Britain is home to our gracious Queen, Earl Grey tea, The Beatles, very bad teeth and for 3 weeks two Australian Radventurers! Our time in Britain was bookended by a few sightseeing days in London but the majority of the trip was spent on the open roads. We nearly managed to hit all the extreme compass points of this small but spectacular land. As we flew back across Europe, sipping on our first cup of English tea, we calculated that this was our first English speaking country in 7 months. The thought of ordering from a menu and knowing exactly what you were getting, understanding directions and asking obscure questions was quite exciting. At this stage we hadn't heard the thick Scottish and Welsh accents or ordered the nice sounding black pudding.
In true London fashion we were welcomed by the drizzle and stunningly chilly grey skies of a British 'summer'. The shorts and thongs were again tucked deep in the depths of our backpacks. Our first day in London was filled with the regular tourist hotspots like Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, No. 1 Downing Street, The Big Ben and more. A lunchtime pitstop to enjoy a pie and a pint led to us feeling right at home.
The next day, excited to get on the road and escape the rain drops of London, we picked up our Spaceship campervan (basically a Tarago with a bed in the back and a few camper trimmings). Every night we stayed at camp sites which ranged from organic farms to muddy fields out the back of pubs to pristine official club sites. Sometimes we looked at others with envy at their Tajmahal sized tents and uber modern campervans, but when it started to rain and everything was soggy we smiled smugly in our cosy little Spaceship.
Scotland had by far the most differing and stunning landscape. But before we rave about the hues of green, blue and of course grey, we have to talk about sock removal. The debate is still raging whether our two days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival were so entertaining they blew our socks off or so funny that we laughed our socks off. Either way we had an incredible time walking the cobbled streets and soaking up the fun-filled vibe as it was full of performers and people in outrageous costumes. The biggest highlight was definitely comedian David O'Doherty and his hilarious tunes. With sore cheeks from smiling we drove to the north of Scotland and the uppermost tip of the mysterious Loch Ness. The next day we spent 12 hours sitting on the shore with binoculars hunting for the beast that lurks within.... Not really. We did drive down one edge, but the best we saw was a floating log. After a magical drive through the untouched Scottish Highlands we arrived at the Isle of Skye - despite the small distance the terrian changed from more lush curved grand mountains spotted with shaggy cows to volcanic formed jaggered peaks. On the Isle of Skye we found a perfect spot to park the camper and spent the evening cooking and watching the sunset over the mountains (and getting eaten alive by bugs). The next morning Sara ate 'the best scone in the WORLD', but she gobbled it down to quick for us to get a photo. Our last few nights were spent camping by more of the Scottish Lochs, and we enjoyed a few off terrain walks through forrests and past waterfalls. Before we left Scotland we tried the famous haggis, which was surprisingly good, but we cheated and got it fried and typically anything that is served in crunchy batter is usually pretty good.
We said goodbye to Scotland bound for The Lakes District in the North of England. We were warned not to head to this area on any summer weekend, so of course we timed it perfectly to be there on the biggest long weekend in England. Let's just say the little town and camp ground was full of pasty white Englishmen and tonnes of excited kids. Near the town center we saw our first stone circle. It was small but free and completely open for a rock climbing experience - surprisingly slippery when you are wearing only your socks. Before the rain came tumbling in that afternoon we took a walk along the crag and got a stunning view of the famous lakes in the area.
Wales was the next destination, which meant that in 3 days we had crossed into 3 countries (that is a record for us). We explored our first castle, Conwy Castle, which is a shell of a once grand building. It was incredibly rustic and antique. Very cool. As it was a Sunday night, we went to a small local pub, The Old Stag, and enjoyed a huge and very English Sunday Lunch. Coming into Britain we were not so excited about the "food journey" but surprisingly it was meals like this and the simplicity of things like real fresh organic cows milk with cereal, that were tantilising our tastebuds. Next we drove through the Snowdonia National Park and arrived in St David to a stunning camp sight on the edge of a cliff. After more walks passed cows, relaxing and cooking good food Wales came to a end. We do think it is still a little strange that in Welsh an eight letter word can only have one vowel.
