United Kingdom: Who Said Grey and Rainy?
"The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again." Charles Dickens
Either I was very lucky, or the reputation of the English weather is more based on a myth than on empirical observation. I went to the United Kingdom not less than four times in three years and I have always been able to enjoy the sight of blue skies and sunny weather. Of course it rains sometimes, and the air can be quite cold during autumn, but nothing compared to what people had warned me about London and Scotland. So do not be afraid of booking a week or more in this huge and rich island because you fear the bad weather and check out my experiences before packing!
London
The Millenium Bridge, linking Bankside with the City of London where stands Saint Paul's Cathedral.
London is a never-ending discovery to me. Although I have been there three times already, I always feel like I missed a lot of things to visit and do when I leave. Every time I come back, I feel a new excitement by visiting unknown places and discovering new landmarks . I particularly enjoy walking along the Thames in the district of Bankside where, you have a beautiful glimpse of Saint Paul's Cathedral on the other side, you can also visit the reconstruction of Shakespere´s Globe Theatre, visitthe Tate Modern, or just admire the Millennium Bridge and the Tower Bridge. If your legs are tired and the sun is shining, just stop in front of the Tate Modern, lie on the grass, and listen to the street musicians.
Street musicians playing on a Sunday morning in Shoreditch.
Shoreditch is, by far, my favourite district. Situated in the East End of London, this area is full of little paved streets, organic and vegetarian cafés, and live street music often echoes between old red-brick walls. Some people see Shoreditch as the "hipster headquarters" because of the alternative clubs and bars. At night, you can hop from one bar to another and you will find yourself in an intimate atmosphere with exquisite vintage decoration.
A Sunday in London cannot be complete without some time spent in one - or some - of the markets in Shoreditch. This will be the chance for you to deeply feel the soul of this special area. The choice is wide: Spitalfields market, an indoor market full of places to eat in; Petticoat Lane, London´s oldest market (400 years old!) and, for flower lovers, Columbia Road market.
A Sunday in London cannot be complete without some time spent in one - or some - of the markets in Shoreditch. This will be the chance for you to deeply feel the soul of this special area. The choice is wide: Spitalfields market, an indoor market full of places to eat in; Petticoat Lane, London´s oldest market (400 years old!) and, for flower lovers, Columbia Road market.
Notting Hill exhibiting its bright colors and welcoming little stores.
Notting Hill does not only deserve its fame for having hosted the movie with the beautiful Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, but also because it is a very charming neighborhood in itself. It is situated in the district of Kensington.
For those who are bored of shopping the same brands and seeing the same shops all around Europe, Notting Hill is the place to be. It is full of little boutiques, antique stores, and designers shops. Apart from shopping, it is also a nice place to rest in for the afternoon, popping from cafés to cafés, and admiring the colorful façades.
 Tate Britain: a chronological tour of European artists.
Alright, enough with shopping and drinking coffees staring at the blue sky (yes, I said blue sky, just look at all my pictures). I'll take you to some important and touristic sightseeings. Do not forget the unmissable Big Ben, former Clock Tower, of the Palace of Westminster, Houses of Parliament. You need to live in London to be able to get an authorization to visit it. It is however worth walking around the Palace and going to the Bridge of Westminster. From there, you will catch the London Eye, the big wheel that rises above the River Thames. |
The London Eye, shyly waving at the Big Ben.
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Changing of the guard in front of the London residence of the monarchy.
In terms of museums, London is merely the best city ever: all museums are free, for everyone and at any time. The Tate Britain is heaven for anyone who values to admire works of art surrounded by an architectural beauty. Plus, this museum displays the paintings in a chronological order, which helps seeing the (r)evolutions during the History of art. If you are more into modern art, you can spend hours in the Tate Modern, built in an abandoned electric power plant.
As a tourist, you will also enjoy the changing of the Queen's guard at the Buckingham Palace. As the old guard is replaced by the new one on horse guard parade, the trumpeters play different pieces of music. I was bewildered to hear, among others, the soundtrack of Star Wars. British definitely have a sharp and quirky sense of humor.
Edinburgh
Street musician, probably from Andalusia, playing on a place in Edinburgh.
Let's
leave England and head to another part of the United Kingdom, but not
less worthy: Scotland! I wish I also visited Wales and Ireland, but you
will have to wait a little more before I can claim to have tips and
advice for these parts of the world.
