Putting together an Anglophile’s three week vacation

Actually, it all depends on ... various things:
- do you want to drive how many miles for how hours to a different than your usual airport? (Parking fees? Extra overnight stay?)
- do you have time enough for an open jaw flight (like going to Norway and from there the UK)?
- sometimes flights with 'conventional' airlines are cheaper if booked together with an accomodation,
- if you change days/dates you'll get surprised as well!

I'm just popping in here!

Some wonderful ideas and suggestions so far. I'm hoping to be in the UK for a couple of weeks next year. No itinerary as yet. So far, only booked a flight to Helsinki (yes - I know, Finland. It's a long story).

I was blown away by the beauty of the Scottish highlands, and much less crowded than the rest of Britain. Walking here would be good.

And don't forget trains, my personal favourite (and then you don't have to worry about driving on the left!). Trains can be quiet cheap if booked well in advance, although, if you have a mob, there may be some savings in driving. www.seat61.com is the bible for train travel. I usually combine, trains between the cities and drive the countryside.

Momentarily, there's quite a lot of "disturbances" with the various British railway companies, especially timetable and changing lines (companies) related.
But that might have changed by next year

For the time in Kent, Lash, busses might be a good alternative.
This site offers more than just that ...

[I'm just remembering all the nice times I had had in the 60's, hitch hiking, wandering, using the Royal Blue and local bus companies ... ...
But it's a lot easier nowadays.]

Welcome! Thanks so much for the tips. I’m hoping the Highlands can work out smoothly with our time.

Please feel free to share any and all tidbits and related experiences. (I’m really hoping you have a blast on your trip and drop off some knowledge afterwards!)

A brief word about currency. You don't want any £50 notes.



Very few places accept them because they're hardly in circulation. The last time I saw one was when our Brazilian friend came to stay about a year ago. Not only did she find it very hard to find anywhere that took them, banks would only change them for their customers. In the end I took them to my bank and changed them for her.

All other notes are fine, the £20 being the largest note accepted everywhere, unless they don't have enough change.



Tenners are best.

Very helpful!

It just struck me today on the way to the booty, hard to change a bloody £20 there.

Just another website which might be helpfull:
TravelTime Maps is a very handy tool for working out how far you can travel in different set times. It allows you to find areas you can reach by walking, cycling, driving or accessing by public transport in a defined amount of time.

If you share your location with TravelTime you can view an isochrone map showing you how far you can travel using different lengths of time. For example, you can select to view all the places you could walk to within 60 minutes. (>Example of 60 min walking time here<)
TravelTime also allows you to search for venues and points of interest within your allocated travel time

Hiraeth

Bless you!

?

I was watching a show on Netflix, can’t remember the name of it, but an American realtor comes in and helps families stage their houses, so they’ll sell. She gets to know the families in the process.

One lady was about my age, lived alone, and wanted to move back to her ancestral home in Scotland. Due to marriage or some circumstance beyond her desire, she’d lived her life in some other country. When asked, initially, why she wanted to move, she paused, her eyes became teary, and she said, “Hiraeth.”

The American on the show and I were non-plussed, and the lady said, “A yearning for Scotland.”

I think it translates to ‘a yearning for home,’ but I liked her answer. I think you can feel hiraeth for a place you’ve never been.

Hiraeth is Welsh, meaning 'nostalgia', or 'homesickness'.

BBC Wales: Hiraeth

Aha. She was probably talking about Wales rather than Scotland, and I misremembered. I watched several episodes...

Dropping off a good reason to find time for Wales.
Hokey narrative, but the views are astonishing.
https://youtu.be/eeuoe0gX0Ao

Wales looks wonderful. Cardiff was already on my list, but I may need to add more time to see around the smallest country in UK.

This is what happened when Reginald D Hunter went to Wales.

I might be wrong, but I think Lash mentioned that she could trace back some ancestors to the Mayflower.

The >Mayflower 400 map< shows the places of origin (where known) of the Mayflower's passengers and crew. You can click on the markers on the map to learn more about each individual, including the place & date of their birth & death. The colors of the markers indicate whether the individual shown was a religious Pilgrim, a paying passenger or a member of the crew.
(According to Wikipedia 31 of the passengers are known to have descendants. The Mayflower Society claim that those 31 now they have over ten million descendants.)

No, dear.

I don’t think our family had any Mayflower peeps. We just had a family fleeing murder when the guy they’d backed was usurped. Our king hid in a tree, but was thoughtful enough to deed our dude significant holdings in Virginia.

Just got back from Copenhagen, one of the passengers had a £10 refused because it was an old one. She can change it in the bank but it's hassle and she might have to be a customer.

Make sure you get the new currency.


Old £5



New £5 note.



Old £10 note.





New £10 note.

Just wondering how far the travel plans have come, Lash.

Thanks for asking. A business setback for one of my children makes it appear my savings would be put to better use toward that this year. I could be wrong.

Still saving, but not sure which interest will get that money.

Hope you and the Mrs. are happy and well.