A wee trip to Northern Ireland

On May 19, 2024May 19, 2024 By notyouravggiraffeIn Travel, UKLeave a comment

Ever since I moved to the UK, I’ve wanted to visit Belfast, and by extension, Northern Ireland. I finally was able to get a trip organised, and managed to spend five days exploring Belfast, and other areas of the country. Here are some of the highlights!

Belfast City Centre

The city of Belfast itself was the main purpose of my trip, and I feel like I was able to cover much of the city during my visit. I lucked out with weather for much of the trip, and even managed to get a little sunburnt due to the unexpected sunshine. With the weather so nice, it meant that I was able to easily walk around the city, and truly enjoy the beauty of the city.

One thing that did surprise me was how early it seemed a lot of places, restaurants included, closed. Bars and pubs were open late, but when I first arrived and wanted dinner after 8pm, it didn’t seem like I could find many options.

Titanic Belfast

Belfast is broken up into several quarters, all offering their own insight into the history of Belfast. I started my time in Belfast off with a visit to the Titanic Quarter, making a visit to the Titanic Belfast museum. The tickets aren’t the cheapest, but I went through a Titanic phase when I was younger, so this felt like something I needed to do. The museum takes you through the history of the Titanic, starting in “boomtown Belfast” leading all the way through the repercussions of the Titanic’s sinking.

I almost found there to be too much information in some of the sections, and the recommended 2-3 hours almost felt like not enough time (although there were several groups from schools and cruise ships there while I was visiting). I spent over three hours going through all of the exhibit, but it’s really well done. I came away with loads of new information about the ship, and enjoyed my time in the museum (including a small shipyard ride!).

Included in the entry ticket is the ability to board the SS Nomadic, one of the tender boats that was used to board first and second class passengers onto the Titanic in Cherbourg, France. It’s not as in depth as the Titanic museum, but it’s worth exploring.

After finishing with everything my ticket granted me access to, I went into the Titanic Hotel next door to walk around. While the hotel has been modernised, and is a full service hotel, this was done with the requirement that some of the rooms be kept in their original state from when Titanic was being built. This means that you can see the draughts room, offices, and more – even if you aren’t a guest!

I also decided to treat myself to an afternoon tea at the Hotel, and it was a lovely experience!

Young woman sits behind a plate of desserts and scones at an afternoon tea at the Titanic Hotel in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK — Always excited for an afternoon tea!

While in the area, I also managed to spot a Queen Victoria cyphered postbox! I always look at the cyphers on postboxes as I walk by, and Queen Victoria’s is one I haven’t yet seen “in the wild.” Not only did I finally get to see one in Northern Ireland, but I went on to find her other cypher near the Giant’s Causeway.

If you walk to or from the Titanic along the Maritime Trail, you’ll also come upon up to six stained glass windows depicting fan voted scenes from Game of Thrones. This is called #GlassofThrones, and was created in honour of the show that filmed for ten years in Belfast. Even if you aren’t a fan of Games of Thrones, they’re worth trying to find for the glass work, and stunning colors.

Young woman sits in front of stained glass depicting the Iron Throne from Games of Thrones in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK — Found myself an Iron Throne!

Belfast City Hall

Located in the centre of Belfast is Belfast City Hall. The architecture of the big dome is reminiscent of Saint Paul’s in London, and surrounding the building are several statues of people of note. The highlight of the visit has to be the inside of the building. Not only are there a handful of beautiful stained glass windows representing pivotal moments in Belfast’s history, but there is also a 16 room exhibition of the history of Belfast.

I was shocked at how in depth the exhibition was, and how much information there was about Belfast. Admittedly, it was more older history, and less modern history, but it was chock-full of information about the city, and how it has grown into what it is today.

You can also join a guided tour of the council rooms. The tour lasts an hour and has limited spots, but it’s worth an hour of your time to learn about the position of Lord Mayor in Belfast, and see how the 60 councillors of Belfast hold their meetings. The tours operate at set times, and you have to inquire about whether they have space – be sure to go early to grab a ticket (it’s free!) if you want to join one.

Councillors' chambers in Belfast City Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK — Councillors’ chambers in Belfast City Hall

Ulster Museum and Botanic Gardens

At the South side of Belfast, you can find the University, along with the large botanic gardens. Towards one corner of them sits the Ulster Museum, containing history of Belfast from prehistoric times to today. Due to its location, I only managed to get there about 15 minutes before it closed, so I sped off to the section about the Troubles and started there. I didn’t have much time, but what I was able to see was an interesting exhibition.

The Botanic Gardens were also lovely to sit in while the sun was out – I definitely lucked out with the weather during much of my visit!

St. George’s Market

If you’re in Belfast Friday – Sunday, St. George’s Market is open to explore. Inside they have countless stalls of food, souvenirs, as well as arts and crafts. It’s a perfect place to grab a bite to eat, or to pick up a memento from your trip.

Cab ride of Belfast Murals

Dotted around Belfast are murals depicting both Republican and Loyalist icons/scenes depending on where in Belfast you are. Booking a cab ride will allow you to be driven around to see them, while also hearing from someone who lived in Belfast during the troubles.

I had a Republican driver who told us all about how he and his family spend the troubles, and some history on how the IRA came to be during the time. I found any opportunity I had to learn about the history of Northern Ireland fascinating, and it was made even more so by being able to hear some first hand stories.

There are countless cab companies offering this experience, and I imagine they’re all fairly similar. I opted for a 60 minute tour, but you can book longer ones. If this is something you want to do in Belfast, be sure to book in advance to guarantee a time slot that works for you.

Coach trip to the Giant’s Causeway

In addition to spending some time in Belfast, I wanted to explore more of Northern Ireland itself. I booked a day trip via coach with McComb’s Coaches, and it was a wonderful time. It was a full day full of stops, but I had beautiful weather and a great coach driver that made it feel like it went by in a breeze.

The tour started bright and early, and quickly came to a photo stop at Carrickfergus Castle, followed by a drive along the coastal Causeway route (Antrim Coast). With the weather being so clear, we were able to see pretty far into the distance, and the views were stunning. We had another stop in Carnlough Harbour which is a small, fishing village. We then had another stop at Cushenden Caves – while it was nice to stretch my legs at this stop, I wasn’t as wowed with the caves as I was with other stops.

Irish flag at Carnlough Harbour, Northern Ireland, UK — You can use the flags flying in Northern Ireland to determine whether you’re in a republican or unionist area

Before lunch we had another photo stop at Carrick-a-rede Ropebridge, and in the far distance, we could even make out some of the Scottish coast. I wish I could’ve done the Ropebridge, but coaches aren’t allowed anymore, and you’d really need to make your own separate trip to do it. I brought a packed lunch for the lunch stop (where I got myself some Tayto crisps to try), and then we were off to the Giant’s Causeway – the highlight of the trip.

Carrick-a-rede rope bridge in Northern Ireland, UK — Carrick-a-rede rope bridge in the distance

I had no idea what to expect, and it was incredible. The nature trails down to the Causeway give you sweeping views across the Atlantic, and then walking around the Causeway itself is such fun. Although we had close to two hours to explore, it didn’t feel like enough time! My only complaint is that the Visitor’s Centre requires the purchase of a ticket, and the way they’ve set it up, you can’t even access the gift shop without buying a ticket. Luckily, the hotel next door has some souvenirs, but I was surprised that they wouldn’t let you buy a postcard or magnet without also buying a ticket (this was the same to access their cafe, too!).

The Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, UK — The Giant’s Causeway

View of Northern Irish coast containing the Giant's Causeway — Looking down on the Giant’s Causeway from the Red Nature Trail

From the Causeway, the way home stopped off with a quick photo stop at Dunluce Castle, a wee break at the Bushmills Distillery, and finally a longer stop at the Dark Hedges. I had expected the latter to be darker than they were, but I can imagine them being impressive when the trees were at full height. I know this is a popular stop due to its usage in Game of Thrones – while the tour had no affiliation with the show, we did get some background on its impact on Northern Ireland, and the driver did point out several filming locations throughout the day.

I’m so glad I did the tour, and the cost was great as well for what I got out of it. Our driver, Patrick, was also a great guide, always announced where the toilets would be, and made the journey that much more smooth (I can’t imagine driving some of those roads) and informative.

Day trip to Derry

As a fan of the television show Derry Girls, I knew I wanted to visit Derry when I was in Northern Ireland. It takes about two hours on the train to get there from Belfast, and on Sundays, they run a “Sunday Fun Day” ticket that costs £9 for any train journeys you can do on that day. For that cost, it felt like a no brainer to spend my Sunday in Derry.

When you arrive at the train station, you’re greeted by the Derry – Londonderry sign, and already the history lessons have begun. Derry comes from the Irish name for the city, but in the 1600s, the King added London to the city’s name (Londonderry) due to the city’s increasing population and funding from those from London. Today, both names are used interchangeably, although the preference may vary based on nationalist and unionist allegiances. That being said, Derry is used in conversation and in all the tourism related things.

I will say that not much is open in Derry on Sundays, but I was still able to see a fair amount. I entered the city on foot via the Peace Bridge, and then made my way to the walls of Derry. These date from when the city was a walled city, and you can walk the full ramparts while learning about the role the wall played in the history of the city, and most notably with the Siege of Derry.

