United Kingdom

York…been there, done that

Posted on July 31, 2013 by abcdworldtravels

We Just wrapped up an enjoyable few days in York, in Northern England. York is a walled city originally founded by the Romans in AD71. It has a compact city centre, with winding, narrow streets, many of which were limited to pedestrian access only. The York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, dominates the skyline. We explored the River Ouse, which runs through the town, in a small (and quite noisy) rental boat one afternoon. Bill and I took turns taking a guided tour of the York Brewery, learning all about the production and distribution of ale. A fun time was had by all at the National Train Museum, which has a great collection of historic trains, and fun activities for the kids. York and the surrounding area is definitely worth a visit if you are planning a trip to England! We are currently overnighting in Manchester, with a flight to Copenhagen tomorrow morning.

an abbey destroyed way back in the 1500’s, during Henry VIII’s reign

The Shambles, cool medieval street in the city centre

Captain Bill, showing Daniel the ropes

Wall of York, with York Minster in the background

York Minster

River Ouse

On the York Wall

Categories: United Kingdom | 1 Comment

London

Posted on July 30, 2013 by abcdworldtravels

Greetings from Great Britain. We’ve spent the last few days in York, but for this entry I’ll recap our 8 day stay in London! Bill and I have each been to London a couple of times, so this was our chance to show the kids some of the highlights. Our enthusiasm for the city was dampened somewhat by the crowds and the heat, but we still enjoyed ourselves overall.

We stayed in a cool studio apartment on the south side of the Thames, near the Tower Bridge. Our rentals have been getting progressively smaller and more expensive, but our balcony had a great view of the Thames and the Shard, London’s tallest building. The neighborhood had nice waterfront eateries, and old warehouses converted to condos and apartments. We always enjoyed the walk along the river.

We took advantage of many of the free museums London has to offer: the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, and Museum of London. Greenwich was probably our favorite outing…we took a boat to Greenwich, bought lunch at the Greenwich Market, an outdoor marketplace, rented a family-sized paddleboat at the park, visited the Maritime Museum, and enjoyed a fun (but crowded) playground.

Our visit to London coincided with the royal baby’s birth, so we were able to observe the 62 gun salute from the Tower of London, hear the bells ringing at Westminster Abbey, and saw (from a distance) the birth announcement placed in front of Buckingham Palace.

We didn’t partake of any traditional English food while we were there, but we had some wonderful ethnic cuisine, including Vietnamese, Thai, and Italian.

London was expensive, but it didn’t break the bank. There was free public transport for the kids, and we made good use of the many free museums and parks. We also ate many meals at home, buying provisions at the local grocery store.

To sum it all up…great city to visit, but I wouldn’t do it again in July, as it was just too crowded.

Picnic by the Tower Bridge

Boroughs Market

Westminster Abbey

Long walk home…at least it was scenic!

Boating in Greenwich

Greenwich Market

Categories: United Kingdom | Leave a comment

So long Scotland

Posted on July 20, 2013 by abcdworldtravels

We’ve wrapped up a wonderful week in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city. We stayed in a cozy two bedroom apartment in a building near the south base of the Edinburgh Castle, in the old town area. A nondescript door between two used book shops led into a peaceful multi-tiered courtyard with 26 flats; ours was up three flights of stairs, so between that and the steps around town we got plenty of exercise each day! The location was ideal for exploring the city on foot, and one night we were even able to hear the Jessie J concert going on up at the castle from our front stoop! (I had no idea who she was, but did recognize a couple of songs from the radio)

We decided to limit ourselves to Edinburgh on this, our first trip to Scotland. Day trips to the highlands were quite long, and we didn’t think the youngest member of our party would appreciate it (which would make for a very long bus ride). So, we explored the family-friendly options that the city had to offer. The Castle of Edinburgh, the Camera Obscura, with exhibits on optical illusions and special effects, and the National Museum of Scotland were all big hits with the entire family. Caroline and I took a morning and explored an underground portion of the city called Mary King’s Close, getting a taste of what life was like back in the 17th century.

We all got out of the city on one day, taking a harbor cruise in the Firth of Forth to Inchcolm Island, site of Inchcolm Abbey, which dates back to the 12th Century. Many of the rooms were largely intact, so it was quite fun to explore. There were also interesting wartime fortifications scattered about on the island.

Edinburgh is a great city for just roaming around and people-watching. Princes Street gardens, with its wide open grass areas and playground for the kids, provided a nice place to relax in the evenings. Our week went by quickly; we will definitely return some day so we can see more of what Scotland has to offer!

Favorite Activity:
A: Edinburgh Castle
B: Edinburgh Castle
C: Camera Obscura
D: Exploring Inchcolm Abbey

Favorite Food: (we weren’t too adventurous…never tried haggis, though we did have haggis potato chips one day)
A: oatcakes
B: Punk IPA from BrewDog, a Scottish brewery
C: Shortbread cookies
D: Shortbread cookies

Expenses:
Food: $350
Entertainment: $240
Lodging: $925

Currency: GBP, with 1 pound equalling $1.52

Today we journeyed to London via train, arriving at our apartment on the Southbank, near Tower Bridge. Week of fun and sun ahead (supposed to get up to 90 degrees in a few days).