By this stage we only had a few more stops in England before we had to give back the Spaceship. We drove to Bristol, snapped a pic of an original Banksy piece (Scott has become a little obsessed with street art), then through Bath before arriving in Cheddar Gorge. We walked along The Gorge and took in the sheer dropping edges. As we left the area we chowed down a few slices of the famous Cheddar cheese and drove into the Cornwall region. This area continued to "wow" us with an incredible drive through the Dartmoor National Park where there are no fences to keep the wild animals (mostly sheep, cows and horses) off the road, so they just stroll from the ever so green rolling mountains onto the road. We stayed a night in Padstow, which is also know as PadStein after the famous chef Rick Stein. His restaurants, patiserries, shops, delis and cooking schools are spotted throughout the town. So to make sure we could enjoy the famous food we took a very long stroll along the Camel Trail (an old train track), before enhaling the best fish and chips we will ever eat in our lives! OK after a 21km walk (half marathon!) we were starving so it may have impacted our food rating but when you fry a delicious piece of lemon sole fish in beef drippings and a crunchy lemony melt-in-your-mouth lightly salted morsal emerges you cannot beat it. Full to the brim we then made our way up to Avebury town for our second stone circle and a night at the shitest 'campsite' in Britain. Early the next morning we made our way to Stonehenge expecting an over-hyped tourist trap, but it was amazimg. This huge ring of ancient, giant stones somehow captures the imagination. A rainy afternoon drive ended at the famous White Cliffs where the crashing waves and the tumultous grey skies only added to the powerful landscape. Sadly that was the end of the road trip and after 4,024kms (the equivalent of driving from Sydney to Melbourne 5.5 times - yes we are nerds) we were wondering if we could join the rest of the Australian Expats enjoying free weekends out in the English countryside, but an afternoon shower quickly reminded us that there is no place like home!
Back in London the weather held out for us and we didn't have a drop of rain in four days! We had some very exciting activities planned including seeing The Lion King (an excellent production) on West End and enjoying a very fine lunch at the Michellen Star rated Ledbury (outstanding food - an incredible flavour sensation in every mouthful), but let's start at the beginning. Our first afternoon was spent wandering around the impressive and free Tate Modern Art Museum that had some very cool exhibits. We walked past St Paul's Cathedral and stopped in at the Museum of London before headig to Kings Cross to see a comedy night at a London Pub. This featured a naked Frenchman, slutty housekeeping maids and some very 'interesting' stand up routines. Our hostel was in the heart of Camden (London's alternate central) and we made the most of it by spending a morning checking out what was on offer at the Camden markets, which included anything your modern day Punk or Raver could possibly need. That afternoon we made our way to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels and the site of all Henry VIII's famous beheadings. We were lucky enough that night to catch up with Scott's friend Miles for a few pints, before getting our culture on at the Lion King. Continuing with our 'culture hits on we went to the Ledbury for lunch, which included an incredible summer bean salad, squid risotto, berry dessert and delectable cheese platter (basically everything we ate!). We spent that afternoon strolling around Notting Hill and the Portobello markets before hitting up Chinatown and the Soho area that night (a place for people who bat for any team). Our last morning was spent hunting around London's East End in search of cool street art, which ended in a rich Indian lunch on Brick Lane. With a huge food coma we staggered along Oxford St (Scott's favourite past time was pointing out the Monopoly names) and Speakers Corner in Hyde Park before collapsing back in our hostel with dreams of warm weather.
Britain was full of character and a fantastic place to spend 3 weeks campervanning around. We weren't expecting the countryside to be as spellbounding as it was and the people so friendly (not a riot in sight!). London itself has so many distinctive cool neighbourhoods that we can see why so many Australians get caught in its web.
