We'd like to call it a travel guide, but it's just assorted notes from our travels.
I wish this article was about Scotland’s natural beauty or its magnificent heritage, but the truth of the matter is, my only two and a half days in Scotland were spent as part of a group tour focused on Scottish whisky. With almost 400 miles driven around Scottish countryside, just one briefest of stops was made at a place unrelated to the whisky industry.
I did glimpse plenty of beautiful vistas to whet my appetite for a future exploration. In the meantime, here are quick notes on the points of interest that were visited during this expedition.
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Southern parts of Greater London hold their own attractions. Among the major ones are Greenwich and Blackheath in Southeast, Kew Gardens and Hampton Court Palace in Southwest…
This entry discusses some minor attractions along the southern edges of the city, including several eateries. While as a tourist you are unlikely to specifically venture for a visit, it is still worth cataloguing the ones we are familiar with.
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Over the last decade or so, London’s dining scene has become so diverse that there are literally hundreds of excellent places to eat for every taste in the world. Living within easy reach of so many great restaurants, we certainly make efforts to occasionally experience some of them. This entry provides brief reviews of the various places we visited. |
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Rochester ♥ is one of the nearest southeastern day-trip destinations from London (less than half an hour by car from Blackwall Tunnel) and is a pleasant place to explore.
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Legoland ♥, located near Windsor, failed to make a great impression on us, primarily because we found the rides to be underwhelming and they are quite short, especially in relation to interminable wait times (which you can get somewhat around by renting a Q-bot – see below).
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The Windsor Castle ♥♥♥, which remains the official residence of the British monarch, as well as an oft-used location for various State occasions, is grand and magnificent.
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In 8 words: A capital of the world, fun and happening.
For your first visit you need no less than 5 days to be able to fully appreciate the city and all of its major sights while keeping pleasantly unhurried pace.
Distances are walkable in many cases, but the city is vast – you will certainly need to use public transport for traveling between “clusters” of attractions.
Don’t miss: Lingering on Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square; strolling along the Thames Path; (reputedly) taking an afternoon tea at a posh salon; immersing in theater-and-pubs scene in the West End; relaxing in Green Park or St James Park.
On the other hand: The narrow twisting streets aren’t intimate enough to invite idle perambulation, but they do make driving through the city a lengthy and confusing exercise; not that you would care if you were visiting as a tourist. |
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Worthy attractions: Westminster Abbey with memorials to world-famous Brits; London Tower with its ravens and Beefeaters; St Paul’s Cathedral with Whispering Gallery under the dome and viewpoints on upper levels; National Gallery, one of the foremost painting collections in the world; British Museum, home to many treasures from around the world; Buckingham Palace (open to visitors only in summer); Victoria and Albert Museum; Natural History Museum with its famous dinosaur display; Science Museum; National Portrait Gallery; London Eye; Shakespeare’s Globe.
Left unexplored so far: Museum of London (on partial refurbishment until 2009); Transport Museum; a number of churches.
Wise to skip: Madame Tussaud’s – overpriced, overcrowded and unimpressive; Kensington Palace – not worth the entry price even if you absolutely have to see Princess Diana’s former digs.
Resided: 2006 through present. |
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Sissinghurst Castle Garden ♥♥ is a well-known and worthwhile half-day excursion from London.
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The medieval spiritual mecca and center of learning of England, Canterbury ♥♥ is a great destination for a day-long excursion from London.
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In 6 words: Great nature, plus some imposing castles.
For your first visit you can do a highlights trip in about three days, but that will leave some areas unexplored. Active outdoors types will certainly need more.
Worthy destinations: Cardiff; Brecon Beacons National Park; Portmeirion; Caernarfon and Conwy.
Left for another visit: Coastal areas of Pembrokeshire (including St Davids) and Llyn Peninsula; Powis Castle; Llandrindod Wells.
Last visit: March 2008. |
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Wales has dramatic natural wonders, from its coastline to its mountains, and enables a great deal of outdoorsy pursuits. For those more interested in man-made wonders, such as yours truly, Welsh offerings are somewhat less spectacular. Which is not to say that you can’t find interesting things to do in Wales if you are primarily interested in history and architecture, but you will enjoy it more if you mix in at least some hiking or trekking or climbing or cycling or rafting or what-have-you into your itinerary.
We did a south-to-north highlights trip in three days, selecting points of interest that could fit into such itinerary, which obviously left a number of locations and attractions unexplored. Having perused tourbooks upon our return again, I am convinced that we skipped just a few places that would be of interest to us. Your tastes will undoubtedly vary.
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Greenwich ♥♥ is a popular destination for most visitors to London, primarily because of the magnetic attraction of the Prime Meridian. Its neighbor, Blackheath Village ♥, separated from the Greenwich Park by a vast swath of open meadow, – the Heath – is also quite lively and popular, although it manages to maintain a certain quintessential English charm. Its popularity in no small way is due to the range of available eateries concentrated within a minute’s walk from the main village road intersection.
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In 11 words: Georgian architecture, Roman baths – and Stonehenge is not too far away.
For your visit you need about a day to discover the town at a pleasantly unhurried pace; a trip to Stonehenge and/or Salisbury will require a separate day. (London-based tour companies offer a day-trip that covers Bath and Stonehenge in addition to the Windsor Castle, but as one might expect, you spend more time on the bus than doing the actual sightseeing, and that at a very brisk highlights-only pace.)
Distances are walkable in all cases.
Love its sandy-colored look.
Don’t miss: A moment of quiet relaxation in the Parade Gardens.
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Worthy attractions: Roman Baths (and you can brave drinking the waters at the on-site restaurant); The Royal Crescent and the house at No.1; Parade Gardens; Pulteney Bridge.
Left for another visit: Bath Abbey [did not tour inside]; Fashion Museum.
Nearby destinations: Stonehenge; Salisbury [did not visit]; Cheddar Gorge [did not visit]; Stourhead [did not visit]; Lacock.
Last visit: September 2007. |
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It is probably true that once you’ve been to a botanic garden, you’ve been to all of them, yet Kew Gardens ♥♥ is clearly among the stand-outs in this category. Spread-out grounds are impeccably maintained and utterly spectacular, with thousands of species of trees and vegetation, and plethora of strategically placed memorial benches for unhurried relaxation. The lawns are prime real estate for picnics.
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Hever Castle ♥♥, in Kent, is a superb desitination for a day-trip from London, as well as a popular place for locals to spend a lovely day at.
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Located in Kent about 40 miles south-east from central London, Leeds Castle ♥♥ is a grand destination for a day trip.
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In 4 words: The quintessential English countryside.
For your first visit, two to three full days is the reasonable duration that will allow you to visit a number of interesting locations.
Worthy destinations: Bourton-on-the-Water; Stratford-upon-Avon; Hidcote Manor Garden; Broadway and its tower (located some distance away); Snowshill Manor.
Left for another visit: Moreton-in-Marsh; Blenheim Palace; Warwick Castle.
Last visit: March 2007.
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Oxford ♥♥♥ is probably less picturesque than Cambridge, but far surpasses the other in architectural grandeur.
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Cambridge ♥♥♥ is a gem in its own right, given the architectural grandeur of several of the colleges that comprise the famous university.
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Hampton Court Palace ♥♥♥ is a fantastic place to visit, even though it does not evoke as much splendor as Versailles or Peterhof.
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No fortress in England boasts a longer history than Dover Castle ♥.
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