Win stuff with Roomorama! (And why you would want to!)

I recently had the absolute pleasure of visiting Barcelona for a week. I’ve got a number of posts up already, including one on what I learnt and one stuffed full of photos of Gaudi’s masterpieces. More posts will be coming on the Barcelona theme – this is one awesome city!

Today’s post is all about where I stayed in Barcelona. I went for an apartment rather than a hostel or hotel for the trip - it’s an accommodation option I’ve mentioned before as being highly practical for the independent traveller. They offer a great deal of flexibility married to that other thing folks get excited about: namely a good price.

I was therefore delighted to partner with Roomorama for my trip to Barcelona. They helped out with the cost of my accommodation, and I get to share my experiences with you. But first:

Win Stuff!

If reading my prose wasn’t enough for you, I’m also happy to say that Roomorama are offering three of my readers (that’s you!) the chance to try out their service, and are giving away three Roomorama credits worth 50 USD each, or equivalent in your currency.

Even more excitingly, this prize is open to you wherever you are in the world, none of those annoying geographical restrictions on my watch. The only thing you need to do is use the credits within six months of winning them. Easy!

You can enter right now using the rafflecopter entry below. It’s pretty straightforward – the more tasks you complete, the more entries you get. Then, why not check out the search widget on the right hand side of the blog page to start planning where you’ll go if you win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The contest will be running until the 11th May to give everyone a chance to enter, and I'll contact the winners once they’ve been chosen with all the details of their winnings!

What is Roomorama?

But wait, Laurence, you say. Sure, I’m all up for winning fifty dollars worth of free accommodation anywhere in the world that Roomorama operates. In fact, I’ve already entered. But.. what am I entering to win? Who are these Roomorama’s, and what can I do with their credits?

This questions is nice and easy to answer. Roomorama is a service that puts people who have property available for short term lets in touch with people who want to stay in property for a short period of time. It’s the classic consumer to consumer model of business that you will know from your marketing 101 class. (You did take marketing 101, right?)

Roomorama’s website lets you search for properties in locations all around the world. It then lets you filter your search by all kinds of options, including price, number of bedrooms and even amenities such as internet access or whether or not the property comes with a pool.

Properties available run from the simple “I have a room to spare in my house and you can come live with me if you like” right up to some seriously luxurious penthouse style apartments. Those didn’t fall inside my budget for this trip. Maybe next time…

Once you’ve found a property you like, with a price range, location and amenities list that matches your needs, you fire off an inquiry to the host, who will get back to you to confirm (or deny) availability and the overall price. If you’re both happy, then you just go right ahead and confirm. You then pay your money to Roomorama, who give you a code to present to your host.

What’s good about it?

The best thing about the Roomorama service, in my opinion, is the way it keeps your payment secure. You don’t pay the host directly, and they can’t get at your money until they get your code, which you give in person when you meet them at the property. This is the main advantage of using a third party system over something like a classified ad.

The rest of the service is also well polished. The site is easy to use and navigate and there are loads of ways to filter the results to get exactly what you want. You can also read reviews on the properties and on the hosts prior to making a decision, to make sure the nice description matches what people found.

The overall benefits of an apartment compared to other types of accommodation are also myriad. You have the place to yourself, to come and go as you please. You can save money by cooking for yourself, you can pop to the markets, and you feel like you have your own little house in your destination. Perfect if you’re over hostel life.. but aren’t quite ready for the impersonal practicality of a hotel room.

What could be improved?

You know, I’m racking my brains here. All the things that you could complain about with a service like this are common to this type of operation, where a site is operating as a third party go-between rather than directly offering a product.

So yes, you may end up with a turkey of an apartment. There is a review system in place, but if no-one has stayed in the apartment with Roomorama, or left a review, then you could be the first to discover a disaster. And there are plenty of properties without reviews at the time of writing this article.

There is what is called a “certified host” program, but this just means that the host has had three positive reviews from other clients – better than none, although you need to rely on your travelling peers.

Roomorama could of course inspect all the apartments that are advertised, but this would probably add such a cost to the operation that it would no longer offer good value. Maybe they could offer hosts the option to pay to have their property “validated”, for peace of mind.

