The End

This is my final blog post...

I've been thinking about this post for awhile, but I thought it would be forever before I would have to write it. Mind you, I delayed writing on account of my cold, but I've kept delaying because, honestly, I'm really not ready to accept that my time in England is over.

The last few days of traveling took us to Hucknall, where Ada Lovelace is buried. For those of you who don't know, Ada Lovelace is an icon for women in computing. Working under Charles Babbage, she wrote the first computer program (for a computer Babbage never ended up building) and is considered to be the FIRST computer programmer! In addition, she is also the daughter of Lord Byron.

Hucknall is just outside Nottingham, so we stopped by at a pub, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, for lunch. The pub is built into a cave, so the ceilings and some walls are simply rock. It was a really fun experience, but the food was only okay.

That was pretty much the (anticlimactic) end of our travels. From there, we returned the car and went back to London. Our first night was rather uneventful. We got in too late to eat at any of the places I recommended, so we just got sandwiches and went to the pub.

Initially, we'd intended to meet Cate at Cittie of Yorke, but I decided to walk my parents past Ye Olde Mitre House first. It's considered to be the most hidden pub in London, but every time I've gone, it's been PACKED. This night, however, it was practically empty; in fact, as we went by, a waiter exclaimed, "Customers!" We explained that we were actually passing through on the way to meet a friend, but he gave us an interesting history lesson about the pub. When we finally met with Cate, we felt bad about leaving after the waiter had been so nice, so we went back. The waiter, whose name turned out to be Andy, was very happy to see us, and we all had a good, relaxing time anyways.

The next day, we had breakfast at Smiths of Smithfield and took a bus up to Highgate Cemetery. We saw the graves of Douglas Adams, Sir Ralph David Richardson, Karl Marx, and George Eliot. It was a very peaceful afternoon, and the cemetery was just lovely (which may be an odd thing to say about a big park full of dead people but it genuinely was beautiful -- in that serene, contemplative way).

Tea was Bea's of Bloomsbury, which turned out to be an overall family favorite. Bea's serves the best cupcakes EVER, but the mini-desserts and scones were also divine! I spent the rest of the afternoon packing and cleaning, so the pinnacle of the evening was really dinner. We went to the Bleeding Heart Bistro, a highly regarded French restaurant with pub and restaurant branches within the same square. Bleeding Heart Yard (where all three eateries are located) is named after a story regarding some local party-going noblewoman who was murdered by her "swarthy" (direct quote from the restaurant) lover. Her heart was torn out and left pulsing and wriggling on the pavement... Thus the name.

My parents, perhaps due to poor judgement on their part, allowed me my choice of anything on the menu. I ordered foie gras for a starter and leg of rabbit for my main. Both were delicious, but I was really impressed by the foie gras. I love paté, but this was just... Wow.

That night, I went out with Cate, Holly, and Beth. It was a bit of a downer evening because it really marked the end of our time together. Also, Beth's boyfriend had already left, so it was a rather sad affair all around. Still, it was good that we got our last hurrah.

I brought back to the States 4 pint glasses, 3 mugs, a tea strainer, and a Welsh flag. I could hole myself up with some loose leaf tea and ale and pretend I never left. Instead, I've just been lazing around. I only brought 2 pairs of 2-week contact lenses to England (that's a story in and of itself) and made them last the whole 5 months. Needless to say, I had an eye doctor appointment as soon as I got back. I also got my hair cut short again, and I got to see my Amanda (actually she drove me to my doctor's appointment -- the cars are all coming from the wrong side!).

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Anyways, here are some things I picked up from my time in England.

From my food journal...

Best Fish & Chips
Rock and Sole Plaice
45-47 Endell Street
WC2H 9AJ

Best Desserts
Bea's of Bloomsbury
44 Theobald's Road
WC1X 8NW

Best Breakfast
Smiths of Smithfield
67-77 Charterhouse Street
EC1M 6HJ

Best Pub
Cittie of Yorke
22 High Holborn
WC1V 6BN
OR
Ye Old Mitre House
1 Ely Court
EC1N 6SJ

Best Pub (Outside London)
The Borough
3-5 Dalton Square
LA1 1PP

American vs British Terminology
American - British
Sweater - Jumper
Napkin - Serviette
Pants - Trousers
Zucchini - Courgette
Eggplant - Aubergine
Fries - Chips
Chips - Crisps
Ladybug - Ladybird
BandAid - Plaster
Exit - Way Out
Line - Queue
ATM - Cash Point
Desserts - Puddings (Puds, for short)
To Go OR Takeout - Takeaway
Check - Bill
Semester - Term
Trash can - Rubbish Bin
Drunk - Pissed
Ad - Advert

Some Other Common Words and Phrases
"Cheers!" - used both for toasting and also to replace thank-you (ie one might say "cheers" to someone who has held the door)
"I can't be bothered..."
"Take the piss out of..."
To "pull" someone - to hook-up with somebody. Despite what Harry Potter tells you, snogging is not the common phrase for this
"Brilliant"
"Bollocks"
"Wanker"
"Oh, crumbs!"
"Pucker" (as in good)
"Pasty" (this is a food, the 'a' is pronounced like the 'a' in 'cat'*)

*I was once told that if an 'a' is not followed by an 'r', it will be pronounced like the 'a' in 'cat'. For instance, pasta or kebab...

