Sadly, the Eagle & Child (known by locals as “The Bird & Baby”) was not just closed but awaiting someone to buy it! Still, fun to find it. Built in 1684, JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis sometimes met here with The Inklings – an informal literary group. Undeterred, we found a great English pub and refreshed ourselves (after an exhausting walk in the wrong direction and an eternal wait for a bus to carry our weary-legged selves back to where all the action was). The girls preferred their shopping trip at Hamleys and the absolute best part was a beautiful (UK-themed) Pandora gift from Dad.