There is also the potential issue of time lag between enquiry and booking, although again, this isn’t specifically a Roomorama problem. When you are travelling independently and booking a variety of things at the same time, it can be vexing to have to wait for a reply to confirm availability on accommodation prior to booking your transport, particularly as good deals have a habit of vanishing quickly.

As communication between you and the host is handled through the Roomorama system, you have to wait for your host to check their mail and get back to you. If the host is away from their e-mail, this could cause you a problem, although there are usually enough properties available that you could have backup options on hand easily.

This is a very minor niggle, and I can’t think of a way of improving it whilst keeping the site as safe as it currently is, so I’ll stop blabbing on, and tell you about our actual experience.

Our experience

Our experience was very positive. The booking process was easy and smooth, with a friendly host confirming availability very quickly.

After making our booking, our host enquired as to how we were arriving in Barcelona, and we agreed on an apartment check in time. The only hitch was that I misread the map, and we ended up standing outside the wrong apartment – a quick exchange of texts later and he came and rescued us. Totally my fault that one.

The apartment itself was everything we wanted. It had two nice rooms – a bedroom, plus a lounge / kitchen area. There was a nice big flat screen TV that we never turned on, a compact bathroom with shower, and funky Japanese inspired decor throughout. We even had our very own balcony with washing line.

When we arrived, our host gave us a run down of the facilities, issued us with the wireless code (internet included!), and then gave us a whole bunch of information about what to see, where to go, and what to eat when in Barcelona.

He also gave us some tips on staying safe in a city that is notorious for pick pockets. Then, after letting us know that we could call him should we have any problems, we were left to our own devices.

The apartment came with a variety of cooking utensils and cups, as well as a stove top espresso maker, which meant I was pretty much sold. These did need a bit of a clean - It wasn’t that they were particularly dirty.. just that they didn’t seem to have been used in a while. Maybe not everyone was as cooking minded as I am.

One other minor niggle was that some light bulbs were out, but this wasn’t exactly a deal breaker. Otherwise everything was exactly as advertised.

As I said above, this really was the perfect option for us. We felt like locals with our own place. We weren’t disturbing anyone if we came home late, or inconveniencing the cleaning staff if we had a lie in. The place was secure, quiet, and we could leave our stuff without worry.

We were surrounded by all kinds of tiny bars and tapas places, there was a supermarket within two hundred metres, and we never had to take public transport anywhere. Absolutely brilliant.

Was it worth it?

The apartment we chose cost €60 per night, plus Roomorama’s 12% booking fee (8% for stays longer than 30 nights) and a €25 cleaning fee. Not all hosts charge a cleaning fee, and the rate varies – but the good news is that the fees are all displayed up front on the apartment booking page – no hidden fees just before you put your credit card details in like some low cost airlines I could rant about.

Overall, without Roomorama’s help, the price would have been €35.50 each per night. For a city centre location, in a major European city, within minutes from both the beach and a whole host of attractions, including wireless internet and even linen, we considered this to be a seriously great deal.

We’ll definitely be using Roomorama again for trips like this in the future. The feeling of independence and value for money were an unbeatable combination for the traveller looking for a slightly different, more immersive experience. Highly recommended!

In Photos: Gaudi’s Barcelona

Gaudí. It’s kind of hard to visit Barcelona without spending your time gaping in awe at the architectural and artistic genius that he left behind all over the city.

A great deal of my week in Barcelona was therefore spent, gaping in awe, at his many truly incredible constructions. As well as gaping, I was also taking the odd photograph, which I’m sharing with you today. I wasn’t able to visit every bit of work he did, but I’d like to think that I took in the serious highlights.

In a future post I’ll be going more into the details of what to see and do in Barcelona. For now though, less detail: more eye candy.

Lets start with…

The Sagrada Familia.

We might as well start at the top. The Sagrada Familia is Gaudí’s masterpiece, the building that obsessed him in the later years of his life, and which is still under construction. It’s an ever evolving masterpiece, an easily visible part of the Barcelona skyline, and one of the most incredible buildings I’ve ever visited. You cannot go to Barcelona without visiting it.

