British Isles Adventure

A Final Night in London

/ Emily / Leave a comment

“Every traveler has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wandering.”
― Charles Dickens

So it was my last day in Bath…technically my last in England actually. I had a little bit of time before my train so I decided to head out to see one last thing before I left. That being the place that is so me I cannot even possibly express it…

The fashion museum.

Friends of mine might laugh since they know I’m not usually overly invested in clothes. However, this was a highly rated museum in Bath, and since I had some time to kill I figured it couldn’t hurt to check out what the place had to offer.

So I headed over at ten thirty to go in.

It’s a little pricey, but once you get in you at least get a free audioguide that walks you through over a hundred articles of clothing! The audioguide gives you 100 different summaries of the various pieces of clothing, starting from the sixteen hundreds up until the modern era. Anything not covered has signs.

 

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However, my favorite part of the museum was the section where you could try on some costumes of your own! I admit I’m a sucker for things like this.

I tried putting one on myself but was stopped by a sweet museum worker who offered to tie me up so the dress would look right and then even took some photos of me, even though he clearly had no idea how to work an iphone.

After deleting the 120 extra photos he’d taken due to holding the button, I was left with a few cute options of me in the dress, feeling very Jane Austen.

Speaking of Austen, for any lovers of this classic writer, there is a museum in town about her. However, I am not a super fan by any means, and I’d also heard that it’s more tourist trap than anything. However, I’ll still throw a mention out for any readers looking to plan a trip to Bath.

Once I was done at the fashion museum I headed back to my hostel to pick up my bags before heading to the train station.

I took a train to London. It was less than 20 pounds and faster than a bus would have been (about an hour and a half) so a good deal in my opinion. Again, you can find a variety of options if you’re looking.

I arrived in Paddington Station where I took the tube over to King’s Cross.

As a bit of Harry Potter fan I stopped over at Platform 9 and ¾ just to see it. The last time I’d been in King’s Cross I was only nine…which means the “platform” hadn’t been built yet.

Sadly the line to do a photo and the price (10 pounds for one) was what kept me from going ahead and getting myself a Potterhead souvenir.

I glanced around before heading down to my hostel.

I’d decided to stay at Clink78. It had good reviews, was close to St. Pancras and King’s Cross (making for easy tube access and even easier train access for my morning train), and as a Dickens fan I was delighted to learn it had been a courthouse where he had worked at one point.

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All in all I’d give the place a pretty good rating. It had nice facilities, a fun location, was very safe, and clean for the most part. Needed more chargers in the rooms, but in an old building that’s understandable. Nonetheless great character for a hostel and a decent location!

I didn’t have much time so I had one thing I knew I wanted to hit up before I left London.

Many of you might list the typical London tourist attractions. Honestly, I considered doing the V & A, but it was a bit too far from my hostel for the time limit I had. And I’ve seen most of the other major monuments.

So that left something a bit more exotic. Something perfect for a little English nerd like myself.

The Charles Dickens museum.

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I fell in love with Dickens when I was fifteen and read A Tale of Two Cities. Well actually, that’s foolish because I know the first time I read A Tale of Two Cities I quickly realized how challenging Dickens could be. I mean…the first “paragraph” is actually a single sentence. So, you quickly learn that Dickens can be a bit wordy and a bit hard to work through at times. But nonetheless I find his stories wonderful and his characters entertaining and his prose delightful.

So if I was looking for something near my hostel, that I hadn’t done before, that I thought might be quick and easy the Dickens museum was just that.

It’s set in one of his old houses over on Doughty Street. There the staff have set up the rooms with largely original furnishings and a pamphlet that walks you through the rooms explaining the items that are displayed and talking about Dickens life. I learned a lot that I hadn’t known before, about his ten children, his separation with his wife, his sister in law’s death, his father’s time in debtors prison. He was a very interesting man and led a life that in many ways makes sense when you read his stories.

 

I was notably impressed to learn that he’d championed for writer’s rights in trying to establish copyright. Very interesting that, especially from a writer’s perspective.

After spending maybe an hour tops at the museum, (it is quite small) I headed back to my hostel to shower and change. After all, I had a very special engagement.

I had tickets to the theatre.

Yes, again this is a section where I stress that while I could write on budget travel, these aren’t really your posts. I was quite splurgy this trip, and this was no exception.

Now, at a time that’s not really busy, especially on a week night, especially for a less popular production, it is possible that you could try to wait to get discounted tickets the night of. My family did this for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang when I was a child, and then again for Mary Poppins when I was fourteen. However, on a Friday night during spring vacation I knew that the best possible plan to get the tickets I wanted was to book in advance, and likely have to suffer staring at my credit card bill with a bit of dread later in the month (use credit responsibly readers… I promise I have enough in my bank account to cover it).

So, I’d searched all over London to try to get a ticket to a Shakespeare production. Sadly the only one I could find was the one playing at the Globe, which was sold out for the night I wanted. Otherwise, the city appeared to be Shakespeare free for the month of April. Anything I might have wanted to see was either ending before I arrived or starting after I left. So I had to abandon the thought of seeing more of my favorite play write and turned to musicals instead.

Which is how I ended up with a ticket to Les Mis.

Not very British of course, but nonetheless I figured it would be spectacular to see on stage and it is one of my favorites. Plus the tickets while not cheap were at least for an “unblocked” seat unlike some of the other plays I surveyed the tickets for.

So yes, I showered and dressed up a bit (not compulsory for the theatre today mind you but something I still enjoy) and headed off to King’s Cross where I caught a train down to Leicester Square.

Now, I knew the area would probably be busy. Friday night, in a theatre district… well that was just asking for trouble.

As a lone person usually I don’t have too much trouble finding a table somewhere, especially when I’m not being picky, so I wasn’t too worried.

However, arriving around six (later than I had anticipated) I found that every single restaurant I passed looked incredibly full.

In a bit of a desperate state I wandered a few streets until I saw a place that listed takeaway. It sounded like it might be a quick option, and if nothing else I figured maybe I could take food with me and eat at the square or something.

I glanced in and noticed it had a few tables open.

First mistake.

I walked in and asked to be seated. As I was hungry and running out of time, I decided to ignore warning signs about the place.

For any wanting to be warned off of a restaurant here is my advice. Firstly, never go into a place that is mostly empty when everywhere else is full. Secondly, never go to La Roche in London. It’s terrible.

Well I ordered fish and chips and a lemonade (described as fresh squeezed). I figured even if it wasn’t good at least it would be filling, and the prices certainly weren’t abhorrent.

As I sat there the rest of the tables filled up, likely with other theatre people looking to find a quick bite to eat.

My lemonade came. It had a layer of foam on the top.

Now… as someone who makes lemonade in the summer I have some idea what it’s supposed to look and taste like. Seeing foam on the top of a non-carbonated beverage is disturbing to say the least. There was a swirl of green inside, and I realized they’d put mint into the beverage.

Now mint isn’t really a problem in lemonade. It can be quite refreshing actually. But these were tiny little bits of mint that hadn’t been advertised and were impossible to avoid giving the drink a weird texture. On top of that the drink was seriously watered down, just kind of a hint of lemony pulp floating in water with no sugar.

I didn’t finish my drink. A rarity for someone like me who usually isn’t overly picky.

Well again, I bit my lip and decided to deal with it.

However, about twenty minutes later there was still no sign of my food. I was willing to be patient, but I did need to make sure I didn’t miss my show.

And then to my shock the couple who had sat down and ordered after me were served their meal.

A sinking feeling started in my stomach, and I suddenly was worried that the waitress hadn’t heard my order.

I called her over and clarified and she said she had heard it, and I motioned to the couple and explained that I was confused then why they had been served before me even though I’d arrived first. (to clarify they had fish and chips as well…which made no sense).

