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.
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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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).
Canterbury Cathedral, pictured with some of its ongoing construction
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.
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!
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!
Even the roundels got 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!
An early morning on Oxford Street
Carnaby Street’s theme was Kaleidoscope of Love this year: filled with butterflies, rainbows, and bright colors!
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.
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.
The Old Vic’s marquee for A Christmas Carol
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).
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!
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!
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).
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!
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!
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
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!
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!
Henry VIII and his six wives in pumpkin form!
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.
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!
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!
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).
Enjoying a spot of sun in the gardens!
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!
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!
One of the things I’m most excited about now that I’m living in London, is being able to explore the rest of the UK. For all the time I’ve spent in the UK, I’ve managed to not actually get to too many places outside of London, and I’m hoping to change that now. The first place I decided to visit? York!
From London, it’s an easy two hour train journey to York. I did have a slight adventure in that my initial train was cancelled, but luckily there was another one departing half an hour later and I was able to just hop on that one. I rode on LNER, and while I was disappointed in the lack of mask wearing on board the train, the journey up to York was comfortable and easy – they even have outlets between the seats so you can charge your devices! I left from King’s Cross in London, and arrived into York (there’s only the one train station in York so that makes booking tickets pretty easy).
A lovely welcome at the train station!
From the train station, it’s an easy walk into the city centre. You can also take bus 66 if you’d like, but I found that it was really easy to navigate around on foot (if you’re trying to get from the train station to the university, though, it’s about a 40 minute walk so if the weather isn’t nice, bus 66 is a quick and dry way to get there – one way journeys cost £2 but can be paid with contactless card).
My first stop was to visit York Minster, arguably the most famous thing to visit in York. I’m not sure if it’s down to Covid or if it’s always been like this, but you have to prebook tickets to gain entry into the Minster. You can opt to purchase a basic entry ticket, or a guided tour. For an additional £5, you can add on the Tower Challenge for a chance to climb up the Central Tower. If you’ve read my blog before, you know that I love a good tower, so I couldn’t resist booking myself this ticket. Regular entry slots are available every 15 minutes, while tower slots are every 45 minutes. I booked my entry slot to be 30 minutes before the tower so I could look around, but not feel rushed (you can also continue looking around after you climb the tower so you could book them for the same time and have no issues). The Minster itself is beautiful inside and out, with stained glass everywhere, and as some of the construction dates from the 7th Century, it’s full of history. There are seven main spots to make sure you visit while walking around inside: the Nave, Chapter House, Great East Window, Crypt, Quire, Rose Window, and the Central Tower (which is what you climb). There’s also the Undercroft Museum, which houses Roman and Viking artifacts under the cathedral, but unfortunately that was closed when I visited so I wasn’t able to see it.
I think probably 90% of my photos from York are of York Minster
I personally felt like half an hour was a good amount of time to walk around and see everything (I did manage to get in a few minutes before my entry time so I had a bit more than 30 minutes), but I can easily see how you could spend hours there, especially if doing it with a guide. Five minutes before my tower ticket slot, I went to the meeting point and waited for a Minster employee to come get all of us (I’d say there were 20 people, and the sign said our time slot was sold out, so if you’re wanting to do this, absolutely book in advance – I booked the night before, but the earlier the better. In theory you can buy it in the Minster on the day, but I heard them telling patrons the remaining slots were booked, so they still might be sold out). We were given a brief explanation of the fact that we’d be walking up 275 steps (that get increasingly narrower and narrower), and therefore anyone with health conditions shouldn’t ascend. The woman who warned us of the steep ascent wasn’t kidding – it’s 275 spiraling steps (I would say I counted, but they’ve written the number of steps every 25 steps so you can see how close you’re getting to the top). There’s one section around step 125 where you come out onto a section outdoors that gives you some lovely views and fresh air before you’re back into the ever narrowing staircase. Right towards the top, I had to move my purse to in front of me in order to fit properly – it certainly did get narrow, and the steps did as well. I’m glad I have small feet! The view at the top, though? Absolutely wonderful. I lucked out because the weather in York was truly beautiful all day while I was there, so I had a sweeping 360º view of the city’s skyline. Despite the fact that my ticket slot was only for 45 minutes (it took probably close to 15 minutes to do the full ascent as you can only move as fast as the person in front of you, and you’re asked to maintain some space between each other due to Covid), I didn’t feel rushed at all once I was at the top. From 72m up, it’s well worth the slightly intense journey to get up there, and there are placards on all four sides to tell you what direction you’re facing, and what’s in the distance. You do go down the same stairs you came up, and while it wasn’t as strenuous going down, I found it scarier!