Walls of Derry in Derry, Northern Ireland, UK — Walls of Derry

Thunder started rolling in at that point so I quickly hurried to the Bogside Murals to be able to see them all before the rain inevitably started. These are 12 murals commemorating the Troubles, and the city of Derry during that time. They represent the Battle of the Bogside, Bloody Sunday, and other people impacted by the Troubles. They’re all along the sides of buildings, standing at a tall height, and I found them all particularly striking. The walk ends at the “You are now entering Free Derry” sign.

Bernadette mural of the Bogside murals in Derry, Northern Ireland, UK — The mural Bernadette showcasing the Battle of the Bogside

Peace Mural – showing a peace dove emerging from an oak leaf (a symbol of Derry) representing hope for the future of the city and its people

You are now entering Free Derry sign in Derry, Northern Ireland, UK. At the bottom, there is a black three leaf clover, and a small Palestinian flag. — The sign is frequently updated to reflect current events or issues. Another Bogside mural can be seen in the background

As the rain had picked up by that point, I ran into the Museum of Free Derry. Entry was £8, and it was an incredibly informative museum. I’ll admit that prior to this trip I had limited knowledge about the history of Northern Ireland and the Troubles, and I had no idea how much Derry was impacted by that time period. The museum is well signed and walks you through how the Republican movement was impacted by the US’ Civil Rights Movement, what happened in Derry in the lead up to the Battle of the Bogside as well as Bloody Sunday, and how the British Army created such devastation with their handling of the city. I was also shocked to learn that Derry had been treated so poorly as a city after the division of Northern Ireland due to its mainly Republican sentiments.

After making my way through the whole museum, I headed to the Tower Museum (£4 entry) where they have an exhibition on the history of Derry from the prehistoric ages, an exhibition on the Spanish Armada, and finally an exhibition titled “The Derry Girls Experience.” I won’t lie that a lot of my motivation in going to Derry initially was down to my love of Derry Girls so naturally, this is where I headed first. They have props, costumes, and set pieces from the show, along with commentary from the writer of the show. It was very fun to see some of the show up close.

I did get to try some Tayto on my trip, so this prop/set piece stood out to me!

The historical bit of the museum was interesting, but I wasn’t able to spend loads of time in it as I had a train back to Belfast to catch (on Sundays, the trains run every two hours). I did have to skim through the more recent years, but having done the Museum of Free Derry, and all the other information I’d learned at that point in my trip, I felt like I had a good amount of that information already.

Young woman sits with hands in the air in front of a mural showing the five main Derry Girls characters — I had to make sure to visit the Derry Girls mural while in Derry!

Even though I know that I’ve still barely scratched the surface of Northern Ireland, I had such a wonderful time exploring some corners of it during my trip. I’m coming away from my visit having learned so much about the Troubles, and the history of Northern Ireland, and I’m always grateful to be able to learn more about the places I visit, especially when it’s within the country where I currently live. As they’d say in Northern Ireland, it was great craic!

Theatre in 2022

On December 27, 2022December 27, 2022 By notyouravggiraffeIn UKLeave a comment

Now that I’m living in London, I have to take advantage of the easy access I have to the theatre (although sometimes, this is to the detriment of my bank account). Since Covid is still a thing, I’m not going as often as I might’ve gone in the “before times,” but I still tried to fill my 2022 with as much theatre as possible. I figured I’d do a little write up to look back on them all, so here we go!

8 January – A Christmas Carol: The Old Vic

After a particularly stressful week at work, I decided to treat myself to a £30 day seat for the closing performance of A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic. Yes, I’d seen it already, but I’d seen it at the start of the run, and you could tell everyone had settled into the show much more by closing. It was still just as moving and joyful as it had been when I saw it six weeks earlier, and the close to one minute standing ovation they received at the end was entirely well deserved.

9 February – Six: Vaudeville Theatre

I last saw Six in 2019, so it felt like it had been enough time to see it again! It’s an 80 minute show with no interval, and tells the her-story of Henry VIII’s six wives. It’s such a fun show, with phenomenal vocals, and I think is a good show for theatre lovers, and non-theatre lovers alike because of its pop concert style of staging.

26 February – Mary Poppins: Prince Edward Theatre

As soon as Mary Poppins opened on the West End a few years ago, I was desperate to see this production, but unfortunately living on the wrong continent to do so. I saw it in October, and knew I’d be back because it’s truly so joyful (and partially also to try and learn some more of the choreography because I’ll tell you, it would be a dream to learn Step in Time). Tickets are generally pretty expensive for Mary Poppins if you want to be in the stalls, but they have £30 day seats you can try for at 10:30am every day there’s a performance. I managed to nab some row M seats (which are typically £65), so I can’t complain!

13 March – Doctor Who: Time Fracture: UNIT HQ

This wasn’t a classic theatre experience, but rather an immersive one. It starts with the premise that audience members are volunteers, sent to London by The Doctor on a mission to help rescue the universe. Only problem is that the two weeks we thought we’d have becomes 90 minutes, and you’re quickly hurled back in time to try and mend the fractures in time! There are supposedly 17 worlds you can explore, and every time you visit you’ll get a different experience as actors pull you in different directions, down different story lines (there are 13 possible ones in total). I got to visit William Shakespeare, the pigs from Angels Take Manhattan, Torchwood, Leonardo DaVinci, and more. It was honestly really cleverly done, and I could easily see myself going back. The second half after the interval lost its momentum a little, but the first half more than made up for that. The only recommendation I’d give would be to go with friends – there is a part (or two) when you might want a hand to hold!

28 March – Small Island: The National Theatre

I’ll confess that I saw this same play back in summer of 2019, and during the lockdown when the National was broadcasting a play a week, but I love it so much that when I saw it was back at the National for a limited run, I couldn’t resist. I was able to nab a £10 Entry Pass ticket (their discount ticket scheme for 18-25 year olds), and a front row seat no less! It was very up close, but that meant I could really look at the costumes, wigs, and set. It’s such a beautifully moving piece, and was well worth losing some sleep for the 3 hour run time to see it!

The National Theatre in London, England, UK — The National Theatre lit up after the evening’s performance

9 April – & Juliet: Shaftesbury Theatre

This show has been somewhat on my list for a while, especially as it was unique to the West End until later in the year. It’s a jukebox musical, which can be hit or miss, but I thought they transitioned into the songs pretty seamlessly. The whole premise asks what would’ve happened in Shakespeare’s famous play if Juliet hadn’t killed herself, and goes on to unravel as William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway battle it out for who is the superior writer (as a side note, I’m fully obsessed with how they portray Anne Hathaway in this show, and all the female empowerment that comes with it). It was definitely a high energy show, and a fun time! I’ll admit that it took a few days for me to fully get into it, and want to see it again (and believe me, I went back to see it at least one more time ;)), but we did eventually get there! It’s really just a fun night out – highly recommend. I also desperately want to learn all the choreography so there’s that as well!

& Juliet stage at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London, England, UK — I managed to snag £25 rush tickets, and couldn’t complain at all about the view!

24 May – The Mousetrap: St Martin’s Theatre

After seeing so many shows in the West End, it felt like it was high time I saw the longest running one. The Mousetrap has just entered its 70th year, and it’s still a popular night out in London. I took advantage of their day seats, which are a lovely £19.52 (in honor of 70 years), and got front row seats to an evening performance. It ended up being only the second performance of a new cast, which is always a fun coincidence. I don’t feel the need to necessarily return any time soon, but I’m glad I can now say I’ve seen it! The script is a little dated at times, but it’s a good, classic murder mystery, and no, I won’t be revealing the ending!

28 May – Much Ado About Nothing: Shakespeare’s Globe

As the weather starts getting nicer, the prospect of outdoor theatre comes about, and what better way to start it than with Shakespeare’s Globe? Much Ado About Nothing is by far my favorite Shakespeare play, so I’m always happy to see it. I’ll say this rendition did feel a little long, but it still captured the comedy, and what I love about the play.

10 June – Frozen: Theatre Royal Drury Lane

For as much as I love going to Disney properties, Disney musicals have never been top of my list of “must-sees.” That being said, I’ve had some friends recommend it, and I seem to constantly get content from West End Disney actors on TikTok, so I thought it was finally time to get myself to see Frozen. Disney does something called Magical Mondays, which every Monday at 12pm, they release a certain number of tickets for that week’s shows at £25. I did that, and ended up in a nice stalls seat, so I can’t complain there. I haven’t been to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane since I saw 42nd Street in 2017, and they’ve redone the space since then, but anyway, I did enjoy the show. It’s not one I feel the need to go see again I’ll admit, but they’ve added some songs from the film, and yes, there is the classic dress quick change in Let it Go. Overall, it was a good evening, and I’m glad to be able to say I’ve seen it.

17 June – Fantastically Great Women who Changed the World: Stratford East

As much as I love West End theatres, London offers so many opportunities to see other shows outside of that area. I headed out to Stratford (in London, not where Shakespeare is from) for the final preview performance of Fantastically Great Women who Changed the World, and I had a lovely time! It was a short 85 minute show with no interval, aimed at young children, but the messages they were conveying were applicable to all ages. Throughout the show, you’re introduced to several “fantastically great women who changed the world,” with catchy tunes, and overall I thought it was a really cute, and fun show.

