There are a lot of mixed reviews of Stonehenge, but I think it is all about what you are trying to get out of it. If you think it is just a big pile of rocks then it will be just a big pile of rocks. If you go in with an open mind and let yourself experience it fully, it is truly something to behold. I thought it was fantastic and after three trips to the UK I was finally able to make it on this the fourth trip.
We planned it pretty well and thought the day was a success. I would highly recommend staying overnight in the area if possible. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Stonehenge in Solstice Park. It is about 3.5 miles from the sight and as far as we could tell the closest hotel. Solstice Park is pretty strange because it is a little area of American export. There is a KFC, a Pizza Hut and a Holiday Inn. Which pretty much grosses me out, but hey it was close.
Seeing the site at either the beginning or the end of the trip would be best since it is only about an hour and half from London,where most people fly into and out of. Staying overnight allows you to get there right when it opens which if you ask me is an imperative. Stonehenge is open just about everyday from 930am - 400pm. They don't open the parking lot until 9am so if you get there before that you will have to park down the lane until you can get into the parking lot. A lot of people will tell you to just park down the lane and go look at it through the fence (which you can take pictures over) but I think it is worth it to go inside the area. Some say you can't get much closer, but that isn't exactly true. There is one area which is very close and the path kind of winds around it giving you prime picture taking areas. The reason why it is roped off now is because people had started to graffiti it and were always trying to take pieces with them, so really we have no one to blame but our fellow man for it being blocked off. Way back when they used to even rent hammers and chisels so you could knock a piece off as a souvenir. There is also an option to go inside the stone circle. You have to sign up way in advance and send in an application and get a confirmation. Unfortunately they do not allow these inner visits in November, fail. These visits are before it opens at 645am and 800am, or right after close. The visits last for an hour and the group is limited to 26 people. I was pretty bummed to find out they weren't available when we were going to be there. I think that would be breathtaking.
We planned it pretty well and thought the day was a success. I would highly recommend staying overnight in the area if possible. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Stonehenge in Solstice Park. It is about 3.5 miles from the sight and as far as we could tell the closest hotel. Solstice Park is pretty strange because it is a little area of American export. There is a KFC, a Pizza Hut and a Holiday Inn. Which pretty much grosses me out, but hey it was close.
Seeing the site at either the beginning or the end of the trip would be best since it is only about an hour and half from London,where most people fly into and out of. Staying overnight allows you to get there right when it opens which if you ask me is an imperative. Stonehenge is open just about everyday from 930am - 400pm. They don't open the parking lot until 9am so if you get there before that you will have to park down the lane until you can get into the parking lot. A lot of people will tell you to just park down the lane and go look at it through the fence (which you can take pictures over) but I think it is worth it to go inside the area. Some say you can't get much closer, but that isn't exactly true. There is one area which is very close and the path kind of winds around it giving you prime picture taking areas. The reason why it is roped off now is because people had started to graffiti it and were always trying to take pieces with them, so really we have no one to blame but our fellow man for it being blocked off. Way back when they used to even rent hammers and chisels so you could knock a piece off as a souvenir. There is also an option to go inside the stone circle. You have to sign up way in advance and send in an application and get a confirmation. Unfortunately they do not allow these inner visits in November, fail. These visits are before it opens at 645am and 800am, or right after close. The visits last for an hour and the group is limited to 26 people. I was pretty bummed to find out they weren't available when we were going to be there. I think that would be breathtaking.
Stonehenge |
The Peak District was the UK's first national park. It is an area right in the center of the country-ish. Basically it is a huge green patch on any map of the UK that you look at. I had done a lot of research but I still wasn't sure what the expect (and of course I have seen Pride and Prejudice). It seemed to vary quite a bit from the north to the south of the park. There are also quite a number of towns throughout the District, which is completely different than National Parks in the U.S. The towns tend to be just outside the park, this was not the case here.
