* this is a continuation of our "Two Weeks in Northern Europe" blog, our visit in June 2016.
WALES
We arrived in Pembrokeshire late in the evening from a ferry leaving Wexford, Ireland (see post "East Ireland"). We drove straight to our B&B in Haverfordwest, the Boulston Manor. It was a tall, picturesque manor in the country, perfect for a relaxing evening and morning. We had an excellent English hot breakfast in the morning and then toured the grounds. A short walk brings you to a GORGEOUS ruined church covered in Ivy. I could have stayed there exploring all day.
A stay is really affordable, around $90 per night. More on Boulston Manor: http://www.boulstonmanor.co.uk
We couldn't stay long because we had surfing in a nearby town on the schedule AND a drive all the way to Winscombe, near Bristol. So we packed up after our walk and headed to Newgale Beach. It was kind of unusual to see a little surf town in the middle-of-nowhere Wales, because I'm used to sunny surf towns on the Pacific Coast. They were only alike in beach-bum attitudes; the weather and scenery were completely opposite to that of beaches in the US. It was fascinating to me how the surfer-vibe can survive in that kind of atmosphere. Anyway, Jay and I weren't super into surfing in the freezing-cold sea, so Kyle and Colleen, the more adventurous ones, purchased a one-hour lesson at the surf shack and zipped up their wetsuits. They had a blast, and Jay and I were perfectly content sipping on our cappuccinos in the Sands Cafe on the beach and taking photos.
If you happen to be in the area, I would highly recommend stopping in for a lesson. The instructor was SUPER friendly and informative, and we had a great time conversing with him and the whole team about recommendations for our time in Wales. Kyle says the water wasn't that cold anyway with a wetsuit, but it WAS the middle of June.
More on the surf school: http://www.newsurf.co.uk
After surfing we started the trek to Windscombe. I met a friend named Rosie on my trip with IVHQ to India in 2015, and she invited us to stop in for a day in her hometown. The drive was about 3 hours, but we stopped several times for tea and bathroom breaks, so it took us most of the afternoon to get there. The drive was absolutely beautiful, and we couldn't resist stopping in several quaint towns.
One thing that blew my mind on this drive is that Welsh is still spoken in some small towns in Wales. I didn't expect to walk into a tavern and have the waitress stare at me with a blank look while I spoke in plain English. It turns out though that it was just her. This was a VERY small town with about 5 buildings and were were told she had lived there and never left her whole life, so she only spoke Welsh. Everyone else in that tavern spoke both English and Welsh. Very interesting.
Fun fact: there are more sheep in Wales than there are people! (about 3:1, to be exact). Anyway, although it was long, the drive was very enjoyable, and we got to meet many different people along the way.
We arrived around dinner at Rosie's and ate with her family. it was really nice getting to stay and chat with a British family and discuss our cultural similarities and differences. We were there right before the BREXIT vote, so it was interesting hearing from locals' point of view on that.
In the morning we headed out to Wells. Wells is small town with some really interesting stuff to see. The main attraction is the Wells Cathedral, which was superb. Because we were there in June, we got to experience a farmer's market in the town square with live music and vendors. It was a great atmosphere.
After touring the town we stopped in to a vegetarian counter-service restaurant before heading out to our next destination. I still talk about this restaurant frequently, it was just THAT good. My veggie pizza was great but MAN, Kyles eggplant veggie lasagna was the best I've ever had. I may or may not have made him trade me (that's true love). If you're in the area, defintely go! Or, you can even try some of their recipes at home, included on their website! Yummm! http://www.thegoodearthwells.co.uk/restaurant.html
Getting in the car, leaving Wells, I was sad to leave Rosie after such a short visit but, GUYS, WE WERE GOING TO LEAVESDEN STUDIOS! AHHHH!
LONDON
It's safe to say I may be the biggest Harry Potter fan you'll ever meet, so it was understandably the COOLEST thing for me, what we were about to do. The 2.5 hour ride there was excruciating because I didn't want to wait one.more.minute!
It did NOT dissapoint. Colleen and I were geeking out the entire time, it was hard to control ourselves. It was so much fun seeing all the original sets and props from the movies! We had been to Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando and LA before, but this was totally different. It was the ACTUAL STUFF from the movies. If you're in London, GO! Tickets are required to be purchased ahead of time, and you have to select a time for your tour, which are in 30 min increments. I believe they gave us an hour grace period too, in case you arrive late or early.
We also got to drink Butterbeer hot for the first time, as they serve it cold in the Universal parks because it's always so hot in Florida and California. It is soooo sweet, it's almost hard to drink a whole one (but I managed, of course). I obviously took a TON of photos, but here's (more than) a few for the fans.
https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/experience
Whew! There was so much to see and do, we were exhausted (but the best kind).
Jay and Colleen had been to both London and Paris before and wanted to do something different this trip, so we decided to split up for a time at this point. They took the rental car and left Leavesden to drive up north through the English countryside, eventually reuniting back with us in Edinburgh a half a week later. From Leavesden, Kyle and I took the Leavesden studios shuttle to the train station and took the train in to London. It's really easy to book and, like I said, the studios have a shuttle to take you straight there to the Watford Junction station, which arrives at Euston station in north-central London.
