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!

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!

Ending 2021 (and starting 2022) in Porto

On January 15, 2022January 15, 2022 By notyouravggiraffeIn TravelLeave a comment

After finishing my time in Lisbon, I headed up north to Porto. Unlike Lisbon, I’d never been to Porto before, and I was excited about exploring a new city with a different vibe. It’s about a three hour drive from Lisbon to Porto, and after showing my negative Covid test to check into the hotel by Estádio do Dragão, I was ready to hit the town!

Exploring Porto

My first day in Porto, I ended up having to uber into the city as there was a strike on the metro that had closed all but one line (and of course, that one line didn’t go through Estádio do Dragão). It was only 4.89€, and it didn’t take too long to be dropped off at Trindade, though. From there, I did the 15 minute walk to Igreja dos Clérigos. This is a large Catholic Church, but the real reason for visiting was to climb the tower (I can’t resist a tower climb)! It’s 197 steps up (and back down again, of course), but there’s also a museum before you start the big climb so you don’t do it all in one go. Tickets are 6€, and while I wasn’t entirely interested in the museum, the view from the top of the tower was absolutely worth it. By sheer luck, I got to the top of the tower for sunset, and got to watch the sun dip below the horizon with the roofs of Porto beneath me. The tower has two outdoor viewing areas, and you can spend as much time as you want while up there. The tower also has night tickets you can get to climb the tower at night.

View of Porto at sunset from Igrja dos Clérigos in Porto, Portugal — Sunset over the roofs of Porto

I wandered around after my arduous climb trying to find dinner, and was surprised to learn that Porto leans towards Spanish hours for dinner! Looking around at 6:00pm, very little was open, which was very different from what I’d experienced in Lisbon! I did eventually find a nice restaurant on Rue das Flores around 7:15pm, and had my favorite: bacalhau à braz.

Christmas tree made of lights in Porto, Portugal — Even after Christmas, the lights are still on show!

On the last day of 2021, I started my morning bright and early with a trip to get a Covid test in preparation for my return to the UK. The testing center was right next to the Livraria Lello, known as one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. It’s rumored to have inspired Hogwarts, but even if it didn’t, it’s worth the visit just to admire the interior. Tickets cost 5€ online, 6€ at the door, but if you purchase a book inside, you’ll get the 5€ back in the form of it being taken off your total. You’ll have to wait in a queue as they limit the customers inside, unless you purchase a more expensive priority ticket to skip the queue. I purchased my tickets while waiting for my Covid test, and I saw many people purchasing them while waiting. I found the queue moved fairly quickly, and then I was inside! You’re greeted with ornate ceilings, a spiraling red carpeted staircase, and so many books. It’s a functioning bookstore, so I bought myself a Livraria Lello edition of Pride and Prejudice, which I was able to get stamped with the Livraria Lello stamp – a unique souvenir I think!

Livraria Lello in Porto, Portugal — Livraria Lello

After admiring the bookstore, I thought it was time to check out the Dom Luís I Bridge that spans the Douro River. There are several bridges along the river, but this one is definitely striking. I accidentally initially ended up on the riverfront (in the Ribera neighborhood), which wouldn’t allow me to cross the top level of the bridge, so ended up taking the Funicular dos Guindais up. This funicular isn’t covered by the Andante card (the card you use on public transport in the city), so it is an additional cost, but given there aren’t any funiculars in London, it’s worth it to try at least once.

Young woman stands on the Dom Luis I Bridge in Porto, Portugal — Finishing out 2021 with beautiful views (and sunshine)!

From the top, it’s a bit of a walk before you can get onto the bridge. The upper level is reserved for pedestrians and the metro, so you don’t have to worry about car traffic. You get beautiful sweeping views of the Douro River stretching out on both sides, and the hills of Porto. The bridge crosses you over into Gaia, and on that side of the river is where you’ll find all the port makers. There’s also a cable car you can ride! I ultimately crossed back over to head back down to the Ribera neighborhood for lunch along the river. After lunch, I found Gelatopia while wandering – a gelato chain that served pastel de nata flavored gelato! I couldn’t say no to that!

