When a man is tired of London he is tired of life
Robin and I plan to go to the British Isles this summer. We will fly into London, spend a few days there, then cross southern England into South Wales and then take a ferry to Ireland. We'll probably be there two or two and a half weeks (I need to book our tickets soon). The problem is what to do while we are there.
Obviously we will see the British Museum. To visit London and not see (and probably spend at least a day in) the British Museum is a waste of a plane ticket. After that, though, it is hard to say.
One of the great philosophical dilemmas facing a traveler returning to the general area of former adventures is whether to revisit places visited before or to see even more. I planned to spend a day or two in Swansea, for example, but the fact is, there is not much to do there (although I'm sure we could spend a day in the city centre or take a bus to the Mumbles or even out sightseeing on the Gower Peninsula), and our overall stay is limited. Staying in Cardiff would make more sense, as there are more things I would actually like to do there, but I am always oddly nostalgic for Swansea (it is a strange thing to be homesick for a place one only lived for a few months).
The truly great moral problem is if I should try to see friends in Somerset, which would be a little out of the way (and perhaps a bit uncomfortable for Robin, as they live in an old house without a shower--or, for that matter, a toilet in the main house) but only a little bit, and which is even more inconvenient to visit from Tennessee.
Here is a list of things that might be nice (besides visiting the British Museum, which goes without saying (except that I have said it at least twice already, and may repeat it again)):
In London:
St Paul's Cathedral
Westminster Abbey (conveniently right by Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament)
the reconstructed Globe Theatre (perhaps and perhaps not attending a play there)
Kew Gardens
the National Maritime Museum at the Greenwich Observatory
the Tower of London
...but I have seen the Tower before, and while I'd enjoy seeing it again, it's not cheap, and there are other things I'd like to see, too (I'm not sure how Robin would like the Tower). It would be easy to see Westminster and St Paul's in a day and still have time for some other short adventures (perhaps seeing the Globe), or just walking around or taking a bus tour. I'd really like to go to Greenwich, but I do not know if Robin would. I think we'd both like Kew Gardens.
Near London (a day trip out, perhaps):
Canterbury (which I've seen, and which was neat, but not as impressive as some other cathedrals that I know we'll see; I think Robin would probably like to go, though, and there are some fun things to do, like visit the parish church of St Dunstan, where Sir Thomas More's head is buried in the floor)
the White Cliffs of Dover (probably cool, and I'd like to see them, but I don't know if it's worth most of a day to take the train to look at them and then head back to London)
Hastings (historically interesting, but I've seen it when they were having a re-enactment, and I can't think what a second visit would add to that, and without the re-enactment, it wouldn't impress Robin)
Cambridge (a nice town with a beautiful military cemetery that I like to visit, but perhaps not worth a trip when there is so much to do and see)
Portsmouth (where I'd like to see HMS Victory in drydock and the rest of the maritime museum there, although that might sort of duplicate the museum at Greenwich, without the advantage of being able to stand in the western hemisphere while spitting in the eastern one)
...I think there were some other possibilities, too, that I saw in the guide books or recalled from the good old days, but which elude me now.
Southwestern England
I'd like to visit my friends in Somerset, but I am not sure how well that will fit in with the rest of the trip, yet I'd hate to miss them. They have a very nice little stone house with their own garden and are quite self-sufficient. They are also both involved in local history (one or both work for English Heritage, I think) and could give a nice little tour of the country round and they always have a keg of local cider.
I definitely want to go to Salisbury. The cathedral is one of my favourites, it has one of the oldest working clocks in the world, the tallest church spire in England, and very nice grounds in the Cathedral Close. Stonehenge is also nearby, and that might be nice to take Robin to. I've seen it before, and was less impressed than I expected to be.
We might go to Bath. The Roman museum there is pretty nifty. I don't see the need to stay for more than a few hours to see that, though.
Going to Glastonbury to see the water welling up from the Holy Grail would be kind of cool, but I've seen it before (and have some water in a bottle) and it's not on any rail lines.
