Travel Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Travelling Book Nerd

Posted on June 5, 2020December 13, 2020 by Emily — 7 Comments

Five Fantastic and Free Things to do in York, UK

There isn’t much to do in the English city of York that is free. To be honest, most things to do are priced quite highly for what they are. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t free things to do if you look hard enough.

City Walls

After repairs in the Victorian era, the walls were opened as a public walkway. They still follow the path they followed during the middle ages. From different points along the walkway, you can see the Minster, several churches, and other interesting sites. The walk makes a fantastic introduction/orientation to York.

Due to uneven pathways and a lack of safety railing along several sections, most of the walls are unsuitable for small children who might run off. Be aware that they get busy during summer and are often closed due to bad weather in winter.

National Railways Museum

This is basically a couple of huge sheds filled with all things trains. There’s really old trains, modern trains, royal trains, war trains – pretty much every kind of train you could possibly think of. In addition to this, they have periodic demonstrations, talks, and train experiences.

Entrance is free, though they do bag checks and ask for £5 donations as you walk through the door. I was there on a wet weekend morning and it was jam-packed full of families with small children – you may wish to keep this in mind while planning your visit.

Museum Gardens

The gardens around the Yorkshire Museum are beautiful and free to walk through. Two of the more notable things to see in the gardens are the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey and the Multangular Tower. Apparently, there are some interesting plants and wildlife, but I don’t know anything about that kind of thing.

Walking Tour

There are at least two companies that do free walking tours of York: the Association of Voluntary Guides and White Rose York (they say they’re free, but expect to tip – about £5 per person seemed normal).

I was very impressed with the White Rose York tour I went on, though I was by far the youngest tourist (I take it most backpackers my age go on the earlier Association of Voluntary Guides tour). Our guide was fantastic and kept telling us stories (we asked him to) so that the tour lasted much longer than advertised.

Alternatively, you could wander the Snickleways in the centre of the city by yourself (don’t miss The Shambles). It is rather easy to lose track of where you are, however, so I don’t recommend this. There is also a self-guided Cat Trail; it leads you around the city, looking at cats on the sides of buildings. The cats themselves are underwhelming, but at least they gave some structure to my wanderings.

Churches

Holy Trinity Goodramgate (Free things to do in York)

York is littered with picturesque medieval churches, many of which are still in use. With the exception of the Minster, they’re free to enter when open. Some are more spectacular than others, but they all have their individual quirks and differences in history.

I was fortunate enough to be in York for Residents’ Weekend, so a lot of the churches had increased accessibility and extra volunteers available. My favourites would include St Denys Walmgate and Holy Trinity Goodramgate.

So that’s my list of free things to do in York. Do you want to visit York? or have you already been there?

Posted on May 22, 2020May 22, 2020 by Emily — 2 Comments

My Travel Bucket List

See the Northern Lights

Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, are one of nature’s wonders. Before science discovered their cause, they were woven into the myths of several societies. They may or may not appear when expected, but that just makes seeing them even more special. I definitely want to see them in person, not just in photographs.

Eat Escargot in France

Food is, apparently, one of the best ways to experience a culture. Avoiding traditional fare while travelling is to miss one of the most memorable parts of travel. For this reason, I want to eat escargot (otherwise known as cooked snails) in France (I like France).

Drive the Ring Road, Iceland

This includes both a road trip (great way to see the countryside) and seeing Iceland (a country with beautiful scenery). There are several great geothermal pools, waterfalls, and other natural sites along the road that I want to see.

Get a job overseas

Having a job while overseas makes it possible to stay in a foreign country for longer. And when (or if) you return home your CV will be more impressive: you’ll look more confident, more adaptable, and open to new experiences. You’ll also learn new things, like the local language and culture. These are all advantages that I would love to have.

Besides, even if I can’t get a professional job, it’s alright to make coffees or wait tables – it’s so much cooler to say that I work at a menial job in a foreign country than doing the same thing at home.

Go on a Cruise

Cruises offer a different type of holiday. They’re relatively cheap and easy to plan (all inclusive), you only have to unpack once, and you can see many different places on the same trip. However, they don’t offer the same freedom of choice that other types of holidays might, and I prefer to do things a bit slower. Still, I am a believer of trying new things at least once, and who knows? I might really enjoy it.

