It is insane to think that I began the day in a city with buildings dating back to the eleventh century, and that by the afternoon, these would seem downright modern. And yet, that is just what happened when I left Edinburgh for a day trip south. My destination: Hadrian’s Wall and the Roman fort…
There is no shortage of places of historical interest in England. But here in the north, one city shines above the rest in that respect: York. Well preserved, beautiful, and fascinating, York could easily be a destination in and of itself, with more than enough to do to last a week or more. Well, I…
Few things both unite and divide the United Kingdom (and especially England) more than football. European football, soccer to us in the States. England is home to nearly 100 professional football clubs (with a few in Wales) arranged in four levels, and a whopping 5,000 clubs in the amateur levels below that. It is absolutely…
What do you get when you cross a reclaimed storied industrial area with the single most famous thing to ever come from your city? It sounds like a joke in need of a good punchline, but it’s actually a totally rhetorical question. The answer is that you get Liverpool’s Royal Albert Dock, Britain’s historically most…
If I’m going to be completely honest, Manchester blew away my expectations. I booked my trip as a stopover point, an easy gateway to fly into before heading to Scotland. Sure, it makes up a large portion of the UK’s second biggest metro area. Yes, it has been an economic and industrial power, so dominating…
Few things are better than a stroll along the Thames on a pretty day. With blue skies and a temperature in the low 70s Fahrenheit, this is London at its June finest. The south side of the river, especially, is wonderful, and full of amazing things to see and do. My day here is focused…
It is amazing how a room full of faces, many of which don’t even have full bodies connected, can be a window into history. But so it is here in Room 1 of the National Portrait Gallery in London. In this narrow room on the third floor of the museum - which is where you…
With my guided tour of Sicily coming to an end, it is time to head to part two of my 2024 Europe trip. I’m flying from Sicily up to Manchester, England to spend several days before moving on to a month in Scotland. I’ve never been to Scotland at all, and even within England I’ve…
Editor’s note: this is a corner of England I haven’t yet seen, but hope to one day. For now, it’s nice to have a small glimpse into Manchester from Mandy. For more of Mandy’s writing, click here to visit her index page. Do you have one of those places where you’ve passed through many times…
Editor’s note: I am so envious of Mandy and the incredible stately homes of the UK she gets to explore, like this one. For more of her adventures, click here to visit Mandy’s index page. This summer in the UK has been a very odd one weather-wise, so I had been hesitant to plan any…