Entscheidungsproblem - Seeking British travel suggestions

From: sorenr Date: January 13th, 2008 09:45 am (UTC) (Link)

I suggest the Lake District if you want to see some beautiful scenery and picturesque villages, or alternatively the area around the Black Forest in Wales.

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From: entscheidung Date: January 13th, 2008 03:15 pm (UTC) (Link)

I was planning to buy a cloak at Arnys--that would work well with the Lake District.

tho' I suppose then I would also need boots. I suppose I will need to bring an entire country wardrobe if I leave London.

Oh no!

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From: carolatina Date: January 13th, 2008 03:54 pm (UTC) (Link)

If you have the time or the interest, I strongly recommend visiting Scotland. As you may know, I took a week-long trip to Edinburgh with my friend kitsushan back in 2004 and I could have easily just plain stayed there. Getting a rail pass and taking little side trips out to the castles and country towns is a delightful way to see the country. Edinburgh is easy to get around and full of things to see, of course, if it's easier to stay there. Glasgow was rather hip and fun, too. I especially enjoyed the abbey in Dunfermline (amazing flying buttresses and Robert the Bruce!) and Linlithgow Palace (birthplace of Jame V and Mary Queen of Scots!). You can see two days' worth of my pictures here.

Also, I am jealous! I want to go! There are a million other trips around Scotland (and England, Wales, and Ireland for that matter) that I want to take. *pouts*

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From: entscheidung Date: January 13th, 2008 04:01 pm (UTC) (Link)

Ooooh--thanks for the photos!

lizw posted some time back about going to Scotland on the Caledonian Sleeper, which seemed a very nice way to get up there--a trip to Scotland is definitely a strong possibility.

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From: carolatina Date: January 13th, 2008 04:03 pm (UTC) (Link)

Agreed--I took an overnight train on the way back to London, but the sleeper would have been far better, I'm sure. Can't wait to hear how your plans shape up!

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From: samedietc Date: January 13th, 2008 04:14 pm (UTC) (Link)

my exp. of the uk is slightly skewed--i lived in london for 6 months with a depressive girlfriend and worked at a homeless shelter, so my memories of my two week-long vacations to Scotland and Wales are improbably rose-tinted. I liked edinburgh very much, and that was in the middle of february (so you can see how nice it was to get away from london). i also might suggest you look into going to some scottish islands--we went to this teeny island called Arran (not to be confused with the irish isle of Aran)--19 by 10 miles. it was great to get away from the city--from any city--for a few days.

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From: entscheidung Date: January 13th, 2008 04:18 pm (UTC) Clearly (Link)

I'm thinking more and more that a country wardrobe will be necessary. If only corduroy and wool and tweed weren't so heavy.

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From: samedietc Date: January 13th, 2008 04:29 pm (UTC) Re: Clearly (Link)

i think you like the idea of a country excursion because you'll need a country wardrobe. (sorry to have missed you both times you were in chi.)

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From: entscheidung Date: January 13th, 2008 04:40 pm (UTC) Re: Clearly (Link)

Perhaps you're right --and both Cordings and E&R are near where I'll be staying in London, so I could buy a country wardrobe while I was there.

I was sorry to have missed you as well--perhaps next time through.

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From: beeswing Date: January 13th, 2008 11:48 pm (UTC) (Link)

I love Britain. There are an infinite number of gorgeous little places to discover. I'm not sure whether any of them are amazing enough to merit a whole journey solely on their behalf, but I have some recommendations in case you happen to be passing by any of the following places:

1. Edinburgh: everything about this city is wonderful and I love it dearly although I don't know what the weather will be like at that time of year.

2. Brighton: one of my favourite places, but I understand that some people don't like it. I can't think why - it has a sort of seedy sea-side allure and beautiful light.

3. Wye Valley: I can highly recommend a room (and a meal) at the Saracen's Head in Symonds Yat. A lovely, unspoilt little pub with somewhat small bedrooms but amazing views across the river to make up for it. Lovely walks and canoeing nearby.

4. The White Horse - quite spectacular although you would have to be passing by for some other reason.

5. Avebury - similar. Marlborough is a nice but tiny little market town nearby and there are some spectacular walks and views along the Ridgeway.

6. Oxford! If you do come it would be lovely to meet up again; there's always Magdalen's lovely deer park and a million (okay, thirty-eight or so) colleges and probably something else I haven't thought of.

7. The Yorkshire Dales. I've never really fully appreciated the Lake District but I adore the hobbity smallness of the Yorkshire Dales. Malham is particularly lovely in that sort of way and I think there are some nice pubs that one can stay at and go for gentle walks over hill and down dale. It's all stupidly picturesque. York is also a lovely town to explore and I can give you more specific recommendations if you do happen to go there.

8. Beaumaris and the Isle of Anglesey. It is tiny, rural and totally uncosmopolitan. I'm weirdly attracted to it and have stayed there several times, once at a B&B that was in the middle of nowhere - totally dark, totally silent, quite eerie and lovely. One pub in Beaumaris, The Bull, serves unexpectedly excellent food and I think they may have rooms too.

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From: entscheidung Date: January 19th, 2008 02:51 pm (UTC) What a wealth (Link)

of suggestions--thank you!

At the moment I'm leaning towards Edinburgh and York, as well as reprising London and Oxford (maybe Cambridge, too, if I decide against Paris).

If I do end up in Oxford, perhaps I could take you to lunch at the Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, which I've been meaning to try for some time?

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From: samara_air Date: January 14th, 2008 03:04 am (UTC) edinburgh (Link)

I liked that town quite a bit, and it's a very good place to buy woolens, especially a kilt...

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From: entscheidung Date: January 19th, 2008 02:53 pm (UTC) Re: edinburgh (Link)

It's seeming very popular in responses here, and I'm pretty sure that it will be on the list.

I'm thinking of taking the Caledonian Sleeper, which overnights both ways between London and Edingburgh, meaning two nights where I don't have to pay for a hotel, in addition to Ye Romantic Olde-World Elegance (TM) of train travel.

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From: samara_air Date: January 20th, 2008 04:52 am (UTC) Re: edinburgh (Link)

I think that would be lurvely!
Also, it seems (according to my survey of Victoriana mysteries) that a train like that is exactly the place to find INTRIGUE!

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