Putting together an Anglophile’s three week vacation

Lash,

If I can add some advice for your vacation..
- Flying into Edinburgh will save you several hundreds of dollars instead of Heathrow.
- Based on what I know of you, I would suggest adding a look around Cambridge as a point of interest.
-Starting North and making a grand circle can be fun and we plan on doing so in 2 years as graduation thing for daughter.
- Don't forget York, Manchester and Liverpool. All offer an interesting time.
- Scotland has a lot to offer too. Cashmere in Edinburgh was a must for the Mrs. (I want to go to the Glenmorangie distillery when we go back)
- Definitely have an itinerary though.
- London easily has a week of stuff to do, so bear that in mind.
- Drive as little as you can. People there have no freaking clue how to drive. Always honking and yelling about driving on the left side.

Haha! Left side?! What’s wrong with those people!?

Thanks so much about the airport tip — and everything!

How long did you stay?

2 years ago we did the grand European Tour over 2 weeks. In 2 years, we will be doing a 2 week UK tour.

If you'd like, PM me an address and I can email you the entire story.

So you posted a more censored version here on A2K?

I’ve started reminding myself of some of this — which I’d read so long ago. Added these migration histories to my reading. It will really enhance our destination choices and does help explain where our German may be hiding.

Btw, I re-read more closely the article you brought previously about the limitations of DNA tracing, and really appreciate you sharing it.

Perhaps of some interest as well: The fine-scale genetic structure of the British population (of today's population it is).

Thanks for link Walter. I also wrote a whole story with pictures and everything while it was fresh. Memories fade over time.

Edit: Wow, I REALLY appreciate that link Walter. Was like a walk down memory lane. Appreciated.

If you want to do some serious (family) research, you might at first have a look at the National Archive (like here). And what's not online (before 1837) might be in a parish register at a local archive.
For instance


(via England & Wales Jurisdictions 1851)

While not disagreeing with McGentrix re Edinburgh I think it's important to point out that Britain is one of the most densely populated countries in the World, that means our roads get more congested.

It makes sense. When people rode on horses their swords were slung on the left, most people being right handed. If you ride on the right you have swords clattering against each other when you pass, no so if you ride on the left.

Napoleon, and then Hitler forced people to drive on the right. He never conquered us.

You can blame Hitler for a lot, but we drive here in Germany since 1910 on the right side of the road. (Austria started to do it since 1915, but it actually took some time, in three states ... well, until the "Anschluss".)

It's no problem to drive in the UK (I can - even in my old car - switch the headlights easily.)

Ah! Military strategy.

You are pretty damn awesome. Thank you.

Pope Boniface VIII ordered in 1300 that pilgrims had to use the left side of a road.

I'm not blaming Hitler for the reason Germany drives on the right, but he did do it, albeit temporarily, on the Channel Islands.

When we've been in Cornwall the last time, we stayed for a fortnight at a farm b&b on the grounds of it is an early Bronze Age stone row (Nine Maidens)

Since Cornwall might be out of reach during the rather short period of your planned trip - what about Coldrum Long Barrow, a Neolithic burial site - built 1,000 years before Stonehenge - in Kent. (Nice countryside around there as well.)

WALTER!!!!
These are psychotically thrilling details. I’m about to lose consciousness.
I’m going to try check this out for a possible pre-planning pencil-in on my list.
💕😎🙋‍♀️👏🏻👍🏻🔥🍺

Btw, McG, your detailed trip journal is incredible. I’ve only gotten through the first few pages, but luxuriating through it is definitely one of the highlights of my weekend. Your writer’s voice is an added treat.

I’m brimming with gratitude.

I had no idea how much money can be saved flying out of Canada!! My daughter and I are having lots of fun sending city requests to each other, as we hammer down how we’d like to spend our time.

Deciding where to fly into. Possibly Edinburgh, maybe Dublin. She’s keen on experiencing Galway for a few days. I’m into seeing Kent for a couple of days, from Canterbury, hitting pubs around Kent, and researching family in Snodland and Faversham. ❤️⭐️🍺

I have a nagging desire to get a day of hiking in the Scottish Highlands, but that might be pushing our travel plans around too much, making for some unnecessarily strenuous geo-hopping rather than the relaxing meaningful meandering we are trying to plan.

Ah well. It’s so much fun watching videos, drawing maps and plotting.

So funny, I’m not that keen to spend time in London, and I thought my daughter would be appalled. She was relieved when I told her.

If you consider flying with budget European airlines, flights even from the USA are cheaper (and if you buy tickets from an European website - via VPN - it's the cheapest).

Thank you so much. The tips I've been getting on flight costs alone is already saving us hundreds of dollars.

We'll definitely look into this, as well. 🤓