We stayed in Buxton which a good starting point for going north or south in the Peak District but the place we stayed was a little bit old and in need of some serious updating. I would suggest staying at any of the nice looking bed and breakfasts all over the district. It doesn't really matter where you stay if you have a car. There are numerous hikes and walks you can take all, most of them are longer in distance, so if you don't have all day or a couple of days seeing some of the estates is your best bet. You can take in a lot of scenery on the way and while you won't necessarily get up the peaks unless you are walking, it is absolutely still worth it.
Our first stop was the visitor center in Bakewell. We were too early and it was still closed. In a spur of the moment decision we decided not to wait for it to open and head straight for the Chatsworth House which was very well signed. It turned out to be a wonderful decision. We got there and there was a full on Christmas Festival going on. We were lucky enough to be able to park right next to the house. The people we saw on the way out were not so lucky. The traffic back up for somewhere between 3-5 miles trying to get in. It was unbelievable. I mean I was shocked. I didn't even know there were that many people in the area.
The Chatsworth House is the site they used for Mr. Darcy's House in the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. It is so much more awesome in person than it is in the movie ( and I thought it was lovely in the movie). It is huge, the grounds are amazing and it is so peaceful. The gardens go on forever and include a maze, a 100 step fountain, a reflecting pool, a massive rock garden, vegetable garden and a large variety of trees and plants. The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire still live there with their family. It is a full working house.
We stayed in Buxton which a good starting point for going north or south in the Peak District but the place we stayed was a little bit old and in need of some serious updating. I would suggest staying at any of the nice looking bed and breakfasts all over the district. It doesn't really matter where you stay if you have a car. There are numerous hikes and walks you can take all, most of them are longer in distance, so if you don't have all day or a couple of days seeing some of the estates is your best bet. You can take in a lot of scenery on the way and while you won't necessarily get up the peaks unless you are walking, it is absolutely still worth it.
Our first stop was the visitor center in Bakewell. We were too early and it was still closed. In a spur of the moment decision we decided not to wait for it to open and head straight for the Chatsworth House which was very well signed. It turned out to be a wonderful decision. We got there and there was a full on Christmas Festival going on. We were lucky enough to be able to park right next to the house. The people we saw on the way out were not so lucky. The traffic back up for somewhere between 3-5 miles trying to get in. It was unbelievable. I mean I was shocked. I didn't even know there were that many people in the area.
An early morning walk/hike up to Arthur's Seat in Holyrood Park, why not! Arthur's Seat is an "extinct" volcano that is found in a park in Edinburgh. The park abuts Holyrood House Palace, the Queen's official residence in Scotland and is across the street from the new Scottish Parliament building. The Scottish Parliament building is quite unique. It was designed by a Spanish (Catalan) architect, who was selected in a competition. It is also worth a visit if you are in the area. The debate chamber is the real gem of the building.
At the bottom of Holyrood Park there is a sign that lists some of the main trails up to Arthur's Seat. Every website I looked at and even the bus tour said the "walk" to the summit is only a half hour. Let me tell you that when you get to the bottom of the park and look at the map and look up, there is no way you can believe it will be ONLY a half hour. We scoped out the map and took what appeared to be the most direct non scary looking route. It ended up being one of the steepest routes, woops. We took our time and stopped and took a lot of pictures. It probably took us about 45 minutes to get up to the top. At first there was no one around, and we thought for sure that any regulars must take another route, but then half way up we started seeing people, lots of them with their dogs and walking sticks coming over the hills from all sorts of directions and trails and non-trails. It was really cool. We even saw some really ambitious runners heading for the top. So to give a better idea of what this park really looks like I will explain a bit more. There are essentially three hills in this park. The front park, the Salisbury Crags, the middle, Aruthur's Seat, and the hill at the sort of back end of the park, which I don't know the name of. There are also a few ponds throughout. The Salisbury Crags route doesn't look like it leads to Arthur's Seat but I am sure you could make it happen what with all of the foot traffic paths that have been made over the years. Basically everyone we saw during this morning jaunt came from a different path. Only three or four people came up behind us on our path. We also took a different path down than we did on the way up. To sum this all up, whatever way you get up there, the walk/hike is absolutely worth it. The view is spectacular. You can see the city and harbor, rolling hills over the water and the the whole of the park. It is quite windy at the very top, but you could easily sit up there with a nice picnic and just stay awhile and enjoy. The park is an absolute must in my book, even if you don't make it up all the way. Love, love, love.