Robin sort of wants to go up to Stratford-upon-Avon and watch the Royal Shakespeare Company in action. It's hard to say no, although Stratford is a little out of the way. They would be presenting Julius Caesar and A Winter's Tale I think while we would be there.
South Wales
Castle Coch outside Cardiff (which I haven't seen) or Cardiff Castle (which I have) might be nice to visit. Llancaich Fawr living history site just outside of Cardiff is one of the best living history museums I have visited, and I'd like to go back (and think Robin would like it). There are probably other nice things to do around Cardiff, too. I think St Fagan's museum of Welsh life and culture is there, and it's sort of nifty.
Swansea was my home for three months, and I'd enjoy just walking around again, showing Robin my hall of residence (Neuadd Lewis Jones), the Pub on the Pond, Castle Square, and some of the other places I spent time. I can't think of many good tourist sights there, though, beyond me indulging my own nostalgia. Walking along the beach might be nice, but there are plenty of other beaches, and going out to the Gower Peninsula below Swansea would be pretty, but there are other pretty places, too.
I'd like to go out to St David's, and if we take our ferry to Ireland (or the one back) through Fishguard, we could take a bus from Haverfordwest to St David's and see the world's smallest city, the cathedral, and the walking path along the shore. It would be a very nice walk and a fun visit, although also a little out of the way.
Going to North Wales would offer some of the most impressive castles in the world, but would certainly be out of the way--and we can go to one or two out of the way places, but cannot bounce around the entire sceptered isle.
Whatever happens, we will take a ferry from Wales to Ireland, probably either to Cork or to Rosslare Harbour outside Wexford. We'll almost certainly see the Waterford Crystal factory, and want to travel through the countryside some, but I don't really know where. My brief visit to Ireland in 2000 was very pleasant, but I do not have anything specific in mind that I want to see there. Robin, however, is very excited about seeing the countryside, would probably enjoy traditional music and arts and crafts, and really wants to listen to people talk (she likes hearing all kinds of British accents--I want her to hear a Welsh one).
Then it's a ferry back to Wales then to London then to the airport and then home.
Obviously we will see the British Museum. To visit London and not see (and probably spend at least a day in) the British Museum is a waste of a plane ticket. After that, though, it is hard to say.
One of the great philosophical dilemmas facing a traveler returning to the general area of former adventures is whether to revisit places visited before or to see even more. I planned to spend a day or two in Swansea, for example, but the fact is, there is not much to do there (although I'm sure we could spend a day in the city centre or take a bus to the Mumbles or even out sightseeing on the Gower Peninsula), and our overall stay is limited. Staying in Cardiff would make more sense, as there are more things I would actually like to do there, but I am always oddly nostalgic for Swansea (it is a strange thing to be homesick for a place one only lived for a few months).
The truly great moral problem is if I should try to see friends in Somerset, which would be a little out of the way (and perhaps a bit uncomfortable for Robin, as they live in an old house without a shower--or, for that matter, a toilet in the main house) but only a little bit, and which is even more inconvenient to visit from Tennessee.
Here is a list of things that might be nice (besides visiting the British Museum, which goes without saying (except that I have said it at least twice already, and may repeat it again)):
In London:
St Paul's Cathedral
Westminster Abbey (conveniently right by Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament)
the reconstructed Globe Theatre (perhaps and perhaps not attending a play there)
Kew Gardens
the National Maritime Museum at the Greenwich Observatory
the Tower of London
...but I have seen the Tower before, and while I'd enjoy seeing it again, it's not cheap, and there are other things I'd like to see, too (I'm not sure how Robin would like the Tower). It would be easy to see Westminster and St Paul's in a day and still have time for some other short adventures (perhaps seeing the Globe), or just walking around or taking a bus tour. I'd really like to go to Greenwich, but I do not know if Robin would. I think we'd both like Kew Gardens.