18 June – Legally Blonde: Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Seeing an outdoor show in the UK is a risk, but it’s something I’d never done, and this production felt like the perfect first one. The theatre is located in Regent’s Park, and there aren’t really any bad seats. I came prepared with a poncho (which was needed), and had a lovely evening. We did have two weather related show stops, so the run time was definitely long, but it was a fun production, and the rain wasn’t too hard so it wasn’t unbearable. Legally Blonde is an excellent musical, and this production was no exception!

25 June – West End Live: Trafalgar Square

Every summer, the West End productions of London come together for West End Live, where they all perform throughout the day in 10-15 minute intervals. It’s a free musical theatre festival in Trafalgar Square, and I’ve never been in London for it, so I figured now was a good time to attend! I had to queue for close to four hours before I actually got into Trafalgar Square, but I was waiting in an area where I had a clear view of a screen, so I only missed two performances of the day. I went on day one, and got to see performances from Legally Blonde, Wicked, & Juliet, Mamma Mia, Come From Away, Bonnie & Clyde, Grease, Phantom of the Opera, Cabaret, Jersey Boys, Six, and more! It really was quite the event, and I’m so glad I was able to attend. I already can’t wait for West End Live 2023!

Come From away finished out the day’s performances!

25 June – Anything Goes: Barbican Theatre

As if spending the morning at West End Live wasn’t enough, I went to see an evening performance, too! Through Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass, I was able to get £5 tickets to see the opening night performance of Anything Goes, and I jumped on the chance! I’d seen this production in New York with Sutton Foster ages ago, but I love the tap in it, and the show in general. The seats I had were amazing, and I was absolutely blown away by Kerry Ellis as Reno Sweeney. The show was just as good as I’d remembered it, and I’m so glad I was able to see it in London!

When there’s a photo opportunity, I just can’t resist!

27 June – My Fair Lady: London Coliseum

My Fair Lady has always held a somewhat special place in my heart, so when I saw it was being performed in London, I knew I wanted to go see it. I got myself £20 balcony seats, and to my surprise, they upgraded me to the dress circle when I arrived! It’s a long show, and I’ll admit that it felt a bit small for such a big theatre, but I did enjoy it. I also liked the ending they opted for, and the costumes were beautiful.

21 July – & Juliet: Shaftesbury Theatre

Okay, I know this is cheating a little because I’ve seen it before, but it was truly the only show I saw in July! It was a front row view, though, so no complaints (even if it was a bit restricted). I don’t really have much more to add from what I wrote in April, but know that I’m still just as obsessed with this show as I was then, and I’m still desperately trying to learn all the choreography! (If the casting director ever reads this, yes, I would happily join as one of the players please and thank you).

13 August – Crazy For You: Chichester Festival Theatre

I’ve long been aware of Chichester Festival Theatre, but I hadn’t made the journey down there until this year. They were putting on Crazy For You, which has always held a special place in my heart (throwback to learning a tap routine to I Got Rhythm), and it felt like a perfect reason to head south. I absolutely loved it so much, and am so glad I went down to see it. The choreography was phenomenal (I genuinely want to know how many pairs of Laducas they have in that production), and it was so well done. My tickets were only £5 through Chichester’s Prologue scheme for 18-30 year olds, which is an incredible initiative! If you’re curious about my day in Chichester, I wrote a small write-up about it!

5 September – Much Ado About Nothing: The National Theatre

Even though I already saw a production of Much Ado this year, seeing as it’s my favorite Shakespeare play, I couldn’t pass up the chance to see it at The National as well. Starring Katherine Parkinson as Beatrice and John Heffernan as Benedict, this was everything I wanted in a production of Much Ado. It managed to find the comedy in so many places (including ones I wouldn’t normally have labeled as comedic moments), and the whole staging of it was just so clever. I managed to get £10 Friday Rush tickets, and they were absolutely worth it. It was a great production, and I’m sure I’ll watch the NT Live version of it one day just to relive it.

You can never go wrong with a night at The National!

9 October – Back To The Future: Adelphi Theatre

When I was little, I used to be obsessed with the Back To The Future trilogy, so it made sense that I should try and see the version of it on stage. I saw a Sunday matinee, and the first thing that struck me was that the entire theatre has been redone to fit the vibe of the show. I think the show did a good job at staying true to the films, and you could tell the actors were also imitating the film (sometimes really well, too)! I found the music difficult to understand – it felt like as soon as more than one person was singing, the words all become muffled, and the sound balance wasn’t great. None of the songs were ones that I walked out of the theatre humming, but it was an enjoyable show. The car at the end especially is worth it, just for those effects alone!

One of the many decorations in the theatre itself to set the mood!

4 November – The Choir of Man: Arts Theatre

When I saw an excerpt of Choir of Man during West End Live, I knew that it was a show I wanted to see. It didn’t disappoint. I got £20 rush tickets in the circle, and it was such a joyous, fun 90 minute show. There’s no interval, and the premise is that you’re in a pub for the night, and the regulars all form a choir. They sing popular songs (I knew some of them – like Adele’s Hello, Fun’s Some Nights, and ‘If You Like Piña Coladas”), and all of the nine men on stage also play various musical instruments. There was even some tap dancing, so I was immediately sold. Overall, it was just a really fun show, and if you’re one of the lucky audience members sitting in the stalls, you might even get pulled up on stage and given a free drink!

23 November – The Upstart Crow: Apollo Theatre

This play was on in London in 2020, and I was desperate to see it then, but for obvious reasons (not just the fact that I was in the US at the time), I didn’t get to see it. When it came back for a limited run, I knew I wanted to catch it, and it didn’t disappoint. The ticket prices were fairly high, so I opted to try for a rush ticket, and thankfully got one! It was as funny as the television show, and very clever. Lots of Shakespeare references, both in terms of quotes, but also plot lines and characters. I would say my highlight was the dancing bear, both because of the dancing, but also in the way it tied in with Shakespeare’s famous stage directions!

29 November – A Christmas Carol: The Old Vic

Just as I started off the year, I saw A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic as one of my last shows of the year. It’s tradition at The Old Vic, and I think I might make it my own to start off the year and end it with the show, now. The show was the same, albeit with a different cast. Mince pies were served to be eaten there and then, but the stage stalls view was still as incredible as it was at the start of the year. I still love how beautiful this particular production is, and how magical it feels (even with Brussel sprouts falling from the ceiling at one point).

11 December – Mother Goose: Hackney Empire

The year had to end with a panto (oh yes it did!), and while there are far too many to choose from in London, I opted for Mother Goose at The Hackney Empire. It was everything you’d want from a panto – audience participation, an evil villain to boo, rude jokes, and music (although I didn’t know most of the songs they used, so that bit was a little less entertaining than some others I’ve seen in the past, I’ll admit). Pantos are such a fun British tradition, and I enjoy partaking in it. I even came out of the performance to heavily falling snow, which felt very right for having just seen a panto!

There you have it, my theatre viewings from 2022! It’s not nearly as many as I would’ve liked, but considering the state of the world, and some other variables, I think averaging one show a month is pretty good! Not to mention that 2022 saw me performing in my first amdram show in London as well, so it has been a fairly theatrical year. Here’s to more theatre in 2023!

Two (and a half) Days in Bristol

On December 17, 2022December 17, 2022 By notyouravggiraffeIn Travel, UKLeave a comment

In part of my desire to explore more of the UK, I’ve been remiss in really visiting the Western side of the country (barring Bath, and a weekend in Wales). One city I’d yet to visit was Bristol, so I gave myself a long weekend, and went off to the Southwest of England!

Getting There

Bristol is a direct train from London Paddington station. It’s about two hours to Bristol Temple Meads, and then either a 15-ish minute walk, or 10 minute bus ride into the city center. I’d usually opt for walking, but given it was raining when I arrived, the bus it was!

A first half day in Bristol

Even with a morning train, it was around 1pm by the time I was able to actually head out into Bristol. I started in the Old City, and continued on by foot to the Clifton Suspension Bridge. It was a decent walk that was hindered a little by rain, but I do love a good walk. The Bridge itself is easy to cross, and free to do so. It’s a small, one-way walkway, and you can walk down one side, and return the other. The views of the gorge and the Avon river are incredible, and I was glad that the weather had cleared a little so I could see out into the distance. There’s a museum dedicated to the history of the bridge, but that wasn’t really of interest to me.

Young woman standing in front of Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, England, UK

What was of interest, however, was heading to the Observatory to see the views from up there. Not only that, but you can head down 130 steps into The Giant’s Cave, which leads you out onto a viewpoint. The steps down are steep and narrow though. It costs £4 to head down, and there is an additional cost to go up into the Observatory, but they waived it on the day I visited on account of the weather. It’s a fun different vantage point from which to view the Bridge. There’s also a cafe in the Observatory, so I treated myself to a nice hot chocolate to warm up because it was a bit chilly at that point!

The walk back through the hotel passed through a little Christmas Market in Old City, and a chance to see some lights.

Festive tea and more views

For my only full day in Bristol, I’d booked in an Afternoon Tea at The Ivy, so needed to occupy my day up until that point. I’ll admit I did some shopping in the morning, but then headed over to the Cathedral to see it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed in due to graduation events happening that entire week, so I only got to admire the outside. As consolation, I decided to head over to Cabot Tower, and climb that – because who doesn’t love a tower to climb??

Cabot Tower is located in a park, but once you find it, it’s free to climb. The steps are narrow and steep, but at 110 odd steps, it’s a shorter tower than some I’ve climbed. You get 360 degree views from two viewing platforms, but since it was such a windy day, it wasn’t super pleasant to be up there. I took some photos and headed down to avoid getting to wind whipped!