Why No Updates?

I am writing this update in case someone is reading this (and the more improbable case that said reader is wondering why there have been no updates about my trip).

I am sick.

I mentioned a dry cough in my last post, and it's become an EVIL SCOURGE upon my sinuses and upper respiratory system!

There will be some real updates when I recover.

In the meantime, here's a picture from York:

Scottish Countryside

Today was beautiful and sunny, so we ventured out from Edinburgh into the Scottish countryside.

The Scottish Wool Centre is about an hour away and does daily sheepdog demonstrations, so we drove to the town, Aberfoyle, first. We got there about 30 minutes early for the demonstration, so we wandered around the store first. Mom and Dad both bought nice Scottish wool sweaters, but I couldn't find one that I liked or that fit. Unfortunately, all the colours and patterns I really liked were men's sweaters, and the smallest size still fit like a sack. Instead, I ended up getting a raincoat because although I've been on this rainy island for 5 months, the only "rain gear" I own is an umbrella from Poundland, and even that can't withstand the slightest breeze (as I learned when the spokes on my first Poundland umbrella snapped like twigs in a gentle wind). I didn't really pack for the northern cold, so hopefully the raincoat will also keep me a bit insulated over the next couple days of travel.

Anyways, the sheepdog demo was fascinating, but on account of the demonstrator's thick Scottish accent, we really only understood the "pretty dog moves angry geese" part.


Just a note: the coughing in the video is NOT me. It was the girl next to me who was determined to infect me with her plague!


The sheep were pretty ridiculous creatures. They kept baaing, but it sounded more like an angry chain smoker.

Next, we took a scenic "Three Lochs Forest Drive", but there weren't any particularly breathtaking views and Dad sped through the whole thing. Perhaps the most interesting part of the drive was when we had to stop for a bunch of West Highland Cattle in the road.



We continued on to the Inchmahome Priory, perhaps one of the prettiest sights so far this trip. We had to take a 12-person ferry boat to the island where the priory ruins are located. The priory was active until the Reformation when the building was abandoned and fell into disrepair. It's really quite magical.



When we were back on the mainland, we were all pretty ravenous and immediately began searching for lunch. As it's a bank holiday, it took us a little while to find somewhere to eat, and I was in "attack wildlife" mode. Lunch was tasty, but my eyes were bigger than my stomach. I ordered a cheese starter, a local trout, and a side of mash. This is really the second time I've ordered fish in the UK, and as with the Whitebait, I was served the WHOLE fish!



Our lunch gave us the energy to continue on to visit Rob Roy's grave. I don't actually know who Rob Roy is. The best explaination my parents could provide was "Liam Neeson played him in the movie adaptation." The guidebook description didn't offer much enlightenment either... But it was on the way, so we stopped.



Within a few minutes, we were back on the road, and we took the long drive to pass Loch Lomond. Unfortunately, Dad had a bit of a headache and couldn't keep driving. We stopped at a rest stop so Dad could take a nap. Mom and I watched some young children playing in the water, which was Titanic-type cold. Unfortunately, the only photos I was able to get of the Loch were with my iPhone as my camera ate through two sets of batteries today.



When Dad recovered enough to drive, we got back on the road, but at this time, it was evening and all the bank holiday travelers were driving home and stopping traffic. Then, we got lost. It took 3hrs 15min, instead of 1hr 40min, to get back to Edinburgh.

In the past day or so, I've developed a strange tightness in my chest accompanied with a dry, itchy cough. Mom and I have a bet going about whether or not I'm catching a cold.

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Yesterday, I forgot to mention that I tried haggis. It wasn't so bad. Actually, it tasted kinda good. I also had black pudding (which I've had before), but this time, it was a bit harder to eat...

137 Photos of Rubble, 48 Hours of Wet and Cold, 17 Hours of Daylight: Priceless

Yesterday, we drove up to Edinburgh with a diversion to see Hadrian's Wall. We stopped at two forts, one of which was a cavalry fort. Both were absolutely incredible!

The truly amazing thing was how the site was treated. In the past, huge chunks of rock were moved around for building projects elsewhere, and border reavers built houses into the forts. Now, children and sheep climb all over the ruins, and it's amazing they haven't done more damage. I saw a child do a flip off a wall.


The "lockers" in the fort's changing room.