Thankfully the waitress was somewhat helpful and went and asked the chef. But still it was quite frustrating, especially when I was in a rush.

Tasteless fish and really oily bland fries appeared for me which I wolfed down. I was definitely not pleased and left a rather nasty review on tripadvisor.

Notes to others- give yourself time to find a meal before going to the theatre, or eat in another neighborhood, or make reservations, or just never go into a restaurant that looks deserted.

Well, in spite of all that disappointment I managed to head off to the theatre, my excitement coming back as I got closer.

I retrieved my tickets and headed up up up to the final level in the last row (besides the standing room only one behind it). So yes, nothing fancy, but still a seat and one where I could see a majority of the stage.

After taking a few photos of the theatre I settled into my seat. As the curtains came up I was launched into the performance of Les Mis I could have only dreamed about.

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I could rant about the performance for hours, but I won’t. I’ll simply say that it had a rotating stage which was used very cleverly to produce a sense of time passing and to show other things happening in other places. Showing Valjean walking into the world to try to find a job and people passing him by, or having the barricade turned around so you could see the other side and watch as Gavroche died trying to pickpocket some of the men (oh…spoilers…sorry). Very cleverly done. The barricades were brilliant because they took a set that had already been built for the café ABC and tipped it over, still making it useable and functional due to how it had been built. And then the acting and singing were lovely as well of course. But again, you don’t need a lengthy rant.

After the performance finished up I took the tube back over to King’s Cross. The area was still pretty lively even at 10 in the evening. So I noted that Five Guys Burger and Fries was open! Now, I love Five Guys food and haven’t had it since I left the US. I also was still kind of hungry after the abysmal meal and thought it might be nice to get something to eat. So I picked up a cherry shake (like a proper firm ice cream shake…not the watery nonsense that the continent calls shakes) and then headed back to my hostel.

I drank the shake sitting in the old courtroom that had been renovated into a social area. Really cool to see! I peeked in at the other places, especially the “jail cells” that are apparently now rooms?!?

Afterwards it was up to bed for the night.

I’ll leave my account of the adventures here with a short tag below about the journey home. I don’t think that’s really exciting enough to merit it’s own post but I will mention it so you know what happened and get another traveler warning.

I set out pretty early to catch my train home. I dumped my remaining pound coins into a homeless man’s cup (because they were no use to me anymore anyways) and grabbed some coffee.

Now I travel on trains on continental Europe all the time, but I didn’t really know a lot about taking them between England and the rest of Europe. So I went and looked at the screen that was supposed to list my train platform, assuming I would need to wait for that as I usually did.

DO NOT make my mistake. If you are traveling between England and the rest of Europe, go to the check in area of St. Pancras before your gate is even posted. As long as your train is listed on the screens there you can go through the security process.

Not as strict as the airport, but you still have to run things through the scanners and go through the metal detectors and then of course hand over your passport for inspection.

I just was annoyed because I’d bought coffee not thinking about this issue of having to go through security so suddenly I had to chug it before tossing it in the garbage, and I couldn’t find a garbage can anywhere! It’s likely a security measure or something, but it still seems ridiculous to me that in a public area with food vendors they don’t have waste bins.

I got in line and went through but was concerned because my train was leaving shortly.

I was lucky and managed to not miss my train. I think I freaked some of the train staff out because I ran up to the platform and demanded to know which carriage I was in. However, I did make it and climbed into my seat.

Sadly the train I was on didn’t have wifi or chargers (as opposed to the really cheap one I’d taken from Bath to London).

Well I sat back and relaxed for an hour and a half and then before I knew it I was in Lille, stepping out into the station and heading off to catch a train back to Armentieres.

Traveling to these places was wonderful, and I’m so glad I had the chance to. I will say they didn’t soften the ache I have for home still. Sure, English, tap water, and American chains are all lovely things that I miss. But there is more familiarity still in the place I’ve lived most of my life.

Being able to travel is truly remarkable. It gives you new perspectives on yourself, on the world, on others. But I do appreciate how great it can be to get home after a long time away and simply appreciate it all the more.

Exploring Ancient Mysteries- A Trip to Stonehenge

/ Emily / Leave a comment

“The world was to me a secret which I desired to devine.”
― Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

My morning in Bath was actually interrupted by a day trip to another famous site. You see, one of the most famous of the U.K.’s memorials was something I hadn’t yet seen. And I was eager to check it off my to do list.

Stonehenge.

Now, to get to Stonehenge without your own car is apparently a bit tricky. You have to get a train down to Salisbury, the nearest town, and then some kind of a shuttle to the sight. I honestly read a few reviews about getting there and someone suggested that a bus tour was often just the easiest and most time efficient way to do it.

So for any looking for advice, let me say that there is transport there but I don’t know how to go about it, because in my opinion sometimes a little money is worth it to save yourself time. After all, time is money doubly so when you’re traveling.

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I used Scarper Tours. It had good reviews and was one leaving from Bath. Obviously there are others you could do from London as well since it’s between the two cities.

Regardless the small bus took me and a group of about a dozen people through the winding countryside, with the driver pointing out sights along the way. We reached Stonehenge in a little under an hour and our guide went to grab our tickets and audioguides, which took maybe five minutes tops, probably less. So all in all quite convenient and efficient.

Now, from the visitor’s center there are buses going out to the stones, although you can walk as well. I should point out that for anyone who doesn’t want to spend a long time looking at the stones you could simply rent a car and drive out to them and park a good distance away and still see them. My family did a similar thing when visiting Pont du Gard in France many years ago.

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To be honest, they keep you back quite a distance from the stones anyways. It’s understandable as this is an archaeological site that is highly visited, and as a result has begun to deteriorate. So yes, you cannot walk up to them, but still can get decent photos and the like.

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Honestly, I’ve seen a few ancient rock formations. I mentioned the ones I’d seen outside of Evora in a previous blog. I have also seen quite a few around Carnac in France, which has way more stones even if they’re not quite as big and not carved or set a top like they are in Stonehenge.

I’m not saying it’s not worth visiting. It is a very interesting place, and indeed is quite fascinating in its unknown origins and the like. However, I think there are other sites that can give you a sense of the same idea without charging an exorbitant rate, and forcing you to stand at a large distance with a crowd of other people.

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Unfortunately my audioguide stopped working partway through, but honestly I didn’t care all that much. I considered walking back to the visitor’s center instead of taking the shuttle, but as I had a time limit to be back to my bus, I didn’t want to take too long.

I then went in the visitor’s center, which was much smaller than I would have expected given what a popular landmark this is. I suppose they just don’t have enough information to fill it, but it was a bit underwhelming all in all.

I’m glad I can say I’ve been to Stonehenge, but I’d say of the things I saw on my trip it was probably one of the least impressive. Honestly Bath or the beautiful city of Edinburgh are much more interesting in my mind.

From there I headed back to Bath, again about an hour drive. The driver dropped us off and I rushed off to get tea! Yes, I do love tea so I wanted to have some that afternoon.

And where better to go than the oldest house in Bath, the Sally Lunn house that still sells her famous buns.

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Basically these are just delicious rolls that are the size of a saucer.

I settled on having the high tea. It was fairly reasonably priced as you had both tea, a dessert bun, and a savory one as well. Sadly you didn’t get to choose your flavor for the combo…so I was stuck with the smoked salmon. I’ll just go ahead and admit I’m not a big fish person, especially when the fish is more…raw in texture?

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The bun was delicious and the tea was lovely, but I admit I regretted my choice on the salmon. So yes, don’t be an idiot like me and make sure you order something you know you’ll like.