Young woman stands on a cobblestoned hilly pavement in Porto, Portugal — Heading back down to the riverfront from the top of the bridge

As part of my last day of the year, I went to catch a glimpse of the beautiful tiles in the São Bento train station. Half the entrance is under construction, so I couldn’t get the full effect, and I can only imagine what that would be. I watched the final sunset of 2021 from the viewpoint just outside Igreja do Carmo before heading back into the center for dinner. All New Year’s Eve festivities had been cancelled due to the pandemic, and you could tell in how few restaurants were actually open for dinner. Even the restaurant where I ate said they were endeavoring to close the place down by 10pm! I do wonder though if that was down to there being no public events, rather than how it typically is on New Year’s Eve.

With no celebrations, I rang in the new year in my hotel room, with the sounds of fireworks ringing out from across Porto.

A day trip to Aveiro

With January 1 being an observed “holiday” in Portugal, nothing was really open in Porto in the morning. As such, I opted to do a little day trip to Aveiro, about 57km south of Porto. Aveiro is also very close to the coast, and during the summer I hear is a bustling tourist city! Upon arriving, the city was very quiet, with very few people milling about, and much seemed closed. By the time I’d finished lunch though, it was clear that the city was waking up, and things were opening. By the time I left, it felt very crowded, and I can only imagine what it’s like in the summer!

Boats on the canal in Aveiro, Portugal — Aveiro is well known for its river

One of the must-dos in Aveiro is to take a boat ride on the river. There are several different companies all along the river, so you can pick the boat that speaks to you the most! The tour lasted about 45 minutes, and you get to not only get a lay of the land (as it were), but also see the bridges, and locks along the canal. We got a bit of history about the salt trade in Aveiro, but not as much as I would’ve liked.

Young woman in a pink mask and grey scarf in Aveiro, Portugal, with a bridge behind her — Reaching the end of the river, and the locks that keep the river level steady

In line with how the rest of this Portugal trip has played out, I had to finish the day in Aveiro with a sweet treat. Aveiro’s signature dish is something called ovos moles, which has no direct translation, but is a pastry made of egg yolk and sugar. They’re shaped like barrels, and they originate in Aveiro, so it only made sense to try them there! They weren’t as appealing as a nata, but I’m glad I tried one!

Ovos Moles from A Casa dos ovos moles de Aveiro in Aveiro, Portugal — Ovos Moles

Returning to the UK

As much as I wanted to stay in Portugal (the weather for one is appealing – 16 degrees C in January!), work in London was calling. In order to return to the UK, I had to have a negative Covid test taken within two days of departure. I also had to fill out the UK Passenger Locator Form, and prebook a day two PCR test. Porto has an airport, but to get back to Heathrow, I had to transfer in Lisbon. I made it to Lisbon, and the gates were just about to open for boarding when my flight was cancelled, which is exactly what every traveler wants to hear. I ended up having to wait in the Lisbon airport for over eight hours, but that’s a story for another day!

All in all, I had an amazing time starting off my 2022 in Porto, and throughout my whole small holiday in Portugal. I’m very grateful I was able to do it, and I hope I’m able to return to Portugal again one day!

Young woman stands in front of Christmas decorations in Porto, Portugal — Portugal was a wonderful place to start 2022!

Natas, codfish, and the sea… a few days in Lisbon!

On January 8, 2022January 8, 2022 By notyouravggiraffeIn Travel3 Comments

With Christmas falling on a Saturday this year, and Boxing Day on a Sunday, UK residents were treated to a four day weekend this year. Given I also had some annual leave I needed to take, it made perfect sense to try and make the most of that time off, and head somewhere outside of London. With that in mind, plans to travel to Portugal were hatched. Before I dive into it all, I do want to clarify that I made these plans well before Omicron popped up, and that I was still somewhat hesitant about it all.