Visit a developing country

In first world countries, we tend to take things for granted. I hope to take a visit to an underdeveloped country in order to renew my appreciation for what I have. I also want the chance to see these countries and their cultures for myself, rather than depending all my life on what the media shows.

Go on an African Safari

The African Animal enclosure at Auckland Zoo

An African safari gives you the chance to see wild animals in person. This is made even more special by the fact that many of the animals are endangered; I want to see them before no one can see them anymore. In addition to this, the better safari companies contribute to conservation efforts and I would like it if the money I paid towards a safari experience were to help fund this.

Set foot on all 7 continents

There’s something cool about being able to say that you’ve been everywhere (or at least every continent; every country is a little unrealistic). It shows experience of a wide variety of cultures, more so than visiting many countries on the same continent.

I particularly want to visit Europe and South America, but there are things I want to see one the other continents as well (like the silk road in Central Asia).

Volunteer at an Elephant sanctuary

While it looks like fun to ride an elephant, the methods used to tame them is far from humane. I don’t want to add to this problem but would still like to spend time with the majestic giants. They seem so lovely and intelligent.

Ride a camel

However, I do want to ride an animal that is different and “cool.” Camel-riding is more ethical than elephant-riding, and still creates a fantastic photo opportunity and great experience. In an ideal world, I would ride a camel on a tour of Egypt, Turkey, the middle east, or somewhere like that. However, Australia is much closer and cheaper, so I might do a camel tour there instead.

Try a Capsule Hotel

Designed to help with overcrowding, a capsule hotel is a type of accommodation where guests sleep in ‘capsules’ or ‘pods’ stacked around each other. These spaces are about the size of a single or double bed and have enough headspace to sit upright. They often come with fold-out table space, electrical sockets for charging devices, and a personal reading light. Similar to hostels, guests share communal bathroom facilities and belongings can be left in lockers.

It looks quite novel, and I would like to see just how it compares to regular hostels.

Fly business class

Business class is a luxury few travellers who aren’t rich can afford to splash out on. Just once, I would like to fly without being cramped or being unable to change position. I would like to sleep on the plane, rather than trying to sleep while sitting upright (or sitting still with my eyes closed for hours, unable to drop off to sleep despite the sleeping tablets).

Hike a Multi-day trek

A multi-day trek appears to have numerous health benefits, not just physical but mental and spiritual. It is a great way to disconnect from everyday life and reconnect with nature. People come back fitter, happier, and proud that they achieved something so amazing.

I would particularly like to hike to Machu Picchu (maybe the Inca Trail, or another less-touristy track). I think that I would be more appreciative of the view having worked to achieve it, and there is bound to be some nice scenery on the walk.

Posted on May 8, 2020May 11, 2020 by Emily — 2 Comments

Hello Friends and Family: York

York is a great city. I love York. It has so much history. Now, it’s been a while since I visited, but I didn’t feel like writing about it at that point. So I didn’t. But now I’ve been home for quite a bit, I thought it was about time.

Having heard that the City Walls Walk served as a good orientation to the city, I was going to walk it on my first day in York. However, it was drizzling, so I thought it might be better to spend a day inside. Instead, I went to the Yorkshire Museum. The museum was awesome. I especially loved the large space downstairs with all the medieval stuff.

My second full day in York had fine weather, so I did the City Walls Walk. Starting at Micklegate Bar, I did the Henry VII Experience (small, but interesting). From there I walked clockwise along the walls, looking at the city from all angles. The Richard III experience wasn’t as interesting for me as the Henry VII one, and I had a bit of trouble finding the walls again by the King’s Pool. Otherwise, it was a very enjoyable walk.

On Sunday I tried a self-guided walk from a brochure that took me around a number of cat statues on buildings. The cats themselves were underwhelming, but it provided some structure for my wandering around the city’s snickleways. I finished the walk with a good chunk of the afternoon left, so I went to the art gallery – it had a fairly interesting selection of old paintings.

