TRAVEL TIPS - GREAT BRITAIN

This week we'll take a different look  at Great Britain. As a travel destination. Not the Brexit.

The UK is quite a large area, with a dull climate, so summer is the best season to go. It's not cheap, and travelling by car is cheaper than train if you want to move around. Make sure you've had some practice in driving on the left! Flying into London and hiring a car is a good idea, or if you're from the continent you can drive and take the ferry so you arrive with your own vehicle. If you do so from the Hoek van Holland, you could drive first to Canterbury, famous for the Cathedral and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, who was the first English medieval author. You could then drive on to Cambridge and Oxford which are both lovely cities to visit, before heading south on to London. 

 With thanks to the Oxford University site

 

Dipiction of Chaucer's' Canterbury Tales 
With thanks to Luminarium, Anthology of English Literature book

If you come in from Calais, France with the Hovercraft or tunnel, you will view the famous white chalk Dover cliffs. If you drive north, towards London you can see Stonehenge on the way, which is famous for its mysterious huge stones, placed in a circle without any machinery then available.  London is a big city with lots to see but England's strength I think in tourism is its countryside. London has little nature, only the river Thames and a few parks. Take the London Eye though, as this gives great views over the majestic Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, which will now be under construction for the next four years. The Egyptian museum is also spectacular.

 With thanks to www.whitecliffsofdover.co.uk

Below Houses of Parliament taken from the London Eye

London to Cornwall, the deepest southern tip of south west of England is almost a 5 hour drive. But the provinces of Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset are must sees. Specifically for the coastlines which are jagged and quite beautiful, but also just the most pleasurable driving through the hilly countryside, with tiny narrow hedged country roads. Stop off for afternoon tea and scones and visit quaint little villages along with the way, Glastonbury for example passing Burrow's Mump.  

Cornwall - with thanks to reproarts.com

 

Devon countryside  

 

Portsmouth

 

Burrows Mump National Trust on the way to Glastonbury

 

Driving north, towards Bath and Bristol, we head towards Wales. Bath in Somerset is an absolute must! This is a Gothic sleepy yet vibrant town with a deep mystical air to it. The Roman baths themselves are  probably very busy in summer period but there is enough to see and do. Bristol is worth a quick peek too, and is a good airport to fly into if you want to hire a car and drive into Wales. 

 BATH With thanks to Indie travelcast

Cardiff, home to Roald Dahl, the famous author is an absolute must visit. The city museum is big, fascinating, and the waterfront area, architecture and general vibe of the city I found pleasing. Also visit the castle! From Cardiff, you can drive along west, on the southern coast of Wales to Oxwich Beach in Swansea, also for delightful after country drives, stop overs and beach and water days for summer.  Walk up to the church on the hill along beautiful nature trails. As museums are free in England and Wales you should enrich your culture and visit as many as possible.  Fagans is an outdoor museum 15 minutes from Cardiff. It is huge, you can spend the whole day there and go back in time to Ironmonger shops, old rondavel mudhouse Celtic living and enjoy train rides and walks through beautiful nature, English and Italian gardens. In Wales you will see all signposts in two languages, Welsh and English. Near Abergvny, which is a small little south west town, with lovely old castle ruins, you can also drive to Symond's Yat for lovely walks and views at the hill tops (very high) or kayak down below.

 MISTY COUNTRYSIDE

 AVERGABANY

 SYMOND'S YAT

 
ARCHITECTURE IN CARDIFF CENTRE  

 Driving in to Oxwich Beach

 

 FAGAN'S OUTDOOR MUSEUM

I've yet to visit mountainous north Wales, even though I've visited the UK countless times. Never enough time to do everything! ANYWAY... let's head up north. Perhaps you give south England a miss and you fly in north to Newcastle. This is a nice city with charm and also fairly close to some great museum sites and Southshields beach. Which is even great on a blustery winter's day as it's broad and has some interesting cliffs and pubs for lunch. South of Newcastle is a small place called Jarrow near the coast. One of the churches in this small town is the famous place of Bede from 672 AD. For those who don't know, Bede was the first monk to actually write the first history of the English people. Worth visiting for its scenic setting and history. Bede is buried in Durham cathedral which is an absolute must visit and just half an hour away. Spectacularly huge, with an underground dungeon restaurant, lovely shopping streets and Fishmonger, it also holds the courtyards where the Harry Potter movies, filmed the broom flying scenes!

 NEWCASTLE

 

 DURHAM CATHEDRAL COURTYARD FROM HARRT POTTER'S FLYING CLASSES

 ST PETER'S CHURCH - THE WORLD OF BEDE AND MONASTERY RUINS

 Now while you enjoy a cup of tea, introduce yourself to the most famous of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, the Wife of Bath. "What do women most desire? Interestingly, if you take old Chaucer texts written in Middle English, you will actually still be able to read it. All before the vowel shift movement.  The full Canterbury Tales is a free BBC animated series, free for viewing on You-Tube. Each tale tells a moral.