Arthur's Seat Summit |
Arthur's Seat |
Edinburgh
Although I hate to admit it, we did an open top bus tour in Edinburgh. It was actually quite enjoyable. It gave a nice overview of the city and helped us confirm the things we wanted to do in our short stay in the city. It's also kind of nice to be up that high when driving around, it gives you a whole different perspective. It was of course not warm being November and all, but that freezing wind on your face sometimes feels good.
We got off at the castle and spent most of the rest of the day there. Part way through the visit the sun started to come out and the day transformed from good into wonderful. The views from the castle were stunning. We just about every part of the castle and even witnessed the daily firing of the canon. Everyone in the crowd jumped a mile even though they were waiting for it. It gave me a nice giggle. The prisoner of war area at the castle really gave me the creeps and I couldn't wait to get out of there, but every other part of the castle I enjoyed. I couldn't get over the views from up there. Besides Holyrood Park where Arthur's Seat is located, it has to be the best place to see the city. Wait that's a lie, there are also wonderful views from the road across the river with the old jail which is now a government building, and the roman-esque structures. We had the pleasure of walking on it during sunset.
After some significant time at the castle we took a break to do some work emails at the hotel. I went off and did some touristy shopping and walking. During this time I was asked for directions and after less than 24 hours in the city I was able to give this poor confused person directions. Hilarious! Might as well continue the trend of getting asked for directions in every foreign city I have ever been in. It never ceases to surprise me. I must have looked like I knew where I was going.
We took the sunset stroll I mentioned above, that evening and had more amazing views. The sunset and moonrise that night really blew me away. I do love a good natural light show. We walked across the river over one of the main bridges then up a hill and basically back across town towards Holyrood Park but on the other side of the River Leith, then we crossed back over and walked up the Royal Mile from the Scottish Parliament building up to our hotel. We ended the walk with dinner at Thai Orchid, right next door to the Hanem where we at the previous night. It felt a little silly doing that but it was just so convenient and Thai always has good vegetarian options for me. It was quite tasty. It was a good end to an enjoyable day.
Although I hate to admit it, we did an open top bus tour in Edinburgh. It was actually quite enjoyable. It gave a nice overview of the city and helped us confirm the things we wanted to do in our short stay in the city. It's also kind of nice to be up that high when driving around, it gives you a whole different perspective. It was of course not warm being November and all, but that freezing wind on your face sometimes feels good.
We got off at the castle and spent most of the rest of the day there. Part way through the visit the sun started to come out and the day transformed from good into wonderful. The views from the castle were stunning. We just about every part of the castle and even witnessed the daily firing of the canon. Everyone in the crowd jumped a mile even though they were waiting for it. It gave me a nice giggle. The prisoner of war area at the castle really gave me the creeps and I couldn't wait to get out of there, but every other part of the castle I enjoyed. I couldn't get over the views from up there. Besides Holyrood Park where Arthur's Seat is located, it has to be the best place to see the city. Wait that's a lie, there are also wonderful views from the road across the river with the old jail which is now a government building, and the roman-esque structures. We had the pleasure of walking on it during sunset.
After some significant time at the castle we took a break to do some work emails at the hotel. I went off and did some touristy shopping and walking. During this time I was asked for directions and after less than 24 hours in the city I was able to give this poor confused person directions. Hilarious! Might as well continue the trend of getting asked for directions in every foreign city I have ever been in. It never ceases to surprise me. I must have looked like I knew where I was going.