View from Cabot Tower in Bristol, England, UK

From there, the walk to The Ivy wasn’t a super long one, and I had a lovely festive afternoon tea. Of course, there were scones with clotted cream and jam, but the sweets were really the festive highlights. They had a red velvet chocolate cake complete with Santa hat, a gingerbread cake, and even some mini mince pies!

Festive desserts at afternoon tea at The Ivy in Bristol, England, UK. There are four cakes - two red velvet cakes topped with red sprinkles, cream, and a red Santa hat. The other two are gingerbread cakes topped with white snow like cream, a twirl bar, and a chocolate pine cone

SS Great Britain and Brunel

For my final day in Bristol, I felt it was important to see the SS Great Britain, and dive into Brunel’s full footprint he left in Bristol (he also designed the Clifton Suspension Bridge). There is an entry fee associated with visiting the SS Great Britain, but tickets are valid for a year, so you can return as often as you’d like!

Tickets get you entry into exploring all different aspects of the ship. I started off by heading down into the hull of the ship to examine how they’re keeping it put together, and the engineering of the time. While it is falling apart, it’s cool to see how they’re keeping it together. Not only that, but to also see the years of wear on the ship’s build.

SS Great Britain in Bristol, England, UK

After visiting under the boat, it was time to head into and onto the boat. You start in a museum that takes you back in time to all the important years of the ship’s history. It’s very thorough, and you could spend a long time there. All of the information prepares you to finally step onboard the SS Great Britain, and to see the inside of the ship. You can even take little identity cards that tell you about passengers from first, second, and steerage class. You start on deck, and can see the demarcation line where non first class passengers weren’t able to pass. It’s hard to imagine how crammed it would’ve been! You can also head into the ship itself to explore first, second, and steerage class cabins, as well as communal rooms. You can even go into the engine rooms, and see where they stored the military horses. The rooms are filled with mannequins (which I never quite trust), as well as sounds so you can hear conversations, or announcements that may have taken place onboard.

Once you finish with the ship, there’s also another museum dedicated entirely to Brunel. You can learn about his childhood, his ventures, and what led him to engineering the SS Great Britain. You can also learn about some of his pioneering work, including a propeller engine, and the debates that were had over such changes. All in all, you could easily spend at least half a day there, and still potentially have not read every sign!

Ironically, for lunch I had a throwback to my trip to Portugal early in the year! There’s a Portuguese cafe in Bristol (Bath and Cardiff as well), and they were serving not only natas, but my favorite Portuguese dish, so I couldn’t resist having lunch there. With that having fortified me, I was ready for my return train journey to London after a successful visit to Bristol!

A Quick Weekend in Wales

On October 22, 2022October 21, 2022 By notyouravggiraffeIn Travel, UK1 Comment

One of my big UK bucket list items has been to visit Wales. When I was studying abroad, I did a quick coach day trip that took me to Tintern Abbey, and allowed me to jump between Gloucester and Monmouth (one foot in Wales, and one foot in England, as it were). Ever since then, I’ve wanted to see more. This year, when I was presented with the opportunity to head back to Wales for a 36 hour coach adventure, it seemed like a no brainer!

Day One

The day started bright and early with the coach departing at 7:45am, with a quick stop at a service station en route. As soon as you cross into Wales, the signs are in Welsh and English, and all throughout the trip, I kept looking to find the Welsh signs. I respect the continued effort to revitalize the Welsh language, and make it once more as spoken as English. It truly is a beautiful language.

The first stop of the day was Caerleon Roman Amphitheatre, which is impressive, although not to the extend of some other amphitheaters I’ve seen. There are also barracks around, and it’s always fun to see ruins from a time that pre-dates the US by several centuries. There’s also a museum, and around the corner, Roman baths. It was a nice stop to stretch the legs, and take in some history!

Lunch was in Cardiff after a quick stop at Cardiff Bay. A lot of Doctor Who and Torchwood are filmed in that area, so it was neat to see them in person, and to recognize them from certain episodes. I ate lunch in the grounds of Cardiff Castle, and while I didn’t go in, it was a lovely little picnic location. I’ve already put Cardiff on my list of cities to visit again, because I didn’t get that much time there, and I feel like there’s way more to explore there!

Cardiff Bay in Cardiff, Wales — Fully expecting the Doctor to just pop out at any time!

Young woman stands in front of a statue of a red dragon at Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales — I couldn’t not take a photo with a dragon in Wales!

A quick drive away is Caerphilly Castle, and it is an impressive sight. It’s surrounded by water, which on its own is a cool thing to see, but then the ruins themselves are fascinating to explore. It’s Wales’ largest castle, and the second largest castle in Britain (second only to Windsor), and as a Medieval Castle, the fact that so much of it has survived is astonishing. There’s even a leaning tower of sorts (which they call wonkier than Pisa). While wandering through the ramparts, we came across a beautiful double rainbow, and that just added to the mythical, magical feel of the castle.

Caerphilly Castle in Caerphilly, Wales — You can spot the leaning tower on the right!

Young woman wearing glasses smiles in the foreground with a double rainbow in the background at Caerphilly Castle in Caerphilly, Wales

Day Two

The first stop of the day was the Big Pit National Coal Museum in Blaenafon. What was once an active coal mine, is now a museum where you can learn all about the coal mining industry in Wales, and the impact coal mining had on Wales’ economy. The highlight of the museum is the opportunity to join an underground tour, and head down into the mines themselves. You get kitted out in a hard hat, complete with headlamp, and then head down the shaft 300 feet below the ground. The tours are led by ex-miners so you get first hand accounts of what the experience of working down a mine would’ve been like for them, but also for their predecessors. I found it fascinating to learn about it all, and to get to do so in the mine itself. The tour itself was a little daunting, especially with the descent into the underground, and the fact that you aren’t allowed to bring anything down there that has a battery, but I’m so glad I did it. If you plan to do the underground tour while visiting the museum, be sure to wear warm clothes, and wear sturdy shoes – at one point you walk directly into the air being pulled in to ventilate the mines, and depending on the temperature outside, that air may not be very warm!

Big Pit National Coal Museum in Blaenafon, Wales

Once resurfacing, the museum also has exhibits about the process of coal mining, baths, and other buildings used when the mine was operational. They do also have an audio-visual experience you can do if you’d rather not go underground. Be sure to also visit the gift shop to pick up some traditional Welsh items such as lovespoons, or even items made from Welsh coal! I picked up a magnet of a Welsh dragon, made out of Welsh coal, and handmade in Wales, which felt like the perfect souvenir for the trip.

After a quick lunch in Monmouth, the final stop of the weekend trip was Tintern Abbey. I first visited in 2016, so it was nice to go back again, and to revisit the Cistercian Monk Abbey ruins. The architecture is beyond impressive, and beautiful. The whole area seems unreal, especially when you see modern day houses in the distance, and surrounding the abbey. It was the perfect ending to an introduction to Wales.

All throughout the drive, we crossed through beautiful autumnal colors, and that alone has made me want to revisit Wales. I can wholly understand why so many people holiday there, and I know that I barely scratched the surface of it. I hope to be back very soon, and to be able to explore more of Wales’ incredible landscape and history.

Diolch Cymru!

A trip to the theatre in Chichester!

On August 14, 2022August 14, 2022 By notyouravggiraffeIn UK3 Comments

I realize it’s been a while since I’ve actually written anything, but I haven’t been on many travels lately! Luckily for me, I recently went down to Chichester for a day to see Crazy For You at the Chichester Festival Theatre. This trip really came about because of my wanting to see the production, but that doesn’t mean that I simply went to the theatre and back!

Getting to Chichester

From London, getting to Chichester is pretty easy. It’s a 1.5 hour train from London Victoria, and Chichester has its own station. It was a train that split at Horsham, so important to make sure I was on the right half of the train! The day I travelled was a rail strike day, so naturally the train station was a bit hectic, but the train had air conditioning (thankfully as I was also traveling during a heat wave), and we didn’t face many delays. I purchased an open return ticket since I didn’t know how long the show would really last, but even with that, my ticket came in under £30 with a rail card.

Found a carriage with nobody in it, but it had no AC so didn’t stay there long!

Seeing the sights

My train departed London at 10:05, so I arrived in Chichester a little after 11:30. Since the show didn’t start until 2:30pm, I had some time to explore. I’ll be honest that I didn’t do as much as I may have liked, but it was a heatwave, and it was roasting outside!

From the train station, it’s a straightforward walk into the city center, and along that walk, I ran into the Cathedral. Never one to pass up any kind of sight, I popped inside to have a look around. It’s not as breathtaking as some other cathedrals I’ve visited, but it still has the impressive arches, stained glass windows, and quire that are worth seeing. The cathedral also has a still standing detached medieval bell tower, which is the only one of its kind in England.

Chichester Cathedral in Chichester, England, UK — Cathedrals are never unimpressive

Just next door, you’ll find The Novium Museum, which is home to exhibitions outlining Chichester’s history, its relationship with the arts, as well as a preserved Roman bath they’ve found on the site. It has some interesting things to see, as well as a lovely viewpoint of the Cathedral itself. It’s certainly not a super extensive museum, but it’s a great way to learn about the city, as well as to get out of the heat!