Peace Out,
In true London fashion we were welcomed by the drizzle and stunningly chilly grey skies of a British 'summer'. The shorts and thongs were again tucked deep in the depths of our backpacks. Our first day in London was filled with the regular tourist hotspots like Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, No. 1 Downing Street, The Big Ben and more. A lunchtime pitstop to enjoy a pie and a pint led to us feeling right at home.
Delicious pot pie
Big Ben and The London Eye
Our Cool Camper
Dinner time!....
The trip itself was an anti-clockwise circle starting in London heading up to Scotland via the east coast, then down the west coast, past The Lakes District into Wales, then Cornwall before a short stop in the south-east before arriving back in London. Let us start by saying that Britain has some outstanding natural landscape - not a day passed where we weren't inspired by the changing countryside.
Scotland had by far the most differing and stunning landscape. But before we rave about the hues of green, blue and of course grey, we have to talk about sock removal. The debate is still raging whether our two days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival were so entertaining they blew our socks off or so funny that we laughed our socks off. Either way we had an incredible time walking the cobbled streets and soaking up the fun-filled vibe as it was full of performers and people in outrageous costumes. The biggest highlight was definitely comedian David O'Doherty and his hilarious tunes. With sore cheeks from smiling we drove to the north of Scotland and the uppermost tip of the mysterious Loch Ness. The next day we spent 12 hours sitting on the shore with binoculars hunting for the beast that lurks within.... Not really. We did drive down one edge, but the best we saw was a floating log. After a magical drive through the untouched Scottish Highlands we arrived at the Isle of Skye - despite the small distance the terrian changed from more lush curved grand mountains spotted with shaggy cows to volcanic formed jaggered peaks. On the Isle of Skye we found a perfect spot to park the camper and spent the evening cooking and watching the sunset over the mountains (and getting eaten alive by bugs). The next morning Sara ate 'the best scone in the WORLD', but she gobbled it down to quick for us to get a photo. Our last few nights were spent camping by more of the Scottish Lochs, and we enjoyed a few off terrain walks through forrests and past waterfalls. Before we left Scotland we tried the famous haggis, which was surprisingly good, but we cheated and got it fried and typically anything that is served in crunchy batter is usually pretty good.
Edinburgh Fring Festival
One of the many spectacular Scottish Lochs
Highland Cow
Scottish Beach
We said goodbye to Scotland bound for The Lakes District in the North of England. We were warned not to head to this area on any summer weekend, so of course we timed it perfectly to be there on the biggest long weekend in England. Let's just say the little town and camp ground was full of pasty white Englishmen and tonnes of excited kids. Near the town center we saw our first stone circle. It was small but free and completely open for a rock climbing experience - surprisingly slippery when you are wearing only your socks. Before the rain came tumbling in that afternoon we took a walk along the crag and got a stunning view of the famous lakes in the area.
Peaceful stone circle
Looking out at the lakes from the top of the crag
Wales was the next destination, which meant that in 3 days we had crossed into 3 countries (that is a record for us). We explored our first castle, Conwy Castle, which is a shell of a once grand building. It was incredibly rustic and antique. Very cool. As it was a Sunday night, we went to a small local pub, The Old Stag, and enjoyed a huge and very English Sunday Lunch. Coming into Britain we were not so excited about the "food journey" but surprisingly it was meals like this and the simplicity of things like real fresh organic cows milk with cereal, that were tantilising our tastebuds. Next we drove through the Snowdonia National Park and arrived in St David to a stunning camp sight on the edge of a cliff. After more walks passed cows, relaxing and cooking good food Wales came to a end. We do think it is still a little strange that in Welsh an eight letter word can only have one vowel.
