can and a glass. I had a John Smith's (€3.50) and a local pale ale called Hopleaf (€2.50) and we shared a bottle of sparkling water (€3).

The menu is simple (see below) with typical pub fare, including and Quiche Lorraine (€6.50) and Fish and Chips (€10), which my wife and I ordered. They also have steak and Guinness pie (among others), jacket potatoes, burgers, sandwiches and other very reasonably priced menu items with my fish and chips being the most expensive item on the menu.

My wife's cheese and onion quiche was a bit on the tiny side, but quite savory and tasty, coming with a small side of chips (fries to you Yanks) and an equally small side salad. Not bad for the price actually.

My fish and chips were delicious with fresh, flaky cod (I think) and a light, crispy batter. In fact, both the fish and the batter were so light and flaky that it was difficult to eat with a fork. It came with hot, crisp chips, mushy peas, a small portion of tartar sauce, and a slice of white bread and butter. The only downside was the size of the portion of fish, being much smaller than you would find at any "chippy" in the U.K., but not a bad value for the price.

It was a nice, light meal after some rather robust Maltese feasts we had had lately and at €25.50 plus tip, one of the cheaper meals we had in Malta and a great value.

CombatCritic Gives The Diamond 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over 1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

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Title: Xlendi, Gozo (Malta): A "Diamond" In The Rough Waters Of Xlendi Bay

Key Words: Xlendi, Gozo, Malta, The Diamond, the, diamond, pub, fish and chips, fish, chips, beer, ale, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp

Friday, December 1, 2017

Bugibba, Malta: By "George", This Little Pub Was Quite The Find

The George

Tourist Street Qawra

San Pawl il-Baħar (Bugibba) Malta

Facebook Page: @thegeorgepubmalta

Phone: +356 2734 9002

Prices: €€€€

We stop by The George nearly every night for a pint on our way back to our apartment from the Bugibba Bus Terminus, but tonight was the first time we actually had something to eat.

I saw someone eating the mussels last week and they looked incredible. We stopped by last Tuesday for dinner, only to find that the kitchen is closed on Tuesdays ... DRAT! The kitchen was open tonight, fortunately, and we had a very enjoyable dinner (or is it "pudding"?).

Being a retired Air Force airman, I had a couple pints of Bombardier, getting us off to a good start, then it was on to the Bangers and Mash for the wife €8 and the Mussels, of course, for me. The bangers and mash were quite savory and tasty, three scrummy sausages on top of mashed potatoes topped with brown gravy and a pork rind ... very nice. My mussels (€16), a kilo no less, were in a stout, cream and horseradish sauce that was quite spicy and delectable. The accompanying crusty bread was fresh, soft and perfect for dipping in the tasty sauce. I had to add a side of chips (€3) because that is the way the French do it and we all know that the French do it better than the Brits ... I'm winding you up, so don't get your knickers in a twist!

The food and service, thanks to Julie, were spot-on, but the prices are just a tad high compared to other places on Malta we have frequented, so that is one reason for the small deduction in rating. The other being the fact that the first time we heard about The George was from a gent on the corner across from the bus terminal advertising free music and £1 pints that night, but when I ordered a pint of Bombardier later that evening, I was charged €3.50 (£3.09), more than three times the advertised price. Finally, a €10 to €14 burger should also come with a side of chips, but that is just this reporter's opinion.

My blog is called "TravelValue", so I must be honest when it comes to little things like "value", bang-for-the-buck if you will. For example, €4 for a pint of John Smiths last night seemed a tad high, the bangers and mash (with no side/salad) would be better priced in the €7 to €7.50 range, and at €16 the mussels might come with a side of chips (fries) as has been the case in most places I have had mussels in the past. Otherwise, I can find no faults with The George and we shall return after a week's closing for maintenance on the 11th.

Cheers big ears!

CombatCritic Gives The George 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better Mate!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over 1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

MENU

Title: Bugibba, Malta: By "George", This Little Pub Was Quite The Find

Key Words: Bugibba, Malta, The George, pub, the, George, mussels, moules, frites, chips, Qawra, San Pawl, il-Baħar, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, review, Yelp

Translation for Civilians: WTFO! = "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"