Portavadie

Posted on 30/05/2025 by ainarsbl

West of Scotland

If you are in Glasgow and fancy to go somewhere else, you can reach an interesting place on one of the western peninsulas of the Argyll and Bute region in a few hours.

The Argill and Bute region is the second largest (almost 7,000 square kilometres, larger are only the Scottish Highlands) in Scotland and borders the Stirling, Scottish Highlands and a few other regions. However, the region has low population density and, with less than 90,000 living there, it is the sixth from the bottom of the list.

The region begins relatively close to Glasgow, just before Helensburg. Because of its lakes, region has two large peninsulas and three large western Scottish islands – the Isle of Islay, the Isle Jura and the Isle of Mull.

There are two major roads in the region in the north-south direction and one in the east-west direction (in its northern part).

The vast majority of roads are local and on many occasions those have single lane for driving in both directions. However, as elsewhere in Scotland, all roads are paved and the road surface is of good quality.

Portavadie

Portavadie is a very small village with a small marina and nice Scandinavian spa complex. This spa complex is not widely known and is mostly used by locals and sailors, however we did not found anything better in Scotland in five years living there.

In principle, everything is built for the recreational needs of sailors. In a relatively large area there are hotels, a restaurant, a modern administrative building of the port and the already mentioned Spa complex which is quite tiny but the best in terms of services I have enjoyed in the United Kingdom.

There is also a ferry terminal in Portavadie, from where you can quickly, in about 15 minutes, reach the port of Tarbet on the next peninsula in the direction of the Isle of Arran. The journey from Portavadie to Tarbet would take at least two and a half hours.

If you are on the ferry, you can observe the nearby Scottish salmon farms, which are set in a fairly large area across the bay. Once when we visited Portavadie, we took a ferry to Tarbet on our way back to Glasgow. The trip was interesting, it was worth stopping in several places along the way and enjoying the surrounding landscape. Of course, there are different Scottish castles there.

For example, in the town of Inveraray there is a parking lot by the water in a very beautiful place. It is also worth visiting the castle and its garden – there you can spend several hours in a pleasant atmosphere (there is also a parking lot near the castle).

On the way back you can stop at the northern end of Loch Fine to relax and eat. If there are no vacancies at Loch Fine Oysters Restaurant (often, reservations must be made several days in advance), you can also enjoy a delicious, good-value meal at the café in the garden centre next door.

Hotel and Spa

Returning to Portavadie, we’ve been there quite a few times, taking friends there as well. We also stayed in the hotel apartments. Prices are quite high, but spending an entire afternoon going to the spa complex’s pool and treatments is a great pleasure.

Inside the complex there is a swimming pool, sauna, café, on the second floor treatment rooms, while outside there is a heated pool and jacuzzi. It feels especially good to go there when the weather is cold outside. After leaving the sauna, you should walk about ten meters and then it is a real pleasure to sink into the pool and look at the surrounding landscape.

It’s even difficult to describe those feelings, so it’s better to go there and try it.

Cornwall – the second day

Posted on 28/05/2025 by ainarsbl

This is about the second day in Cornwall. After the first day in Cornwall we went to the nearby local pub The Shire Inn for dinner before going to bed. It is about a 15-minute walk from the guest house we used for staying at night.

The atmosphere and service were good, the food and the local Cornish beer were also delicious – just like in a gastropub. The bill surprised me a bit though – they know how to use supposedly normal prices in such a way that at the end you get a bill what is at least ten pounds more than expected.

Minak Theatre

In the morning, right after breakfast, we went to an interesting place – an amphitheatre built in the rocks, where real performances are held often. This place was a real surprise we got in Cornwall.

The author and creator of the theatre idea was a local woman, Rowena Cade. The name Minak (meynek in the local language) means rocky place. The woman started creating theatre in the thirties of the last century.

Minack Theatre is located in the very south of the peninsula. You can see the theatre and the garden created around it (entrance fee 10 pounds), but in the afternoons and evenings there are live performances (performances do not take place every day though). The garden itself is worth a visit and the amphitheatre looks really impressive.

More information can be found on the theatre’s website.

Mount St. Michael

Mount St. Michael is an island in the sea near the coast, very similar to Mount Saint Michel in France. What both have in common is that during low tide you can walk from the land to the island on dry feet, but during high tide water separates the island from the mainland.