Conwy Castle
St David (Our campsite is the white dots above our heads)
Scotty chowing down the last few bits of Sunday Lunch
By this stage we only had a few more stops in England before we had to give back the Spaceship. We drove to Bristol, snapped a pic of an original Banksy piece (Scott has become a little obsessed with street art), then through Bath before arriving in Cheddar Gorge. We walked along The Gorge and took in the sheer dropping edges. As we left the area we chowed down a few slices of the famous Cheddar cheese and drove into the Cornwall region. This area continued to "wow" us with an incredible drive through the Dartmoor National Park where there are no fences to keep the wild animals (mostly sheep, cows and horses) off the road, so they just stroll from the ever so green rolling mountains onto the road. We stayed a night in Padstow, which is also know as PadStein after the famous chef Rick Stein. His restaurants, patiserries, shops, delis and cooking schools are spotted throughout the town. So to make sure we could enjoy the famous food we took a very long stroll along the Camel Trail (an old train track), before enhaling the best fish and chips we will ever eat in our lives! OK after a 21km walk (half marathon!) we were starving so it may have impacted our food rating but when you fry a delicious piece of lemon sole fish in beef drippings and a crunchy lemony melt-in-your-mouth lightly salted morsal emerges you cannot beat it. Full to the brim we then made our way up to Avebury town for our second stone circle and a night at the shitest 'campsite' in Britain. Early the next morning we made our way to Stonehenge expecting an over-hyped tourist trap, but it was amazimg. This huge ring of ancient, giant stones somehow captures the imagination. A rainy afternoon drive ended at the famous White Cliffs where the crashing waves and the tumultous grey skies only added to the powerful landscape. Sadly that was the end of the road trip and after 4,024kms (the equivalent of driving from Sydney to Melbourne 5.5 times - yes we are nerds) we were wondering if we could join the rest of the Australian Expats enjoying free weekends out in the English countryside, but an afternoon shower quickly reminded us that there is no place like home!
Banksy Original
Sara on top of a big drop in Cheddar Gorge
Rick Stein's Fish and Chips
Scott getting up close to the Avebury stone circle
Magical Stonehnge
Stunning white cliffs
Back in London the weather held out for us and we didn't have a drop of rain in four days! We had some very exciting activities planned including seeing The Lion King (an excellent production) on West End and enjoying a very fine lunch at the Michellen Star rated Ledbury (outstanding food - an incredible flavour sensation in every mouthful), but let's start at the beginning. Our first afternoon was spent wandering around the impressive and free Tate Modern Art Museum that had some very cool exhibits. We walked past St Paul's Cathedral and stopped in at the Museum of London before headig to Kings Cross to see a comedy night at a London Pub. This featured a naked Frenchman, slutty housekeeping maids and some very 'interesting' stand up routines. Our hostel was in the heart of Camden (London's alternate central) and we made the most of it by spending a morning checking out what was on offer at the Camden markets, which included anything your modern day Punk or Raver could possibly need. That afternoon we made our way to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels and the site of all Henry VIII's famous beheadings. We were lucky enough that night to catch up with Scott's friend Miles for a few pints, before getting our culture on at the Lion King. Continuing with our 'culture hits on we went to the Ledbury for lunch, which included an incredible summer bean salad, squid risotto, berry dessert and delectable cheese platter (basically everything we ate!). We spent that afternoon strolling around Notting Hill and the Portobello markets before hitting up Chinatown and the Soho area that night (a place for people who bat for any team). Our last morning was spent hunting around London's East End in search of cool street art, which ended in a rich Indian lunch on Brick Lane. With a huge food coma we staggered along Oxford St (Scott's favourite past time was pointing out the Monopoly names) and Speakers Corner in Hyde Park before collapsing back in our hostel with dreams of warm weather.
Ring, Ring
Art at Tate Modern
Cool street art
More very cool street art
Scott enjoying Indian for the 2nd time in 8 months
Britain was full of character and a fantastic place to spend 3 weeks campervanning around. We weren't expecting the countryside to be as spellbounding as it was and the people so friendly (not a riot in sight!). London itself has so many distinctive cool neighbourhoods that we can see why so many Australians get caught in its web.
Peace Out,
Scotty and Sara
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