One of the four views you get from the top of the tower. On a clear day, it feels like you can see forever
From the small non spiraling staircase break you get, you can examine some of the Minster’s architecture
Once back down on ground level, I decided to treat myself to a “York Minster Tower Champion” badge to commemorate not only the lovely views, but also my day in York. I mean, they do call it the Tower Challenge, so it only makes sense to have some kind of prize at the end of it! It was £3.50 for the badge, but I thought it was cute, and where else will I be able to get that? I also hadn’t seen any bloggers mentioning it, so here I am doing that!
My Tower Champion Badge!
After York Minster, I wandered down to the Shambles Market, which is an iconic market and alleyway in York. It’s rumored that the Shambles is what inspired Diagon Alley in Harry Potter, and even if that’s not ultimately true, I can see why you’d think that! There are 70 food stalls, clothing stalls, locally owned businesses, and more in the market, and it was certainly buzzing on a Friday afternoon. You can also find a lot of tea rooms around the Shambles if you fancy an afternoon tea or a cream tea, and plenty of other eating or drinking establishments.
Shambles Market
I can see the Diagon Alley inspiration rumor being true!
From the Shambles, it was a quick walk over to the Jorvik Viking Centre. Created by the York Archaeological Trust in 1984, this attraction is designed to take you back in time to the time of the Vikings living in York, which at the time was known as Jorvik. Your visit starts out in a room with glass floors, which showcases the ground below as it had been excavated. There was a guide there dressed in Viking attire (all staff in the exhibit area do, although ironically, they were all wearing masks that matched their outfits. As I overheard one other guest say “I’m sure Covid was big in the Viking era” – might not be entirely accurate, but I appreciate their dedication to keeping guests safe, even if it throws off the authenticity a little). Your journey back into time starts with an animatronic ride where you get in a buggy, and then spend 15 minutes learning about the different houses, partial skeletons, and artifacts found on Coppergate Street. They’ve reconstructed what Jorvik might’ve looked like, and the narrator will tell you all about how they know that fabric dye was used, or that pigs were kept (and eaten), and much more. I thought the ride was pretty interesting, although I’ll admit it was a little distracting when the mannequins spoke in Old Norse while the narrator was telling me in English about something. When the ride ends, you visit a museum that contains the artifacts spoken about during the ride. You’ll see jewelry, combs, fabric, skeletons, and more. You can even purchase a coin for £2 that will be struck for you there and then! I did find my visit interesting, but I’ll admit that I was expecting a little more from the museum part itself, although I wasn’t prepared for the animatronic ride! The ticket I bought is valid for 12 months though so if I return to York in the next year, I can visit again. It’s recommended you pre-book tickets, but if you don’t (I hadn’t as I wasn’t sure how long York Minster would take me), you can jump in a separate standby queue, and you’ll be let in as space allows. I waited maybe five minutes, so I can’t complain, but I can see how that wait could be long if spots were sold out for several hours.