The following day I went to York Castle Museum and climbed Clifford’s Tower. While an excellent museum, the York Castle Museum had mostly recent and social history (not really my thing). I enjoyed it, but I don’t think I’ll be rushing back. The museum is next to Clifford’s Tower; there’s not much to see in there, but the views from the top are spectacular.

I started Tuesday with the Jorvik Viking Centre. I had been expecting something geared more towards children, but it was really very interesting. From there, I wander along to Pavement (the first paved street in York) and bought some doughnuts for lunch (so yum). The church of All Saints Pavement was right there, so I took a look before going to the Merchant Taylor’s Hall.

I spent more time at York Minster on Wednesday than I had thought I would. I arrived right on time to join one of the free tours (great!). I liked hearing all the stories and having various details pointed out, but my favourite part was going around afterwards by myself and spending as long as I liked looking closer at things.

On Thursday, I joined the “free” guided tour by White Rose York. Our guide was called David, and aside from being a bit odd (with dreadful teeth), he was a brilliant guide. He was particularly good at altering the tour to suit the group. I made friends with the dog that joined the group with her owner (Jo – such a sweet, well behaved dog).

Friday started at Bar Convent, a building just outside Micklegate that hid a convent of catholic nuns during the late 17^th and 18^th centuries. The exhibition was alright, the chapel even better (despite the elderly volunteer guide who was so bored he kept offering one-on-one tours of the rest of the exhibition). In the afternoon, I went to Barley Hall. It was a bit difficult to find, but was appropriately authentic (so cool!).

I went to the centre of York, to the Roman Bath Museum, on Saturday morning. It was a tad underwhelming, but I had great fun with the dress-ups at the end. From there, I walked around looking at medieval churches that I hadn’t been to yet. My favourite was St Denys Walmgate, with Holy Trinity Goodramgate and its box pews a close second.

After a late start on Sunday (thanks horrible Spaniards in my dorm) I wandered down to the National Railway Museum. I didn’t find it interesting, but it was free. In the afternoon, some of the guys at the hostel I was staying at (Astor York) held an Australia Day BBQ, with funds raised going to the bushfire relief efforts. I spent a lot of time standing around and talking to various people; it was really lovely.

Posted on April 10, 2020October 4, 2021 by Emily — 2 Comments

How to Travel when you Cannot leave the House

With the current Covid-19 pandemic, travel is at best inadvisable and at worst impossible. Here in New Zealand, we are practically under lockdown, with strict instructions from the government to stay home as much as possible.

If, for whatever reason, you cannot travel right now, the following are some ways that you can satisfy your travel bug from the safety of your own home.

Update that bucket list

It might not take long, but this is the perfect time to go through your bucket list and cross off anything you’ve already done, add anything new you want to do, or remove things that you don’t fancy doing anymore. Unless you are super organised and update everything as it happens, this is something that needs doing from time to time.

Or if you haven’t actually written your bucket list down, now’s the time to do so. Probably, you have a mental list of things you want to do some day; let’s make it formal – write it down!

Plan your next trip

Half the fun of a trip is in the planning. You may not be able to travel, but you can create a dream itinerary or make a list of what you would do where. You can’t book anything, or set dates, but you can plan.

And dream.

Read Travel Guides

Guides I used to plan my UK and Europe trip in 2019

Travel Guides are brilliant sources of information on different places with a travel slant. Browsing through one is a great way to get a feel for a city or country. This will help you to see what kinds of things there are to see and do there and whether or not it is a great place for you to visit.

I tend to pick up travel guides cheaply at book sales, but if you don’t have any lying around already (and cannot buy one), there is an abundance of blog posts you could check out free online.

Watch foreign TV

With online streaming services, it is so easy to access TV shows from around the world. Watching a TV show or movie with an international setting might give you a flavour for what that country looks like, whereas one made in a foreign country for a foreign audience can give you more of an insight into that culture.

Ask a friend about their travel experiences

Many people who have travelled love talking about their experiences. How often does someone return with thousands of holiday photos that everyone else gets tired looking at? How thrilled would your friends be if you asked about their travels? Look at their photos; listen to their stories, and picture yourself with them in those places.

Cook a foreign cuisine

We all have to eat, right? Why not try a meal from a new country. Or perhaps you might revisit some already loved dishes from places you have already been to. If you can, try looking for international restaurants in your area; if not, there are plenty of recipes online.