Lit sign saying Boas Festas on a roundabout in Lisbon, Portugal — Happy holidays from one of the many light displays in the capital

Pandemic Restrictions in Portugal

Let’s start with the most stressful aspect of travel at the moment, and that’s travel restrictions. Mask mandates are in place in Portugal inside in all circumstances (at the time of writing and while traveling), and I was pleased to see how well this was adhered to, both on public transport and inside, but also just in general when out and about (especially when compared to London). Shortly before I flew into Lisbon, Portugal changed their restrictions such that in addition to mask wearing, in order to eat in a restaurant (or check into a hotel), you needed to present a negative Covid test (taken within the last 48 hours for antigen tests, and 72 hours for PCR tests). This applied to everyone, tourist or resident, vaccinated or unvaccinated, and tests could be done in labs or pharmacies. While in Lisbon, I had two antigen tests done, one that cost 30€, and one that was free. In the few times when I ate inside (weather was mild enough for eating outside, even at night while I was there), they did ask to see my negative test. These restrictions were put into place as preventative measures to keep case numbers down, but it still speaks to what things are like in Europe at the moment.

In terms of entry requirements for Portugal, I had to have a negative PCR covid test taken within 72 hours of departure (48 hours for an antigen test). I also had to fill out a Passenger Locator Form, and both of those documents were checked before I was allowed to board. My negative test was also checked again when I landed in Lisbon before I was able to clear immigration. I wasn’t asked to show my proof of vaccination until I got to the hotel on that first day (and was actually only asked for it at the Time Out Market outside of the hotel).

I will say that I was impressed, and pleased, to see that people in Portugal actually wear their masks inside, on public transport, and generally just out and about. This is so different than what it’s like in London, and while cases are spiking in Portugal (as they are in most of Europe currently), they still are doing the best they can to keep their fellow citizens safe.

Bem vindo a Lisboa!

My first full day in Lisbon was a Sunday, so already a more quiet day than most (not to mention that I arrived on Christmas Day, so things were pretty quiet then as well). The morning started out early with a trip to the pharmacy to get an antigen test since my PCR from London had expired, and I wasn’t sure how many places would ask for the negative test. Going to a pharmacy, it only cost 30€ for an antigen test, with a turn around time of 2-3 hours (I did my test at 11:45am, and had the results shortly before 2pm so can’t complain about that)! I did, however, have to have an appointment (I used a walk in pharmacy a few days later and the wait time was about the same, only the waiting was to get in for the test rather than for the results themselves… that one was free though so the wait was worth it)!

While waiting for my test results, I wandered down through Rossio Square, and onto Rua Augusta to find my favorite store in Lisbon: Fábrica da Nata. Eating a fresh Pastel de Nata was top of my list of things to do after coming back to Lisbon, and they didn’t disappoint. A warm nata absolutely cannot be beat in deliciousness.

Young woman in a blue coat and grey scarf sitting in a chair. She's smiling, and holding a pastel de nata in her hand. There's a box on the table in front of her that says Fabrica Da Nata. — The first (of many) natas!

After some delectable natas (I dread to think how many were consumed over the course of this trip), I continued my walk down to Praça do Comércio, which had a large Christmas tree in place. The weather wasn’t lovely (it rained pretty much on and off all day, plus some wind on the side to make it less enjoyable to be outside), so standing outside on the waterfront wasn’t super appealing. I did randomly find the Centro Interpretativo da História do Bacalhau, though, in an effort to seek shelter, and decided to give it a visit. It’s an interactive center dedicated completely to the history of codfish in Portugal, and while it was completely empty inside, it was very interesting! The museum is full of videos, immersive experiences, and projections to help you navigate the intricate history Portugal has with codfish, and to learn about codfish all over the world. Entry is only 4€, and the museum is pretty new (it opened in July 2020), but I’d absolutely say it’s worth a visit!

Young woman in a pink mask sitting behind a cardboard cutout of an orange dory boat at the Centro Interpretativo da historio do bacalhau in Lisbon, Portugal. — You even have a photo opportunity!

To finish off the day, I visited the Money Museum, which isn’t far off the Praça do Comércio. It’s located in an old church, and is way more vast than I could’ve imagined. The museum is completely free, but you’ll be issued with a ticket that you can use to partake in interactive quizzes, games, and elements to enhance your visit. For being a free museum, I was really impressed with how much detail there is. I will say that some of the explanations went over my head, and there is a certain amount of Portuguese history you’re kind of expected to know to properly contextualize things, but it’s still fascinating. I thought it was well worth the visit, and is an interesting insight into the financial history of Portugal!