The difference is that the French counterpart has an abbey located on the island, while Cornwall has a castle on it, which is owned by the National Trust.

The place is interesting, worth a look if you are in that part of England. A few things to consider if you visit.

Finding a parking space for a car is quite problematic; the best option is to approach the castle as close as you can and wait for a parking space to become available. The nearby (recommended) long-term parking lots are usually occupied and you have to walk quite a distance to the island.

There are several types of entrance tickets: island and castle, island and garden and a combined ticket. Since we already visited a garden in the morning, we took a ticket only to the palace. The garden, by the way, could be viewed from the palace courtyard.

Ticket prices vary – for an adult, 14 pounds for entry to the palace, 10 pounds for entry to the garden, and a total ticket costs 24 pounds; for children aged 5 to 17, about half of that.

The end of the earth

As the name suggests, beyond the end of the earth there is only the sea. To be honest, we didn’t go to the very end of the earth, but we went to the nearby village of Sennen Cove. The only difference – parking spaces are cheaper, fewer people on the beach, more pleasant and restful feeling. The sea is the same, the beach and the surrounding views are the same. It was recommended by the locals and thanks to them for offering this option!

We spent a couple of hours on the beach, and even organized a picnic on the seashore before moving on.

St Ives

St Ives is a small pretty town and fishing port on the north side of the peninsula. Local internet marketers say St Ives is a shining jewel in Cornwall’s crown, one of the most valued in England. St Eves has been voted the best family holiday on the coast and one of the 10 best beaches in Europe.

In reality, I wouldn’t really say that. First, the beach is quite small, although the sand bar is wide. In any case, there was no special feeling of romance – just an expensive resort pretending to be posh.

Speaking of treasures – we booked a table in beach café to watch the sunset. Although we saw the prices while ordering snacks, after receiving the bill we understood why they mention gems describing this place – we must have had eaten quite a few of them.

The place (they call themselves a beach café, which is true) didn’t even have white tablecloths, but a piece of tuna the size of a piece of sushi was right there for £20. However, I have to admit that the taste of this mini dish was fantastic.

After dinner, we got lost in the city because we didn’t really remember where we had left the car. The town is located on a hill and if you take one street in the wrong direction you can get lost very quickly. However, we did not mind that accident as walking around the town was quite nice experience.

So the second day in Cornwall was spent and in the morning we planned to go back to Dorset, stopping for lunch on the seaside in Devon.

Cornwall

Posted on 27/05/2025 by ainarsbl

This time I will start with a short summary. We were planning to go to Cornwall for at least seven years. It didn’t happen because it was quite far from Scotland – travel costs also played serious role. While living in the south of England we couldn’t do it in the beginning because there were many other places to go.

We decided to go to Cornwall after listening to stories from others about how unique and beautiful it is. After the trip there, I can say one thing – the idea of visiting Cornwall could have been not the highest priority. Mainly because of associated costs. The cost of the trip was essentially at least the same as nice comfortable weekend in Rome. To be honest, the feeling and impressions after returning home from Rome were also better at the end.

The value you get for the money you spend plays significant role here and for me it would be in favour of Italy. Roughly speaking, everything in Cornwall was about half as expensive as it should be based on my travel experience in Europe. In short, the prices in remote places of Britain are inflated to the maximum and do not really meet expectations. In this case, the only exception might be the guest house where we stayed, although it was not cheap either.

About Cornwall in brief

Cornwall is a relatively large area in the very south-west of England. If you look at the map, it ends up with only water around it. For this reason, there is even a place called Lands End.

One peculiarity of Cornwall is that, unlike the rest of England, it has historically been a Celtic region. It can also be felt, for example, by many strange names of places or the way the locals pronounce them.

The territory of Cornwall is 3.56 thousand square kilometres, it is the 12th largest of 48 regions. More than 550 thousand people live there and it is only 40th in terms of population. The population density per square kilometre is only 160 people. The administrative centre of the region is Truro.

The Eden Project

The first place we visited was the Eden Project. It is a complex of gardens and greenhouses where plants from all over the world have been collected. You need about three to four hours to see everything. All in all, quite interesting, especially if you get to stand in line and climb up to the dome itself and look at the tropical world from above (the observation deck is open periodically and there are quite a lot of people who want to participate in this 5-minute dizzying attraction).

