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.
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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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Mostly Harmless
- Oct 2012
- 908
- pragmatic monism
- DC area, US
- "Everything not forbidden is compulsory" - TH White
Re: Travelers' to do list
Originally posted by anunitu View PostI 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, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical." -- Niels Bohr
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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?
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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
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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)
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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.
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Mostly Harmless
- Oct 2012
- 908
- pragmatic monism
- DC area, US
- "Everything not forbidden is compulsory" - TH White
Re: Travelers' to do list
Originally posted by DanieMarie View PostOooo 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?
"No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical." -- Niels Bohr
Comment
-
Mostly Harmless
- Oct 2012
- 908
- pragmatic monism
- DC area, US
- "Everything not forbidden is compulsory" - TH White
Re: Travelers' to do list
Originally posted by iris View Postif 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....
"No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical." -- Niels Bohr
Comment
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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
-
Mostly Harmless
- Oct 2012
- 908
- pragmatic monism
- DC area, US
- "Everything not forbidden is compulsory" - TH White
Re: Travelers' to do list
Originally posted by volcaniclastic View PostLondon: 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)
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Stockholm: avoid it.
Just kidding. The Old Town/Gamla Stan will look nice in your holiday photos though...
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Originally posted by DanieMarie View PostLondon: 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.
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Originally posted by DanieMarie View Posthaha too bad you're not coming to Berlin...I live there, so I could have given you a ton of tips!
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Originally posted by anunitu View PostI was gonna say,if you are on a kinda 15 countries in 20 days kind a deal it might get tight.
"No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical." -- Niels Bohr
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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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