Heading to the Theatre

After having a quick meal deal from Tesco for lunch, I decided it was time to head to the theatre. I passed through Priory Park on the way, which was looking a little sad in the drought (although that didn’t stop the cricket match I saw), and saw some of the remaining walled city. I would’ve loved to have walked those more, but as they were in direct sunlight, I opted against it. The streets of Chichester are also lovely to wander around in general, with some nice little shops, and fun views of what would have been the old city walls. About a 30 minutes’ walk from the train station, you arrive at Chichester Festival Theatre. It’s in the park, which has a very different feel from West End theatres, but once you step inside, it feels no different than any other theatre.

Chichester Festival Theatre in Chichester, England, UK

The cafe and sitting areas were full over an hour before the performance as everyone was trying to escape the heat. They have lovely little lawn chairs outside that you can sit in to bask in the sun, or chat with your friends before a performance. Once they opened the actual theatre doors, I purchased a program (for the cheap price of £4, a price you never see in London), and headed to my seat. The show was in the Festival Theatre, but there is also the smaller, Minerva Theatre. When I purchased these tickets, I didn’t know much about the view, or about the theatre in general. I’m lucky to have access to Prologue tickets, which is a discount scheme for 18-30 year olds providing a select number of £5 tickets to each show. I nabbed one of them, and had an amazing view! I really appreciate that Chichester has such a scheme, and that they make it accessible to a wide range of ages.

Photo is of the Crazy for you program at Chichester Festival Theatre with a less focused view of the stage in the background — As you can see, I had an unobstructed view of the stage, and I can’t complain about it for £5 (program not counted in the unobstructed view review). For reference, I was sat in seat R43.

The show itself was incredible, with phenomenal choreography by Susan Stroman. I’m always a big fan of any musical with tap dance in it, and this was no exception! They even had one of the ensemble members tap dancing on pointe shoes, which is mind boggling on so many levels. The costumes were beautiful, including the many Laducas the women were wearing, and the whole performance was just so well done. I can’t speak highly enough of it. I’m not a theatre review kind of gal, so I won’t write out every detail I loved, but you’ll have to take my word for it!

When the show let out, I walked back through the city (which at this point had mostly closed given it was after 5pm), and to the train station to catch a return train to London Victoria. The station itself isn’t very large, so few amenities, but I didn’t have to wait too long for the train luckily. It took a while to get home as there were some delays, but I did eventually make it.

Young woman sits in a yellow Chichester Festival Theatre lawn chair smiling in Chichester, England, UK — Happy as can be in a lawn chair waiting outside Chichester Festival Theatre

I can absolutely see myself returning to the Chichester Festival Theatre, and while the theatre is an excellent thing to do there, you can still occupy a day before a show too in the city itself. I’m not sure if this is really a satisfactory post given I didn’t do that much beyond the theatre, but hey, it’s what I did!

A quick trip to Dover and Canterbury

On March 6, 2022March 6, 2022 By notyouravggiraffeIn Travel, UKLeave a comment

As much as I love London, I know that the UK is more than just its capital city. Now that I’m here on a longer term basis, I’ve made it my goal to explore more of it, and to check off those bucket list sights that I’ve not seen before. It’ll probably take me a while to get through all of them, but I figured that the Cliffs of Dover, and passing through Canterbury would be a good start.

Getting to Canterbury and Dover

From London Saint Pancras, the train journey to Canterbury is around 50 minutes to Canterbury West. You can also take the slower, commuter train from Victoria, which can take anywhere from a little over an hour, to two hours, and arrives into Canterbury East. Typically the slower train is a little cheaper, but I’ve got a Rail Card, so they were around the same price, which meant I opted for the higher speed version. The train was headed to Margate, but I got off in Canterbury initially as my “home base” for this quick trip.

From Canterbury to Dover is around 30 minutes, and that service runs every half hour out of Canterbury East. It made a fair number of stops between the two, but then finally, I arrived in Dover. Much to my dismay, it was raining, and grey (which isn’t uncommon for England at this time of the year, but I digress), and didn’t look at all like a good day to see the cliffs. Nevertheless, I’d made the journey out to Dover, so I was going to continue on to the cliffs. When the weather is nicer, you can do the 40-60 minute walk up to the cliffs, but given that the skies were not playing ball, I took a cab up to the visitor’s centre at the cliffs. It was only around £8, and worth it for keeping me dry for the journey.

The Cliffs of Dover

The sight I came to see. The visitor’s centre doesn’t look like much when you first arrive, but it’s got a lovely cafe inside, a shop, and very helpful National Trust employees who can offer you tips, or just a kind word. I got a map with the different view points, and was told that a short ten-minute walk away would be the first viewpoint of the cliffs. I was told that view is essentially what you get the whole way, and also not to go too far beyond that as it would be very muddy (I wasn’t dressed for a jaunt through the mud). I started out and within minutes it began hailing, with biting winds. Not exactly a warm welcome! Quickly turning around, I decided to hunker down in the visitor’s centre with a scone with clotted cream and jam to see if I could wait out the passing squall.

Eventually, blue skies appeared in the distance, and it looked like the rain might hold off for a little. I bundled up again and headed out to the first viewing point and there the cliffs were! They were absolutely stunning in person, and I’ll admit I spent quite a bit of time taking photos as there was nobody else around – when will that ever happen again?? I can see how walking further along would get you closer, and I know there’s a lovely trail that takes you all along the coast, but with the weather not being able to decide whether it would stay dry or not, and the ever growing mud, it seemed prudent to not go much further. I couldn’t see France due to the weather (on a clear day, you can see it), but I watched the ferries coming and going. One day I’ll have to do the ferry to get that stunning view from the Channel as well.

Young woman in a blue coat and scarf points to the white cliffs of Dover in Dover, England, UK — Still not (D)over seeing the cliffs in person!

After I’d taken my (far too many) photos, I went back to the visitor’s centre to peruse the gift shop. I got a National Trust book of scone recipes, which I’m excited to try out, and then called a taxi to head back to the train station. I had thought about doing Dover Castle, but according to the National Trust employees, you need at least half a day for that, and given how long I’d spent waiting for the rain to pass, I didn’t have that much time left. Next time!

Canterbury

Coming back into Canterbury, the rain had started up again, so I made my way to Canterbury Cathedral. Entrance is £14, and then you can visit all that the cathedral has to offer. It’s unfortunately under a fair amount of scaffolding at the moment, but you can still admire its grandeur. I was told to first start outside to see the (what looks like new) sculptures of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. I’m not sure when they were done, but the color of the material is different than the rest, so you know it’s more recent that the rest of the building (although yes, I know the cathedral very much predates all recent monarchs).

Sculptures of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip outside Canterbury Cathedral, England, UK

Inside you have the place where Thomas Becket was murdered, as well as the tombs of the Black Prince and Henry IV. They’ve also got some exhibitions of the progression of the church in England, including the Black Prince’s armor (recently returned from the V&A), Bibles from Henry VIII’s time, and more. I also found it fascinating how much graffiti there was in the cathedral, dating back centuries. It’s lovely to see that’s been preserved. You can also walk around outside in the cloisters. I, for one, always love looking at the stained glass in cathedrals, and Canterbury Cathedral certainly doesn’t disappoint on that front.

Shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury, England, UK — Inside the Cathedral

There are a few other things in Canterbury I didn’t quite get to due to time constraints, but luckily for me, it’s not too far away from London, so I can easily get back to see what I missed, and head back to Dover for the Dover Castle. Here’s to more UK adventures!

The Holidays in London!

On December 24, 2021December 24, 2021 By notyouravggiraffeIn UK1 Comment

Despite it feeling like I’ve just arrived in London, believe it or not, it’s been over two months and now I’m rolling into my first holiday season as a full time London resident! This isn’t my first holiday season spent in London, but it feels a little different this time since I’m not fully experiencing it for the first time. Since London is absolutely massive, there’s no way that I’ll be able to see and do it all, but I figured I’d document the season as I went along with some highlights and what not! I’ll admit that I didn’t get up to, or see, quite as much as I wanted to, but I still managed to get a little festive!

Lights and Decorations

London goes hard when it comes to lights and decorations for the holidays. The places you can visit that are decked out are truly endless. I work in central London, so I end up frequenting Oxford Street on a lot of days just by virtue of it being on my commute. Almost all the shops have some form of festive lights, and then of course, the street itself is draped with hanging stars. Moving a little further on, you’ll encounter the angels at Regent’s Street, or the Kaleidoscope of Love with brightly colored butterflies hidden down Carnaby Street. I also stopped by Seven Dials near Covent Garden for their Winter Festival. I didn’t really find a lot of the things they had going on, but I did get to see the lights, and see it all decorated. Covent Garden put up a lego carousel display, and even had an hourly snowfall (which I’ll admit wasn’t super impressive in person, but still is a fun idea as something to have)!

With the sun setting around 3:50pm (I know, it’s ridiculously early now), I feel like you get more time in the day to admire the lights (which I guess is one perk of such an early sunset). It does help brighten up the mood a little bit!

Oxford Street in the early morning, with Bond Street tube station visible on the right hand side in London, England, UK — An early morning on Oxford Street

Carnaby Kaleidoscope on Carnaby Street in London, England, UK. There are butterflies and rainbows strewn between buildings. — Carnaby Street’s theme was Kaleidoscope of Love this year: filled with butterflies, rainbows, and bright colors!