We took the sunset stroll I mentioned above, that evening and had more amazing views. The sunset and moonrise that night really blew me away. I do love a good natural light show. We walked across the river over one of the main bridges then up a hill and basically back across town towards Holyrood Park but on the other side of the River Leith, then we crossed back over and walked up the Royal Mile from the Scottish Parliament building up to our hotel. We ended the walk with dinner at Thai Orchid, right next door to the Hanem where we at the previous night. It felt a little silly doing that but it was just so convenient and Thai always has good vegetarian options for me. It was quite tasty. It was a good end to an enjoyable day.
Moonrise sans tripod. I should really have brought it. Woops. |
York
Due to travel/driving time, we only had a morning in York, but we were able to squeeze a lot in. After a random fire alarm during breakfast which caused the entire hotel to be cleared out (see photos below), we left for the morning. The hotel was right near the city wall, so we were able to walk towards York Minster. We stayed at a beautiful new hotel (2010) in an old railway building, they did a magnificent job on updating the building, keeping it simple and creating a nice atmosphere. The wall led us right over the river and towards the Cathedral. It was stunning and reminded me a great deal of the architecture in Oxford, UK. We spent some time inside and outside on the grounds. It's all very beautiful, but the Chapter House was a the real gem. It is a smaller room off the main Cathedral that has been used for various sorts of meetings since about the 13th century. The stain glass alone is worth the trip, but it also has a magnificent ceiling and these bizarre heads make faces all around the room.
Today was another working day. We had a long productive meeting this morning followed by another long lunch. We ate at "Rocksalt." I had one of the best and most interesting Caesar salads I have ever eaten. I would highly recommend it if you are ever in the area. It was almost a deconstructed Caesar salad, but not. Yum.
We headed off for York around 430 or so after adding driver #2 at a local Avis. I ended up driving the whole way to York anyways though. I'm nice and comfortable with the driving now, but it still takes a lot of concentration. The type of road changes quickly and out of nowhere on the highway there will be a roundabout.
Super low tide view from lunch. |
Today was a working day, but it was nicely broken up with a pleasant seaside lunch in the next town over. Surprisingly no business was really discussed, it was actually lunch and not a meeting. A nice change.
Random note, it's so strange to watch the Daily Show (Global Edition) here, they don't bleep anything out. It's gives such a different feel to the show. I almost think the bleeps are funnier.
I came down with a migraine not long after lunch and had to go to bed for three hours. I knew it was coming because I had auras in my left eye during lunch and had trouble seeing the people directly across from me. It was a bad one. Booo. Migraines during travel suck much more than the ones at home.
Random note, it's so strange to watch the Daily Show (Global Edition) here, they don't bleep anything out. It's gives such a different feel to the show. I almost think the bleeps are funnier.
Tonight we had dinner at The Grand in Folkestone with the whole office including some of the owners. It was quite an enjoyable dinner. Again, almost no business was discussed. It was nice almost like meals are separate. I had "Bubble and Squeak," basically a kitchen sink meal that is made up of left overs from Sunday Roast, except this one was vegetarian. Basically it is mashed potatoes with miscellaneous vegetables made into a circle and baked with a nice sauce on top. The one I ate had spinach and carrots and possibly something else. I love potatoes so it worked great for me and I thought the name was hilarious.
As I looked around the table I realized that only two people were born in the same country. There were the two Brit men, a Norwegian man, a French woman, a Chinese woman, a Turkish guy and an Iranian (my Dad) and then of course myself. It made for great conversation and made me smile. I love travel!