The entrance ticket costs around 35 pounds (around 40 euros) for adults (prices vary depending on the season) and 11 pounds for visitors aged 5 to 16. In essence, it is a ticket for a year, but it does not make much sense, because hardly anyone will want to drive that long way again during the same year. In my opinion, it would make sense to reduce the price for one visit (up to £20 per adult’s visit would be more appropriate price).

Accommodation

We booked a guest house in Cornwall a long time in advance, because during the high season the prices skyrocket, often the accommodation is simply not available. The main reason – those Britons who do not go overseas visit Cornwall and other similar regions of Britain.

As I said at the beginning, the price for this accommodation was reasonable in given circumstances – £245 for two nights in a two bedroom apartment with a fitted kitchen, living room, bathroom and a nice little private courtyard at the side of the house. The beds were comfortable, the hostess had left local eggs and ham in the fridge for breakfast, so I can definitely recommend this Church House guest house to other travellers (we booked this through Airbnb).

That’s it about our first day in Cornwall in 2022, you can also read about our second day in Cornwall.

Road network in Scotland

Posted on 26/05/2025 by ainarsbl

Scottish highways

The road network in Scotland is very well developed and virtually all, even the smallest, roads are paved. There are relatively few holes on them, even if they are in remote areas, so driving is quite enjoyable. The total length of the Scottish highways (according to 2017 data) is 56 thousand 250 kilometres, of which 632 kilometres are motorways. Strange as it may sound, the longest road network is in the Scottish Highlands.

There can be conventional Scottish roads with one lane in each direction (almost 28,000 kilometres in total), two- or three-lane motorways, or very narrow local roads with single file traffic sections. To be able to drive there, special passing places have been created on those roads. This type of carriageway is particularly common in the Scottish islands and makes driving slower but quite interesting.

To get to and return from Scotland, most motorists use the M74, which runs from the southern border of Scotland and is a continuation of the M6 in England. This motorway has three lanes in each direction almost along its entire length, with the exception of a small section before Glasgow, where there are only two lanes.

Central Scotland

Of course, Scotland’s best-developed and ‘fastest’ Scottish roads are in the central part of the country, connecting the capital, Edinburgh, with Glasgow, Stirling and Perth.

The main Scottish highways (motorways) connecting these cities are the M8 (Edinburgh-Glasgow), M9 (Edinburgh-Stirling), M90 (Edinburgh-Perth) and M80 (Glasgow-Stirling). In the absence of congestion, any journey to these cities will not take more than an hour, but in the morning before the start of the working day and in the late afternoon, when the work ends, the journey may take twice as long.

The good news is that motorways in Scotland, like in England, are toll-free, so there will be no extra cost for travellers, unlike such countries as France, Italy and Croatia.

Western Islands

As for the extra cost, those will be if you travel to western islands of Scotland. Scottish roads in the western islands are as good as elsewhere, although you can often get caught on roads with only one lane in both directions.

There will be an additional cost for the ferries that will take you from the mainland to the island. The ferry service is very well organized and they run precisely according to a pre-arranged schedule. It must be said, however, that ferry travel is not cheap and can be stopped due to the weather conditions, mainly due to strong winds (those my be well over 100 kilometres per hour).

There are also popular destinations that can be reached both by land and by ferry, such as the Isle of Skye. We’ve tried both ways, and each has its advantages, especially if you don’t have to rush anywhere.

Rest of Scotland

Where there are no motorways, there are good ordinary roads, in some places there are even two lanes in each direction. One of the main reasons why there are no motorways is the Scottish terrain. For example, when driving in mountainous areas, in many cases there is hardly a space for even one full single lane.

Another feature, especially in mountainous areas, are long stretches of road where overtaking is prohibited but also practically impossible, as the roads are winding and cars, buses and lorries with long trailers drive on them. One can only hope for luck that there will not be many slow vehicles on the road.

In any case, if you go plan a longer trip, you can’t trust the estimated time of arrival to your destination proposed by your navigation device – be sure to add some time to your trip if you want to get to the destination at a specific time.

However, there should be no rush when you travel around Scotland. The country is so beautiful that you can enjoy the scenery during almost every season, especially when you are lucky enough to have sunny weather or at least sunny spells.

Capital of Scotland Edinburgh

Posted on 03/11/2024 by ainarsbl

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland

Edinburgh definitely is one of the most special places, at least for me personally. Not only because we have been living there for several years.