Even so, the site was INCREDIBLE and there were so many Roman artifacts! The whole day was raining on and off, and by the end of the day, I was completely soaked through. Just absolutely drenched.

We arrived next in Edinburgh for a lovely pub dinner. As we've gotten further north, the days are getting longer and longer. In Edinburgh, we have a little more than 17 hours between sunrise and sunset. It's a bit disconcerting.

This morning, we went up to Edinburgh Castle. When we first got there, the sky was sort of blue, but after we'd queued for tickets, the sky was already cloudy. Within about an hour, it was raining.


The view from Edinburgh Castle... PRE-rain.

We walked around the Royal Mile and wandered around to try to find the church from the Da Vinci Code movie; however, it is actually six miles outside the city, so we didn't find it and wasted quite some time. Instead, we decided to hike up to Arthur's seat. Mom and I are both terrified of heights, and Mom was unable to climb it. I made it to the top, but I had left my camera with Mom and didn't really get any pictures.

Other than that, we really haven't done too much...

I've taken a bunch of videos during the trip that I hope to post soon!

So... Who is John Ruskin, Anyways?

Today marks our second day in the Lake District, and it's been significantly better than yesterday. Firstly, the sun was out today, so it was a bit warmer. Secondly, we actually had a decent meal.

First thing in the morning, we took a local hike to get a good view of the lakes and fells. It was a great walk and totally justifies my puddings and ales later on in the day.



Afterwards, we took the ferry to the other side of the lake to explore the towns there. We stopped first at the home of Beatrix Potter. We were able to wander the gardens and gift shop, but the house itself was closed.



We drove over to Hawkshead to explore the town, but it was very touristy. Most of the town was filled with tiny gift shops selling chintzy Hallmark-knockoff-style tchotchkes. We drove BACK to Sawrey, where Beatrix Potter's house is, to get lunch at a pub that had come recommended by a local. The pub really was pleasant, and we had a large, delightful lunch.

On our way to the next town, we came across Brantwood, the home of John Ruskin, and we ended up spending a large portion of the day there. I didn't know who John Ruskin was previously, but his house was incredible and the gardens and grounds were lovely.




We were finally able to get down to the lake shore (thanks to the Brantwood Harbour Walk).


A snail cell and a piece of ceramic that I found in the Brantwood gardens.

The day was relatively uneventful but a lot of fun; however, dinner was again disappointing. We went to a pub that specializes in a very specific sheep breed, Herdwick, for their lamb. The meal was pretty good although nothing special, but the staff and overall atmosphere were very unpleasant.

And he says, "I'm goin' crazy out there at the lake."

Last night, we arrived in Lancaster after a 3+ hour drive from Warwick. The owners of the B&B we stayed at were perhaps the nicest people I've ever met. The town is a bit depressed (though still charming), and our hostess directed us to a local pub, The Borough.

The Borough is one of the best pubs to which I've been, and it certainly helped that it was Wednesday steak night (and they were willing to give me the steak practically raw). All the food was wonderful, the ales and cider were excellent and varied, and the staff was so helpful and friendly!


This is Lancaster Castle... Part of it is currently being used as a prison...


The Roman Bath ruins here were full of litter, and we were allowed to clamber all over them (if one were willing to climb around the rubbish).

We were only staying in Lancaster as a layover on the way to the Lake District; however, the more time I spend in the Lake District, the more I wish we were still in Lancaster. There were very few things to see or do in Lancaster, but the Lake District is so cold and all my meals here have been disappointing.

When we arrived, we stopped by the Visitor Centre first to learn a bit more about the area. From there, we pretty much beelined it to lunch. We went to a cafe down town, which turned out to be one of our worst meals thus far. From there, we drove to a couple nearby towns: Ambleside, Grasmere, and Keswick.

The countryside here is beautiful, and I was really hoping to do some hiking here; however, it's so miserably cold and windy (and ALWAYS threatening rain) that no one else is interested. Also, I'm not really prepared for the weather. I packed for a cold Spring day... in London. My warmest outfit is a T-shirt and sweatshirt, and the cold here just rips through it.



Still, if the weather is less ominous tomorrow, we're going to take a ferry across Windermere and hike a bit in the Fells.

When we got back to Windermere in the evening, we began searching for a local, traditional pub. The Internet turned up very few possibilities and we ended up at a restaurant in the neighboring town. Bad decision. The atmosphere was a bit odd, and the decor was all very modern. My food was decent, but my parents' dinner was not. At all. They both had beef, which the menu claimed was local; however, it came fried and horribly overcooked.

Conclusion: The Lake District is gorgeous... for hikers and tourists.

Castles and Country

Initially, I was hoping to update every day, but it's been a bit difficult. For most of the day, I don't have Internet, and I'm navigating our driving route. We don't get back until late usually, and since we're sharing a room, I can't stay up much later than Mom and Dad. Thus, I haven't been very good about updating my blog or writing postcards.