Parc Güell

Parc Güell was Gaudí's attempt at creating a garden city development. I say attempt, because of the 60 buildings planned, only two were built, neither of which was actually designed by the man himself.

Instead, Gaudí spent his time focusing on the little details, like the enormous terrace. Gaudí also lived in the Parc for 20 years. These days, the garden is open to all, and is well worth the visit.

 

Casa Batlló

Casa Batlló, also known as the House of Bones, is one of the finer examples of a town house designed and built by Gaudí for a rich Catalan family. It is most well known for it’s striking exterior wall, made up of balconies which to my mind looked rather like the masks one would wear at a ball. Should one be invited to a masked ball that is. 

My favourite bit of the house was up on the roof, where what appeared to be the spine of a dragon was laid out as the roofline. I’m not sure it was a dragon, but given Barcelona’s close connection to St. George, I have hope.

 

Casa Mila, also known as La Pedrera

Not far from Casa Battlo is Gaudi’s other famous Barcelonian town house, the Casa Mila, which is known by pretty much everyone as La Pedrera, which translates as the Quarry. The locals at the time not being entirely enamoured of Gaudi’s style choice with the building.

As with the Casa Battlo, this was built for a wealthy family, and broke pretty much every planning rule in the book when it was put up. The price of great art in this case coming with plenty of building regulation fines, and rather irate owners.

Cascada in Parc de la Ciutadella

This fountain, in the pretty Parc de la Ciutadella, near Barcelona’s parliament building, was mostly erected by Josep Fontsere. It is understood that Gaudí did work on it, during his early student years. It’s nowhere near as organic as some of his later works, but is still a great looking bit of building! When we visited, it wasn’t in operation, and had a wonderful air of decay going on.

So there you have it. Five of my favourite bits of Gaudí work in photos. Obviously Gaudí left behind more than these pieces, and Barcelona is just stuffed with incredible architecture from people other than this great man. But for sheer madness, it’s hard to beat what he got up to! Let me know what you think of the photos, of Barcelona, or of life in general, in the comments below!

Also... don’t forget to check out my site’s facebook page, where I share lots more of my photos!

Angouleme–wanders around the ramparts

This is my third post on Angoulême! Who would have thought one French town could hold so much appeal? Admittedly, Angoulême cheated slightly, by seducing me with awesome street art. That’s a good way for any city to get my attention, and more than one post. See Berlin’s street art for example.

So I have now thoroughly covered the paintings on the walls of Angouleme in this post and this post.

There is, I am pleased to tell you, more to Angouleme than just great street art. Although, if you ask me, that’s enough to make a city worth a visit anyway. 

Angoulême is the capital of France’s Charente department, in the Poitou-Charentes region. Charente is also notable for being home to the town of Cognac, for the drinkers amongst you.

The Charente department is named for the river Charente, above which the main centre of the town of Angoulême perches. The rocky outcrop upon which the old town sits was, back in the day, splendidly defendable, and this is a town which has seen its fair share of sieges and plunders, with a history of invasions dating back to the 5th century.

These days the fortifications that surrounded the old town have been turned into boulevards which sit upon the old city walls, and afford the visitor a rather jolly set of views across the valley surrounding. A valley which is, admittedly, rather full of industry, but still. The thought is there.

The old centre of Angoulême is rather more interesting than its surrounding industrial area, being home as it is to a fine pedestrianised and cobbled town centre, which is just stuffed full of restaurants and quirky little streets to explore.

It also has its fair share of interesting looking buildings, including a fine cathedral (as seen in the photo above), and the “hotel de Ville” (first photo), which incorporates into its design the old chateau of Angoulême.

Angoulême is a very vibrant town, made so perhaps by its large student population. There is a really positive buzz in the city centre, with lots of people wandering and plenty to see down the twisty alleys.

When wandering, if you’re in the mood, there are a number of museums that could while away a rainy afternoon. These include the Fine Arts and Archaeology Museums, as well as the Paper Museum and Comic Book Museum. The latter sounding more interesting to me, although to be honest, museums have to be pretty damn amazing (or featuring Dali) to get me excited.