The dessert one with jam and clotted cream was even more delicious. I wolfed it down and then enjoyed my tea.

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My phone was dying so I decided to peak into the museum downstairs before heading off to my hostel to recharge.

The museum is quite small, so I wouldn’t advise going out of your way to see it, even if it is free. However, again the eatery is quite fun so if you’re up for it it’s not a bad place to stop in for a quick bite and some tea.

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After charging my phone it was getting a little bit later. I was worried most of the museums would be closing up, so I decided to do something open to the public instead. I headed to one of the parks in town and notably the Royal Crescent.

So I mentioned the Circus in a post previously. The Crescent is similar in being a rounded series of Georgian homes, with very beautiful architecture.

However, at the end of the crescent there is also a museum known as Number One Royal Crescent.

It’s essentially just supposed to show what the wealthy lived like in Georgian England, and as Bath is famous for its wealthy visitors (think Jane Austen’s descriptions of high society), it seemed an appropriate thing to do.

I checked in to see how late it was open. The lady at the front desk was a little short with me, and I almost turned away, but it was open for another hour so I decided to pay and go in. If you’re in Bath for a while it would be worth investigating saver tickets to get into multiple places. As I wasn’t sure how much I would be doing, I didn’t purchase these but it would be a nice deal if you’re looking to do more than one museum.

Inside the house the hosts showed me around the different rooms. Sadly none of the furniture or fixings are really original, so if you’re looking for that authenticity you won’t find it in this house. They did do good research on what the house would have looked like back in the day though, so it all is quite authentic, even if it lacks the true historic preservation.

You wander through the various rooms of the house and different staff members clue you in on interesting things in the room and can answer questions if need be. They also provide little pamphlets that give you  more information about the rooms use and the various furnishings.

All in all I had a good time and enjoyed it. I’d say if you’re looking for something to do in Bath this is well worth it.

With the time I had left I decided to head over to the Botanical Garden and see if it was open to the public (and hopefully free).

Just my luck it was open to six and didn’t charge! It’s a quite small garden, but very pretty and tranquil. If you’re looking to just relax for a bit and enjoy nature, it’s a good place to see! And again, free so you can make up for splurging on the spa.

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After wandering for a bit I headed back towards town to get some food.

I settled at a place called Bills that had really reasonable 3 course meal setup for the early evening. I decided to go with that, treating myself to a cocktail and then having some meat skewers, fish, and to finish off a plate of donuts!

After finishing dinner I headed back to my hostel for the night.

 

Kicking Back in Bath

/ Emily / 2 Comments

“They arrived in Bath. Catherine was all eager delight; her eyes were here, there, and everywhere.”
– Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

I might start by alienating some readers by saying I’m not a huge Jane Austen lover.

Yes, gasp. Everyone assumes I am because I’m an English major. But honestly I had a lot of other books I found more compelling than the tales of Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

However, that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate Jane Austen, which is why I admit that I was excited by the prospect of visiting Bath, partly because it conjured glamourous images of high society and tea and dresses.

Okay well not only that. I also knew it was a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Regardless I caught a bus from Oxford over to Bath, about two hours in the bus.

I checked into my hostel. Funnily enough I’d decided to stay at a YMCA. It was the best rated place in Bath, hostelwise, so it made sense to me. However, it still seemed funny after having worked at the YMCA in my hometown for a year.

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Definitely my least favorite hostel. It was crowded and didn’t really have a lot of good atmosphere. However, it was very centrally located, decently priced, and had nice privacy curtains, chargers, and lights on all the beds. So all in all I can’t complain too much.

After leaving my bags I headed off to explore Bath. I started, of course, in the most obvious place to visit. The baths themselves.

The Roman baths are quite remarkable. And I can say that easily as someone who has visited Rome alongside several Roman settlements in France and Spain (Arles, Nimes, Merida, Orange, etc). My parents dragged me to Roman archaeological sites throughout a good part of my childhood. And while I did enjoy them, I soon grew tired of seeing old Roman baths.

That was not the case here.

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Because Bath is built on a natural hot springs, the Romans built a large bathing and temple complex in the city. Amazingly, much of it is still preserved, amazingly intact after centuries have gone by. So yes, if you have to see Roman baths… well this is the place.

These are simply incredible to see, and give great explanations on the Romans as a whole. The museum is really well done and the sight itself is incredible as well. If you’re able to see it, I think it’s well worth it. You can’t bathe anymore, but you do get a chance to try the waters that were so reputed for their healing powers. If you’re a little more wealthy you can also have lunch or tea in the Pump Room next door, but it was a little out of  my budget.

After I was finished I decided to stop by Bath Abbey. It’s an absolutely beautiful church. It’s donations only, so you don’t have to spend a lot to visit. However, if you want to climb the tower you can pay a little more. It was a beautiful day and I do sort of wish I had done so, but I was exhausted and at that point feeling sort of ill, so I decided to skip.

I stopped by a pharmacy for some cold medicine and took a break back at my hostel for a bit. After that I decided to go walk around a little more.

I stopped by the Circus, which is a round square of Georgian homes. It’s very pretty, though nothing you need to spend much time on.

After that I was off to a very special booking I’d made.

I was due at the spa.

So, for any looking for budget travel tips, this is definitely not your post. I was in a huge “treat yourself” mode on this particular trip, and I decided that while in Bath I’d do like Bath Romans used to do…. Aka I’d visit a spa and lounge in the healing thermal waters.

Thermae Spa uses the same waters that the Roman baths did, although from the smell I think they are treated with chlorine (could be mistaken of course). Regardless, it looked like a fun place to visit, which even if it’s not historic in itself. So I booked a twilight package for myself, essentially a 3 hour window at the spa including a meal and drink at the restaurant.

I arrived around five in order to have enough time to get prepared for my time. I really didn’t need to get there quite so early, but it was fine and gave me plenty of time to adjust.

This last year I did a visit to the Szechenyi Spa in Budapest, and that was absolutely life changing. However, one drawback there is that there is very little signage, and not everyone speaks English so you do sort of just have to learn as you go. So it was nice to be in a more modern place that was very friendly and welcoming and had good clear directions on where to go.

I changed into my suit and then wandered a bit to get a sense of the layout before heading to the restaurant for dining.

Sadly they don’t allow mobile phones or cameras in the spa, so I don’t really have photos. But I’ll link to their website here so you can see it if you’d like.

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I ate a dish of rigatoni with mushrooms and a creamy sherry sauce which was quite good alongside a glass of white wine. I could have ordered other things for additional food if I wanted to, but I had no desire to add to the cost. And besides, I was about to go enjoy the spa and didn’t need to be overly filled up.

After a delicious meal I headed down to the Minerva Pool to start my time. It’s basically just a large warm pool of thermal waters with jets that come on at certain times and floaty noodles. Not really too different from a swimming pool.

I paddled around a bit before deciding I was a bit bored and wanted to check out what else there was.

Unfortunately some of the other pools are only accessible through a treatment. I had to admit I missed Szechenyi which had all kinds of different pools for you to dip in and out of.

So I headed up to the Wellness Suite, which had a variety of different rooms to enjoy.

I started in the Georgian Steam Room, a large sauna billowing with steam and with soft classical music and birdsong playing inside. I settled on a bench and did my best to bear the heat, finding my body relaxing as I did so.

I didn’t last long before I was out to take a cold shower and then head to the ice room to cool down even further. It’s not quite so exciting as it sounds. It really only has a big heap of ice in the center that you can rub along your body to help close your pores.

After the ice bath I headed to the Infrared Sauna. Basically infrared lights heat up and get you warm, causing you to sweat and relax.