A Santa and two Christmas trees made out of legos in Covent Garden, London, England, UK — Covent Garden’s Lego display!

Since I have a Historic Royal Palaces membership this year, I also went to the Tower of London for their “Christmas at the Tower” special. It wasn’t quite to the extent that Hampton Court Palace had been for Halloween, but they’d put up some trees, and displays of menageries around outside. All the exhibits remained the same, but it was nice to have some festive decorations up in areas where there normally wouldn’t be any! Sometimes less is more, as they say.

A big gold crown covered in flowers, with a lion in the middle of it, surrounded by presents outside the Tower of London in London, UK. In the background, you can also see Tower Bridge. — Outside the Tower of London with some festive displays!

Theatre

Being a theatre person, I couldn’t let these months go by without seeing any shows to mark the season! I started in late November with A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic. They put on a rendition written by Jack Thorne, and it was truly heartfelt, beautiful, and so joyful. If I’m being honest, I think it was the best night I had had since moving to London up until that point. I got seats in the front row *on* the stage, and I had the best time. The set was beautiful, acting was impeccable, harmonies in the Christmas carols were stunning, bell ringing was lovely… I could really go on about it because it was just that good. I believe it’s now an Old Vic Christmas tradition, so I might very well make it a part of my yearly plans. Audiences are also treated to a choice between a mince pie or a satsuma upon entering the theatre! Of course I had to go with a mince pie, and it was just the icing on the cake for the most wonderful evening. Being the person that I am, I did go see it again very shortly after seeing it the first time, and it was equally as good that time around. I was pleased to see that the joy it brought me didn’t go away on another viewing. If I could, I’d see it every night just to relive how happy I was in that audience (and to experience it again quite simply because it was *that* good). Truly 5/5 stars, and I think impossible to leave the theatre in a bad (or should I say Scrooge-like) mood.

A big holiday theatre tradition in the UK is pantomimes, or better known as pantos. It’s hard to simply explain what a panto is, but they’re typically fairy tale based, filled with songs (sometimes modern day songs with adapted lyrics, other times completely original pieces), audience participation (the classic bits are a back and forth of “oh no it isn’t,” “oh yes it is” ad infinitum, or “he’s behind you” shouted at the protagonist as he runs away from the villain), and holiday magic. There are countless pantos in London, so of course, I had to make sure I saw at least one (oh yes I did)! They’re silly, and full of humor for both children and adults, and of course, you have to boo the villain whenever they’re on stage. The most magical bit of it is hearing the children in the audience scream at the top of their lungs, and get really invested. I know for many UK children, pantos are their first theatre experiences, and I hope that for at least some of them, it fosters a lifelong love of the arts, and continued theatre visits.

Hanukkah

Since I don’t celebrate Christmas, I do try and mark Hanukkah however I can. In moving, I don’t have a proper menorah with me, but I do have a window cling one, which does take pride of place on a mirror I have in my room (at least I know I’ve got fire safety covered). I did also make sure to head down to Trafalgar Square to see the giant menorah on display there! I only made it on second night, so I didn’t get to see it fully lit, but I will still say that it’s impressive (and I’d argue more so than the Christmas tree they put up there this year).

A menorah lit with two candles and the shamas in Trafalgar Square in London, England

Mince Pies

I would be remiss not to mention my favorite holiday tradition in the UK – mince pies! Unlike what the name might imply, there’s no meat in them (yes, it’s mincemeat inside, I know), and they’re this fruity, heavenly pastry that I honestly could eat way too many of (and probably have). I made it my goal this holiday season to try as many different varieties as I could because unfortunately, you can’t get them year ’round (which is a shame, truly). In case anyone reading this wants a breakdown of the ones I tried, I’ll present to you my ratings, because yes, this was a very important thing to research!

Old Vic: 10/10. This one sits top of my list mainly because of the sentimental value attached to it, but also just because it was truly delicious. The design was beautiful, the filling was perfectly sweet, and as it was my first mince pie of the season, it automatically ranks fairly high!
Pret: 9.5/10. Another beautiful design, and bonus points for the sprinkling of icing sugar on the top. The pastry was so flaky on this one, and excellently thick. Not to mention that there was SO MUCH filling, which is all you can ask for in a mince pie
Sainsbury’s: 7/10. Again, good design on top, but it was very pastry heavy. It took a few bites to get to the sweet filling, and you want that filling to pastry ratio to be better than that (can you see I fully adopted a Bake Off persona while rating these?).
Coop: 5/10. Oof, these were not the mince pies for me. The design was sloppy, and for a mass produced mince pie, you’d expect something of higher quality. The filling was kind of depressing and not very joy inducing, which is really the real reason I eat mince pies so this one didn’t rate very highly for me, unfortunately.
Tesco: 7.5/10. The design felt a bit rushed, and imperfect, but the pastry was delicious. The filling was smooth, with a great taste and texture. Bonus point for the sugar sprinkled on top!

Five mince pies in a plastic container. They are decorated with little Christmas trees — Delicious Sainsbury’s mince pies (as you can see, I’d eaten one already)

I feel like there’s something so special and festive about a holiday season in London that can’t really be beat. There’s just nothing like it elsewhere (that I’ve experienced). They’ve especially gone full out this year given last year had such a damper on it (not that this year doesn’t but when I started writing this post, things weren’t nearly as bad as they are now). Admiring lights and decorations never gets old, and I love how many opportunities there are to do just that in London! Not to mention all the other festive traditions (although I will draw the line at Christmas pudding). I didn’t get around to ice skating, although perhaps I’ll look into that in January. Happy holidays!

Getting a booster jab in the UK!

On December 18, 2021December 18, 2021 By notyouravggiraffeIn UK, Uncategorized2 Comments

When I moved to the UK, boosters for the Covid vaccine were already starting to roll out across the US, so I figured at one point or another, I would have to navigate getting one in the UK. I couldn’t really find much out there about getting a booster as someone who had their first two doses abroad, so I thought I’d throw a post together in case someone comes looking (not sure I attract that much traffic, but hey, why not)!

Since I’m under 30, I was in the last age bracket to become eligible for the booster in the UK. That day came on Wednesday, December 15. Most people were advised to book their booster online as soon as they were eligible. Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t do that. Even though I have an NHS number, and have registered my first two doses with my GP, those doses aren’t registered in the NHS database. As such, when I tried to make an appointment online, it would only allow me to book a first dose (which then required you to book a second at the same time). I rang 119 (the NHS helpline for Covid) to ask about how to proceed, and they told me to go into a walk-in center. You can find walk-in centers near you by heading here!

When Wednesday rolled around, I rocked up to the walk in center closest to me at opening (which was still one mile away from where I live – about three tube stops and a bit of a walk), and the queue was already very long. I was glad to see how many people were trying to get their booster, but after about two hours, I was disappointed to learn that I was too far back in the queue to be guaranteed a booster that day (and it would still be about a four hour wait even if I was). The staff was very kind though, and suggested returning any other morning, but to be prepared to get there very early, and that’s exactly what I did. I went back to that same center two days later, and started the queue (I was first in line) 2.5 hours before the center even opened. I was alone for about 15 minutes, but by the time I’d been waiting around 90 minutes, I could no longer see the end of the queue.

Shortly before the center opened, they came out to check what dose we were getting, confirm when the date of our last dose was, and to tell us to have our vaccine proof out, as well as our NHS number (if you knew it – some centers don’t require an NHS number to get vaccinated. It just won’t get recorded on your registration if you don’t have one). When I got in the center, I sat in one of 12 plastic chairs, before being motioned up to a table where they took my full name, post code, date of birth, phone number, NHS number, and asked what dose I was getting. After I was signed in, I went back to waiting in the plastic chairs before getting called up to the second table where another worker took my details again, entered in my CDC doses (somewhere, but not in the NHS database), asked me questions related to my medical history, whether I’d had Covid in the last 28 days, a vaccine in the last seven days, if I’d ever had any allergic reactions, you get the gist… Once I’d gone through all those questions, I went back into a makeshift curtained stall with the woman who would be administering my jab. She confirmed all my personal details, asked about my first two doses (again, there’s no evidence of me having gotten them other than my flimsy CDC card), and in which arm I wanted the jab. She was absolutely so kind, and asked if I’d like to have her narrate what she was doing, or if I’d rather talk about something random. She administered the jab, and then gave me a paper NHS card with the lot number and date, which I’ve put into the plastic pocket I have for my CDC card. She also gave me an “I’ve had my Covid vaccination” sticker (although I did ask for one after seeing them on her desk).

Young woman in a blue mask smiling, and holding an "I've had my Covid Vaccination" sticker on her index finger — Forever collecting stickers to celebrate getting jabbed!

Unlike in the US, you’re not required to wait for 15 minutes after getting the jab in the UK. That being said, I always mention when getting vaccines that I have a history of passing out from them (which is true, although it’s not happened recently). The woman who gave me my jab immediately told me that she wanted me to sit in the designated waiting area, and escorted me there. The staff there made sure I sat down, and even brought me a water bottle! I only waited for about five minutes (that’s all I need to know I’m good), but it was lovely to see their kindness and how they’re looking after people heading to the walk-in centers.

Other random observation, but in the center where I went, they didn’t use band-aids for the jab, but rather a cotton ball and tape! It doesn’t really matter either way, but I found it an interesting thing to note.