If you’re like me, and wandering aimlessly peering at street art or sculptures is more your thing, then you should swing into the tourist office and pick up the map of the notable street art in Angouleme, which will guide you past the main highlights.

If you’re more into formalised art with a side of greenery, then there is a lovely park under the ramparts to the west of the city, which features sculptures and fountains. A nice way to round off a bit of exploration.

Finally, Angoulême is also notable for its events and festivals. As well as the yearly international comic book festival, held every January, there is a classic car race which takes place around the roads of Angoulême , held every September since 1939. There are also music, food and animation festivals. Something to suit every taste!

If you’re in the area, I can really recommend taking a bit of time out to explore Angoulême. It’s a fascinating town with loads to see and do, and no shortage of excellent restaurants to fill up on fine French food!

As always, I’d love your feedback on this post! Is Angoulême somewhere you’ve been, or somewhere you’d want to visit? Never heard of it before now? Hit up the comments below, and let me know!

My favourite bits of Venice

Venice recently won the battle for my favourite city in Europe, after a tense battle between four other serious contenders.

So far, though, it has been seriously lacking its very own personalised post about it, treatment that cities like Rome and Paris have already received. Poor old Venice. Fear not – I haven’t forgotten you!

Venice is a city that just captures my imagination in a way that few other cities are capable of. It’s a maze of tiny streets, a collection of islands linked by bridges and waterways, and the whole thing is possibly going to sink one day. There is art, music, architecture and food.

Most importantly of all, perhaps, the whole place is pedestrianized, what with there being no roads capable of fitting a car on. Seriously awesome for someone who loves to get to know a place by foot, like me.

So. When I’m in Venice… what do I get up to?

Visit St. Mark’s Square

St. Mark’s square, or Piazza San Marco, is an absolute must for any visit to Venice. In fact, one of my most enduring travel memories is having the whole square to myself during an immense thunderstorm, when everyone (including the pigeons!) scurried for cover, and I didn’t. I ended up somewhat wet, but happy.

The Square is home to a number of sights that are worth taking some time to look at. First, I’d highly recommend getting your legs into shape with a quick scoot up the Campanile di San Marco – the large bell tower at the corner of the square.

This will afford you with quite splendid views across Venice, and the surrounding lagoon and islands. The orientation probably won’t save you from getting hopelessly lost down the many back streets, but it’s great for taking some panoramic photos all the same.

Back down at ground level, you’ll want to take in the Basilica di San Marco. This is one of the most famous churches in Venice, and it’s also handily free, which is a rarity in this town.

Around the Piazza there are also a great number of museums and other churches. Entry to these is not normally free, although you can save money by buying a ticket that gets you access to multiple venues, if that is your thing.

Otherwise, the square is also home to a number of cafes, many of which have live orchestral music. You’ll pay handsomely for the privilege, but sitting in this square listening to classic music and enjoying a cup of fine Italian coffee is an experience that everyone should have at least once in their life. Apologise to your wallet later!

Explore the innumerable back streets

Venice has a lot going for it, with churches, museums and incredible bits of architecture literally jumping out at you on every corner.

The other thing that Venice has is a lot of people. The funny thing though, is that most visitors seem to stick to the main street that takes you on a big loop past all the main highlights.

If you duck off the main streets, as I usually do, you will find yourself in a maze of back alleys. I’d advise abandoning the map and just giving up on trying to maintain any sense of direction – just wander freely and lost. Venice is, after all, an island, and you won’t be lost forever.

You will, however, be rewarded with a side of Venice that is often overlooked and far less busy than the main thoroughfares. And then you will realise why Venice is my favourite city in Europe.

Head out to the other islands

The most well known part of Venice is the central area made up 118 islands. But there are more parts of Venice that are worth a visit. The four islands of Burano are well worth a visit, a fact that is corroborated with wonderful pictures by Ayngelina of Bacon is Magic on her blog post on Burano.