Some of the settings you visit while on the ride at Jorvik Viking Centre
From the Viking Centre, I went to look at Clifford’s Tower, although unfortunately, it’s closed for conservation works so I wasn’t able to do much more than look at it (and even that wasn’t super impressive as it’s covered in scaffolding). Since that wasn’t open for visiting, I ventured over to the York City Walls to walk along those. These walls date from the Roman era, and as they’re still standing (and in good condition), you can walk along parts of them. It doesn’t circle the whole city as it might have done back when the Romans were defending it, but you can still walk along a solid portion of wall (some of it doesn’t have any railings, though, so be aware of that). The walk along the walls was pretty calm, and gave lovely views of York Minster in the distance. It’s also fascinating to be able to walk along something that is so historic, and look to your right to see a modern railway station, or a Travelodge. The view of York Minster is particularly stunning at Golden Hour, or just as the sun is setting (yes, I did hightail it back to the walls to see it in a different light).
Watching the sunset over York Minster from the York City Walls
Can’t go somewhere without a cheesy tourist selfie!
As the sun was setting on my day in York, I made one last venture into the city centre to walk the cobblestone streets a final time before I had to catch my train back to London. I stumbled upon the Museum Garden, which houses the Yorkshire museum (unfortunately I missed the final entry for that), which was a lovely place for a stroll, and of course, contained some ruins as well. While I know London is steeped in history, York felt very much like you could actively see it at every turn (at least in the city centre). I returned back to the railway station on foot, grabbed some dinner (be advised that there aren’t many food options in the York Railway Station so if you’re going to grab food there, like me, just know your options will be limited), and caught my train back to King’s Cross. It was smooth sailing back, although it was a very full train (thank goodness for seat reservations)! I had yet another adventure once I got to King’s Cross as the tube station was closed, and of course the next closest stops on the line(s) I need to get back to my flat aren’t within walking distance. I found a way back, fear not, but my King’s Cross luck definitely wasn’t with me that day!
Sunset over the Railway Station, and my time in York
All in all, I absolutely loved my day in York! I had no expectations when I boarded my early morning train, and while I’d done some research on what to do, I hadn’t mapped it out or given much thought beyond pre-booking tickets. It helps that I had beautiful weather. I definitely didn’t cover everything in York (I definitely have some things to do for next time), but I did manage to do a lot in my less than 12 hours there. If you’re thinking of visiting York – do it!
Golden Hour at York Minster
Things to do in York
York Minster
Deangate, York YO1 7HH
Visiting hours:
Monday – Saturday: 9:30am-3:45pm
Sunday: 12:45pm-2:45pm
Tower trips: 10:15am-4:15pm
Tickets must be booked in advance. Book here – be sure to select “tower trip” if you want to climb the Central Tower. You’ll be prompted to select both an entry time for general admission, and for the tower – these can be as far apart or close together as you’d like
Cost: Minster only £12, Minster and Tower £17
Shambles Market
5 Silver St, York YO1 8RY
Open every day 9:00am-5:00pm
Jorvik Viking Centre
19 Coppergate, York YO1 9WT
Open every day 10:00am-5:00pm
Pre-book your visit here – you can opt to visit just Jorvik, or combine your ticket with visiting the DIG and/or Barley Hall
Cost: £12.50 adult, £18.00 triple ticket – tickets are valid for 12 months
City Walls
Unnamed Road, York YO1 7LJ (it comes up on Apple Maps as a destination)
Open every day 8:30am-9:00pm
Things (for me) to do (next time I’m) in York
While I did see a lot of York while I was there, I missed some things that I hope I’ll be able to return and visit. Here are those things!
Clifford’s Tower (I hope if I go back again that it’ll be open)
It’s been almost two years since I was last in London, and being back after that amount of time meant that I had to revisit some of my favorite places. It being London, of course, my first day was grey and overcast (although luckily the rain stayed away from the majority of the day). I love being back, and part of what I love so much about revisiting places, is getting to see them again with slightly different eyes – this time, it’s revisiting after not only a long break, but also with a hint of pandemic (and now viewing the city as the place where I live, rather than just a place I’m visiting).
London’s calling!
