My Travels in England

As I mentioned previously, I'm currently reading a book entitled Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson. It's a great read and really funny (with some language and crude elements to be aware of). Reading this book got me to thinking that I should share here how much I love England and some of my travels there.

England is such an interesting place full of history and culture. What in America we call "antique" was just a few years ago in England. My mom lived in the Cotswolds for 6 years (in Amberley) and her cottage was just as old if not older that our nation! The pubs are great fun -- people move over to give you a seat if the place is full, talk about anything and everything, and dogs are welcome to hang around inside. The churches and cathedrals are magnificent. I love the names of places and things -- Chelsea, Bristol, Cheltenham, Manchester, etc. I even love the food which some Americans don't like (meat pies, yum).

My longest stay in England was when I got a trip from my mom as a graduation gift after my undergrad degree. I stayed on the island for pretty much the whole month of June in 1993. I stayed with friends of my mom and stepdad and got the inside scoop everywhere I stayed. Based on my mom and girlfriend's (now my wife) advice, I kept a journal of my trip and I'm so glad that I did. Since then, we were able to go as a family when my mom lived over there and it was great to get to share it with my boys (Baby Girl wasn't born yet) and my bride.

To be a bit more specific here are the villages and cities that I have spent at least a little bit of time. In or around London I've visited: Sevenoaks, Chiddingstone (Spotted Dog pub is great with an awesome view), Tonbridge, New Malden, Epsom, Richmond Park, Hampton Court (great place), and all of the main areas that you would expect.

Other places in England include: Studland Bay(Knoll House is highly recommended), Bournemouth, Corfe Castle, Swanage, Castle Combe (great place), Cirencester, Nailsworth, Tetbury, Minchinhampton, Amberley, Bath, Painswick, Gloucester, Coopers Hill (had to mention that because of my son's name), Oxford, Stratford Upon Avon, and York (maybe my favorite city).

In Scotland, I've visited: Berwick Upon Tweed (actually on the border in England), Edinburgh, Dunfermline, Cramond, North Berwick (neat coastal village), Perth, Dundee, Glasgow, Inverness, and Culloden (great battlefield history).