There are many more islands, including Murano and Torcello. My point is – don’t forget that Venice extends beyond the central area that you will first come upon, and has plenty of opportunities for exploring! Don’t be afraid to jump on a boat and get out there… which brings me to my next point…

Take a boat ride

Now then. Venice is a city of waterways, and no visit to Venice is really complete without a trip on some form of water borne transportation.

If you’re travelling with your significant other, and your idea of heaven is a gentle meander down the back waterways of Venice, just the two of you, luxuriating on some pillows while a muscle bound man serenades you.. well.. you’ll sure be able to find an experience approximating that.

Although, as with the coffee in St. Mark’s Square, it’s an experience you best keep secret from your savings account.

If you’re not overly romantic, and you just want to experience Venice from the water, singing be damned, then you have no shortage of options. If your heart is set on a gondola, then you can take a gondola taxi from one side of the river to the other. It’ll be over quickly, but as least you can tick the gondola box.

Alternatively, there are water taxis, water buses, and water sight seeing tours. Take everything you would normally find on a road, imagine it on the water, and you will find it in Venice. Whichever one you do, you’ll be sure to enjoy it!

When to go and other practicalities

Venice gets very warm (and very crowded!) in the summer months, although you can escape the crowds by hitting the back streets. My preferred time to visit would be the quieter shoulder months, when it is a little cooler and likely to be less busy. Although this is a tourist town, so don’t expect to be on your own whichever time of year you choose to visit.

If you want to visit the churches, remember that it’s common practice for there to be a dress code, which usually means no short skirts or bare shoulders. You don’t want to be turned away after queuing for a long time, so make sure you are dressed appropriately!

If you are planning a trip to Venice, don’t forget to check out Teletext Holidays for deals. I remember their TV campaign well.. you wouldn’t want to miss a bargain. There are regular flights to Venice airport from all over Europe, and you can also get here by train, bus.. or car!

So - have I sold you on Venice? Do you think it belongs up there as my favourite European city? Or are you firmly entrenched in the camp of people who believe that it’s a tacky, overpriced, overflowing tourist trap that just smells awful in summer? Hit up the comments below and let me know!

In Photos: Street Art of Angoulême (Part 2)

In my previous post I shared with you the rather fabulous trompe l'oeil that can be found on one of the walls in Angoulême’s old town centre, where two chaps do their best to break into reality.

Today’s post is about some of the rest of the street art that Vera and I found and photographed as we wandered around the lovely old town of Angoulême on a recent trip. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So what do you think? Does Angouleme have sufficient street art to tempt you.. or do you need more from a city than just pretty paintings on the walls?

Let me know in the comments, and keep an eye out for the next post in my Angoulême trilogy, where I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the other attractions!

In Photos: Street Art of Angoulême (Part 1)

The town of Angoulême, capital of France’s Charente department, is notable for many things. It boasts an impressive location, high up on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Charente river. It has a rather fabulous collection of old buildings, from churches to castle ruins. And it has a wonderful old town that is just ripe for exploration.

And I’m going to save all that for another post, because over the next couple of posts I just want to share with you the other thing that Angoulême is famous for, that being it’s yearly international comic festival.

This has resulted in the walls of Angoulême being coated in a myriad of wonderful street art, from small pieces through to huge trompe l'oeils, or eye deceivers.

The first part of this two part series focuses on six images which take up a whole section of the street wall. Which, despite appearances, is entirely flat. Enjoy!

Escaping reality

 

 

 

 

 

Shout if you need a translation! Keep an eye out for the next couple of posts on Angouleme, which will cover the remainder of the street art.. and then some thoughts on the city itself.

Two weeks in the UK–my perfect itinerary

I was recently asked for my recommendations for a two to three week trip to the UK, starting in London, and using a rental car as the transportation method. Further interests included castles, haunted things, and long walks on the beach (ok, I made the last one up).

This sounded like the sort of challenge I could get my teeth into. I have, after all, spent a great deal of time living in the UK. Putting together my favourite bits to travel around in itinerary form should be no problem at all.

Then, after accepting this challenge, I was struck by a moment of doubt. Sure, I’ve lived in the UK. But what do I know of the things a foreigner would find interesting about this little island? When you live in the UK, you spent most of your time forming an escape plan, not planning how to see it.