ANYWAY. That was the process of getting the booster! Not counting how long I stood outside queuing, the entire process took about 20 minutes, and that includes me sitting and waiting for a bit. It’s to be seen if I can get the Covid pass from the booster, or if it will show up in my NHS app, but that’s also something I can deal with later (ironically, they’ve just set up a foreign vaccination verification process, and I was meant to have an appointment next week for that, but they’ve cancelled it for me, ostensibly *because* I got the booster. There are now no appointments for that kind of thing anywhere in the country as there are apparently only a handful of computers that can handle that process). I’m just very grateful to have been able to get the booster, and for it to have been relatively painless (the process, my arm on the other hand…).

Long story short, if you’ve not been double jabbed in the UK and can’t book an appointment via the NHS, head to a walk-in center! The earlier you can get there, the better!

As a side note: I checked my NHS app 24 hours after my booster, and my vaccination was in my vaccination record. I also now seem to have a travel Covid Pass. To be determined if it actually works for travel, but it’s all updated and in the system! Now just to get my foreign vaccines certified!

A (spooky) afternoon at Hampton Court Palace

On November 6, 2021November 5, 2021 By notyouravggiraffeIn UK5 Comments

Since this was my first Halloween in London, I wanted to mark the occasion somehow. I’m not a big partier, nor did I want to do anything on a Sunday night (having work the next morning does mean I need at least some sleep), but I still wanted to “celebrate” the day by doing something special. I’ve been meaning to visit Hampton Court Palace for a bit now, and when I saw that they had “Halloween at Hampton Court Palace” running during October half term (which included Halloween itself), it felt like a perfect opportunity! I had a great time, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself, both with the spooky Halloween theme, and just in visiting the palace itself. Here’s how my Halloween adventure went down!

Coming up to Hampton Court Palace in London, UK — Walking up to the palace

I had pre-booked my tickets to the palace for 1:00pm (due to the pandemic, all Historic Royal Palaces locations require booking in advance), and CityMapper told me it would take approximately 76 minutes to get from where I live to Hampton Court Palace. A bit of a trek, but not too bad all things considered. To get to the palace via public transportation, you’ll need to take a train to Hampton Court, which you can catch from Waterloo, Vauxhall, or Clapham Junction (those are the stops you can access via the tube). Things were going smoothly until I got to Vauxhall to catch the train, and due to bad weather in the morning (and the night before), every train departing from platform 8 was delayed (all trains from Vauxhall to Hampton Court depart from platform 8, in case you were wondering). Not only were they delayed, but there was no time posted for departure, so it was just me and loads of other people stood on the platform, listening to an endless repetition of “the 11:31 train to Hampton Court is delayed,” “the 11:46 train to Guilford is delayed”… you get the picture. This resulted in me getting on a train much later than I had hoped, but ultimately, I was only around 15 minutes late to my entry time, and they didn’t have any issue with it. It was a bit of a reminder to be alert when catching trains though as they randomly announced that the train to Hampton Court would be departing from platform three, and then by the time I got to that platform, the train was there and almost ready to depart! Thankfully I got on and was on my way!

Getting from the train station to the palace is super easy. There are signs to follow, but essentially, you’ll walk straight out, cross the bridge, and the palace will be slightly beyond that and on the right! As a budgetary side note, my journey from start to finish cost me £11.60 roundtrip paying contactless. I’m pretty sure I was traveling during peak hours for both the train and the tube, but that’s a good ballpark price for getting to Hampton Court Palace from zone 1-2 of London, and back!

Coming up the drive to the palace is a sight to see, and then after my ticket had been scanned, I was greeted by cobwebs and pumpkins everywhere to mark the season. Base Court, where you enter, was also soundtracked by spooky noises to get you into the spirit of Halloween. I started out my afternoon by admiring Base Court, before heading to the cellars for a 20 minute ghost story telling session. The guide informed everyone there about the ghosts that have been seen in the castle, including those that have been seen by staff and guests recently! It was a good way to get myself into the spooky, scary mindset for the rest of my Halloween at Hampton Court adventure. I also picked up a Ghost Hunters Journal, which outlined the seven ghost sightings you might encounter while visiting. They had special areas set up for these sights so you could try to spot them yourself!

Base Court at Hampton Court Palace — Base Court

Photo of Ghost Hunters Journal at Hampton Court Palace during Halloween at Hampton Court Palace — Ready to go ghost hunting!

While the Halloween decorations were exciting, there was still the palace itself to explore. I started my non Halloween visit with Henry VIII’s kitchens. There you can wander through Fish Court, into the massive Great Kitchen, and through the serving place to see how meals would’ve been prepared while Henry VIII ruled. From there you could access the ghostly area of The Sandeman in the cellars. I found the kitchens the quickest area to get through, but it’s astonishing how large it was, and it’s hard to imagine how many people were actually being fed by those kitchens!

Fun side note: Use the toilets off of Base Court (at least the women’s) to use a stall dedicated to one of Henry’s wives. There are six stalls so you could be in a divorced, beheaded, died, or survived stall, and have it be attributed to the proper queen!

Silhouette of Anne of Cleves with "God send me well to keep" underneath in bathroom stalls at Hamp;ton Court — Stall four of six: divorced!

From Henry VIII’s kitchens, you’ll walk through the Anne Boleyn Archway to get to Clock Court. Under the archway though, you can take a left and climb some stairs to get to Henry VIII’s apartments. For Halloween, just before you went in, they had carved seven pumpkins: one to look like Henry VIII, and the other six as his six wives. Quite impressive and cute to say the least!

Seven carved pumpkins: one white one in the middle carved as Henry VIII, and the remaining six as the six wives of Henry VIII — Henry VIII and his six wives in pumpkin form!

Young woman wearing a mask in front of carved pumpkins of Henry VIII and his six wives — It’s the HallowQueens!

The apartments tell the story of Henry’s six wives, while also highlighting the large meals and banquets the king would host. You’ll wander through the Great Hall, which is adorned with tapestries, and beautiful stained glass windows. The tables in the middle of the hall have fun facts written on them so you can read about what life at court was like (mainly from a food perspective), and how you’d be expected to behave had you attended a royal banquet with Henry VIII. You’ll also get to see artwork of Henry VIII, and his various wives, along with his heirs. The ghostly apparition in the apartments was “the shrieking queen,” where you could sit and watch a seance where Catherine Howard made a ghostly appearance.

Big draped banner proclaiming "welcome to Hampton Court" at the entrance of Henry VIII's apartments at Hampton Court Palace — A very royal greeting as you enter Henry VIII’s apartments

Emerging from Henry VIII’s apartments, you can directly go into “Georgian Story” where you’ll go through the Queen’s Guard Chamber, public drawing room, and the Queen’s gallery as you wander through the Georgian impact on Hampton Court Palace. There’s also an art gallery you can visit, as well as a cartoon gallery for more art viewings if that’s of interest to you. Exiting this part of the palace, you can then move onto William III’s apartments. This was more expansive than I thought it would be, and the diagram on the map you can pick up as you enter the palace didn’t portray nearly all that you can see in this area. The rooms are filled with artwork, and you can learn about yet another era of the palace’s history. As you exit into Clock Court, you can look up at the astronomical clock, which is also quite impressive!

Astronomical clock at Hampton Court Palace — Gaze up at the astronomical clock from Clock Court

From there, I decided to scope out the remaining spots in my ghost hunters journal so I could make the most of my Halloween at the palace. There was a “Gallery of the Damned” with paintings of Thomas Cromwell, Anne Boleyn, William III, Cardinal Wolsey, and more that came to life to depict their tragic deaths. It felt very Disney Haunted Mansion to me, but in a good way! I also visited an area dedicated to “the executioner” and the Grey Lady, both of whom had elaborate set ups to showcase where they’ve been sighted in the past. There were also several employees (actors?) dressed up as the apparitions who wandered certain parts of the grounds, but I’m not entirely sure who they were all representing as they wandered silently. I’m sure one was the Grey Lady, and another was the wandering queen, but my best guess for the others would be a buried workman (he rattled chains so maybe that was a clue?) and there was one other who looked like Louis XIV, but obviously that’s the wrong country! I thought it was all quite clever, and a very fun way to use the superstitions surrounding the palace as educational material while taking advantage of the time of year!

Doorway at Hampton Court Palace decorated with cobwebs and pumpkins — Halloween decorations!

After going through all the indoor areas, I ventured out into the gardens, which are sprawling. There are so many with different names, and I definitely didn’t get to them all (although that’s mainly because it started raining very heavily and I wanted to seek some dry shelter)! There are beautiful fountains though, and in some areas, it felt very Versailles-esque. There’s a canal that runs along part of the gardens, and the grounds are covered with geese. There’s also a giant maze you can get lost in before finding the “quick exit” sign and ducking out lest you get left behind in there (shhh, that’s definitely not what I did).

Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to Hampton Court Palace! The Halloween decorations, and the spooky ghost hunting made the visit feel that much more fun, and I loved seeing how into it the palace got. From the sounds, the decorations, the special areas… it was very creative, and educational at the same time. They did a great job of balancing out the Halloween themed areas and the actual visiting areas so that it didn’t feel too much like a gimmick, but that instead, it enhanced the visit. I’m sure it’s a lovely visit outside of Halloween, but I’m glad I spent my October 31st at the palace!

Exterior of Hampton Court Palace — Saying goodbye to the palace!