After that it was back for more cold showers before I tried the Celestial Relaxation Room. Probably my favorite since I’d never run across anything like it. You like back in the dark, admiring twinkling lights overhead and look at a screen that displays images of the cosmos alongside soothing music. Quite pleasant.

Then to the Roman Steam Room where there was harp music and steam that smelled like flowers. Again it was relaxing and refreshing and I showered off afterwards before heading up to the Rooftop pool.

I arrived in time for sunset. And if you do check out Thermae’s website, I’ll say they aren’t exaggerating on their sunset pictures. It was absolutely stunning. I only wish I could have taken some of my own photographs, but I will include a video below for any curious to see what it looks like.

I went and did a few of the other things a second time, as I had more than enough to just enjoy to the max. Twilight Package is indeed more pricey, but the three hours was nice to feel like I didn’t have to rush.

After showering and changing and putting my robe and towels in the hampers (and taking my free flipflops with me!) I headed back towards my hostel feeling utterly relaxed and ready to take on the rest of my trip.

They say the waters are healing. I won’t lie, within the next day the cold that had started was almost gone. Just a light sneeze left over, but the stuffiness and lethargy and aches… gone. Magic of Bath or a coincidence? Who am I to say. All I’ll write is that I thoroughly enjoyed my time, and if you have the time and the opportunity, it isn’t a bad idea to take a day to relax and enjoy what people have known was amazing for thousands of years.

Travels to Narnia, Middle Earth, and Hogwarts- The Magic of Oxford

/ Emily / 1 Comment

“What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew

When I was about six years old, I have one of my first vivid memories of falling in love with a book. I’m sure I had others I loved before that, but the one that stands out in memory for me is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I remember both of my parents taking turns reading it to me. The magic of the tales swept me away and I remember being eager to devour the rest of the series as well.

About a year later there was the first written mention of what I wanted to be when I grew up. Author.

Though my writing dreams aren’t quite so big anymore (or at least I’ve realized I might need a day job too), I have lived my life indebted to writers who inspired me to want to create. Lewis was one of the very first. I would go on in university to take a course about him and study more of his works in depth. But others followed, namely J.K. Rowling, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Which is why one of the best places that Emily could possibly visit in the U.K. is… Oxford.

For any who don’t know, two professors there were Lewis and Tolkien, both of whom were part of a writing group called the Inklings. From what I learned on my tour, Rowling also visited Oxford and liked it, but didn’t get in. However, parts of Harry Potter were shot on parts of campus, so it still has a bit of Rowling tucked away in certain places.

Therefore, it was the most perfect location a nerd like me could hope to visit.

I arrived about midafternoon. I checked into my hostel: Oxford Central Backpackers. It is beautifully centrally located and has a very small homey feeling, which was very nice and made it easier to meet people. It was a bit run down in places, but all in all for the price I was quite pleased.

From there I set out to get to Christ Church College.

If you didn’t read my Cambridge post, let me explain. The universities of Oxford and Cambridge both have several different colleges as a part of them. Therefore, if you want to visit “Oxford” you’ll have to pick a college that you want to see and go from there. I’d do some research before going, or maybe see if you can get a guided tour or something and see more than one. But the main thing you should know is that you’ll have to pay to see anything other than the outside.

Sad but true.

Christ Church College is famous because it has a few locations used in the filming of Harry Potter. For example, see this staircase that was featured in movie one when they are about to enter the great hall. Or the cloisters, or even the Great Hall which was used to inspire the one in Hogwarts. So yes, all in all quite cool to see. It’s a beautiful university, so not a bad thing to just see on its own merit too, but yes be warned you’ll have to deal with people with wands and robes pushing past you for pictures.

After that it was off towards the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin.

Wow, quite the mouthful. Nonetheless I had a reason I wanted to see it. Or well…I thought I did.

I’d combed through websites to find out what the best C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien things were to see in Oxford. Turns out, next to the church there is a door that is called “the Narnia Door”. There is a lion’s face and there are two fauns crouching on either side. So yes, quite Narnia like in some ways.

I snapped a picture of that and glanced in the church before ducking over to the Bodleian Library.

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Now, the website for the library is a mess. It is very unclear about times and access and the like. Or at least I had very little luck with it. In fact, going in I was certain you could just waltz into the library at any time for free.

Nope. You have to have a tour.

So if you’re going to Oxford and want to see this library, make sure you check first thing for the tours and see what is offered. I ended up on a mini tour, because that was all that was left for the day. So if you want more get there early or make a booking or something.

Regardless I was taken into the Divinity School first, where they shot the dancing lessons scene in Harry Potter, and then up to the library that inspired the restricted section in movie one. Unfortunately no pictures were allowed in the upper section, so I’ll leave this link here for you to check out images on your own.

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It’s a gorgeous library, and well worth a look even if you’re not an HP fan. I certainly enjoyed the tour, even if it was short and lacking photography opportunities.

I walked around Oxford a bit, just enjoying the various sights. I think Cambridge might be more beautiful as a whole, but Oxford still is lovely to see.

After that I headed over to the more modern library that I had been recommended to visit. This one is free, or at least the ground floor is open to the public. You can waltz in, eat at the café, stop in the shop, and glance at the exhibitions they have going. I’m all for free stuff, especially libraries, so this was great for me.

I snapped a few nerdy pictures in the treasury, showing some of the exciting works they had on display. The Magna Carta, a first folio, some first edition poems and letters and other fun works. Very interesting to be sure. Sounds like they swap out what is displayed regularly, so you might have something different if you stop by. I definitely recommend it though.

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After that I was getting hungry so I decided to have a treat that I’d been waiting to have for a while. Afternoon tea.

I really enjoy a good cup of tea. One of my friends dragged me tea tasting over the summer and I about died of joy. Honestly, give me tea any day over alcohol. Or coffee. That works too.

I settled for having tea at the café of the church I’d stopped by earlier. They had a lovely garden area and it was a sunny day. So I grabbed a pot of tea for one and a scone with clotted cream and raspberry jam. My mouth is watering again just writing about it.

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After enjoying the refreshments and sunshine, I finally headed off again.

I stopped by Magdalen College to peek inside, for a fee of a few pounds of course. It was one of the colleges Lewis taught at, and one where Oscar Wilde attended for a bit, though neither was mentioned in the pamphlet I received. Still, it was fun to walk the halls of a place where Lewis once taught, and it’s a very pretty school in itself.

Again, do your research on which ones you want to visit. I wish I’d done a little more before going.

I stopped in a shop to buy an indulgent Oxford sweatshirt for myself, before setting off to walk around a bit more.

I walked past Merton and Pembroke colleges, both of which Tolkien taught at at different points in his life. And then I decided I had to make the nerdy adventure to last a lifetime. I wanted to visit two more sights of the famous authors.

I initially had hoped to visit both of their graves. But I found out sadly that they’re buried a ways out of Oxford center (about 3 miles in opposite directions), so that was unhelpful without a car and with no desire to figure out buses. So I settled for closer sights.

One was The Eagle and Child. Or… as it was known by the Inklings, the Bird and the Baby.

I didn’t go inside, so I have no advice to any thinking of eating there, but I did stop to at least see it. For those who are lost, again this was the place that Lewis and Tolkien met with their writing group known as the Inklings. The place those Narnia stories began to first be developed. The place Tolkien exhausted the group with tales of Lord of the Rings, where member Hugo Dyson would end up exclaiming “Oh god, no more elves!” (I’ve seen variants on this quote…so no clue what is truly accurate, but the sentiment remains the same) to a point where Tolkien stopped reading his works at the meetings.

Regardless, it’s famed for these two writers, so I had to see it. After that it was on to a ridiculous point indeed.