Although Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, it is only the second largest city in Scotland, the largest being Glasgow. It is home to just over half a million people, although in summer the city’s population can even double during the touristic season.

The city hosts many different festivals throughout the summer, so tourists from all over the world come there to see those and even participate. In addition, Edinburgh’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Getting there

The Scots have done their best to make it easy to get to the city. At Edinburgh Airport, a variety of airlines live together in a friendly way. Prior to the pandemic, the airport handled almost 15 million passengers a year. For example, Riga, which is a city of similar size, accommodated only half of it (7.8 million passengers).

Getting from the airport to the city centre is very convenient. To get to the city centre, you can take a bus (airport shuttle) or a modern tram (Edinburgh has only one tram line operating from the city centre to the airport). The fastest is the AirLink bus (route No. 100), which has some other stops between the airport and the city centre.

Edinburgh can also be easily reached by flying to the nearby Glasgow Airport or the slightly more remote Aberdeen Airport (there are five much less important international airports in Scotland).

And of course, train and bus routes connect Edinburgh with many other British cities. I have also written separate blog about the road network in Scotland.

Places and things definitely worth seeing in Edinburgh

Even if you haven’t been to Scotland, you’ve probably heard words like Edinburgh Castle, the Old Town, the Royal Mile, Holyrood, Walter Scott and Arthur’s Seat. The good news is that most of Edinburgh’s attractions are relatively close together. In addition, there are many events in the city that are worth attending if you are lucky enough to be in the city at that time.

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Undoubtedly, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which takes place every summer in the courtyard of Edinburgh Castle (in 2022 from August 5 to 27). Military orchestras from different countries take part in the show and delight the audience with military marches, marching and other passionate performances.

Admission to the event is quite expensive, ranging from £ 60 to over £ 600. The cheapest tickets theoretically cost £ 30, but it’s a small sector on the very edge of the arena. Tickets must be purchased well in advance, preferably several months before you decide to go there. In any case, if you’ve given away £ 60 for the show, you won’t feel overpaid after the grand event – it’s really worth seeing!

The Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is certainly the most famous tourist destination in the capital, if not the whole of Scotland (mysterious Lake Loch Ness could compete with it).

Edinburgh Castle is on an ancient volcano and can be seen from a distance before you even enter the city. The top of the volcano has been inhabited since the Iron Age, but the royal castle has been located there since the 12th century. Until 1633, the castle was a royal residence, but since then it has also played an important role in Scottish history.

The castle is the most visited tourist destination in Scotland (over 2 million visitors a year) and the second most visited in the UK. The entrance fee to the castle is quite expensive (in my opinion, compared to what you can see there), £ 18. However, to see the large courtyard of the castle and the city panorama from the top of the cliff, you do not have to pay at all – you can enter it for free and spend as much time as you want. However, it will not be possible during the military show period, because there are stands for spectators installed at the time.

This blog covers just a few things you can see in the Scottish capital, I will continue posting about something else soon. If you are elsewhere in Scotland, you can also read my blog about the Scottish Highlands, the Isle of Skye in the west of Scotland and Stirling.

Glasgow

Posted on 20/10/2024 by ainarsbl

Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city, the fourth largest in the UK and the 27th largest in Europe. More than 600,000 people live in Glasgow today, even though the population was over 1.1 million before the middle of the 20th century. Since then, many people have moved to nearby towns and now in Grater Glasgow region live almost 1.8 million people, about a third of Scotland’s total population.

What to see

The city is well known for its university, founded in 1451. The university has 35,000 students from 140 countries, employs around 9,000 people and is one of the world’s top 100 universities.

There are also a number of other highly ranked universities in Glasgow where young people from many parts of the world come to study.

Although Glasgow has always been an industrial city, especially known for shipbuilding, it also has a very large cultural heritage. There are many museums, art galleries and exhibitions in the city, but the history can be felt simply by walking through its streets.
Popular attractions include the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (free admission), the Riverside Museum, Glasgow Science Centre and George Square in the heart of the city. And of course, the central building of the University of Glasgow is worth a visit; both the exterior of the complex and the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery inside are impressive (it can be visited free of charge).

Traffic

There is an underground transport in Glasgow – subway. It has only one round line and trains run in both directions. Interestingly, subway cars are much smaller than, for example, in London. It feels like miniature railway arrives to the platform.

