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    Travelers' to do list

    Life is good and we may be in northern Europe this summer. Though it is not my first time overseas, it is the first time I have visited these places. If anyone has advice about where to go, what to do, where to stay (family), etc., it is appreciated. I don't mind if the thread veers into other vacation destinations, because anybody traveling needs advice and, besides, we might get great ideas about a future vacation. Anyway, here are the places we think are happening: Stockholm, Oslo, Edinburgh, Stornoway, Glascow, Glastonbury/Salisbury, London, and all places thereabouts. Thanks, y'all.

    "No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical." -- Niels Bohr

    #2
    Re: Travelers' to do list

    I would only say,as an American,pretend you are Canadian just because of trending images of Americans right now..Or wear a t-shirt that says.."Kiss me
    ,I am Irish"
    MAGIC is MAGIC,black OR white or even blood RED

    all i ever wanted was a normal life and love.
    NO TERF EVER WE belong Too.
    don't stop the tears.let them flood your soul.




    sigpic

    my new page here,let me know what you think.


    nothing but the shadow of what was

    witchvox
    http://www.witchvox.com/vu/vxposts.html

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      #3
      Re: Travelers' to do list

      Originally posted by anunitu View Post
      I would only say,as an American,pretend you are Canadian just because of trending images of Americans right now..Or wear a t-shirt that says.."Kiss me
      ,I am Irish"
      No way! Another country should not get credit for my awesomeness. hehe

      "No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical." -- Niels Bohr

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Travelers' to do list

        Oooo I loved Stornoway and Glasgow so much! Especially Stornoway and the rest of Lewis! I'm so excited for you!

        I've also spent a fair bit of time in London. I have friends there and when I was studying, I was there for almost a month writing my exams.

        The Scottish are super friendly. You need not pretend to be Canadian

        Anyway, will you have a car while you're there?

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Travelers' to do list

          if you swing by copenhagen I'll give you a tour if I'm home (fair warning. I grew up around here, and I still get lost sometimes) ^^
          depends on what you want to see personally, if I was spending some time around London (I'd watch the heck out of all the musicals first) I'd take off to go to dartmoor and new forest - both wonderful places full of mysetry and beauty... also, oxford is absolutely wonderful - think Harry Potter....
          You remind me of the babe
          What babe?
          The babe with the power
          What power?
          The Power of voodoo
          Who do?
          You do!
          Do what?
          Remind me of the babe!

          Army of Darkness: Guardians of the Chat

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Travelers' to do list

            London: Hella expensive, even hostels. Go eat at the Cornwall Pasty Co, or Gregg's. The BEST pasties (little hand pies). I'm not much for touristy things, but Westminster Abbey was a little bit mindblowing for me. And the Tower of London. The London Eye isn't really worth the money, IMO, but it gives you a pretty wicked vista. There is a pub somewhere called Ye old Cheshire Cheese that has been around since the 1600s and I ate a pheasant there once. Look it up - it's got a good medieval vibe to it. Maybe it's just cuz I'm from Canada, but I remember liking it. As per musicals - go to the discount box office. If you're willing to buy stuff last minute/bad seats, you can get tickets for some of the big shows for pretty cheap. I've seen a few things that way.

            Edinburgh: Old town is super cool. The castle is neat, but expensive (I think 15 quid/person). There is a really fun backpacker's called Argyle's - go check them out if you need a place to stay. I remember it being cheap, and it was like a big house and a big family. I remember there was a cat, and a nintendo, and a nice yard. Arthur's Seat is a fun hike, and it's walking distance from the aforementioned hostel. There is a whisky tour near the castle that's hilariously cheesy, but leads to some yummy tasting down in the basement.

            Glasgow: I found to be kinda crummy, but I wasn't there super long. I went to a museum of religion while I was there (I remember there were some neat carvings of Shiva), and the University grounds are stunning. Lots of clubbing. I don't remember much of Glasgow *cough*.
            ...and it's kinda nearby, but if you get a chance to go to Stirling, there's some wicked history in the area. Old Roman roads and the Battle of Stirling Bridge, and William Wallace monument. I enjoyed it.