20 Northmoor road.

This is the home, or rather was the home of J.R.R. Tolkien. It’s about a mile away from the center, and there was supposed to be a blue plaque there. I thought I’d get a selfie with it for fun. However, after walking well over a mile, I was surprised because  couldn’t find the plaque anywhere. My stomach sank and part of me worried the house had been demolished.

As it turned out I wasn’t looking in the right place. Once I looked up I saw it.

It was on the wall of the house. Very far away from where I could stand. And again, as it was merely a private residence and not a museum, I of course couldn’t traipse up the steps to get closer.

Which is why all I have is a grainy photo of the blue plaque.

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So for fellow Tolkien fans, don’t waste your time going to his house. There is nothing to see. Even his grave is probably more interesting (I believe he and his wife are buried under Elvish names from what I know).

So I hobbled back into town to try to find food.

Everywhere that looked decent was super full. Anything that was more empty worried me about not being good. So I decided I’d just save my time and money and grab fast food Asian. I was a bit pissed off last trip when someone laughed at me for having Asian food in Scandinavia. So again let me reiterate that sometimes choosing food is about convenience, price, and availability and not being a well cultured person. I had chances to sample British food, and did, but for once it was nice to take a break and save some money while getting some rice and veggies into my body instead. You can travel how you like, but for me I don’t have to eat local food every single night I’m traveling.

Anyhow, after that it was back to my hostel for the night. I was decently warm by the time I arrived back, so it was nice to shower and change into my really light pajamas. For any staying in hostels I highly advise bringing really lightweight sleep clothes, as lots of bodies in one room tends to warm it up nicely.

However, when I got back to my room I was startled to find a heater sitting in the middle.

No one was in there at the  moment, so I definitely stared at it and muttered “who the heck is cold!?!” and then went to my bed shaking my head in disbelief.

Well it turned out there were two older women from Florida backpacking around England, and they apparently were freezing so had asked for a heater to be brought into their room.

I thought to myself “couldn’t you just put on extra layers and ask for more blankets?” but instead I let it go, just feeling grateful when they turned it off before bedtime. I do wonder how they survived when they got up to Scotland, but no matters.

Ah the joys of hosteling! Did get good travel and some job advice from them though, so no complaints in the long run.

 

Keeping Calm in Cambridge

/ Emily / Leave a comment

“Don’t Panic.”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

I woke up early and had a big breakfast at my London hostel. Two omelets and some cereal and other things and I was ready to go! So I grabbed my stuff and headed to the bus station not too far away, which was in fact good luck considering the tube was down.

I hopped on my bus and headed to Cambridge!

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I highly recommend checking out National Express if you’re considering traveling around the U.K. without renting a car (and with the difference in driving…I know I probably wouldn’t be brave enough). They offer cheap bus service to a variety of cities, making it easy to get around. So I had about a two hour bus ride over to Cambridge, all for under 10 pounds. On the bus there were chargers, wifi, and decently comfy seats. All in all I was quite pleased with the find.

I arrived in Cambridge in the early afternoon. I headed over to my hostel to check my bags so I could get going with my day.

My hostel for the night was YHA Cambridge. It sadly was a little far from the city center, but in a nice residential area, so very quiet at night, which I appreciated. It was built in 2014, so everything was quite new and clean. All in all I had no real qualms with the place. They even offer a full hot breakfast for 6 pounds, but I skipped in favor of going to get some coffee and pastries instead.

Well, unfortunately there was a free walking tour at 2 PM from the city center. Google maps said it would take about 35 minutes to walk there. It was currently about 1:26 PM.

Let it never be forgotten that I can be crazy stubborn at times. Always have been. Probably always will be. Which is why I decided I was going to do that walking tour. Even if I exhausted myself getting there.

I took off at a brisk pace towards the city center. Basically running in places, otherwise just speed walking.

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Sure enough I reached the walking tour about three minutes before it could begin. And thankfully there was room for me to hop on.

It was a company called Footprints and they do tours in a number of smaller English cities. It wasn’t quite the same level of amusement as like the Sandeman’s tour, but all in all it was quite informative and made it easy to see a number of the different colleges in Cambridge from the outside.

We began walking around and surveying some of the lovely scenic city with its beautiful colleges. And that was when my phone screen went black and wouldn’t turn back on no matter how many buttons I pushed.

The day before I had managed to drop it in water. I’d dried it off and it had seemed fine, but I realized standing with my tour group that it obviously wasn’t. And I began to start to worry.

I know I shouldn’t be so technology dependent, but I am. I keep my reservations on my phone (although I usually try to print a few backup copies if I can). I have my schedule on there, my train and bus times, my confirmation codes, my maps of the cities. It’s my means of calling people (I had service in nearly every country I visited thanks to T-Mobile’s great international plan), and even my only real means of telling the time, as I don’t usually have any kind of a watch with me. Plus, it’s my only means of taking photos as I do not own a camera, which as a traveler was one of the most horrifying things I could imagine.

So yes, in that moment there was a pretty significant amount of panic going through me as I followed along with the tour guide.

It was a tough decision, but I realized that if I quit the tour in that moment I’d highly regret it. So I opted to stay and head back to my hostel after it was finished. I had realized by that point I had my computer with me, so backups of all my schedules and codes and things. Plus I did have a small travel alarm clock for wake ups and time if I needed it. In short, I kept calm and carried on.

Sadly this is why my photos from Cambridge are lacking due to the phone not working during my tour.

Cambridge is quite the beautiful place. The old city and the amazing colleges (yes more than one) are all quite impressive. You can go on boat rides along the river, or just enjoy strolling around the city. Or if you have the time and the money you can visit the different colleges.

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I didn’t do a lot of investigating, but I still haven’t heard of or seen anything that allows this… basically what I’ll say is that each college is going to charge you to visit, usually just their grounds and chapel, as the rest is in use by students. If there is a way to pay one type of ticket to visit multiple, I didn’t find it. My advice for both Oxford and Cambridge is to pick which ones you want to see and go for them.

I wanted to do King’s College, which has a marvelous chapel with a fabulous ceiling. However, with the tour there really wasn’t time after, so I had to skip. I did, however, visit Trinity College, which had a lovely courtyard and nice chapel you could see for 3 pounds (which was a bit cheaper than some of the others). Again, if you want to go in, pick one or two. Or maybe do a guided tour, but you’ll have to look into some good companies that do that.

After the tour I headed back to my hostel to try to fix my phone. Thankfully I did get it working again so that evening I headed out to revisit some of the places from the walking tour and get some photos (which is why there are some shown above).

Then I tried to find a place to eat and settled for the Cambridge Chop House, which was a local restaurant with a good selection of meats. Since it was the bank holiday, they were out of a lot of things, but that is the day after Easter for you I guess!

Regardless, I had blue cheese and squash balls, a delicious piece of chicken with peppers and potatoes, and a piece of raspberry and white chocolate cheese cake, all washed down with a Falstaff Cider that sounded good and was indeed quite delicious. The food was super good, and the location is fun right next to King’s College, though I was taken downstairs where there are no good views sadly.

It was a bit of a splurge, but definitely fun and one of my favorite meals of the trip!

After that it was back to my hostel. I wish I’d had more time to explore the city a little better, but that’s life for you. Regardless I had a great experience and Cambridge is definitely a place I’d recommend seeing if you have some time in England!

One Short Day in London

/ Emily / Leave a comment

“When I was at home, I was in a better place: but travellers must be content” -William Shakespeare, As You Like It

I should start by saying that I never planned on spending much time in London. I have been there twice before (yes I’m spoiled), so I’ve seen most of the big sights like the Tower, and the British Museum, and Buckingham Palace. Even though I know there’s plenty more to see, my priorities were seeing some places in England I hadn’t yet gone to. However, London does make for a convenient stop when flying, offering flights all over. So that was why I’d chosen to fly down to London from Edinburgh.