Despite the fact that travel to the UK has reopened, London feels emptier than when I’ve been before. I’ve never felt less jostled or surrounded by people than I have wandering around these past few days. I’ve taken some very touristy photos that I’ve felt too awkward to take in years past because there have been so few people around. That’s not to say that there’s nobody around anywhere, but it’s certainly not what I’ve experienced in peak tourist season (which is what it still is, to be fair). Some areas are still quite hustle and bustle, but others are shockingly deserted.
I’ve never seen the front gates of Buckingham Palace this empty
The first bit of sightseeing I did was to revisit the Sky Garden. The only other time I’ve done this was when I studied abroad in 2016, so it’s been some time. The experience and the view were virtually identical to what I remember them being, but since Sky Garden tickets are free, I can’t really complain. Plus, it’s never not fun to get a view from 35 stories up of London!
The Shard and the Thames from the balcony of the Sky Garden
One of my favorite walks in London is along the South Bank. Starting at the Eye (although I prefer to start at Southbank Centre to avoid the crowd that can gather in front of the Eye), you’ll walk past the National Theatre, the Globe, Tate Modern, Millennium Bridge (the bridge destroyed by death eaters in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but also a bridge you can walk across to get to Saint Paul’s), and then I typically stop at Tower Bridge. When the weather is nice, you’ll get beautiful views stretching down the Thames as well. There are also some great outdoor restaurants along the South Bank where you can partake in outdoor dining (when the weather is nice), and have a lovely view of the Thames.
Hands in the air if you’re excited to be in London!
Something new I decided to do was visit Kensington Palace. I’ve wandered around the gardens before (although on the side closer to Hyde Park), but I’ve never made it into the Palace before. I had to prebook tickets for a designated time slot (I’m not sure if this was the case pre pandemic), but entry was easy. You can take the rooms at your own pace, but it took me about an hour from start to finish to walk through the Jewel Room, Queen Victoria’s childhood, the King (George II) and Queen (Mary II)’s state apartments, and the special Royal Style exhibit. Without needing to enter the palace, you can see the Princess Diana status and garden located very close to the entrance. Once you’re done with the palace, you can wander through Kensington Gardens, and over into Hyde Park – if you go far enough, you’ll end up at Buckingham Palace! You can also stop to have tea inside or just outside the gift shop.
View from outside Kensington Palace
Another fun thing that’s happened is I’ve gotten to see Tower Bridge open twice! That area of London isn’t one that I’ve massively frequented in the past, so I never timed it right to see it happen, but I managed to catch it twice in two days within my first week in London. It’s a very fast process (a far cry from the Interstate Bridge between WA and OR – if you know, you know), and it’s quite cool to see it up close. I managed to see it once from afar, and once from the pedestrian walkway on the bridge (as they say, it’s all in the timing).
Watching Tower Bridge lift
As another way of recreating my first time in London five years ago, I decided to visit the Tower of London again, something I did in my first weeks in London all those years ago. It’s been enough time that I remembered some of it, but certainly not all of it. Given the pandemic, you have to prebook your tickets for one of three allotted time slots (10:00, 12:00, or 14:00), but tickets were pretty easy to book. In some areas of the Tower, it felt very crowded, and others felt fairly empty, but I can’t imagine what it would be like without them restricting numbers to a certain extent. The indoor exhibits were where you felt the crowd the most, I’ll say. As with all the Historic Royal Palaces, you get to see history, and learn all about it. The Tower is where Anne Boleyn was famously beheaded, where the Crown Jewels are kept, and of course, the home of the ravens (and so much more). I managed to spend a solid three hours there, which is in line with the amount of time they say you should allow. It’s pretty easy to navigate, and a definite must visit!
The White Tower at the Tower of London
Historic Royal Palaces tip: If you’re thinking of visiting Kensington Palace and the Tower of London, or any combination of the sites included in the Historic Royal Palaces, think about purchasing a membership, or upgrading your first full price ticket to a membership. At £59, this ends up being cheaper than purchasing multiple entrance tickets, especially if the two sites you want to visit are Kensington Palace and the Tower of London. If you’re like me and have just moved to London, you’ll then get one year of free entrance to any of the Historic Royal Palaces sites!