            Salisbury: Okay. So. Everyone wants to see stonehenge. But. Stonehenge is expensive. You can't touch the stones. There's fences and lots of tourists. Don't let me stop you from going. But. Go see Avebury too. It's a small town nearby, you can go right up to the henge (or you could 6 years ago), there's a pub with a thatched roof. And the henge is of a similar size to stonehenge.

            Glastonbury: hilariously cheesy. They really upped the whole witchcraft/king arthur thing there. It's kinda a fun place. Stock up on witchy items. Drink some cider. Go see where King Arthur was supposedly buried.

            And if you're going in those areas, go see Bath. Bath is a nice town. The Roman Baths are pretty interesting too.

            (I go to the UK every two years, lol)


            Mostly art.

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Travelers' to do list

              Stockholm: avoid it.

              Just kidding. The Old Town/Gamla Stan will look nice in your holiday photos though...
              baah.

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Travelers' to do list

                London: I LOVE the British Museum. But I can't stand the part with the mummies because it's stuffed full. But there's a great section on Celtic artifacts that is usually pretty quiet, and it's one of the most interesting parts of the museum.

                That being said, my favourite museum in London is the Victoria & Albert.

                I don't know about you, but I'm a huge fan of markets. I especially liked the Brick Lane Market and the Old Spitalfields Market...I'm not sure if they happen all week though or just on weekends.

                I second going to the discount office for the theatre seats. WAY cheaper. Also, I found that the theatres weren't all that big, so the "bad" seats we got weren't all that bad. Probably depends on the theatre though.

                Stornoway:
                Stornoway itself is a pretty quick visit, because it's fairly small. It's a nice town though and I enjoyed being there. If you go to the docks where the boats go, you can sometimes see seals. We fed them with some fish cuts that the fisher behind the docks gave us (we also bought some fish from him).

                Stornoway is famous for its black pudding. If you can stomach black pudding and are not vegetarian, give it a try!

                If you have a car or don't mind taking some buses or hitchhiking, a lot of the great things to see on Lewis are in the countryside. We were on a hiking holiday, so we managed it without a car. DEFINITELY go see the standing stones at Calanais (Callanish). I can also recommend the fortress of Dun Carloway. The Gearrannan Blackhouse Village is worth a visit. It's a restoration of several blackhouses, which are the dwellings that most people on the island lived in until around the turn of the century. Also, there is another blackhouse site just north in Arnol. It's smaller and mostly consists of a single preserved house and some ruins, but it was the last blackhouse to be occupied on the island (someone was living there until 1966!) The people who were (and probably still are) working there are also very nice and helpful.

                The coastlines on Lewis and Harris are also pretty spectacular. If you can make it to the west coast of the Harris side, do. We missed it because we were on foot and didn't have time to make it, but a lot of locals raved about it. Another thing we missed that we really wanted to do was go to the "Butt of Lewis" at Ness at the top of the island. apparently that's pretty spectacular as well.

                There are also some pretty nice walking trails on the Harris side of the island, if you like hiking. They aren't too difficult.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Travelers' to do list

                  Originally posted by DanieMarie View Post
                  Oooo I loved Stornoway and Glasgow so much! Especially Stornoway and the rest of Lewis! I'm so excited for you!

                  I've also spent a fair bit of time in London. I have friends there and when I was studying, I was there for almost a month writing my exams.

                  The Scottish are super friendly. You need not pretend to be Canadian

                  Anyway, will you have a car while you're there?
                  I think we will have to have a car until we are closer to London. There are hardly roads some of the places we'd like to go. I have some roots in Scotland, and also England and Wales for that matter, but I have been told more than once that I have a "Scottish forehead," though that might just mean that I am hard-headed. We had to make some hard decisions since he wants to visit his roots, too, but we have limited time and resources. It came down to the teenagers deciding. Did not like giving up Berlin and Prague, though; perhaps we can do that just we two.

                  "No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical." -- Niels Bohr

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                    #10
                    Re: Travelers' to do list

                    haha too bad you're not coming to Berlin...I live there, so I could have given you a ton of tips!