So I had a choice that morning. I could get up early and walk around more of Edinburgh. Or I could sleep in and be ready to head to the airport.

I opted for the latter.

In my defense it was Easter day. Meaning that not everything would be open. Also, honestly I just feel nervous anytime I have to fly. I always want to make sure I get there plenty early, because my worst fear is I’ll miss my flight standing in the security line. As always though, I arrived plenty early and was through the line in a few minutes.

So I sat and had coffee and relaxed until I could finally be on my plane on the way down to London.

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I had plans to do some things when I got to London. Hop on the tube and head over to other parts of the city to see it.

However, the problem was that the trains going from Gatwick airport over to Victoria Station (the one nearest to my hostel), were not running that day. And I could either pay lots of money to go to a station and then try to take the tube over. Or, I could do a bus. That would use two hours of my time.

I opted to do the bus.

Sometimes traveling is about being willing to adapt your plans. So unfortunately that meant that I had to give up the things that I’d wanted to see were no longer open, so I had to be willing to live with that.

After I got out of the bus, I headed over to my hostel.

I stayed at Travel Joy Hostels in the Chelsea neighborhood, and it’s one of my favorite hostels of the trip! Very lovely! Nice personable staff, right on the Thames river, and they do free towels, free breakfast (with omelets, smoothies, and pancakes), and even all you can drink free soft drinks at the bar throughout the day.

All in all quite lovely. Beds weren’t too comfy, and was maybe a little run down in places, but honestly I wouldn’t complain all that much for what I received at such a price.

It was a ways from city center, and since the tube closest to my hostel wasn’t running (due to flooding or something) that meant that I had to walk if I wanted to go anywhere.

I decided to find dinner and then figured from there I could maybe do a quick walk over towards the center to get some photos.

As I’d had English food a few times I settled on doing Indian instead. Again, I’m not going to listen to people complain about my food choices. Sometimes you just need to go for something that is quick, easy, and open on Easter. So Indian it was.

All in all it was quite delicious and I was glad of my choice. After that I headed over to take some photos of Big Ben in the evening light.

Sadly it was too late to do much else, so I headed back to my hostel.

So things might not have worked out quite as I planned in London, but it was still a nice day all in all. I’ve already visited the city before so I don’t have much more I really need to see, but I would have one final night there before the end of the trip.

Exploring Edinburgh Day Two

/ Emily / Leave a comment

“The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle

The problem with this city is, as with most big cities, there are far too many things to see. Or at least for me. I wanted to go to the palace, and the writer’s museum, and climb Calton Hill, and the national museum, go overlook all of Edinburgh on Arthur’s Seat, and do a walking tour, and explore all over, and see some mystery and do a ghost tour, and see things that inspired J.K. Rowling, and the statue of Sherlock Holmes.

Sad to say, that is far too much for one day. Though it doesn’t mean I didn’t try to squeeze as much of that into 24 hours as I possibly could.

I woke up at eight to get an early start. Bought breakfast at my hostel before heading out. I’d decided I wanted to start my morning with a hike up Calton Hill to admire the views of the city.

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It was a beautiful day thank heavens. Although much colder than I’d expected. I forgot how far north Scotland is, making it pretty chilly even in spring.

Regardless I snapped a few photos before taking off. I’d booked myself on the ten o’clock Sandeman’s tour around Edinburgh.

It was my favorite free walking tour I’ve ever done, and I’ve done five Sandeman’s tours now on top of other free tours in Porto, Lisbon, Rome, Budapest, and Vienna. So I feel I have a fairly good sense of what a good walking tour should look like.

My guide was absolutely amazing. She was super funny and really knew her stuff. She made sure to make each part of the tour engaging and informative while also answering questions with spectacular detailed answers. All in all I was quite happy.

We walked along the Royal Mile and down towards the castle. We headed down to check out the grass market and then some of J.K. Rowling’s inspiration in the fancy boarding school with four houses nearby a cafe where she worked, and even saw the grave of William Wallace (not the real one but it was funny that our guide pointed it out).

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And then over to see Greyfriar Bobby, Edinburgh’s… nay Scotland’s most famous statue.

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I’ll share the story just because I loved it. There was a watchman who adopted a terrier to come with him on his routes, and he named the dog Bobby. Unfortunately the watchman died two years after adopting the dog and was buried in the Greyfriar cemetery. Bobby refused to leave his grave. The townspeople were so moved by Bobby’s loyalty and devotion that they asked for Bobby to be made the town’s dog so that he wouldn’t be considered a stray and therefore wouldn’t be killed. He was, and when he died 14 years later they buried him in the same cemetery as his owner. Now people leave sticks for him at his grave and go to take photos of his statue and pub.

If you are in Edinburgh, be sure to not touch his nose. It’s apparently causing irreparable damage to the statue, so be nice. You can however go touch Hume’s toe…because apparently that gives you good luck (oh the irony).

After the tour finished I had a short time before I was supposed to be off to my next engagement. So since the National Museum of Scotland was free, I decided to head in there until I needed to leave.

So I wandered a bit. It’s a huge museum. Be sure to check it out if you’re in Edinburgh. Basically it’s just a huge conglomeration of different things. Natural history, science, Scottish history, and some special exhibits you might have to pay for. However, for free, this museum could easily provide two hours of entertainment. I only had about 45 minutes sadly, so I tried to see some of the highlights like the t-rex and Dolly the sheep (yes the real Dolly).

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After I was done browsing the museum I grabbed coffee and snacks for lunch and then snapped a very quick photo of Bobby before heading to the bus. I had schedule a 3 o’clock tour at a strange place called Gilmerton Cove.

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I’d seen good reviews on tripadvisor, so I decided to book a tour, since you have to book in advance.

Basically, since it’s not like a super popular destination let me explain. Basically these are all little hand-carved tunnels and chambers. A man in the 18th century claimed to have carved them himself. However, given their size and complexity, scientists doubt he could have done it in five years, and even more perplexing is the fact that they appear to be much older than such a time period.

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Down in these tunnels are what seem like tabletops or altar tops carved in the stone, with seating on either side. There is a shallow basin carved into one, something that seems like it could have held liquid… baptismal font, cauldron, sacrificial bowl? No one is sure. There is also what appears to be a fire place, but there is no smoke left behind from fires, same with what appears to be a forge. There is also a well, but it is not dug deep enough to reach water.

All of this is quite strange and mysterious. On top of that there’s a three mason symbol carved into one of the tables, and what appears to maybe be a cat alongside other strange carvings.

The best part is simply that on one knows what this is, what it was made for, or who made it. So it’s all left up to your imagination in some ways. The guide leads you around, lets you take photos, and explains the various theories and the history of the caverns. They’re quite different from anything I’ve ever seen, and it sent my creative mind turning wondering what stories these chambers could possibly hold.

If you’re in Edinburgh for a few days looking for some good things to do, I’d recommend this. It was a lot of fun.

I rushed back to my hostel after for a quick break, before taking off to find dinner. I stopped at Angels with Bagpipes which had a nice “lunch” menu still being offered at 5:30. I had the soup of the day, which I cannot remember what it was. And the slow cooked beef with cabbage and potatoes. Both were really delicious. And all washed down with some cider, one of my favorite alcoholic drinks (because it tastes more like juice and less like alcohol…hence why the whiskey experience wasn’t my thing).

I headed off to catch Sandeman’s Dark Side tour. I love this company so much, and honestly Edinburgh does kind of lend itself to a tour about darker things, be they ghosts or murders or fairies.