A day in Cascais

For all that Lisbon has to offer, there are a fair number of places to explore on short day trips outside of the city. The last time I was in Lisbon, I did a day trip to Sintra, and spent a day out in Belem, so it made sense to do another! This time I ventured out to Cascais, a beach town about 40 minutes from Lisbon. Getting there is pretty easy: you take the train from Cais do Sodré, which terminates in Cascais. It’s a commuter train, and costs 5€ return. Trains run every 20 minutes. You get a lovely view of the coast as you journey into town, and then come out onto a beach town.

The first stop of the day was the Boca do Inferno, a 30 minute walk from the center of town. It’s a massive rock archway over the ocean that is constantly hit with crashing waves. The view wasn’t quite what I had expected it to be, but the waves were impressive, and it did make for an interesting sight to see. The walk through town also led past some adorable Christmas decorations, wishing the town Boas Festas.

Boca do Inferno in Cascais, Portugal — Boca do Inferno

Upon arriving back in the heart of the city, I decided to scope out some lunch. Based on a combination of wandering and TripAdvisor searching, I settled on O Pescador to have a fish dish, because that’s what Portugal is known for, so why not (and I was on the coast, so it was even more fitting)! I had the Bacalhau À Braz, which is fried fish in scrambled eggs and topped with the thinnest French fries. It was absolutely delicious, and I can now say I’ve had cod in Portugal!

Bacalhau A Braz from O Pescador in Cascais, Portugal — My Bacalhau à Braz, which quickly became my favorite dish of the trip!

After a very filling lunch, I walked down to Rainha’s Beach to step foot on the sand, and then along the promenade to Estoril. The walk is about 2km from Cascais, along the boardwalk where you can admire the waves crashing into the structures along the boardwalk, pop down to various beaches, and even catch some people trying to surf! Upon arriving in Estoril, the train station is just along the boardwalk, and from there I hopped on the train back to Lisbon.

Young woman in a yellow jumper and grey scarf stands on the boardwalk in Estoril, Portugal — *Sea* you later, Cascais!

After a long day of walking, I figured it would be a great way to finish the day by doing some more walking down to Praça do Comércio to see the Christmas lights. Unfortunately, the tree wasn’t lit up, nor did it seem to be on the way to doing so. The streets were well lit, though, and an evening treat of a delicious nata was an excellent reward to a day of over 25,000 steps!

Learning to make natas

If you’ve not figured it out already, one of the must eats in Portugal (and one of my favorite pastries) is a pastel de nata. It’s a puff pastry filled with egg custard, and each bite is divine. As a way to make this visit to Lisbon more unique than the last, I booked an AirBnB experience of a baking natas workshop! It was 90 minutes, and our small group went through the whole process from start to finish, and we even got to consume the natas at the end of the bake. We all got to try our hands at various stages of the process, and it was super interesting to get to see how they’re made (and of course, to enjoy them at the end).

Selfie of a young woman holding up a pastel de nata close to the camera — Taking a selfie with one of the natas my cooking class group made together!

Further Lisbon explorations

In addition to everything I did on my first day in Lisbon, I also managed to get in some steps around the city. I went up the Santa Justa Lift (5,50€ roundtrip), the Ascensor da Bica funicular, visited the Gulbenkian Museum (which has discounted rates for under 30s), and popped into the Time Out Market (which required proof of vaccination). The Christmas lights were also still up, so I was able to enjoy those as well.

Christmas lights in the Praca de Comercio in Lisbon, Portugal — Praça do Comercio complete with Christmas tree and smoke from roasting chestnuts!

Pandemic worries aside, I had a lovely time in Lisbon! It’s such a fun city to visit, with so much history and so much to do. I’m glad I was able to come out, and I will say that the requirement for having a negative test, even though I wasn’t asked for it frequently, was a stress reducer. Testing every two days gave me some relief of having a negative result while I was out and about, but I did wear an FFP2 whenever I wasn’t eating. For the last few days of my holiday, I left Lisbon, but stayed in Portugal. Next stop: Porto!

Young woman smiling with ocean and bridge behind her in Lisbon, Portugal — Sunset on my time in Lisbon!

Saying farewell to 2021!