So, Scotland was a very special trip and I will explain you why. I arrived in Edinburgh, capital of Scotland, during the famous Fringe festival. Never heard of it? So make sure to go there next Summer. It is simply the world's largest arts festival. Around 3'000 shows are performed in 300 venues (sometimes they are mere bars turned into theaters) all around the city in August. Musicians, comedians, magicians, singers, dancers, and poets from tens of countries are there to entertain you. It was one of the most overwhelming and inspiring week I have ever experienced.
So, Scotland was a very special trip and I will explain you why. I arrived in Edinburgh, capital of Scotland, during the famous Fringe festival. Never heard of it? So make sure to go there next Summer. It is simply the world's largest arts festival. Around 3'000 shows are performed in 300 venues (sometimes they are mere bars turned into theaters) all around the city in August. Musicians, comedians, magicians, singers, dancers, and poets from tens of countries are there to entertain you. It was one of the most overwhelming and inspiring week I have ever experienced.
A lunatic sky pouring water and sunlight simultaneously on Edinburgh.
Another interesting specificity of Edinburgh - or maybe Scotland in general - is its ever changing weather. One day, I saw a blue sky turning into a gray and then cloudy vault, discharging rain and, some minutes later, hail onto the street of Edinburgh. And sun again. You better carry your sunglasses and an umbrella all day long. This might sound annoying, but once you are there, it is just fascinating to see the capricious weather and the atmosphere change so quickly. If you visit the castle - which you should definitely do -, you will be able to catch a view of the city from above and see these meteorologic metamorphoses in the horizon.
The wind blew through the colonnade of one of the rooftops of the University.
Edinburgh offers countless places to visit or to chill in, such as museums, a castle, monuments, lovely neighborhoods and charming cafés. I could talk about it over twenty pages but I will spare you this. What I really enjoyed were the different vistas over the city. I was lucky and a dear friend took me on the rooftop of one of the buildings of the University. But you can also go on top of the hills that surround the city. According to me, the most beautiful is the Calton Hill, which is included in the UNESCO World's Heritage. Not only the view is breath-taking, but also the monuments and memorials it hosts are worth the detour: Dugald Stewart Monument, Nelson Monument, National Monument, the City Observatory... You can easily spend one or two hours on this site.
Highlands
Bagpipe: a traditional and tourists-trap instrument in Scotland.
The Highlands of Scotland, very sparsely populated, are the perfect scenery to take a break with urban life. Many agencies organize tours around the Highlands, with a very wide range of prices and places to visit. You will not regret it, whatever option you chose.
I decided to take a tour that led me to the Cairngorms National Park, the Loch Ness (river/ lake or is it a park) (of course, I needed to see this with my own eyes) and Glen Coe. We first stopped in a small town, whose name I unfortunately forgot. But the memories there are not any less present in my mind, since I saw a very nice restaurant named "McDonald Restaurant" and wandered through the main street, coming across funny adverts for bagpipes - whose sound I actually can't bear.
I decided to take a tour that led me to the Cairngorms National Park, the Loch Ness (river/ lake or is it a park) (of course, I needed to see this with my own eyes) and Glen Coe. We first stopped in a small town, whose name I unfortunately forgot. But the memories there are not any less present in my mind, since I saw a very nice restaurant named "McDonald Restaurant" and wandered through the main street, coming across funny adverts for bagpipes - whose sound I actually can't bear.
A herd of fluffy clouds gazing at the dry grass of the Cairngorms National Park.
The Cairngorms National Park was not the most breath-taking experience I have had in terms of national parks. For example, Canada or new-Zealand possess parks that appeared to me to be by far more impressive and beautiful than this one. But it was still pleasant to take some pictures over there, even more with the sunny weather I was fortunate to enjoy.
The Highlands being the Gaelic-speaking part of Scotland, it is also interesting to notice that some of the signs and panels on the roads and in the villages are written in both English and Gaelic. However, our guide explained us that this language was gradually disappearing among the young generations.
The Highlands being the Gaelic-speaking part of Scotland, it is also interesting to notice that some of the signs and panels on the roads and in the villages are written in both English and Gaelic. However, our guide explained us that this language was gradually disappearing among the young generations.
The Loch Ness, hiding some mysterious creatures its dark waters.
And last but not least, we took a boat on the Loch Ness (River/lake?). "Loch" is a Gaelic word that means "lake"(ok). Not very surprisingly, it also means "hole" in German. Apart for understanding the Germanic root of the word, this one especially suits the Loch Ness. This lake is very dark, almost black. Its depth explains this color: It contains more fresh water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined. Famous for the monster, Nessie, supposedly living in the depths of its dark water, the Loch Ness is not very beautiful. It was however thrilling to visit this famous place, and I encourage you to do so if you are ever around.