Our tourguide led us around the city as the sunset, focusing on graveyards and other spooky places where he described to us some of the more spooky parts of Edinburgh’s history. He was incredibly entertaining, and it was fun to do, especially since it was at a time when I wouldn’t be able to really do much else besides eat.

After the tour I rushed off to the Real Mary King’s Close for my tour.

So closes are very normal in Edinburgh. They’re basically little alleyways, usually ones that slope down the Royal Mile to the bottom. They generally are named after important people or tell you something about what went on in that area of the city at the time it was built. AKA Fishmarket Close, etc.

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However, Mary King’s Close was covered over when they decided to build a large federal building in the area alongside three other closes. They didn’t demolish it, they basically just built on top of it. Resulting in a little “subterranean” collection of houses and rooms attached to an alleyway.

With a guide who is dressed in period appropriate costume, you’re led through various parts of the old close and shown the parts of the city now covered over and preserved for all time. It’s a bit more theatrical than I might have cared for, but all in all it’s quite a cool experience and you get to see what life was like back in the old days of Edinburgh. Sadly no photos are allowed inside since it is underneath a federal building, but you can check out their website here which shows a bit of what it looks like.

So yes, quite the full day. It was back to the hostel for me so I could get ready for my next day and my planned return journey to England.

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Off to Auld Reekie- Adventures in Edinburgh

/ Emily / 2 Comments

“To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive.” -Robert Louis Stevenson

The next day I woke up early and had breakfast at my hostel before setting out by train to Edinburgh. I took a train from Liverpool over to Wigan and then from there all the way to Edinburgh.

As it was holiday season, the train to Edinburgh was quite full. There was even a full bachelorette party going on in one of the cars, complete with champagne. It was quite amusing to watch.

Regardless I arrived in Edinburgh realizing that it was going to be a bit crazy what with Easter and all.

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I walked from the train station right to my hostel. It was quite close which was handy.

I stayed at Royal Mile Backpackers, which I think has been one of my favorite hostels of the trip. It’s right on the Royal Mile, a very central and important street that houses many of the tourist attractions in Edinburgh. On top of that, it’s clean and spacious. The beds all have their own chargers and reading lights and were very comfortable. Sadly no free breakfast, but you can buy one for two pounds, which isn’t bad all things considered.

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The Gotham Room!

I left my luggage and headed off to explore.

I started by going up to the castle. The weather seemed okay, so I decided it might be a good time to do the castle and after I could see some of the other things. However, I was feeling a bit peckish, so I grabbed an ice cream outside the castle before heading off to go inside.

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It’s a bit pricey going in, but it’s a huge area and there’s lots to see. There are basically a collection of different museums there that you can go into. As it was Easter weekend it was quite crowded, so I had a hard time really seeing much of the museums, but it was still fun to walk around and explore.

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If I’d had more time I think I would have enjoyed either doing a guided tour or getting an audio guide. But feeling a bit rushed I decided it would be just as well to walk around myself.

After finishing up at the castle I headed down just a short distance to the Scotch Whiskey Experience.

I’m not much of a whiskey drinker… well in fact I had never tried whiskey before in my life. But I’m not one to pass up on a unique opportunity to learn something new about a particular region. If you read about my Spain trip you’ll remember I did a sherry bodega there too. Alcohol makes up part of the local culture and cuisine, and I like learning more about it if I can.

So whiskey it was!

Again quite crowded so I had to wait more than an hour to get in. However, once inside I had to admit it was a pretty fun experience. You do a short ride in a barrel…well not a real barrel, to learn more about the process of making whiskey. Then you go see a film about the different Scotland regions, complete with a sniff card so you can get a sense of the different flavors. And then you get to go try a glass of whichever region appeals to you most and learn more about blending whiskies.

If you pay more you get to sample more after, but for the poor people like me it’s just one, setting it on the colored circle of what region you want to try. The one was fine, because the shot of whiskey I had was… well let’s just say I don’t think whiskey is my stuff. Too strong for my tastes, although I at least do I have a little better sense of the drink itself and how to taste it.

The tour finished in the largest collection of Scotch Whiskey in the world, which was indeed quite impressive to see.

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I headed to the Real Mary King’s Close after I finished my tour. I’d seen good reviews on tripadvisor, so I thought I’d give it a try. However the Easter weekend problems continued. Turns out the tours were fully booked for the day, so I made a reservation for the next day hoping I could squeeze it in with everything else I wanted to do.

I walked around a bit after that, but most things were closed so there weren’t too many options of other places to go into.

So lastly was dinner. I asked at the desk about good options and the guy there mostly gave me like chips restaurants and such, so not necessarily what I was looking for, because after a full day with no food I needed something more balanced. So I headed off down the mile (well technically not a mile… since measurements have changed) looking for somewhere to eat.

Settled in a little place just off the mile called Villagers. It was a cute little pub that had decent reviews and lower prices. Portions were a bit small, but the staff was friendly and the food was quite good. So all in all I was quite pleased.

Then it was back to the hostel for the night. All in all quite a good day in Edinburgh!

Isle of Man to Liverpool

/ Emily / Leave a comment

Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted. – John Lennon

Well, the pod AirBnB started as a nice idea… and quickly became a not so nice one.

As in, I woke up at about 1 AM freezing cold.

Normally if I’m cold I have options. Turn up the heat. Add another blanket. Put on another layer.

In a small pod in the garden with only a sleeping bag, those didn’t really exist.

On top of that I really had to use the bathroom.

So I stumbled out of the pod and down the garden path until I arrived at the guest house where I could use the toilet. It was cold, but I figured maybe the outside air would make me more appreciative of my little pod.

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When I got back I realized the pod was pretty much the same temperature as the outside air. Not sure if it was because of the window doors, or just really poor insulation overall, or what had happened, but it was quite cold.

I slid on my fleece and snuggled back in the sleeping bag.

I woke up again around 3 shivering. So I got up, put on a pair of pants over my leggings and a sweater under the fleece and climbed back into bed.

Woke again at 5. Pulled on my rain jacket and another pair of socks and then crawled back in the sleeping bag, curling into the smallest ball I could. It was pretty much all the layers I had at that point, so I was hoping I didn’t get any colder.

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I sound dramatic but that’s honestly what happened. I woke up again at 7, well before my alarm, still cold and miserable. So I ended up going to use the bathroom and realized it was warm in there. Which was how I ended up curling up next to the heater in the bathroom for twenty minutes trying to warm up.

Got back to the pod. I was basically already dressed. Opted to just leave the leggings on under the pants since I was still cold, and otherwise I was ready for the day. I made some coffee, put on gloves and did my best to warm up a bit.

Basically my lesson learned was to never do any kind of “camping” in England without the proper clothing and a really good sleeping bag, or extra blankets. Left a review on the pod to tell future travelers they might want warm clothes. Or maybe the owner will know better and provide more blankets next time or something. Or a small space heater. I cannot imagine what that must be like in winter.

Well, I used the early wakeup to go catch a bus back into town. My pass from the day before had expired so I purchased a ticket with cash. Unlike Dublin they actually will give you change, so that was nice. Regardless it was cheap and fairly easy. I got off a stop early by mistake, because they don’t announce them very often in Isle of Man, but regardless I managed to find it.

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I walked to the ferry terminal and dropped my stuff in a locker there. Made it so I didn’t have to wander all the way back to my accommodation to pick up my backpack and such, but also didn’t have to drag it with me.

Then I headed over to the steam railway station.

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There are several railway features in Isle of Man. They’re one of the things you’ll see advertised to do, which makes sense. They’re an easy transport and they are also incredibly fun and make it easy to go explore other parts of the island that might be more interesting than Douglas.

I’d decided I wanted to go to Castletown for the morning. There were two trains at decent times to be able to go there and back again. It seemed like a good option.