This morning I was reminded of a lesson I learned in 2003, my first time flying into London's Heathrow airport.Always, always use the bathroom before you get in the immigration line. The bathroom is a little obscured by all of the people in the area, but it is right on the left as you come down the ramp. Even if the immigration line "looks" short take the opportunity before you get in line. This may seem like the simplest, easiest thing in the world, like your Mom telling you to go to bathroom before you go on a long drive when you are little, but almost no one stops. This morning I waited at immigration for an hour. All of the corrals were filled and overflowing with people so that the line ran down the hall. I was so thankful that that time in 2003 popped into my mind. It was my first time in London and I was overly excited and anxious to get through immigration. Immigration crawled that day slower than it did today. I learned my lesson. To this day, through all my travels, Heathrow still ranks as the longest immigration line I have ever stood in.
I continued on to pick up my rental car after I got through the hour long line. I waited for the car rental shuttle for about 20-25 minutes. All the while going over in my head how I was about to drive a manual stick shift on the other side of the road. I arrived at my car and spent another 20 minutes orienting myself with the car, including trying to find the boot (trunk) release. I found out that it is only accessible by the automatic button on the keys. I got my directions out and slowly eased out of my space. Not surprisingly I stalled trying to get out of the gate. I quickly recovered and went on my way. Shifting with the left hand takes some serious getting used to. The ride was mostly highway which made it easier. I went through some classic English scenery on my way to Dover. The weather was cloudy but not rainy, but as soon as I entered the outskirts of Dover it started to mist.
We took a lovely walk along the pier in Dover even though it was cold, windy and misty. We were able to see some of the cliffs through the fog and a bit of the channel. The color of the water was much more green that I expected and it was quite clean, almost no seaweed. We checked out some cliff tours and realized quickly that everything was closed for the season. Dover itself is slightly depressed, but it was still nice to walk around. It reminded me of pictures I have seen from England from the twenties and thirties. Little seaside towns with grand white buildings along the beach. Since cliff tours were out we headed up to Dover castle. At this point it was misting even more. After walking around the main castle area we went on a tour of the secret war time tunnels on the site. It was fascinating. The tunnels were built around the 1790s and expand for three and half miles under the castle grounds. They were used at various times throughout history during may wars. They were only decommissioned in the 1970s most recently being used as bomb shelters. Now portions are open to the public for tours. If you ever find yourself in this area, the Dover Castle is worth a stop, especially on a clear day, the views would be stunning.
I continued on to pick up my rental car after I got through the hour long line. I waited for the car rental shuttle for about 20-25 minutes. All the while going over in my head how I was about to drive a manual stick shift on the other side of the road. I arrived at my car and spent another 20 minutes orienting myself with the car, including trying to find the boot (trunk) release. I found out that it is only accessible by the automatic button on the keys. I got my directions out and slowly eased out of my space. Not surprisingly I stalled trying to get out of the gate. I quickly recovered and went on my way. Shifting with the left hand takes some serious getting used to. The ride was mostly highway which made it easier. I went through some classic English scenery on my way to Dover. The weather was cloudy but not rainy, but as soon as I entered the outskirts of Dover it started to mist.
We took a lovely walk along the pier in Dover even though it was cold, windy and misty. We were able to see some of the cliffs through the fog and a bit of the channel. The color of the water was much more green that I expected and it was quite clean, almost no seaweed. We checked out some cliff tours and realized quickly that everything was closed for the season. Dover itself is slightly depressed, but it was still nice to walk around. It reminded me of pictures I have seen from England from the twenties and thirties. Little seaside towns with grand white buildings along the beach. Since cliff tours were out we headed up to Dover castle. At this point it was misting even more. After walking around the main castle area we went on a tour of the secret war time tunnels on the site. It was fascinating. The tunnels were built around the 1790s and expand for three and half miles under the castle grounds. They were used at various times throughout history during may wars. They were only decommissioned in the 1970s most recently being used as bomb shelters. Now portions are open to the public for tours. If you ever find yourself in this area, the Dover Castle is worth a stop, especially on a clear day, the views would be stunning.
About Me
Sawrah
I travel for the love of it. The beauty, the smell, the food, the people, the sunsets. I blog when I can and like to offer detailed information that I wished I had had at the time. I teach yoga and enjoy photography, reading and exploring.