For a trip to Italy, try a fettuccine cabonara with pannacotta for dessert. Or how about Khao soi or Pad thai for an evening in Thailand. With a bit of time on the internet, you can find recipes from any part of the world you like.

Learn a new skill

Learning, like travel, strengthens your brain and expands your mind (sooooo cliché, I know). So even if you cannot travel, you can still reap some of the benefits.

I recommend preparing for when you will be able to travel by learning a new language. There are numerous stories out there (usually on travel blogs) of people whose knowledge of the local language has them saved money or gotten them out of a sticky situation. Personally, I have gotten a huge kick out of buying things in French while in France.

Virtual tour

Many popular museums and historic sites have virtual tours allowing anyone with internet to explore their buildings and collections. If there’s something you want to take a look at, try their website, or look for them on Google Arts and Culture.

I’ve recently spent time looking around the Piscine Musée d’Art et d’Industrie in Roubaix, Lille. I could have gone there when I was in Lille in December, but it was a bit far from my hostel. Next, I’m going to tour the parts of the British Museum that I didn’t get to when I was there in February, though I’m sure it won’t be as good as being there in person.

Read a Novel

My favourite of these suggestions, reading is the absolute best way to travel. A good book can take you to any place or any time you like. After travel, I reckon books are the best way to see the world, hence the blog (smiley face emoji).

If (unlike me) you don’t have several large piles of books lying around the house, libraries are great. If you also cannot leave the house e-books can be bought cheaply online; real books are much better than e-books, but e-books are better than no books.

The Ultimate Afternoon Adventure

What about combining some of the above to create your very own home-based adventure? Start after lunch by browsing through some travel guides for the areas you fancy visiting, and create your dream itinerary. Maybe ask one of your well-travelled friends over (or arrange a video chat) and share travel stories.

For dinner, cook an international meal. Round off the evening with a couple of movies set in the country of your choice.

I hope you’re keeping well and are not going insane while you cannot travel. Let me know how you are coping with that travel bug in the comments and stay safe.

Posted on February 8, 2020March 27, 2020 by Emily — 1 Comment

Hello Friends and Family: Edinburgh

I arrived in Edinburgh on Monday, following a train ride north from York. The train was running about half an hour late, but I got to my hostel without any problems. My room is on the top floor (it’s annoying that there’s no lifts for the luggage) and I’m in a bed called “James Bond.”

That evening, the hostel had a group going to a local pub for a pub quiz (apparently this happens every Monday). It was loud and rude and really not my thing but I’m glad I went; if nothing else, it was good to meet new people and socialise a bit.

I met a couple of the girls that had also been at the pub quiz at breakfast the next day. They were going to Dean Village so I joined them. It was pretty and peaceful enough, but would hardly be worth the walk if I was by myself. From there, one of the girls wanted to go to Linlithgow, so I went with her. We went around the palace but didn’t go in; I spent the next couple of days wishing I’d paid to enter and had a bit more time in the town.

On Wednesday, I went to the National Museum of Scotland. The museum was really good; I particularly enjoyed (and spent most of my time in) the Scottish History galleries. That evening, the hostel was taking a group to a ceilidh at a local bar, and I was planning to go, but both pairs of shoes were too wet to go out in.

I went around the museums on Thursday. I had only meant to go to the Writers’ Museum, the Museum on the Mound, and maybe St Giles Cathedral (if I had time). However, they didn’t take as long as I had thought, and by the end of the day I had been to the Museum of Childhood, John Knox House, Museum of Edinburgh, and the People’s Story.

On my way to finish off the museums on Friday, I spotted the Scottish National Gallery so took a look. I couldn’t find the Physicians’ Gallery but carried on to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. How many pictures of Bonnie Prince Charlie does one gallery need? I didn’t feel like going to the Surgeon’s Hall Museum, so went back to the National Museum for the rest of the afternoon.

On Saturday I did a little day trip to Linlithgow. I started with St Michael’s Parish Church; it’s a lovely building, very much like other churches from this period (it’s a shame so many of them in London burnt down). St Michael’s is next to Linlithgow Palace, the ruins of a palace lived in by several generations of Scottish kings and the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. I enjoyed exploring all the nooks and crannies inside.