My favorite tour guide app is Ulmon. They have an app called Ulmon Guides which lets you save your favorite places and activities and makes a map for you. They have guides to most major cities in Europe. The entire guide is downloadable for each city so you can use it offline, which is a feature I was looking for overseas, as we did not have cell service. If you do have service/data, you can use it like Google maps and it will tell you the best way to get from place to place, or from where you are. When you connect to wifi though, of course, it can also do this if you aren't using data. It includes a metro map as well for cities with metro, and will tell you the exact stops to make and, when connected to data, will tell you the wait times. You can also purchase tickets to attractions. I highly recommend using this app instead of guidebooks, we wouldn't have survived without it!
Kyle and I decided to save some money in London and we booked the Generator hostel. Most hotels in London at that time of year are ungodly expensive, so it was definitely the better choice. Not only did it save money, it turned out to be the coolest hostel we've ever stayed in, so it was better than a hotel anyway! It was HUGE. They had their own cafe, movie theatre, bars, game room, etc. It was great meeting other college-age kids from around the world! The UEFA Euro soccer/football cup was happening while we were there as well, so the bars were always packed with cheering people, which was really fun. We aren't big into soccer but it was great getting to learn and participate.
They also host tours and activities, which is nice because you know its a source you can trust if you want to have a great time in London. The Generator was also centrally located and a quick walk to the underground (Russell Square station is closest if you're going in to London). If you're okay with room-sharing (or not, they also have private rooms for a little more money!) DEFINITELY choose the Generator for a fantastic time!
They also have destinations all over Europe, and you can find them in most major cities. https://staygenerator.com
Since we only had a day and a half in London, we crammed a TON of stuff into a full day! I suggest the metro or "underground" for getting around, as it's popular, easy to navigate, and goes straight to most destinations in London. We toured London's attractions in this order based on location to maximize our time, and it worked out well:
This day was extra special as well because it was Kyle and I's 6 year anniversary. I am so glad we got to spend it in a beautiful, clean, exciting city!
Picadilly Circus
The center of everything! We didnt stay long here, we just wanted to stop by and get a coffee, sit at the fountain, and take pictures. The nearest underground station is "Picadilly Circus".
Covent Garden Market
Opens 8am except Sundays (11am). Great food, shopping, etc. We had a delicious breakfast pie at Battersea Pie Station and grabbed a few postcards and souvenirs. The nearest underground station is "Covent Garden".
Green Park
There's a reason it's called Green Park; it's sooooo green! We weren't actually planning on going here, but incidentally you have to walk through it to get to Buckingham Palace. We LOVED this park. We had time to walk around for a little while, and are so glad we did. Seriously, it's probably the cleanest, most beautifully manicured park i've ever been to. The underground station is "Green Park".
Buckingham Palace
We got there (around 10 am) just in time to secure a good spot to watch the changing of the guards at the palace. The changing of the guards happens almost daily (weather permitting) around 1045-11am for 45 minutes. We stayed for about half an hour. It was CRAZY busy because it was a weekend, but still so worth the crowd.
The nearest underground station is "Green Park".
London Eye
After Buckingham we headed to the Queen's Walk waterfront. There's a lot to see and do here. Before walking through to the London Eye, we encountered a food/flea market outside the Jubillee Gardens, which was perfect because it was lunch time! The vendors are usually there on weekends in summer. If you're going there at that time, save your belly to stop here for some great local street food!
We purchased tickets to the London Eye, River Thames cruise, and Madam Tussauds at a booth right outside the London Eye. It was a much better deal here than I had seen elsewhere from third party vendors. You can get tickets for the London eye plus two more for 50 pounds or $65. You can see all the attractions and purchase tickets a head of time if you wish at the official London Eye website, https://www.londoneye.com/tickets-and-prices/.
The London eye had INCREDIBLE views! It was like, 5x the size of a normal ferris wheel, and the capsules are HUGE and enclosed. I don't usually know what it's like to be afraid of heights and I was like, WHOA, WE'RE REALLY HIGH. But the sights were incredible, and I even got to snap a picture of Big Ben because we didn't have time to go there. LOVED IT.
The nearest underground station is "Waterloo".
River Thames Cruise
Admittedly, this was not the most exciting thing we did all day, but because we were running around all day it was nice to be forced to sit down and relax for an hour or so. You board the boat right on the dock next to the London Eye, and it takes you North/East along the Thames. I loved the history lesson as we passed different buildings, and there was plenty of random facts I learned from this ride that still stick with me today. It's a pretty big boat at a low speed, so I didn't get seasick at all.
The nearest underground station is "Waterloo".
Madam Tussauds
I had been to a Madam Tussauds in the states, but it was exciting knowing that it was the original one! They have some really old waxwork (most of the originals are gone due to a fire) as well as all the modern ones. I loved how you can get right up next to them at this one, they dont even mind if you throw an arm over them! It was a really great way to wind down the day.
The nearest underground station is "Baker Street".
We considered doing dinner out at this point but were frankly a little too exhausted to carry on a dinner conversation, so we headed back to eat at the hostel, since they have a cafe (I know, I know, I probably missed out on some great local food but eh, sleep is sleep). Im a total foodie so that says how tired we were. So, we went back and ate, watched a movie in the theatre, and hit the hay.
The next morning we were off bright and early to Paris! Tickets to Paris leaving the London City Airport vs. Heathrow were cheaper, and the London CIty Airport is in the city, so it's close. You can get there on the metro. We took the underground to Bank Station and then transferred to Docklands Light Railway which pulls right up to the airport. Easy.
Thanks for reading, and I hope it serves as inspiration for your next London trip! See the continuation blog in Paris: https://www.bisconerstakeontheworld.com/post/paris-france
Kaci xxx