Many a Canadian, started as an Englishman... in fact Canada was a British Colony up until 1867.
So, l like many, have roots in England and enjoy trips back to “the olde country” even though it is only heritage and no personal ties for my side of the family. Still, l love to travel there with all the history and sights. There is so much to see that you can always find new places and things to do, even after multiple trips.
We have NOT found that most locals have a posh stand-offish attitude that the British are sometimes known for, in fact, they are always welcoming and warm. Especially in the small local pubs outside the cities - you are quickly welcomed and treated like long lost friends. Driving can be a bit of a challenge for those accustomed to driving on the “right” side, and even walking tourists need to be aware to look RIGHT when stepping off the curb. AND the weather - Great Britain is infamous for grey and damp weather, but the times that we have visited, we were fortunate to have very warm and sunny days for the most part. (But always prepared for the inevitable rain days)!
If you are especially a Royal Watcher, there are unlimited opportunities to follow the history throughout the country (or even for Downton Abbey fans).
Bath, London, Stonehenge and Liverpool top my list for must sees.!
London
With 20 million visitors each year, London is one of the world’s top tourist hot spots.!!
And it is a well deserved, as it is home to some of the best sightseeing locations, from cultural attractions, museums, cathedrals and especially royal palaces. Some of England's most iconic landmarks, like the Houses of Parliament & Big Ben, to the Natural History Museum and spectacular St. Paul's Cathedral help make London one of those world-class cities.!!
The Lake District, Cumbria
Pristine lakes and mountains make up the Lake District National Park in the county of Cumbria.
The highlight has got to be the town of Windermere, that looks like something out of a novel - this well preserved town takes visitors back to a time of ancient pubs, steam trolleys and wooden rowboat
Southwest - Devon & Cornwall
Another one of the most beautiful places in the British Isles.
Devon & Cornwall is found on the most south western tip of England. As l understand it, the warm waters of the Gulf Stream and mild temperatures create this unique tourist destination unlike anywhere else in England.
Bath & Stonehenge
A really nice day trip is manageable from London, by taking the train to visit both Bath & Stonehenge.
Both sites are easily accessible, and are a fascinating day out. Historic Bath is an amazingly cute town with active Roman Baths to visit, and then who doesn’t want to see Stonehenge - a prehistoric monument of standing stones near Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, that is a big mystery, as to why and who built it.??
Sometimes Missing Your Return Train is a Good Thing
On our whirlwind day tour from London, we took in Salisbury and the incredible Stonehenge, before continuing on to the town of Bath. The city was first established as a spa by the Romans in 43 AD and was known by its Latin name, Aqua Sulis. These amazing baths and temple are built around the natural hot springs by the River Avon.
It was so fascinating that we wandered around longer than expected and missed our return train. But, it was no problem to exchange tickets and leave a couple of hours later. This fortunately allowed us to tour more of this beautiful city and riverfront, that looked like something out of a fairy tale.! Walking along the Avon we found comfortable lounge chairs spread across the grounds of the Parade Garden (park) under the medieval Bath Abbey, and settled in to relax.
Soon a crowd started to gather, and an unexpected free concert orchestra performed as dusk fell in the park... one of those magical moments that you cannot plan. We returned by train to London after a long andexciting day.
This is a True English Pub from the 1400s
While visiting family in the English Lake District, an uncle asked us where we wanted to go with our teenaged boys, who had not been to England before. “I want to take them to a Traditional English Pub” l told him, since many of the city pubs have become very unauthentic corporate-owned by the big breweries.
So, off we went, driving north through the spectacularly beautiful Lake District National Park, To the Kirkstone Pass Inn - originally an ancient 15th Century monastery, dating back to 1496, complete with the classic oak beams an traditional stone fireplace.
Since it is high up in a mountain pass, there are no services, so they once had to generate their own power (now supplemented by modern day on-site wind turbines) and pipe in water from high up in the hills...
You cannot get more traditional English Pub than this - great choice Uncle Joe.!!
Palm Trees in England - NO Way.!!
I have always sworn that l witnessed palm trees on my trip to England’s south coast - apparently due to the influence of the Gulf Stream (but this was before l was a photo fanatic, and l had no photographic evidence). Now l came across an article by a meteorologist confirming that fact. (As well as the screen capture from Google Street views in the south coast town of Penzance where I saw them so many years ago.)
Additionally, England is now producing sparkling wines, that some say, is comparable to Champagne due to climate changes, and the soil with a lot of chalk, similar to France’s Champagne region.!
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