My final day in Edinburgh was spent on Calton Hill. I really liked the view of Arthur’s Seat and the Salisbury Crags. On the way back to the hostel, I came across a man with an owl. The owl’s name was Hazel, and I took the opportunity to hold her (such a sweet bird).

Posted on January 25, 2020January 25, 2020 by Emily — Leave a comment

Review of Palmer’s Lodge Swiss Cottage Hostel in London

It is going to be tough, writing a balanced review for this hostel: you have been warned. I stayed at Palmer’s Lodge Swiss Cottage for a week and a half in December 2019. Overall, I had a pretty bad stay, but I still think it’s probably a pretty good hostel (if things go right for you).

The Good

The showers are divine. They have excellent water pressure and aren’t on a timer or some kind of system where you have to push a button every 30 seconds to keep the water running.

The internet was fast on my phone. It was so good to be able to watch videos and video chat with my mother without the picture continually stopping and starting.

Location: while Swiss Cottage is a fair way out from the centre of London, it’s still within transport zone 2 and is conveniently on the Jubilee Line (easy connections to anywhere in town). The hostel is a short walk from the tube station with a Tesco Express on the way and a variety of other shops (including McDonalds) just across the road.

The Booking Fiasco

This is where it gets rough. There was a mix up with my booking. I booked several months in advance to ensure that I would be able to get exactly what I needed. Between then and my arrival, they changed what many of the rooms were used for, resulting in the room that I had booked (6-bed female dorm) no longer existing.

So they put me in an 8-bed female dorm; by the time I checked-in and found out, there was no way to put me in a smaller dorm. The guy I spoke to arranged for me to receive free breakfasts throughout my stay instead – very nice but didn’t actually help the problem.

Anyway, about half-way through my stay I had a midnight breakdown (full on shaking, head under the pillow, etc.). In the morning, I went down to reception and told the lady there that I wasn’t coping; she managed to put me in an emergency private room off a back stairwell. It was tiny (little more than a cupboard with a bed in it) but it was quiet, and I was able to struggle through the cold that I came down with the next day without worrying about disturbing anyone.

Conclusion

I appreciate that the staff did everything they could to help me enjoy my stay. However, it was still pretty awful. I believe all these problems could have been avoided if they had gotten in touch with me when they first changed the rooms. At that point, they might still have had a bed in a smaller dorm that I could have been put in, or failing that, I could have booked somewhere else that suited me better.

Posted on January 13, 2020January 18, 2020 by Emily — 1 Comment

Hello Friends and Family: London II

My first full day back in London was a busy one. I tried to do the Roads to Rome walk by City of London Corporation, but kept stopping to take a closer look at things along the way. Despite forgetting to book beforehand, there was space for me to see the London Mithraeum. The whole experience is very well done.

From there, I walked past the London Stone, down Fish Street Hill, to the Monument. Even though it wasn’t on the walk, I took the opportunity and went to the top. The stairs are extremely narrow, and the climb had my legs and lungs burning, but the view was so worth it.

At the bottom of Fish Street Hill is the church of St Magnus the Martyr. Not surprisingly, I went in. It was awesome, but not as awesome as the next church I visited: All Hallows by the Tower. One of the few churches to survive the Great Fire, it doesn’t have Wren stamped all over it; in fact, there is an arch inside that was built during the Saxon period, and the museum in the crypt houses all kinds of wonderful Roman and Medieval treasures found on the site.

Aiming for a bit of a slower day, on Saturday I wandered down to Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park. It was very pleasant. I had picked up a brochure outlining a “Plants and People” walk through the cemetery, just to give my wandering a bit of direction; it did what I wanted it to, but it was impossible to actually identify the plants along the way (probably because it was winter). There was plenty of wildlife, though, and people walking their dogs.

Headstones crowded like teeth in a small jaw

Sunday was the day I continued the Roads to Rome walk. Unfortunately, some of the tube lines were closed, so I couldn’t get back to Tower Hill (where I left off on Friday). I ended up at Bank station, tried and failed to exit at Monument, and so caught the next train to London Bridge. It was quite the adventure.