And then I remembered that I’m only half English, and that I spend most of my life wandering around goggle eyed at the world around me wherever I am, and figured I could probably handle this mission. Read on, and see if you agree.

Days 1 & 2 - London

The UK’s capital is one of my favourite cities in the world. It’s been hanging around for over 2000 years on the banks of the Thames, and there is just an incredible wealth of things to see, from historical sights, to amazing museums, to crazy street markets.

It’s a wonderfully walk-able capital, and you can easily take in the major central sights in a day or so, leaving you the second day to explore museums, art galleries, or go a little further afield and take in some of the other sights, from crumbling cemeteries to massive parks. And if all else fails, you will never be short on an incredible pub to while away some time before heading on.

Days 3 & 4 – Oxford & the Cotswolds

One of the stipulations of the original question was the wish to avoid feeling too much like a tourist. Unfortunately, this is nearly impossible in Oxford, as nearly everyone there is either a tourist or a student. I lived in and around Oxford for a number of years, and generally felt like a tourist most of that time too.

Part of the reason for that is that this tiny city is absolutely jam packed with incredible buildings, largely in the form of the Oxford Colleges. These are seriously wealthy establishments, who clearly had no problem flaunting that wealth in an architectural fashion back in the day.

This means that yes, it is full of people wandering around, mouths agape, at quite how pretty the whole thing is. Yes, it’s jam packed with tourists. But for good reason! So strap that camera on and snap away. Then go for a punt on the river, and enjoy some Pimms or a cream tea.

From Oxford you are also well located to take in the incredibly picturesque Cotswolds area – all quaint villages and rolling countryside. The England that everyone imagines England to be like, with country pubs, village greens and cricket ovals. Lovely stuff.

Days 5 & 6 – Peak District and Manchester

From Oxford I’m going to suggest heading “up north”, towards the Peak District national park. Think rolling hills, quaint villages, and beautiful walks. There are also some fabulous country houses to visit, not to mention that on the way from Oxford you can stop off at Warwick Castle – one of the UK’s best preserved castles.

Part of the request I was posed asked about the yarn industry in the UK – and Manchester is certainly no stranger to the fibre industry – in the 19th century she earned the nickname Cottonopolis. Plenty here for the yarn enthusiast in you.

Of course, if fibre isn’t your thing there are plenty of other reasons to visit Manchester, including excellent retail therapy and a variety of architectural highlights. Not to mention the music scene!

Day 7 – York

Not that far from Manchester (England is so quaintly explorable!), the city of York is another of my favourite UK cities. From the incredible Gothic York Minster (a climb to the top is highly recommended) to the winding, tumbled down alleyways of the shambles, to the Viking history - this is a city that just cries out for exploration.

It’s also an awesome place if you’re into ghost stories. There are a whole number of ghost walks that take in the spooky past of York, so if you want an evening of entertainment and intrigue, likely accompanied with a number of fine drinking establishments, an evening ghost walk is a great bit of fun. I’m not a great believer in this sort of thing usually, but I took a tour and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Days 8 & 9 - Edinburgh via Northumberland

From York we’re going to wave farewell to England, and head up to Scotland’s capital city. On the way though, you’ll be passing through some of England’s least travelled, yet stunningly beautiful, landscapes.

I am of course talking about Northumbria. From miles of deserted beach, to crumbling castles, to the Roman equivalent of the great wall of China, Northumbria really has a lot to offer someone looking for a slightly off the beaten track England experience. The rolling landscapes are breath-taking and you’ll find yourself alone much of the time. Worth taking a bit of time to explore, in my opinion.

Then of course, it’s up to Edinburgh, where you’ll not be short of amazing things to look at. From Edinburgh castle, to Arthurs Seat, from fine whiskeys, to Princes Street, there really is enough here for a number of days of entertainment. And if you visit during the Fringe festival.. well.. plan on being entertained for a good many weeks!

Days 10 to 13 -  An Irish adventure!