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Travelers' to do list

                      Originally posted by iris View Post
                      if you swing by copenhagen I'll give you a tour if I'm home (fair warning. I grew up around here, and I still get lost sometimes) ^^
                      depends on what you want to see personally, if I was spending some time around London (I'd watch the heck out of all the musicals first) I'd take off to go to dartmoor and new forest - both wonderful places full of mysetry and beauty... also, oxford is absolutely wonderful - think Harry Potter....
                      Thanks for the offer, but right now Copenhagen is not on the itinerary. I will check out Dartmoor and New Forest and see what the family thinks.

                      "No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical." -- Niels Bohr

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Travelers' to do list

                        I was gonna say,if you are on a kinda 15 countries in 20 days kind a deal it might get tight.
                        MAGIC is MAGIC,black OR white or even blood RED

                        all i ever wanted was a normal life and love.
                        NO TERF EVER WE belong Too.
                        don't stop the tears.let them flood your soul.




                        sigpic

                        my new page here,let me know what you think.


                        nothing but the shadow of what was

                        witchvox
                        http://www.witchvox.com/vu/vxposts.html

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Travelers' to do list

                          Originally posted by volcaniclastic View Post
                          London: Hella expensive, even hostels. Go eat at the Cornwall Pasty Co, or Gregg's. The BEST pasties (little hand pies). I'm not much for touristy things, but Westminster Abbey was a little bit mindblowing for me. And the Tower of London. The London Eye isn't really worth the money, IMO, but it gives you a pretty wicked vista. There is a pub somewhere called Ye old Cheshire Cheese that has been around since the 1600s and I ate a pheasant there once. Look it up - it's got a good medieval vibe to it. Maybe it's just cuz I'm from Canada, but I remember liking it. As per musicals - go to the discount box office. If you're willing to buy stuff last minute/bad seats, you can get tickets for some of the big shows for pretty cheap. I've seen a few things that way.

                          Edinburgh: Old town is super cool. The castle is neat, but expensive (I think 15 quid/person). There is a really fun backpacker's called Argyle's - go check them out if you need a place to stay. I remember it being cheap, and it was like a big house and a big family. I remember there was a cat, and a nintendo, and a nice yard. Arthur's Seat is a fun hike, and it's walking distance from the aforementioned hostel. There is a whisky tour near the castle that's hilariously cheesy, but leads to some yummy tasting down in the basement.

                          Glasgow: I found to be kinda crummy, but I wasn't there super long. I went to a museum of religion while I was there (I remember there were some neat carvings of Shiva), and the University grounds are stunning. Lots of clubbing. I don't remember much of Glasgow *cough*.
                          ...and it's kinda nearby, but if you get a chance to go to Stirling, there's some wicked history in the area. Old Roman roads and the Battle of Stirling Bridge, and William Wallace monument. I enjoyed it.

                          Salisbury: Okay. So. Everyone wants to see stonehenge. But. Stonehenge is expensive. You can't touch the stones. There's fences and lots of tourists. Don't let me stop you from going. But. Go see Avebury too. It's a small town nearby, you can go right up to the henge (or you could 6 years ago), there's a pub with a thatched roof. And the henge is of a similar size to stonehenge.

                          Glastonbury: hilariously cheesy. They really upped the whole witchcraft/king arthur thing there. It's kinda a fun place. Stock up on witchy items. Drink some cider. Go see where King Arthur was supposedly buried.

                          And if you're going in those areas, go see Bath. Bath is a nice town. The Roman Baths are pretty interesting too.

                          (I go to the UK every two years, lol)
                          Wow, thanks, V! Lots of good stuff. I totally get the Salisbury/Glastonbury thing, but since we are in the neighborhood we, too, shall be tourists. Bath sounds like a cool addition. Since we are traveling from the DC area I am not expecting too much sticker shock. I think there are only two other places in the US with higher prices.

                          - - - Updated - - -

                          Stockholm: avoid it.

                          Just kidding. The Old Town/Gamla Stan will look nice in your holiday photos though...
                          My daughter would be crushed. Honestly, that stop is almost entirely about her.

