Day 20: Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey) It must be a pattern that I disclose my initial skepticism to my readers. Last year, Hannah, once again, caroused me into another of her shows: Downton Abbey. I rushed headlong into it, though. The show was so incredibly well done and raptly drew my attention that we binge … Continue reading UK Road Trip Week 3: Part 2 High Tea at Downton Abbey and Butterbeer at Hogwarts
Day 14: Isle of Skye and Highland Games The Isle of Skye came highly recommended; the island and the entire journey to it did not disappoint. I have often heard Ireland called the “Emerald Isle” but Scotland could very well have it beat. As valleys rose to mountains at sharp angles, my mind took me … Continue reading UK Roadtrip: Week 3 Part 1
Day 7 & 8: Cotswolds & Gloucester Our adventures through the Cotswolds began with rain and occasional pockets of fog permeating the forest floor. The drive was continuously harrowing as one lane roads at time looked like walking paths. Walls of grey stacked stones paralleled the narrow roads as we careened down them at 50 … Continue reading UK Roadtrip Week 2
After Ireland we spent three weeks back in the UK with a rental car. Having a car was a first for us on this trip; it gave us freedom to explore hard to reach places but also stressed us out way more than any bus, train, or plane we've been on. But all's well that … Continue reading UK Roadtrip Week 1
At the beginning of this trip, we hardly knew anything about the United Kingdom and Ireland division and past tensions. In fact, our travel friend whom we met in Bulgaria, Brian, graciously took the time to explain that Northern Ireland is actually part of the United Kingdom and how it worked. Even then, the deep … Continue reading A City Divided: Belfast, UK
Honestly, our trip to Manchester started as a mistake. Originally, we had intended to ferry to Belfast or Dublin from Liverpool, a city adjacent to Manchester. During the process of booking Airbnbs and forward travel, we realized a flight was cheaper than a ferry. So, with Manchester already booked, we decided to fly from there. … Continue reading Manchester, UK: A Place to Work
The first day or two were foggy and cold with some occasional rain. At this point, it was late June in the UK, but we were still wearing our puffer jackets, while it was 100+ back home in Houston (40+ Celsius). The damp weather can make it slightly more difficult to enjoy landmarks, views, and … Continue reading Two Harry Potter Nerds and the Quest of Edinburgh, UK
The initial reason we chose Aberdeen was cheap direct flights from Stavanger via Wideroe Airlines. We walked out onto the tarmac to a small propeller plane. I had ridden in one before, but it was not confidence instilling that time, either. The flight was about 30% full, and they asked if anyone could move to … Continue reading Aberdeen, UK: Land of Grey and Seas of Oil
Hannah and I had a 12 hour layover in London after a 9 hour overnight flight from Houston. We both slept about 3-4 hours due to some turbulence and being too excited to sleep. Needless to say, our day in London was tiring. I am having trouble keeping my eyes open as I write this … Continue reading A Long Layover in London
It's A Ritch Life 