It is best to get around the city by underground or train if you need to go somewhere more far away from the centre. Of course, buses also run across the city, however I have only used buses a few times in three years when I lived there. I did not like that busses are often be late, slow and also relatively expensive.

The city centre is walkable and has pedestrian-only streets.

Those who want to go to other destinations must remember that Glasgow has two main railway stations and you cannot get to where you want to go from both stations. The stations are about a 10-minute walk away, so trying to find a bus or taxi to get from one to another doesn’t make much sense. Of course, if you have a lot of luggage to handle, you just have to take a taxi.

There is also a bus station in the city centre, with buses to major cities and other destinations in Scotland and England. In general, intercity bus services in Scotland are good.

If you arrive at Glasgow Airport, almost the only cheap choice to get to the city is the bus that stops at the terminal. However, if you arrive after midnight, you may have to take a taxi, which is not cheap at all.

Where to go

There are many shops and cafes in the city centre, during the day you can walk through the pedestrian streets, see the central station from the inside and go to the eastern part of the city centre, which is not far away and has its own charm because there used to be city warehouses.

But the city centre is turning very busy in the evening, as many nightclubs are opening up and life is getting different. The most popular, in some ways even legendary, entertainment street is Sauchiehall Street. Life in the area is bustling until three o’clock in the morning, especially on weekends.

Glasgow is a very active city in general, where people relax after a day of work, and especially after a week of work, and it’s so different from many other Scottish cities that are much quieter. So if you are in Scotland, it is worth visiting Glasgow and enjoying its special charm.

From Riga to London – Brussels

Posted on 16/03/2024 by ainarsbl

After a trip from Latvian capital Riga to Berlin in Germany by coach and from Berlin to Belgian capital Brussels by train on the second day of our trip, we woke up at the hotel in Brussels on the morning of the third day of our trip from Riga to London in England.

We bought tickets for the Eurostar high-speed train well in advance, the departure was scheduled for early afternoon, so we had a relaxing breakfast without any hurry and then spent our time lazy on the ground floor of the hotel. The first two days of our trip were quite exhausting and we did not want to visit any city sites before leaving Brussels.

Brussels

Brussels is the capital of Belgium, although it often means the European Union and its institutions. It also houses other important institutions, such as the Benelux Secretariat and NATO headquarters.

About 1.2 million people live in Brussels. It is interesting to note that, although the city is considered to be French-speaking, it is part of the Flemish part of Belgium, forming an enclave. Until the end of the 19th century, the dominant language in Brussels was Flemish, but then French prevailed. There are two official languages in the Brussels region nowadays: French and Flemish, however, English is used widely too.

We deliberately chose the hotel near to the south station Gare du Midi, because the train arrived there from Germany the night before and from there, we planned to continue our trip to London.

High-speed trains run from Brussels South Station to the United Kingdom (St Pancras station) and European Union destinations such as Paris in France. The difference is that before boarding a train to London, you have to go through customs and border controls as you would have to do at any international airport.

Trip to London

It also means that you must arrive at the station sometime before the train leaves and there are duty-free shops at the station. However, it must be said that the prices in those duty-free shops are abnormally high, and it is likely that shopping in the city could be even cheaper. At least, those are my personal observations.

We had calculated the time correctly so that we would not have to wait long for the trains to arrive. After a short time in the waiting room, we could already go to the platform to get on the train.

The journey itself was not particularly admirable, apart from the fact that the speed of the train was close to 300 kilometres per hour (perhaps the feelings would be more impressive if we were using this train for the first time). The only stop on the way was the French city of Lille. Passengers were picked up there and we went on without any delay.

The journey from Brussels to London took just two hours and ten minutes and a ticket in a standard car cost £ 60 (€ 75) per person. It must be said though that this is a relatively low price for a trip that can cost 100 to 200 pounds or even more if you do not book your trip in advance. Prices are often lower on weekends (especially around noon) but higher on weekdays. There are usually about five one-way trips on weekends and six on weekdays (seven on Mondays).

London St Pancras Station

Eurostar trains arrive at St Pancras International Station in London. It is connected to London Euston station, one of the busiest stations in the UK, with domestic trains departing and arriving there.

If you happen to be nearby, it’s worth to go and look inside. The hangar, where the trains arrive, is both huge and at the same time cosy with a large clock on the wall and a statue at the end of the platform, which represents the joy of meeting.