Because the UK is an easily explorable place with decent roads and relatively short distances to drive, it is totally possible to include Ireland in a trip like this if you’re up for it. Alternatively, you could take in the west coast of the UK, including Glasgow, the Lake District, and Liverpool, as well as popping into Wales for the stunning Snowdonia national park. The choice is yours!

If it is Ireland you want though, it’s a short ferry ride from Scotland (Cairnryan to be precise, 2-3 hours drive from Edinburgh) across to Belfast, from where you can spend a few days exploring the Emerald Isle.

I’ve only really explored Dublin and her surroundings, but I certainly saw enough to know that this is a wonderful country for exploring. There’s the Guinness, of course, as a main highlight, but also oodles of Gaelic history and culture to get excited about.

There are also of course the Irish people, well known for their love of a good time! Personally, I’d head on down the coast from Belfast, through Dublin and down to the port of Rosslare, where after three exciting days in Ireland another ferry service will whisk you across to the last of the four countries to make up the UK.. Wales!

Day 14 - South Wales & Cardiff

In Wales you will arrive either at Fishguard or Pembroke – both excellent places to explore the Pembrokeshire Coast national park. Here you will find beautiful beaches, rugged cliffs, and fabulous opportunities for walking.

You’re also not too far a drive from Cardiff, the Welsh capital. Four capitals in a fortnight – not bad going! Here you’ll find castles, sporting venues and more Welsh based culture than you can shake a stick at. Plus, arrive at the right time of year and you’ll find the Great British Cheese festival in full swing. What’s not to be excited about?

Day 15 Bristol & Bath

From Cardiff you’ll cross the enormous Severn estuary over the impress Severn road bridge and be back in the UK, or Bristol to be precise. Here you’ll find all sorts of interesting items of historical interest, largely running on a nautical theme.

For over a thousand years Bristol has been an important English port. From early explorers and traders, to the dark years of the African slave vessels, to filling Australia with immigrants, it is hard to understate the role that Bristol has played in Britain’s sea faring history. There is, after all, a reason for the expression “ship-shape and Bristol fashion” having a place in the English language.

I can highly recommend taking a trip round the SS Great Britain when you’re in Bristol. Built in 1843, and designed by the engineering genius who was Isambard Kingdom Brunel – the man who almost single-handedly revolutionised both engineering and public transport in the UK.

The SS Great Britain is notable as being the first steamer to cross the Atlantic – setting a record pace for the time of 14 days. An amazing bit of history.

From Bristol it’s on to the Roman spa city of Bath, a world heritage site. Like Oxford, this is a difficult place to be anything other than a tourist, but it is so worth it all the same!

Day 16 – back to London, via Stonehenge!

Our last day of our just over two week whistle stop tour of the UK takes us back to London. No trip to the UK though would really be complete without taking in perhaps our most famous monument – the circle of rocks known as Stonehenge.

Yes – it has a motorway going past it. And yes, you can’t really get up close and personal with the rocks. (They’re just rocks. It’s not hard to imagine touching them). And yes… you’re not going to be having a deeply personal experience.. what with this being one of the UK’s most famous monuments.

But there is something about the place that makes all these complaints just fade away. A circle of rocks, built by a people who had nothing but their hands and some bits of wood to help them out, in the middle of the Wiltshire countryside, hundreds of miles from an actual quarry, is just mind blowing.

Add in the pagan ritualism, the relationship between the rocks and the sun, and the sheer mystery of the place, and you have somewhere that is capable of really capturing the imagination. Worth your time to visit. Plus, while you’re there you can pop into Salisbury and enjoy the cathedral, which boasts the highest cathedral spire of any church in the UK.

And then.. back to London, where this tour finishes!

…and a map of the route for perusal:

View Larger Map

So those were my thoughts for taking in a slightly longer than two week trip in the UK. I’ve obviously missed out a great number of places, as no two week trip can possibly hope to see everything, but I’d like to think I covered a great many highlights of this truly fascinating country.

Whilst you are there, don’t forget to sample some classic English dishes – as summed up in my post on Essential English Food. In the meantime.. if you’ve got any thoughts on this post, do hit up the comments below!