On December 30, 2021December 29, 2021 By notyouravggiraffeIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I’m doing my best to ignore that yet another year has gone by (and the fact that despite my best wishes, the pandemic is still a thing), but this past year has been full of excitement and I thought I’d try and sum it up a little! Despite the pandemic, I spent 2021 in three different countries, and while I’ve documented a lot of it on here, I couldn’t help myself from summarizing it in a nice little list. In the past 12 months, I:

Spent the first four months working in Dijon, France
Baked several loaves of challah
Got my three doses of the Covid vaccine (and a fun sticker to go along with it each time)
Experienced record breaking 115ºF heat
Took nine nasal swab Covid tests, and way more lateral flow tests
Moved to London
Completed the Tower Challenge in York
Saw a handful of shows (fully masked)
Had a few successful TikToks

Young woman smiling with an "I got my COVID-19 vaccine" sticker on her index finger — The sticker was (almost) more exciting than the vaccine itself

Okay, I know that when written out in a list, it doesn’t seem that impressive, but I’m super proud of myself for all of it (even the Covid tests, because that’s just been a part of this year). 2021 will forever be the year where I achieved my goal of moving to London, and even with the struggles that have come along with that, I can’t get over the fact that I actually managed to do it. When the year ends, I’ll have spent nearly four months here, and not only have those months been amazing, but I feel like I’ve managed to do a fair amount, even with the stress of moving and pandemic restrictions. Some highlights include:

Visiting Hampton Court Palace
Touring Arsenal Stadium (did I decide to support them purely because their mascot is a dinosaur? I’ll never tell)
Finding green spaces to wander (I personally really enjoy Hampstead Heath at the moment)
Watching Tower Bridge lift several times
Starting a new job
Consuming a ridiculous amount of Pret barista made beverages because of their subscription
Going back to the theatre (I managed to see seven performances in my four months in London in 2021)

Young woman stands in front of the pitch at Arsenal Stadium during an Arsenal Stadium Tour — All we’re missing for the perfect photo is Gunnersaurus!

I think that’s a fair amount to have accomplished in a small amount of time, don’t you? I’m so excited to see what future months in London have in store for me, and I’m even more excited to experience living somewhere in a permanent way, and all that entails (the longest I’ve spent in one place that isn’t where I was born was nine months, so I’ll be excited to pass that date in 2022). I still have a list a mile long of things I’d like to do in London, so I’m hoping that I’ll be able to make a dent in that as the next year progresses. I’m also just eager to see all the personal growth I’m sure I’m going to do, both from a professional angle, as well as a personal one.

Young woman in a striped shirt and jeans stands in front of a red telephone box in London, England, UK — 2021 was the year London called!

I was re-reading my 2019 recap post (somehow I forgot to do one for 2020, whoops), and I wrote that “obviously the future isn’t crystal clear.” The irony that that statement is just as true now as it was then (and even more so now I feel) isn’t lost on me, and it almost feels silly to make any kind of resolutions or goals when we have no idea what 2022 might look like. Here’s to hoping the next year is a good year, nonetheless – happy new year!

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!

A day in York!

On October 16, 2021October 17, 2021 By notyouravggiraffeIn Travel, UKLeave a comment

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).

Welcome to York sign in York Railway Station — 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.

Photo of the front of York Minster in York, England — 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!

View of York Minster, and the city of York beyond from the top of the Central Tower in York, England — One of the four views you get from the top of the tower. On a clear day, it feels like you can see forever

View of York Minster's spires from the climb up the Central Tower in York, England — 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!

Badge with Central Tower of York Minster that says "York Minster Tower Champion" — 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.

Arching sign that says "Shambles Market" at the entrance to the Shambles Market in York, England — Shambles Market

Streets of The Shambles in York, England — 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.

Animatronics of Vikings at the Jorvik Viking Centre in York, England — 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).

View of York Minster as the sunset with purple clouds above it from York City Walls in York, England — Watching the sunset over York Minster from the York City Walls

Young woman taking a selfie of herself with York City Walls, and York Minster in the background in York, England — 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 on the horizon with York Railway station in the foreground in York, England — 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!

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)
National Railway Museum
Yorkshire Museum
Betty’s Tea Room