Further from the station, there are a lot of opportunities to find the desired means of transport to go to the city. There is London Euston Train Station, the London Underground, buses and taxis outside and King’s Cross Railway Station nearby, which has a ‘Harry Potter shop on Platform 9 3/4’. Of course, the souvenirs related to Harry Potter are sold there.

So, our a bit less than three days long trip from Riga to London ended successfully in London. If you want to read more, there are other two posts about this trip from Riga to Berlin and from Berlin to Brussels.

Abbotsbury Swannery

Posted on 08/12/2023 by ainarsbl

Visiting Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset

We have visited Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset, England twice. The first time at the end of March and the second time at the beginning of May when new swans and other birds just had the first new babies born. Either of the visits were nice and we would go there again even just to have an amazing walk around and enjoy this peaceful relaxing place in the company of these amazing creatures.

birds nesting place — Birds nesting place

The Swannery was established by Benedictine Monks in the 11th century where they farmed the swans to produce food – how practical! They say that the Abbotsbury Swannery is home to the world’s only managed colony of nesting mute swans, although that is not the only thing you will find there. From the entrance gate, you will have to walk almost one kilometre (about 2,400 feet) to reach the colony of swans; free car parking is located in front of the entrance. On the way to Swannery, you will find other attractions such as a labyrinth and a small ricing arena where usage of pedal-driven means of transport are available free of charge.

Swannery

There is something else you benefit from visiting Abbotsbury Swannery – you may buy a ticket with a huge 25% discount to also enter another site located nearby – Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens. At the time we visited the Abbotsbury Swannery, there was an option to also enter another site designed very well for visitors with kids. However, this has been changed, hopefully temporarily, since the pandemic began in March 2020 (there still are some restrictions for visitors in 2020 due to the coronavirus).

Feeding swans

One of the most exciting things about Abbotsbury Swannery was feeding swans. At the time we visited the swannery, the feeding was at noon – keep this in mind when planning your trip and booking tickets.

It was allowed for volunteers, especially kids, to enter the feeding area and feed swans with the food they provided on-site. This process was long enough to take a lot of photos and shoot videos. All swans from the surrounding area were gathering together to get food. Before and after feeding you may walk around the territory using convenient paths and many other birds living in the area. There is also a small museum providing more information about swans and the history of the site.

Usual swannery opening times are from 10 am to 5 pm all week, with the last entry at 4 pm; online ticket price for an adult is £10, for a child £5. Be aware that dogs are not allowed to enter the swannery. The minimum time for the visit might be two to three hours, although you may spend even more time easily.

Abbotsbury subtropical gardens

After visiting the swannery, we went to Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, a site located two and a half kilometres away by car. And again, there is a huge free-of-charge car park across the road just in front of the entrance to the gardens.

abbotsbury tropical gardens — Abbotsbury tropical gardens

About the history you may read on their website, the information provided is comprehensive. Amazing place both for adults and children to enjoy. All I may add is that gardens are really beautiful, especially during spring. There is a viewpoint where you may observe the coastline and even see a bit of Abbotsbury Swannery; getting there is quite nice physical exercise though.

Opening times of the gardens are from 10 am to 5 pm all week, with the last entry at 4 pm. Advance ticket costs £10 for an adult and £5 for a person aged from five to fifteen; children up to five years enter free, buying tickets on-site would be more expensive. Good news – dogs are allowed to enter the gardens!

London – first quick look

Posted on 25/11/2023 by ainarsbl

Visiting London

The capital of England and the United Kingdom London has many interesting and even unique sites, but I will start with bridges. There are 24 bridges across the River Thames in London.

The oldest is London Bridge, which was made from wood initially, but afterwards rebuilt in 1209, 1831 and 1973. Probably, the most famous is Tower Bridge, which was built in 1894 and is known around the world.

tower bridge in london — Tower Bridge in London

One of the most interesting bridges, in my opinion, is the Millennium Bridge which is a pedestrian bridge, connecting St. Paul Cathedral and the Tate Modern Art Gallery.

A very beautiful scene appears if you look at the bridge from the art gallery to St. Paul Cathedral. However, you can cross the river using any of the other bridges (except a few railway bridges) and every time panoramic view will be different and equally interesting.