Having crossed back to the right side of the river, I headed towards Tower Hill. On the way, I found St Dunstan’s in the East; there was more church ruins and less garden than I had expected (I loved it, until lots more people arrived and it got busy). Being near Tower Bridge, I went inside for the Tower Bridge Exhibition. It was cool to see the history of the bridge, but I don’t think I would pay to do it again.

I followed the walk through Leadenhall Market (rather unimpressive), past the Royal Exchange and Guildhall, to St Alphage Garden. St Alphage Garden houses a section of the old Roman wall, extensively repaired during the Wars of the Roses. Nearby are the remains of the tower of St Elsyng Spital (unexpected but cool to see). I finished the day with a couple of hours at the Museum of London (I have to go back – I only got as far as the Medieval gallery).

On Monday I had plans to meet one of my sisters for lunch near her office. Since it’s only a couple of tube stops along from Cockfosters, I swung by to take a photo (it was too good an opportunity to pass up). After lunch, I went to the Guildhall. The art was a lot more interesting than that at Tate Modern, but the Amphitheatre was pretty unspectacular. I enjoyed seeing the Great Hall, and the police museum was worth a quick look.

Wednesday was a Southwark day. I started by walking across London Bridge (Monument was much easier to get to than London Bridge station). The first major thing I did was wander around the Crossbones Graveyard – so much history, but it seems to be all garden these days.

From there, I made my way towards Shakespeare’s Globe, but decided that going inside was too expensive (even with the discount voucher I picked-up from the hostel), so I went to Southwark Cathedral instead. So much history!!!!!

Posted on January 4, 2020January 4, 2020 by Emily — 1 Comment

Hello Friends and Family: Christmas and Cambridge

After leaving my disastrous stay at Palmer’s Lodge, I met my sister and her husband at Borough Market for lunch – I had a Chicken Masamann from the Thai food cart. We sat at a table at the top of a set of wooden bleacher-like things with a great view of everyone else eating their lunch.

The view from our table at Borough Market

On Christmas Eve we met my other sister and her wife in central London for panto. We saw Goldilocks and the Three Bears at the London Palladium. It was awesome, funny, and magnificent (I later read a newspaper review that gave the show only three out of five stars because there was so little plot – it didn’t need plot). This was followed by a meal together at a Mexican restaurant.

Christmas day was lovely and quiet. We watched a lot of T.V., drank a lot of tea, and ate a lot of chocolate. There was a particularly bizarre T.V. show called Martins Close; it was about a young man accused of murdering a woman whose ghost had since been seen several times. We also put together a kitset of a wooden marble run – so much fun!

On the Saturday I went to Cambridge by myself. First, I popped by the visitor information centre and picked up some brochures and a map. I spent the rest of the day at the Fitzwilliam Museum. It seems to be artier than I had thought it would be, but I enjoyed the ancient history bits.

The Fitzwilliam’s building is spectacular in its own right

Monday was a London day. We (my sister, her husband, and myself) had tickets to Witness for the Prosecution at London County Hall. We started with an hour in the treasures room at the British Library (I liked the illuminated manuscripts).

Getting off the tube at London Bridge, we bought hot chocolates at Rabot in Borough Market and drank them as we walked along the Thames to the winter market outside the Southbank Centre, where we had lunch. I had a Korean pork rice bowl that was quite a bit spicier than I had anticipated.

On New Years Eve, I accompanied my sister and her husband to Cambridge. They were going to see the New Year in at one of the clocks there and had booked a fancy hotel room for the night. We had lunch at The Old Bicycle Shop (good food, great atmosphere). I was planning on seeing more of Cambridge afterwards (perhaps Great St Marys), but I didn’t feel like it.

I saw the New Year in hanging out the attic window. There were at least six fireworks displays going on that I could see, and several more that I couldn’t (judging from the sounds and wafts of smoke coming from the other direction). I had tried to watch the fireworks at Big Ben on the T.V. but the cameras weren’t great at seeing through the smoke created by the fireworks.

Posted on December 23, 2019May 3, 2020 by Emily — Leave a comment

Hello Friends and Family: London I

This last little while has been a bit of a bust – I’ve just spent three days in bed with a dreadful cold (today makes day four).