As another fun little way to celebrate my moving to the UK, I decided to partake in an afternoon tea! Since this is London, there are countless places to do this, at various price points. If you want to fully indulge, you can do Fortnum and Mason’s afternoon tea, which is divine in so many ways, but does run a steep price tag. If you’re more on a budget (like me), you can still fully partake in the afternoon tea tradition. I opted for a £15 tea at Cafe Rouge, and while that’s a chain, I have no complaints about the food! I was given my pot of English breakfast tea, and then some savories (mini jambon beurre baguette, mini brie baguette, a sausage roll, and a vegetable quiche), and some sweets (a lemon meringue tart, chocolate cake, a mini orange chocolate gateau, and a scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam – the true highlight of tea)! It was definitely enough food to eat, and you can never go wrong with a pot of tea.
Keep calm and drink tea, right?
Obviously my wanderings have barely scratched the surface of all London has to offer, but since I’m here for a while now, I know that I have the time to see all my old haunts, and to discover some new ones as well! I can’t get over the fact that I get to (for the foreseeable) call London home, and wander the streets whenever I want. It feels like this has been a longtime goal of mine, and I can’t quite describe what it feels like to have achieved it (although really, that’s a whole other blog post). I’m not fully employed, so my free time is more limited than when I first moved over, but I’ll be doing my best to enjoy London – even just being here is enough some days – but here’s to more London wanderings!
I’ve been pretty quiet on the blog the past few weeks, and while a lot of that is due to the fact that I haven’t been up to much, it’s also because I’ve been preparing for an(other) international move! This time, I’m headed to London. I’m absolutely thrilled to be heading back to the UK, and to be doing so for a job, since that feels way more adult and legit (and in a different way than my experience with TAPIF, not to disparage that at all, but this has more of a long lasting feeling). Much as it feels weird to write, this move has the makings of being a more permanent one, so the process has been overwhelming to say the least! With that in mind, I figured I’d write up a little bit about the process, since it’s not all been super smooth and easy.
Pre-departure preparation
As with any kind of move, there was a lot of packing to be done. Luckily, I had been planning on moving to the UK in September anyway (the initial plan had been grad school but sometimes life hands us different plans, and that’s okay!), so it wasn’t like I was completely unprepared when it came to figuring out what I would bring. Once again, I was thrown back into the mindset of weeding through my closet to decide what clothes I wanted to bring, what shoes were coming along (and trust me, it was a lot), and anything else that I wanted to have immediately. It’s always a weird feeling to try and pack up your life, and you’d think after the several times I’ve done it that it would be a piece of cake, but alas, it only gets marginally easier each time. All I can say is thank goodness for space bags.
Pandemic Travels
Much like when I went over to France, pandemic restrictions are still in place. Unlike last time though, more is open so more people are traveling, and you can definitely feel it in the airports (and even in checking my seat assignments before leaving). The UK currently requires a negative Covid test taken within three days of departure, based on the date of departure of the flight that will actually take you to the UK (I had to take two flights given that no non-stops were running from PDX). It’s a bit confusing compared to France’s 72 hour requirement, but it’s three calendar days – I left Wednesday September 8, and was tested Sunday, September 5 to ensure I had the results back in time (my provider where I was tested was estimating 48-72 hour turnaround time, but it ended up being just over 24 hours so it was fine anyway). The US is currently an amber list country, but vaccinated Americans are given the same treatment as travelers coming from green list countries – no need for isolation, and a requirement to take another Covid test within two days of arrival. Unvaccinated Americans are classed with any other amber list traveler, and must isolate for 10 days, taking tests on days two and eight (with an option to book an additional day five test for test and release). Any tests must be booked before arrival, and you have to fill out the information on the Passenger Locator Form (which will include a unique code given to you when you book your Covid test), which also indicates where you will be staying and your purpose of travel, within 48 hours of your arrival into the UK. Here are all the documents I needed:
LIST OF REQUIRED TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
Passport
Boarding pass
Negative Covid test, taken within three days of boarding flight to the UK
Passenger Locator Form (with unique reference code for prebooked day two test)
CDC vaccination card
Although the journey was long, it was fairly painless (other than the backs of my ears, which by hour ten of the journey were less than happy from the mask – I’d love to hear earsaver techniques, I am ALL EARS, pun intended). Due to it being an international flight, I was unable to check in online with Delta, and had to wait to do so at the airport, so that meant allowing slightly more time in the morning before my flight. In Portland, they verified my Covid test, vaccination card, and passport before issuing me my boarding pass. I had to first fly to Atlanta, and although the flight was pretty full, it wasn’t as full as my app had indicated it might be (no complaints from me)! As they’ve been for several months now, masks were required on both legs of my journey, and just like when I flew to France, I had no issues with it (other than the ear thing, but that’s because I went in a KN95 this time instead of a cloth mask so the straps were less forgiving). The three hour layover in ATL went pretty quickly, given that around 45 minutes before boarding started, everyone was called to the gate so they could verify our documents. There they checked covid tests, vaccination cards, passenger locator forms, and passports, before writing all that information down and putting a red sticker on my boarding pass to indicate I’d cleared document check. They were making people fill out the locator form if they hadn’t done so before they’d be considered fully checked in, so that’s a much needed document (in addition to everything else). The flight to London was pretty good, all things considered. There was dinner and lunch service, plus some good snacks so can’t complain about that! I was able to watch the new David Copperfield film, and apart from the uncomfortable headphones, and the fact that the flight tracker map didn’t work (I might be the only one, but it’s absolutely one of my favorite parts about flying), I enjoyed my flight, and was able to sleep for a lot of it. Delta isn’t currently running flights to the UK from the US, so I flew with Virgin Atlantic (a codeshare). I’ve never flown them before, but I enjoyed their service and the experience was comparable to the flights I’ve taken with Delta. Other than some pre-departure drama involving a cancelled flight with no notification, the whole process of flying during this next phase of the pandemic wasn’t horrible.
Customs at Heathrow oddly didn’t feel that much different than in non-pandemic times. Since I used an EU passport (although this applies to UK citizens, US passport holders, and a handful of other country passports), I used the E-gates. Nobody checked any of my documents once I arrived in London, but if you can’t use the E-gates, they absolutely will, and if there are any problems with the E-gates, customs can check those documents, too. Getting my bags took a while, and because I have so much stuff (moving will do that to you), I took a cab to where I was staying instead of trying to navigate the tube (which I would’ve done given any other circumstance). The traffic was absolutely horrific, and for that alone, if you can take the tube, do it.
Some ambiance lighting (and orange juice) to set the mood for the long flight to London
After Arrival: the Practical Things
After I was able to unload all my things, the first task I had to conquer was getting my day two Covid test taken. You can do this anytime between arrival (day 0) and day two, so I booked mine for the same day I arrived just so I could get it done. There’s a long list of providers you can use, and you can opt to have it swabbed by a professional, or to have a kit mailed to you. Considering I was staying at an AirBnb, and didn’t know the mail situation, I opted for finding a place in person. I used a testing center in Canary Wharf, and was able to get in before my appointment time so that was nice. It was five minutes to get the swab done (which was less painful than France, but more-so than the US – I have thoughts on the somewhat metaphorical analogy this makes), and I was pleased with the process, although I’ll grumble a bit about the price of it (£65 for those of you curious). The test results came via email in 54 hours, which was longer than the 48 hours I was promised. I will say it’s a little odd that they ask you to take a test within two days of arrival, but you have no requirement to isolate while you wait for the results. It seems a little risky, given a lot can happen in two-three days, but here we are.