I bought the Go Explorer Heritage Pass for a day thinking that the pass gets you into attractions. It does not. Unless you buy the five day pass. So for any looking to use this, be warned. If you’re going to use lots of transport in one day, it’s a good deal, if not then I’d opt to just buy individual tickets and save your money. There is a pass that lets you into lots of the attractions on the island for like 14 days for only 20 euro, which is a very good deal, but obviously it wasn’t a good one for me being there only a day really.

Nonetheless I boarded the first train and quickly found out why these are recommended to do.

It’s a mix between Disneyland and a scenic drive. It felt sort of like a ride, but it was beautiful as well. You’d look out the windows and feel like you’d stepped back in time, rocking along in the carriage, steam billowing outside the windows. It was absolutely wonderful. I definitely enjoyed it to the max.

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I arrived in Castletown slightly later than expected. The problem is the conductors sell tickets too, so sometimes they take a while making sure everyone has a ticket before setting off. So be warned your train might not be precisely on time if you’re in a hurry.

Regardless I set out from the train to go explore Castle Rushen, the famed part of Castletown. You might understand why.

It’s a really well preserved castle. The exhibits are slightly dated looking, but all in all it’s quite a nice space, and that’s coming from a girl who’s seen castles all over France as a child.

My favorite element was that there were fantastic views from the top of the tallest tower, and you were allowed to climb all the way up and stare down at the city. On a beautiful sunny day it was perfect.

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After that I strolled through town quickly before heading back to catch the 12:27 train to Douglas. It was sad I had to cut my visit so short, but unfortunately it was needed

I enjoyed the rolling hills and beautiful scenery of the Isle of Man as I rode back. Again, if you’re on the Isle and have a chance to do the steam railways, especially on a nice day, it’s well worth it. The views are simply spectacular. You’ll see sheep and cows and pheasants. Views of the sea. Beautiful plants and farmland and so much more. And the steam engine is charming as well.

From Douglas I headed down to the ferry terminal. I technically had about 2 hours until my boat, but I knew trying to do much else would likely be pushing my luck, so I grabbed some coffee and tried to polish off the remaining Manx pounds I had on hand. Be warned if you go to the island that they use a different currency. If you’re coming from England they’ll still accept your British pounds, but for a visitor like me heading into England it was a problem because England won’t accept Isle of Man’s currency…which seems ridiculous, but definitely is something to be aware of.

The ferry was very similar to the one coming over. Quite nice overall. Cafes and shops and two cinemas showing films. It’s definitely a very comfortable way to travel (I’m writing this current post on a cramped train so you might understand why I say that).

From the ferry I had a mile walk to my hostel. I probably could have found transportation, but really didn’t want to mess with it. Thankfully it was a beautiful day so no problems on that front. I admired Liverpool’s lovely architecture as I walked.

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I arrived at Hatters Hostel. All in all my review of this place is quite good. It’s in this beautiful old building and quite cheap. On top of that you get free breakfast so I’m definitely not going to complain. The rooms were a bit cramped and they only had tiny lockers, so just could store valuables and that was it (not even a backpack would fit). But overall I was quite pleased.

I asked for dinner recommendations on the way out and was told that The Leaf on Bold Street was supposed to be quite good, so I decided I’d try it.

However, before heading there I figured I’d stop and see just a few things.

I arrived in Liverpool around six. So I knew everything I’d possibly want to see would be closed. Which meant I’d marked some more “public” spaces that I could still access as a tourist.

I started at St. George’s Hall which was a filming spot in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It wasn’t open of course, but I could still admire the beautiful outside.

The central library was also a stopping point for me. I love old libraries, and this one was very fun. It had been reconstructed, but the center room with triple layers of book shelves still seemed like the stuff out of movies, and the modern section was quite open and beautiful as well. On top of that it also has nice views from the roof. And again, it’s all free!

From there I headed to dinner as I was quite hungry.

The Leaf was popping, so it seemed worth a shot. I wish I’d gotten one of their teas, but it was a bit crowded and confusing and my server was training, so sadly didn’t get a chance to try any of that. I did have a Victorian Lemonade, and a dish of falafel with flatbread, which sounded quite good at the time.

The food all in all was decent, but definitely nothing spectacular. The flat bread was dry and the falafel itself pretty tasteless and the combo of flavors just left something to be desired. But it was cheap and filling and I do have to remember this is England… not exactly the center of fine cuisine.

Then back to the hostel for sleep. Unfortunately I should add this to my review of Hatters. Quite nice overall, but the fire alarm did go off for no apparent reason in the evening. When my roommate and I dashed out into the lobby, the receptionist said it was no problem and to not worry about it. But it continued going off for a good few minutes for no apparent reason. Definitely a bit strange. Didn’t help that we’d left our room key in our haste to get out. Thankfully they made us another one.

Then on for a good night’s sleep. Because the next morning I was off to Scotland!

Off to the Isle of Man

/ Emily / Leave a comment

“Ah, you’ve come over the water. Powerful wet stuff, ain’t it?”
― C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the “Dawn Treader”

When I was booking my trip to Ireland and the United Kingdom, I was doing so looking at a map. And on that map, Isle of Man caught my eye. This tiny little country between the two ones I was visiting seemed like the perfect stop over!

I should clarify that it’s not truly its own country as far as I know (I’m no expert on this political stuff). It still remains listed as a colony I believe, but regardless it has its own currency and flag and still seemed like an adventure.

So I set out from Dublin by bus over to the ferry port. And from there I took a ferry to Douglas, Isle of Man.

The ferry was decent value for the price. I booked my next trip in Greece and my word the ferry was expensive! Regardless it seemed like a fairly easy option for how to get to this island I was set on visiting.

I went for an Airbnb as there really aren’t really any hostels on the island and hotels weren’t cheap. I think if you’re more outdoorsy you could do camping or something, but I sadly don’t have the equipment with me to do so. So Airbnb it was.

I stayed in a garden pod on a lovely property not too far from Douglas, which was a very fun setting.

I will warn future visitors that you should probably just take a cab there, as it will be easier. I took the bus to quarter bridge road and then walked the rest of the way, but it is up a steep hill and was a little confusing to access, and the bus is across a very busy road.

Regardless I stopped in and dropped off my bags. The setup was very cute and again the best option for someone looking to stay only a night in a semi-cheap accommodation. It’s not glamorous, but it works.

After dropping my stuff I took the bus to head over to Peel, a town on the opposite coast of the island. It’s like a 30 minute ride from Douglas over, and I was hoping to head to the castle.

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Sadly, I forgot the castle closes at 4, so no luck for me. But still I was able to wander along the coast and enjoy the sights and get some good shots of the castle from the outside. I also hiked up Peel Hill? Mountain? I cannot remember. The town itself was also very quaint and cute. Some pretty old churches and cottages and then the fun marina. It’s just a lovely place to visit, so if you’re on Isle of Man make sure to get over to Peel.

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I enjoyed the views. I was tempted to hike to a tower, but it was a fair distance away, and I was getting hungry. So I decided to take the bus back to Douglas for food. I walked around town a little, though again any museums or anything to see was closed at that point, but with the rain gone it was still nice to be able to explore a little bit and enjoy the town.

I ended up just going to one of the first places I could find, down near the harbor. It was a seafood place called Tanroagan Seafood Restaurant. I had some delicious local beer and fish and chips! The other more creative dishes looked amazing too, but I was trying to be budget. I loved that they brought different kinds of bread to your table and you chose which one you wanted. Very fun! Cute place and nice location. I was very pleased overall.

Then took the bus back to my Airbnb. Was pretty tired out and knew I needed to get an early night’s sleep to have some time in the morning to explore.