Dan & Shel abroad

Oban

danshel — Tue, 4 Aug 2015 23:23:00 GMT

Wednesday 29 July

Today was a very scenic drive through western Scotland. A highlight was driving along the banks of Loch Lomond, and various other lochs. The scenery was particularly beautiful in the sunshine. We stopped at Inverawe Smokehouse for smoked salmon sandwiches and a walk along the River Awe. In the afternoon, we visited Dunstaffnage Castle, not far from Oban. Once in Oban, we checked into the hostel and setout to have a look around the town.

Oban is known as the Gateway to the Isles and the seafood capital of Scotland. Being on the coast, the views were spectacular and particluarly so from a place called McGaig's Tower behind the town. We escaped the coastal wind in the afternoon in one of the local pubs, enjoying a well-deserved chillout!

Glasgow

danshel — Tue, 4 Aug 2015 22:20:00 GMT

Monday 27 July

It was a big driving day today. After saying our goodbyes to Holly and Nick, we hit the road towards the Lakes District. Unfortunately, the weather was very English - cold and wet! We visited the town of Windermere which sits on a lake, very beautiful. We drove around the lake but didn't brave the weather! For lunch we stopped off at Hawkesbury Brewery (a local brewery) where we tried our first scotch egg.

The rest of the day was spent driving to Glasgow. We checked into our lovely AirBnb in the evening and relaxed.

Tuesday 28 July

Armed with umbrellas and spray jackets, we tackled the Glaswegian weather for some sightseeing (and reminiscing on my part!). We wandered around the Botanic Gardens - many impressive glasshouses with plants from all over the world. Next, we walked through the uni (very Harry Potter-esque with the cloisters and quads). It was then onto Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum via Kelvingrove Park.

For lunch we visited The Wee Curry Shop in Ashton Lane (a cute, cobbled lane with bars and restaurants in West End) for a famous Scottish curry and a red wine. After we explored the the city centre, we headed back to the apartment for some trip planning.

Manchester

danshel — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 06:19:00 GMT

Thursday 23 July

After breakfast, we said goodbye to Cardiff and hit the road for Manchester. The drive was relatively uneventful. On the way, we stopped in Gloucester for a look and explored the beautiful cathedral. After lunch in Birmingham, we arrived in Manchester early evening. It was great to catch up with Hol after so long and also to meet Nick. We had dinner and drinks at their flat that night.

Friday 24 July

The three of us (Dan, Holly and I) headed out to York mid-morning for some sight seeing. York is an incredibly quaint town with beautiful little streets perfect for wandering. Our day was spent following our nose through the meandering streets. Highlights included the minster (cathedral), Yorkshire tea and scones, our first pork pie and a walk along the wall. We set off back to Manchester mid arvo and headed out for drinks in the evening. We started at a bar overlooking the city with amazing cocktails. We then moved on to an italian restaurant popular with many celebrities (as evidenced by the photos on the wall). After a tasty meal, we were given the tour of the best bars and clubs in Manchester. After hours of dancing and too many drinks, we called it a night.

Saturday 25 July

After a dusty start, we headed to an aussie/kiwi cafe for a tasty brekky, complete with a flat white!!! (very hard to come by in the UK!) Fuelled for the day, we headed off on a walking tour of the city with Holly and Nick. Highlights included John Rylands library (used for filming parts of Harry Potter https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Rylands_Library_5.jpg), Castlefield (roman ruins) and the canal and lock system. After a full day of sightseeing (in the sun might I add!) we headed back to the flat for Dan's famous paella, wine and board games.

Sunday 26 July

We woke up to a drizzly English day. After a relaxed morning, we head to the Museum of Science and Industy (MOSI). Given Manchester's influence on the industrial revolution, it had many interesting displays (we only just scratched the surface). Mid afternoon, we headed to a pub/restaurant for a traditional Sunday roast (complete with Yorkshire pudding). Very tasty indeed! We spent the rest of the afternoon/early evening making our way through Manchester's many pubs. The rest of the evening was spent chilling out with Holly and Nick in their flat.

