Our 10-week overseas adventure continued with an extensive exploration of the United Kingdom, taking us from the bustling streets of London to the picturesque Cotswolds and finally to the historic cities of Scotland. This portion of our journey offered a fascinating mix of iconic landmarks, charming villages, and unexpected challenges that made for unforgettable experiences.
Our UK adventure began with a smooth flight from Lisbon to London Heathrow on TAP, Portugal’s national airline. One of our smartest pre-trip decisions was downloading the TFL Go app, which made navigating London’s extensive public transportation system remarkably easy. With this handy tool, we traveled from Heathrow to our downtown hotel for just $6 each – a significant savings compared to the $75+ a taxi would have cost. The app allowed us to plan routes, pay fares, and even identified which stations had elevators or escalators – essential information when traveling with luggage.
Our accommodations in London, booked through American Express’s hotel group, presented our first surprise: an extremely compact room where the bed took up nearly half the space and pushed against three walls. Despite its tiny size, the hotel’s prime location put us within walking distance of major attractions, including the Thames River, Big Ben, Westminster Palace, and Westminster Cathedral. We attended the Evensong service at Westminster Cathedral (a wonderful free alternative to paid entry) and enjoyed our first pub experience nearby, where I sampled my first traditional beef pie with mash and mushy peas, accompanied by a Guinness – a beverage that would become a constant throughout our trip.
The British Museum provided an educational experience, although we found that exhibits featuring places we’d already visited (like Athens and Rome) didn’t quite capture the magic of experiencing them firsthand. However, the Egyptian collection, featuring the Rosetta Stone and numerous mummies, fascinated us as we’ve yet to visit Egypt. While technically free, the museum requests a voluntary donation of five pounds or more – well worth it for the extensive collections housed in a beautiful building.
Our exploration of London continued with visits to the Tower of London, Tower Bridge (often mistakenly called London Bridge by tourists), Buckingham Palace (where we witnessed the changing of the guards amid thousands of other visitors), and the expansive Hyde Park with its Princess Diana Memorial Walk. We also ventured to Camden Town, which surprised us with its vibrant, almost punk-rock atmosphere – complete with garishly decorated buildings, diverse crowds, and a distinctly alternative vibe compared to central London.
After London, we boarded a train to Oxford, where we spent time exploring the collection of 30+ colleges that make up Oxford University. Christ Church College particularly impressed us with its Harry Potter filming locations, including the entrance hall and dining area familiar to fans of the movies. From Oxford, we rented a car – my first experience driving on the left side of the road while shifting with my left hand – to explore the Cotswolds, an area designated for its extraordinary natural beauty.
Despite some initial anxiety and a few close calls, including accidentally driving in a bus lane for oncoming traffic, we successfully navigated to charming villages like Burford and Bourton-on-the-Water. These picturesque locations featured stone cottages, flowing streams, and pedestrian bridges without guardrails. We established a comfortable base at the Leonardo Hotel in Swindon, which at just £51 per night offered exceptional value and convenience for our daily excursions.
Our health challenges continued throughout the trip, with my wife experiencing worsening respiratory symptoms that required three separate visits to British medical facilities. We were consistently impressed by the efficiency, thoroughness, and – most surprisingly – the complete lack of charges for medical visits, x-rays, and prescriptions, despite not being part of the National Health Service.
The journey continued through Bath with its Roman baths and Georgian architecture, Windsor Castle (though we found the tour somewhat rushed and restrictive), and eventually to Scotland via Manchester (a city we wished we’d had more time to explore). Glasgow provided both cultural attractions and our worst accommodation experience – an Airbnb so unpleasant we immediately relocated to a cleaner, more centrally located apartment.
Edinburgh captivated us with its distinctively Scottish architecture, though we found the Royal Mile overwhelmingly touristy even in late April. Edinburgh Castle impressed us more from the outside than within, but our tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia proved unexpectedly fascinating, offering comprehensive access to everything from the royal quarters to the engine rooms.
All in all our exploration of Britain was a success – now it would be on to Ireland!
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