Opening a bank account in the UK (and other things to do when moving to the UK)

On October 23, 2021October 18, 2021 By notyouravggiraffeIn UK2 Comments

It’s a cliché expression, but I can’t believe it’s been over a month since my plane landed at Heathrow airport. I feel like everything has been go, go, go the whole time, so I’m trying to take some time to reflect, and to write about what has been the most stressful part of my move: opening a bank account. It’s one of the big things when you move abroad, but there are certainly others, so I’ll be writing about those as well – hopefully this might help if you’re (thinking of) moving to the UK!

Enjoy a soothing London gif before I dive into the horror of opening bank account here

Opening a bank account in the UK

Since I moved to the UK for a job, opening a bank account was top of my list of priorities because I wanted to be paid. The last time I opened an account in the UK, I was a student, and I’ve since found that the requirements for opening an account as a student are endlessly easier than when you’re here under any other status (essentially as a student, all you need to do is show a letter of acceptance from the university where you’ll be studying and they’ll let you open an account – except at NatWest where they have a three year residency requirement for students wanting to open a student account). It took two weeks for me to find a bank that would accept me, and I’m not going to lie, I cried through the streets of London on a few occasions because of how stressful the whole process was. I’m not sure how helpful writing up my experience will be for future movers to the UK, but in case it is, here’s how it went down.

Before I moved, I made an appointment with Santander online for shortly after my arrival since a lot of banks are currently requiring you make an appointment in advance due to the pandemic. Santander has a bank account that is specially for people who have relocated to the UK within the last twelve months, either to study or to work. Perfect, right? Or so I thought. To open a bank account in the UK, you need proofs of address, and this is a whole catch-22 situation where you sometimes can’t get those proofs without a bank account, but you can’t get a bank account without them (flashbacks to France). Santander required two proofs of address, but would allow me to use a letter from my employer with my UK address as one of them. I had already sorted out my living situation, so I had an address going in, but you can see how this would be problematic if you didn’t have a permanent address, yet. The list of proofs of address you can use is fairly long, but as a non UK citizen, about 1/3 of them weren’t available to me anyway. The bank also wouldn’t accept my lease agreement as I didn’t go through an estate agent, I didn’t have a utility bill or council tax as that’s included in my rent, and I couldn’t provide a bank statement from the UK as I didn’t already have a UK bank account (Monzo is usually recommended but I was denied for reasons beyond my knowledge). I was told that a good workaround is to apply for a provisional driver’s license but that requires sending your passport off, and there’s currently a massive backlog so that would’ve been problematic given that I didn’t want to wait potentially 16 weeks to open a bank account! The first full day I had in London, I rang HMRC to change my address on file so I could get an NiN letter with that on it as Santander had said they’d accept it, but of course, I couldn’t make that phone call until I was physically in the UK (if you don’t already have an NiN, you might have to apply for one – anecdotally I have heard of some people needing one to open a bank account, but that wasn’t ever asked of me).

ANYWAY, I went to my appointment without a second proof of address (as I didn’t have one), and was promptly told they couldn’t do anything until I had one. Since I’d already rung HMRC, I decided to play the waiting game and see when that documentation arrived. It took eight working days, and then I immediately made another appointment for Santander because hooray, I now had the necessary documents! Too bad my HMRC letter didn’t have a date on it so Santander wouldn’t take it (you can imagine my face when the employee told me that). Their suggestion at that point was to either phone HMRC again and wait another 10 working days, or try another bank. I chose the latter, and so began a four hour journey through central London, which was (I’ll admit) a little teary at times.

I went to Barclay’s next and the first branch I stopped in told me their next appointment wasn’t for three weeks, so I ventured further on to another branch, and they told me to download their app to apply. Unfortunately, their app doesn’t work on the US App Store, so I would’ve had to change the region for the App Store, which would then cancel out the subscriptions I have, which… no thank you. It ultimately didn’t matter as they wouldn’t accept my HMRC letter as proof of address, nor would they accept my letter of employment as my employer isn’t registered with UKVI. At this point, I was genuinely asking myself how on earth I was going to get a bank account so that I could get paid!

I googled Lloyd’s and Metro bank, both of whom either required a dated HMRC letter, or other proofs of address that I didn’t have as someone who had just moved (funny how you can be hired by a company in the UK, be on a contract where you’re paid in £ and still be told they won’t let you open a bank account). I was about to give up when I happened upon an HSBC. I was pretty sure based on my research that it wouldn’t be an option, but I decided to give it one last go anyway. They let me apply with just my letter of employment from my employer! I had to do the application process online in the branch and then wait while they processed it – I wasn’t approved for the account they had recommended I apply for, but they did approve me for another one and at that point, I was so desperate just to get an account going that I took it and RAN. I truly can’t believe how hard it is to open a bank account here. I thought France was the worst, but the UK manages to eclipse that entirely.

If you’re moving to the UK for work, here are some items you can use as proof of address so you can have that list handy (although know that every bank will have their own idiosyncrasies so do a quick Google beforehand if you can):

Letter of employment from employer (this needs to be on letterhead paper with the name of your employer, your full name, your UK address, and salary information, all signed by someone in HR)
Council Tax statement (this is something all UK residents other than students pay so get that set up ASAP if not included in your rent)
Utilities bill (again, need to get it set up since you have to show a letter with your address on it, and it might take a while to generate the statement, assuming utilities aren’t included in your rent)
Lease agreement (this tends to need to be from an Estate Agent or a registered letting company, so if you do a bare lease agreement or something with family/private, it might not work)
Provisional Driving License (you can apply for this once you’re in the UK, but it will require sending off your passport/BRP to DVLA [depending on your status in the UK])
HMRC tax statement (only works if you’ve worked in the UK before)
National Insurance Number Letter from HMRC (if you already have an NiN, you can ring them to change your address and they’ll send you a new letter. Make sure it’s dated as banks tend to have a clause of “dated within the last three months”. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait to get your NiN as you can’t ring HMRC to do that)
Bank statement from a UK bank account (this is where Monzo comes in handy, although they’ve tightened their requirements for approval so it’s hit or miss if they’ll approve you. You can only open a Monzo account once you’re in the UK)

Additionally, you’ll need to show a proof of identity which will either be a UK/Irish passport, or a non UK/Irish passport with your right to live inside or your BRP (being a visitor or a tourist doesn’t tick this box). Americans also need to know their Social Security Numbers (you don’t have to show proof of it, though) as due to FATCA, all foreign bank accounts have to be declared.

I did get my debit card within a week of opening the account, though, and the PIN as well so that was quick! I knew opening a bank account would be difficult, but I genuinely had no idea how stressful it would be. If you manage to open an account with just a letter of employment (as I did), and are using a temporary address (like an AirBnb or a friend’s place), be sure you’ll be there long enough to receive your card and PIN as those will come through the post.

Registering with a GP

In addition to opening a bank account once I got here, I also needed to register with a GP. I had an NHS number from when I studied abroad, but the surgery where I’d been registered was local to where I studied abroad, and not where I’m now living in London (and you need to be registered with a GP that services the postcode where you live). If you don’t already have an NHS number, you’ll have to get one at some point, although I’m not sure if you need it to register or if you can do it without (assuming you weren’t automatically registered with your visa type). This process involves going onto the NHS website to find what GPs might service your catchment (and I say might as they might service the first letter and number of your postcode, but not the last three), and then investigating if they’re accepting new patients. If they are, you can apply to register there. I was able to do it online, and now I’ve got a GP in the UK. I’ll comment that I received no notification that I’d been registered so phoned up to confirm, but the process was quick and easy (I was registered in two days). My only big gripe is that the UK hasn’t yet come up with a way to register Covid vaccinations from abroad. While it’s noted in my file at my GP, I can’t have access to the Covid Pass, and if they start rolling out boosters to the general public, it’s going to be a mess to get that as the NHS has no record of me having gotten the first two doses (fun things to deal with in the future).

As a side note, A&E (Accident and Emergency) care is free to anyone, whether you’re registered with a GP or not! There is a triage system in place, so you might have to wait a bit of time, but you can access that care if you need it. You can also phone 111 to speak with an NHS advice professional who can instruct you on further steps for your care.

Getting a phone number

When you initially arrive in the UK, you’ll want a phone number. The best way to start is with a Pay As You Go plan. This will give you one month of data/texts/minutes. I started out buying a SIM from Three, but then when my month was up, I switched to EE because they have better service, and I could get WiFi in tube stations (which is something I missed while on Three). Unfortunately, without a British bank account, you can’t get on a monthly phone contract, and even with one, you’ll have to pass a credit check. I’m currently on a rolling monthly contract so I’m not locked into anything (always a little worried the world will flip upside down again), but if things start to look super permanent for me, then I’ll consider transitioning to a 12 month contract. The benefit of my switching out of Pay As You Go, though is also that since I’m now on a contract, it will start contributing to my credit score in the UK! This is especially a big deal as there isn’t really any other way for me to build credit currently, as I’m ineligible for any UK credit cards without at least three months residency (and most require even more, sometimes even up to three years!).

Those are the biggest things (to me at least) when it comes to moving to the UK! It’s certainly overwhelming, and over a month in, I’m still getting used to everything, but at least I’ve sorted most of the bureaucratic things (until tax season comes around, ugh). I hope this was somewhat helpful if you’ve got your sights set on the UK, or are in the process of making plans to move there. Please let me know if I’ve forgotten anything, though!