Anyways, we've visited a lot of small towns over the past two days. Yesterday, we went to Lacock, where some scenes from the Harry Potter movies and Pride and Prejudice were filmed. The town is truly how I imagine the old English countryside. The streets are lined with ramshackle houses and wisteria. Honestly, if it weren't for the cars, I would have readily believed that I'd stepped back in time. Alternately, there wasn't much to do in the tiny town, so we continued on to our next major stop, Blenheim Palace. This is perhaps one of my favorite sights thus far.

The land on which the palace is built was given to John Churchill in commemoration of his military victories over the French. He built the palace and gardens, and honestly, I'd compare it to a British Versailles. The house is largely decorated in French style and the grounds are impressive and meticulously maintained. The palace tours focus largely on the family history, but there are some interesting Winston Churchill exhibits as well. The palace may also appeal to me because it hosts a major equestrian competition every Autumn.


Blenheim Palace and the gardens.

After Blenheim, we drove through a couple small Cotswolds towns, Burford and Stow-on-the-Wold. We stopped briefly to take a couple pictures, but there wasn't a lot to see in either place and neither was as picturesque as Lacock.

Our B&B is in a Cotswolds town called Broadway. The B&B was absolutely lovely with clean and spacious rooms… and Internet! Anyways, we got in a little before dinner and met up with Mom's coworker for drinks at the Fleece Inn, a really nice pub a couple towns over. It was a great evening, but we didn't really get to see the town of Broadway, just the outskirts.

The next morning, we toured a couple other small Cotswolds towns, Northleach and Chipping Campden. Northleach reminded me of the Doctor Who dream episode, where the elderly people live so long because their bodies are inhabited by aliens of some sort. It was a small hamlet filled with old people. We walked around and took some pictures, but we didn't stay long. Chipping Campden was a much nicer town but much busier, so we didn't stay long there as well.

We drove on to Stratford-upon-Avon to see the Shakespeare sights. Stratford is incredibly touristy, but it was very, very hard to find any parking. We drove around for about 40 minutes before we found a lot. Street parking was "pay and display" for a maximum of one hour (and you couldn't return for another two).

We went to Shakespeare's Birthplace museum. The beginning of the museum was a little dubious. We got shuffled through a bunch of darkened rooms where some animatronics and recordings told us a bit about Shakespeare, but after that, it was pretty pleasant. The house itself was really cool, and there were guides who explained a bit about the time and the history of the room. All the talks were really interesting and informative… although it's amazing how little we actually know about Shakespeare. In the garden, a few actors were milling about to entertain us. Mostly, they were pretending to be rehearsing for various Shakespeare plays and would run scenes every few minutes.


In front of Shakespeare's birthplace.

Our next Shakespeare stop was Anne Hathaway's cottage, but we got there very close to closing time so we didn't stay long. We toured the house in a similar fashion to that of Shakespeare's birthplace and wandered the gardens a bit as well.

In the evening, we went to see the town of Broadway, which we all agreed was the most charming towns we'd seen thus far. It was much less crowded than the other towns, and it was just beautiful.


An adorable side street in Broadway.

The next morning, we left for Warwick (pronounced Warrick, apparently) to see the castle there. The whole experience kind of had the feel of Disneyland. There were a bunch of school groups running around, there were costumed actors to evoke the time period, and several exhibits that were more entertaining than informative. One exhibit was meant to recreate a 19th century party being hosted at the castle. We were received at the door by a woman dressed as a maid, and she brought us into the parlor room where we were formally announced and our "hostess" greeted us. There were wax figures with prerecorded messages standing in for the other guests. Each room represented activities of the party. In one room, (fake) tea was being served; in the study, the men were smoke and gambling. In fact, an upstairs bedroom displayed a canopy bed, curtains drawn, from which prerecorded male and female giggling noises were playing.

Hoping for a tour of the dungeons, we'd purchased tickets for the "Castle Dungeons", which turned out to be more like a haunted house that enterprised on the horrors of Medieval times. Actually, it was an awful lot like the London Dungeons, where people in gruesome costumes jump out at you in the dark, but the Castle Dungeons really wanted to gross us out.

Dad and I climbed the tower and ramparts. I always thought that my fear of heights eclipsed Mom's, but she couldn't handle the ramparts. We didn't spend much more time in the exhibits. I was hoping to see some jousting (I kind of wish this sport still existed) but ended up at a Bird of Prey show instead. The show was incredibly well done and interesting, definitely better than any I've seen in the States.


The view of the castle from the ramparts.

At that point, it was later in the afternoon (and none of us had eaten), so we just did the Peacock Garden and left. I probably took more photos of birds than of the castle itself.


One of MANY peacock pictures... This is AFTER it discovered I had a biscuit.


One of my favorite bird photos.