Near London (a day trip out, perhaps):
Canterbury (which I've seen, and which was neat, but not as impressive as some other cathedrals that I know we'll see; I think Robin would probably like to go, though, and there are some fun things to do, like visit the parish church of St Dunstan, where Sir Thomas More's head is buried in the floor)
the White Cliffs of Dover (probably cool, and I'd like to see them, but I don't know if it's worth most of a day to take the train to look at them and then head back to London)
Hastings (historically interesting, but I've seen it when they were having a re-enactment, and I can't think what a second visit would add to that, and without the re-enactment, it wouldn't impress Robin)
Cambridge (a nice town with a beautiful military cemetery that I like to visit, but perhaps not worth a trip when there is so much to do and see)
Portsmouth (where I'd like to see HMS Victory in drydock and the rest of the maritime museum there, although that might sort of duplicate the museum at Greenwich, without the advantage of being able to stand in the western hemisphere while spitting in the eastern one)
...I think there were some other possibilities, too, that I saw in the guide books or recalled from the good old days, but which elude me now.
Southwestern England
I'd like to visit my friends in Somerset, but I am not sure how well that will fit in with the rest of the trip, yet I'd hate to miss them. They have a very nice little stone house with their own garden and are quite self-sufficient. They are also both involved in local history (one or both work for English Heritage, I think) and could give a nice little tour of the country round and they always have a keg of local cider.
I definitely want to go to Salisbury. The cathedral is one of my favourites, it has one of the oldest working clocks in the world, the tallest church spire in England, and very nice grounds in the Cathedral Close. Stonehenge is also nearby, and that might be nice to take Robin to. I've seen it before, and was less impressed than I expected to be.
We might go to Bath. The Roman museum there is pretty nifty. I don't see the need to stay for more than a few hours to see that, though.
Going to Glastonbury to see the water welling up from the Holy Grail would be kind of cool, but I've seen it before (and have some water in a bottle) and it's not on any rail lines.
Robin sort of wants to go up to Stratford-upon-Avon and watch the Royal Shakespeare Company in action. It's hard to say no, although Stratford is a little out of the way. They would be presenting Julius Caesar and A Winter's Tale I think while we would be there.
South Wales
Castle Coch outside Cardiff (which I haven't seen) or Cardiff Castle (which I have) might be nice to visit. Llancaich Fawr living history site just outside of Cardiff is one of the best living history museums I have visited, and I'd like to go back (and think Robin would like it). There are probably other nice things to do around Cardiff, too. I think St Fagan's museum of Welsh life and culture is there, and it's sort of nifty.
Swansea was my home for three months, and I'd enjoy just walking around again, showing Robin my hall of residence (Neuadd Lewis Jones), the Pub on the Pond, Castle Square, and some of the other places I spent time. I can't think of many good tourist sights there, though, beyond me indulging my own nostalgia. Walking along the beach might be nice, but there are plenty of other beaches, and going out to the Gower Peninsula below Swansea would be pretty, but there are other pretty places, too.
I'd like to go out to St David's, and if we take our ferry to Ireland (or the one back) through Fishguard, we could take a bus from Haverfordwest to St David's and see the world's smallest city, the cathedral, and the walking path along the shore. It would be a very nice walk and a fun visit, although also a little out of the way.
Going to North Wales would offer some of the most impressive castles in the world, but would certainly be out of the way--and we can go to one or two out of the way places, but cannot bounce around the entire sceptered isle.
Whatever happens, we will take a ferry from Wales to Ireland, probably either to Cork or to Rosslare Harbour outside Wexford. We'll almost certainly see the Waterford Crystal factory, and want to travel through the countryside some, but I don't really know where. My brief visit to Ireland in 2000 was very pleasant, but I do not have anything specific in mind that I want to see there. Robin, however, is very excited about seeing the countryside, would probably enjoy traditional music and arts and crafts, and really wants to listen to people talk (she likes hearing all kinds of British accents--I want her to hear a Welsh one).
Then it's a ferry back to Wales then to London then to the airport and then home.