An English New Year

Or the three things that you should certainly do when you find yourself during the New Year’s holidays with your daughter (son, brother, cousin, etc.) who is studying (living, working, whatever they have decided) on the Great British Island and more specifically in the famous town of Bath. Firstly, you need to have in mind that winter cold on the Island is not like winter cold on the Continent. They say it’s because of the warm Gulfstream but anyway the weather is mild and more humid and foggy. What I’m saying is don’t get too many big sweaters with you; they will only eat up the limited space in your hand baggage allowed by Ryanair, Wizzair or whichever low-fare company you have chosen to visit UK. Then you mustn’t forget that it gets dark very early at that time of the year and so tourism ends prematurely. So, there is Number 1 in our To Do List – Visit Stonehenge.

And don’t just visit but try to move the megalith helpfully placed by local staff on wooden trunks for you. We couldn’t do it but who knows, you might be successful. From the parking lot of the site, there is certain distance to the stone circle itself which you might take by any the the regular buses or on foot – actually, there could be bikes as well but at that time of the year, we didn’t see too many enthusiasts for this. I would recommend that you make at least one direction on foot, as we did. First you’ll probably need to walk your Christmas meal a bit, and then you might like to let the English countryside sink into you. There’s not much to see around, just moisty meadows but isn’t English countryside exactly that? And in this weather, it does sink in very successfully! On your way back, take a look at the exposition inside the Visitor Center; if you have an excess of money, you may also take a hot drink in the adjacent restaurant. Now, let’s move to Number 2 in the To Do List when you visit UK –

Visit London! This is no easy task, starting from the very traveling. In my previous post, I talked a lot about the Parking Problem in Bath and why I am using capital letters for it. Now let me tell you, it is nothing compared to the Parking Problem in London. Added by the Moving by Car Problem in London. This is only partially possible on an official Bank Holiday which I have shown on the above photo. Otherwise I recommend leaving the car at one of the many parking lots by the first Metro stations in London suburbs, and continue by that same Metro. The fees are not small but you’ll be giving this money anyway, be it in the suburbs or in London center. After you figure out how to travel, you need to make the tough choice what exactly it is you want to see in London. The city is a small universe and there is a little – or big – something for everyone; plus the budget is very relevant. As Eastern-Europeans, we often put up with the more free things such as (see above photo) photographing some London emblems: there is your London black cab in which seats face one another; there is your double-decker; there is one of the big landmarks – the St. Paul’s Cathedral – from the outside…

Luckily, there are some free sites that can be seen from the inside too, like that Museum of Natural History. For the record, the British Museum is still free as well, and absolutely worth it. HOWEVER, as good as it may be to walk around central London streets on a Bank Holiday, as bad it is to visit a free museum at that time. The above photo gives only a hint of the crowds which gather inside. What is most likely to happen to you is being carried around by the crowd in an irregular rhythm, without an option of stopping and seeing items better (or even photographing them), having baby cots periodically smashing your feet instead. I will never understand why on Earth people insist on pushing baby cots in the crowd, let alone babies themselves who don’t understand what they are seeing anyway. But tend to express their unhappiness with the lack of understanding loudly and energetically. We, on the other hand, have to see my Number 3 of the To Do List when you visit UK – Try a Lot of English Stuff.

One such stuff is the English tea-drinking. Especially in the center of London in front of the impressive buildings and double-deckers, at 5 PM, with some milk and cakes. But have in mind that finding an open tea-house might be a problem too on a Bank Holiday. At the end you’ll find one of course, but in the meantime you may come upon a tea SHOP instead of somewhere they actually make tea. Which may in itself make another member of your group very happy. Other typical English stuff include the English Breakfast comprising some eggs, bacon, beans, sausage and a warm tomato which I honestly take as lunch and not as breakfast. You can also include the popular fish-and-chips in your menu but only if you don’t have stomach problems with very fried food. You must not miss in your UK visit a typical English pub, something named The Admiral and the Anchor or The Cat and the Pigeon – a smoky place with thick wooden tables made sticky by the tons of beer drunk on them, and walls covered by old photos or ads in frames. It is recommendable to have practiced selfy-ing beforehand and not on the spot as me, since you’ll most probably get a blurry face like that one –

I admit my Visit UK List is quite simplified and deeply insufficient for making a proper acquaintance to England as a New Year’s destination. I don’t pretend otherwise. I hope to have secured some fun for you in the begining of the New 2020; be happy and healthy! As a finale, you may prolong your good memories by arranging your photos from the trip better or deciding to learn how to make videos. I had a long and exhausting battle with video-processing software which I lost several times but I am hopefully better prepared now. My first short video was made of my English photos and I upload it for you here; if you want to see more of my videos, go there – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgOdNQ2HeDeBExx_THa3Q1A