Anyway, before I fell ill, I visited Tate Modern, the British Museum, and Hyde Park. Tate Modern was boring – might be alright if you’re into art, but there was absolutely nothing there that interested me at all. Look at the photo; you can see how bored I am, can’t you?

I spent two days at the British Museum (heaven!!!!!). Definitely need to spend more time there. After the first day, I spent the evening with my sister and her husband at a nearby pop-up theatre. It was set in an igloo with beanbags. We watched the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” (so many feels!!!).

Lining up my camera for a photo in front of the British Museum

This stunning piece is both a clock AND a salt cellar

I thought this Saxon bracelet in the Enlightenment Gallery was gorgeous

The highlight of my visit to Hyde Park was when a squirrel climbed my leg. Hyde Park also has the Winter Wonderland Christmas market (I had a hot chocolate and churros for lunch). I also enjoyed looking at the orphan elephants sculptures.

Posted on December 11, 2019December 11, 2019 by Emily — Leave a comment

Hello Friends and Family: A Week in Lille

As of today, I have been in Lille, France, for a week. Lille is so much better than Paris; for one thing, the buildings don’t all look the same. So what have I been doing?

My first day here, I was quite nervous about leaving my room (I got a four-bed dorm all to myself – sweet!). I went out a couple of times to explore the communal areas and then to a supermarket and bakery (un croissant pour le dejeuner).

On Wednesday I went down to the centre of Vieux Lille and the tourist information centre. I found heaven: Furet du Nord. Furet du Nord is a massive bookshop – seven floors of books! All well organised and neatly presented for browsing. It was like a book supermarket (it has checkouts). Needless to say, I bought three books and two magazines, spending just over 30€.

On Thursday I visited the Christmas Market (Noel a Lille – check it out). I looked around for ages trying to find a hot chocolate, but there were no non-alcoholic hot drinks! Vin Chaud, yes. Mulled Cider, yes. Christmas Beer, yes. Hot Chocolate, no. Anyway, I bought a delicious thick waffle for lunch (so good).

Did you know, Eglise St Andre is not on the Rue St Andre? Silly, right? Anyway, I walked past Eglise St Andre, Ste-Marie-Madeleine, and the Porte de Gand on Friday morning before heading to the Musee l’Hospice Comtesse. It was really interesting, though I’m glad I spent the extra 2€ on an audio guide (otherwise I would have had no idea what I was looking at).

Near the Musee is the Cathedrale Notre Dame de la Treille. Despite being less than 200 years old, most of it looks like it’s stepped straight out of the 13^th century. They’ve really done a great job of incorporating modern elements into an old style of building. Anyway, quick travel story: it was so cold that at one point I warmed my fingers on the prayer/offering candles (possibly a bit sacrilegious – don’t tell anyone).

I went a bit further on Saturday, visiting the Musee Canonniers (small, poorly run, not worth 5€), the Jardin des Geants (not much to see as it’s winter, but I had great fun trying to take photos with me in them), and the Porte de Roubaix (looks just like the Porte de Gand). It took me a while to find Eglise St Maurice, but it was well worth it.

Doesn’t the Porte de Roubaix look just like the Porte de Gand?

Sunday morning I attended the meeting at L’Armee du Salut Poste de Lille (The Salvation Army Lille Corps). There were about 40 or 50 people at the meeting. They were so welcoming; Major Ludovic brought me their songbooks himself, and had one of the boys who spoke passable English sit next to me to translate.

We sang Voici Noel (Silent Night) and Jour de Bonheur (Joy to the World). After the service they all had lunch together then a “show” followed by afternoon tea. It was 3pm before I got away.

Yesterday, I went for a walk around the Citadelle de Lille. I had thought I might go to the zoo, but it was closed (despite the official Lille Tourism website saying they should be open). Instead, I wandered under the trees and looked at the fortifications.

I think I’m getting better at taking photos of myself

So far this trip hasn’t been much like what I pictured it would be like, but it’s still been amazing, and I think that I’ve enjoyed it more than I would have had it been as I imagined. There are several things that I would have liked to do but I ran out of time and energy. I still have a day here before heading on to London, but I won’t have time to do it all; I’ll just have to come back.