Manchester was so much fun and a really interesting city. Definitely a highlight of the trip so far :)

Cardiff

danshel — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 06:16:00 GMT

Wednesday 22 July

After breakfast at the hostel, we hit the road. Typical british weather was upon us on the road, all the way to Swansea. We visited Gower which is just past Swansea on the coast. There are thousands of years of Gaelic history in the area which is fascinating. We went for a lovely walk to Three Cliffs Bay, a popular summer holiday spot on the beach. A pretty decent beach too if it wasn't so cold!

We arrived in Cardiff mid afternoon and checked in our AirBnb. The Holiday Tireds had hit Dan so while he napped, I walked into town to explore. The sun was out and perfect for exploring. It's not a huge place but it was nice for a cruisy afternoon around Cardiff Bay. We relaxed at the flat in the evening and caught an early night.

Bath

danshel — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 05:44:00 GMT

Tuesday 21 July

On Tuesday morning, we had a bus and a tube ride out to Heathrow to pick up our rental car. After some confusion at the rental car desk, we got the keys and hit the road! Just quietly, English drivers are absolute speeding maniacs! Takes a bit to get used to!

On the way to Bath, we drove past Stonehenge. On a tip from some friends, we chose not to take the guided tour as they no longer allow you to walk close to the stones. Instead, we got our Stonehenge fix by taking photos from the road.

We arrived in Bath in the afternoon and made the best of the afternoon (and long daylight hours!) by visiting the Roman Baths. It is incredible to think of the people who have walked through the baths over thousands of years. Our history lesson complete, we headed back to the hostel for dinner and beers at the bar.

London town

danshel — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 06:41:00 GMT

Thursday 16 July

We arrived in London on Thursday afternoon. After a very long wait at border control and a tube ride, we arrived at our AirBnb. After a quick dinner we crashed, having had very little sleep in the past 2 days!

Friday 17 July

Friday morning we hit the tourist trail, starting with Big Ben and houses of parliament. London had turned on a pretty nice day (by London standards anyway!) so we decided to have a walking day to check out the sites - Buckingham Palace (with changing of the guards), Trafalgar Square, National Gallery, Oxford Street. In total we walked 13km which was a pretty good effort for a couple of jetlagged travellers! That evening we caught up with five of our Darwin friends who are now living in London. After dinner and too many dtinks, we caught the last tube home.

Saturday 18 July

Saturday morning was very relaxed (in most part due to Friday night!). We made our way to Hyde Park for a picnic lunch to soak up the London rays. The squirrels provided our entertainment, particularly when they climbed up my leg to get some food! We spent a couple of hours walking through the park, enjoying the weather. On the way to the tube, we popped into Harrods for a look before heading home to get ready for the evening (Lion King!)

Pre-show we enjoyed a typical English pub meal and a pint. The show itself was absolutely amazing. The animal puppetry was particularly incredible.

Sunday 19 July

Sunday was spent at the Tower of London, which was really interesting. The general history of that place revolves around blood, gore and execution - very sombre indeed! We took a tour with a Beefeater, had a glimpse of the crown jewels and spotted some ravens, all the drawcards ticked! In the afternoon we caught up with our Darwin friends for a beer in the park. In the evening, we saw Michelle and Graham for a drink, dinner and a catchup.

Monday 20 July (last night in London)

On Monday, we decided to explore the canal system, starting at Little Venice. We walked past Lords, along Regent's Canal, ending up at Camden Lock Markets. The street food at the markets was amazing! The decision was very difficult but after many samples, we finally landed on our lunch choices. After lunch, we got lost in the market for a while, enjoying the atmosphere. In the evening, we caught up with our Darwin friends at Shepherds Bush Green where there was a carnival, and most importantly, a jumping castle! After a surprisingly exhausting jump on the castle, we had dinner and drinks at the pub (and an obligatory game of Cards Against Humanity of course).