Parks and gardens

Despite being a large city, London is very green. There are lots of small gardens and large parks even in the city centre. The largest parks in the central area are The Regent’s Park (166 hectares), Hyde Park (142 hectares) and Kensington Gardens (111 hectares).

Those are also called Royal Parks because initially they were created for the recreation of the royal family. Many people are using parks for running and walking every day.

Birthday of the Queen

If you decide to visit London, every year there is a big public celebration of Queen’s or King’s Birthday. A crowd of people watch the parade. It is called Trooping the Colour – a tradition coming from the 17th century. It is held annually in London on the second Saturday of June.

After a parade of the British Army, the Queen travels down from The Mall to Buckingham Palace in a Royal Procession. It is very interesting to watch Mounted Troops and Horse Guards. At the end of the event, Royal Air Forces fly over the palace.

Pubs and events in London

In my opinion, English pubs are something special. You can enjoy excellent beer having lunch or without it. You can get a very special traditional dish on Sundays – Sunday Roast. But the most amazing picture you may see on Friday evenings. Before coming home from work, lots of people after working week are gathering, making crowds outside centrally located pubs.

This is like a forecast that the weekend is coming and people start celebrating the end of the hard-working week. And this celebration often ends only when pubs are closing around midnight. Every weekend, during summertime, there are events and various celebrations all around the city. One of the most popular and populated events is Notting Hill Carnival. This event is held each August Bank Holiday since 1966 and is the largest festival celebration of its kind in Europe.

There are lots of costumes, lots of noise from sound systems all around and much more public watching these activities. Altogether, around one million people are participating in this carnival. One of the most interesting attractions during this event is the steel band competition.

London sightseeing

Visiting London offers a huge amount of different attractions. For example, the River Thames is a very busy public transport route. If you wish to have a river trip, it’s worth choosing Greenwich as a destination and using the very comfortable services of Thames Clippers (they are now called Uber Boat). These high-speed catamarans are fast and services are frequent, have many stops and you can watch from the river many sites during the trip. Greenwich is one of the last stops of the Thames Clippers.

After visiting the Royal Observatory and surrounding area in Greenwich, you can return to the city centre using DLR – Docklands Light Railway. This is one more thing to be experienced – DLR is one of the first light rail systems in Britain and has one of the world’s most advanced automatic train control systems.

All DLR trains from Greenwich arrive at Bank Underground Station. These are just a few tips on how you can spend your time in London for an extended weekend. In reality, even 10 years of living in London might be not enough to get familiar with everything that offers this city.

Oxford and Brighton

Posted on 21/11/2023 by ainarsbl

English cities

The United Kingdom is a country, which you can visit many times and every time you will discover something new. The same applies if you are in London. Just to mention that London contains 4 (!) UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the Tower of London, Kew Gardens, a complex consisting of the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, St. Margaret’s Church, and Greenwich.

On this page there are just two very short episodes from many visits outside London, although we have visited many many more – check this blog for other places.

Oxford

Oxford is one of the most beautiful cities in the UK. The city is widely known for its medieval Oxford University. Buildings in Oxford demonstrate an example of every English architectural period since the arrival of Saxons, but especially impressive are the buildings of the University of Oxford.

There are roughly 100 major academic departments, which are overseen by the four academic divisions: Medical Sciences; Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences; Humanities and Social Sciences. There are 38 Oxford colleges, which are financially independent and self-governing but relate to the central University in a kind of federal system.

The best way to get from London to Oxford is by Oxford Tube bus company, it takes less than 2 hours from central London. A bit more expensive option is using a train. If you travel by train to Oxford, you have to leave from Paddington station by Great Western Railway or from Marylebone station to board Chiltern Railways.

Brighton

Brighton is a very popular seaside resort town located about 90 kilometres (50 miles) from London. Brighton is a festival town with many attractive events during the summer season.

Brighton has a 5.4-mile-long shingle beach all owned by the city council. Each year during May, the city hosts the Brighton Festival and Brighton Fringe, which is the second largest arts festival in the UK after Edinburgh (Scotland).

To visit Brighton from London, there are very many frequent train services (Southern and Thameslink) and it would take about one hour to get there.

To the south-west from London there is another, perhaps, even more popular resort town Bournemouth. The best way to travel from London to Brighton and also to Bournemouth, might be by train, however ticket prices during the holiday season may get very high. For example, a return ticket to Bournemouth may cost more than one hundred pounds.