                          - - - Updated - - -

                          Originally posted by DanieMarie View Post
                          London: I LOVE the British Museum. But I can't stand the part with the mummies because it's stuffed full. But there's a great section on Celtic artifacts that is usually pretty quiet, and it's one of the most interesting parts of the museum.

                          That being said, my favourite museum in London is the Victoria & Albert.

                          I don't know about you, but I'm a huge fan of markets. I especially liked the Brick Lane Market and the Old Spitalfields Market...I'm not sure if they happen all week though or just on weekends.

                          I second going to the discount office for the theatre seats. WAY cheaper. Also, I found that the theatres weren't all that big, so the "bad" seats we got weren't all that bad. Probably depends on the theatre though.

                          Stornoway:
                          Stornoway itself is a pretty quick visit, because it's fairly small. It's a nice town though and I enjoyed being there. If you go to the docks where the boats go, you can sometimes see seals. We fed them with some fish cuts that the fisher behind the docks gave us (we also bought some fish from him).

                          Stornoway is famous for its black pudding. If you can stomach black pudding and are not vegetarian, give it a try!

                          If you have a car or don't mind taking some buses or hitchhiking, a lot of the great things to see on Lewis are in the countryside. We were on a hiking holiday, so we managed it without a car. DEFINITELY go see the standing stones at Calanais (Callanish). I can also recommend the fortress of Dun Carloway. The Gearrannan Blackhouse Village is worth a visit. It's a restoration of several blackhouses, which are the dwellings that most people on the island lived in until around the turn of the century. Also, there is another blackhouse site just north in Arnol. It's smaller and mostly consists of a single preserved house and some ruins, but it was the last blackhouse to be occupied on the island (someone was living there until 1966!) The people who were (and probably still are) working there are also very nice and helpful.

                          The coastlines on Lewis and Harris are also pretty spectacular. If you can make it to the west coast of the Harris side, do. We missed it because we were on foot and didn't have time to make it, but a lot of locals raved about it. Another thing we missed that we really wanted to do was go to the "Butt of Lewis" at Ness at the top of the island. apparently that's pretty spectacular as well.

                          There are also some pretty nice walking trails on the Harris side of the island, if you like hiking. They aren't too difficult.
                          Excellent. The Lewis part of the trip is what I am most looking forward to.

                          - - - Updated - - -

                          Originally posted by DanieMarie View Post
                          haha too bad you're not coming to Berlin...I live there, so I could have given you a ton of tips!
                          There is always next time. Turns out the man is mostly Prussian, so ....

                          - - - Updated - - -

                          Originally posted by anunitu View Post
                          I was gonna say,if you are on a kinda 15 countries in 20 days kind a deal it might get tight.
                          I can't travel that way. Right now we've got 3 days each in Stockholm and Oslo and then 2 weeks gadding about Britain. I do not want to drive more than 4 hours on any one day, so it will be leisurely. Once we have a definite plan we may have to make more hard decisions based upon finances.

                          "No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical." -- Niels Bohr

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Travelers' to do list

                            Make sure to take lots of photos!

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Travelers' to do list

                              I almost forgot....if you're interested in sewing or any fabric arts, make sure you check out the Harris tweed on Lewis. It's the island's most famous product and has a special protection status (only wool fabric hand woven or traditionally woven in the outer Hebrides is allowed to call itself Harris tweed). You can buy it at some of the Harris Tweed Hebrides galleries around Stornoway and the prices aren't bad for high quality wool fabric, but I recommend the Lewis Loom Centre. It's a sewer's dream there, stuffed full of fabric and remnants and run by a somewhat eccentric man who is passionate about the fabric and happy to tell you all about it.

                              There are also a few smaller mills that you can visit and see them weaving the fabric. Unfortunately, we missed our chance (I think it was just outside of Carloway). We saw the sign, but it was around 5 pm and we were worried about finding a place to camp before dark (when you're on foot and the landscape is damp, this is a HUGE issue). I still regret it. It would have been interesting to see!

                              You can learn a bit more about Harris tweed and where to find it here: http://www.harristweed.org/

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