The next thing I had to do was get a SIM for my phone (if only because for as well as I know London, I’m still not an expert at getting from place to place without a little maps assistance). Since I was out at Canary Wharf for my test, I hopped on the DLR to get to Westfield Stratford so I could visit a Three store. There are loads of mobile providers in the UK – and I’ve used three and EE in the past – but I used Three when I studied abroad so I had an urge to use them again. It wasn’t nearly as smooth as I wanted it to be, but the good news is that since I’m on a Pay As You Go plan, I can switch providers at any point if I want to do that. Either way, my phone is now fully functional in the UK.
The element I still haven’t sorted though is opening a bank account. For as much as I thought France was horrifically bureaucratic and difficult, the UK is proving to be worse (who would’ve thought that was possible??). In order to open an account, you need a proof of address. Since I’ve already sorted my living situation, this should be easy, right? WRONG. To prove that I’ll be earning in the UK, I have a letter from my employer confirming my employment with them, as well as my UK address (where I’ll be moving next month). This, however, isn’t enough for any banks. They want post that was delivered to you or a lease agreement (but this can only be from an Estate agent or through a council agreement, which mine isn’t, so my lease agreement doesn’t count). A lot of the things you can use as proof of address aren’t available to me as a non UK citizen (registration on the voter roll, current driver’s license – I could apply for a provisional license but that involves sending off your passport and has a massive wait time, etc…). I’ve changed by address with HMRC so they can send me an updated letter with my National Insurance Number (thank goodness I already had one of these since the backlog is running ~ 16 weeks to get one right now), but that’s going to take 10-16 business days, so that’s essentially my time frame for when I’ll be able to open a bank account. I couldn’t update my address until I was actually in the UK, so really this whole process is a whole catch-22 of epic proportions. I tried opening online accounts like Monzo and Monese, since that’s recommended to try and get something with your address on it, but Monzo denied me (with no reason given, much to the consternation of the bank tellers with whom I spoke about it), and Monese required paying for the debit card (which didn’t seem worth it just to generate a statement I could use for opening an account somewhere else). It’s definitely still a work in progress, and an infuriating one at that. Fingers crossed I’m able to resolve that at some point in the near future, if only so I can be paid (just a small thing, really).
Random moving to the UK tip: Since there’s a possibility this move will be for a while, one thing that could become important for me down the line is having UK credit history. Unfortunately, my US credit history doesn’t transfer outside the country, so I’m essentially starting from scratch. That means I’ll be back in the endless cycle of being unable to get credit cards because of a lack of credit history, but being unable to generate any credit history because I can’t get a credit card. Something that was suggested to me was to get an American Express credit card in the US. After three months of use, I can exchange it for a UK one, no questions asked. This way (in at least three months’ time), I’ll be able to start generating some credit history in the UK! I have no idea if it’ll be successful or seamless, but I’ll report back on that one. I was, however, impressed with the speed with which I received my card in the US!
Despite the minor bank account hiccup, my arrival into London has been lovely, and I’m over the moon to be back. I’ve been able to wander around a bit (blog post incoming on that one), and it really does feel like coming home in a weird way. I’m still definitely stressed about the pandemic, and its effects on the UK (and my job), but I can tell I’m going to have to channel my worries differently over here. Contrary to what I’m used to in Washington (I can’t say the US because not every state has handled the pandemic the same), mask wearing is not really a thing outside, nor is it truly required/enforced inside. I’ve been a little disappointed by how many places have signage recommending the use of a face mask, but not requiring it – seems silly to think most people would automatically comply with recommended than required. It’s more lax than France for sure, but I’ll have to adjust since this is where I’m going to be living for the foreseeable.
It’s hard to believe that I set foot in London for the first time (almost exactly) five years ago, and here I am moving here. If only my 20 year old studying abroad self could see me now. I had no idea at the time how much my life would change from studying abroad (which is cliché, I know, but I do have some proof of that fact), and I’m truly so grateful that the stars have seemingly aligned to make my coming back possible. Here’s to a new adventure!
Recreating one of the first ever photos I took in London in September 2016 (bottom photo), in September 2021 (top photo)
Not Your Average Giraffe 