After our Costa Rica trip, we took a little break from travel so Mark could renew his passport. This was the first time we had had to renew a passport since living in Mexico. Surprisingly, he received it back in less than two months.
So, we are off again on a new adventure: England and Scotland. Once again, we used Gate 1 Travel, and they packed in a lot so that you could see the highlights.
Gate 1 Travel: England and Scotland
This time, we opted for the Gate 1 Travel 14-Day Classic England & Scotland. As you can see, we covered a lot of territory on this trip.
We both have English and Scottish heritage, so we were excited about this trip. The cities were filled with history, the countryside was breathtaking, and the castles and palaces were spectacular. So, follow us as we take you through London, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and a few small towns in between.
First stop, London!
We flew in three days early to adjust to the time change, rest, and see some sites not included in the tour. We flew Aeromexico round-trip, and the flights to and from were perfect.
Park Plaza Riverbank
Our hotel for the next 5 nights was the Park Plaza London Riverbank, located close to the Southwark Bridge. The location was perfect: within walking distance of many big attractions.
For now, we’ll tease you with a few random pictures we took during our three free days in London.
The National COVID Memorial Wall
Close to our hotel, along the riverbank of the River Thames, was “The National COVID Memorial Wall,” where the citizens of London could write in the name of someone they lost. It is a beautiful tribute, but it is sad to see so many lives lost too soon.
Strolling Around London
Walking across several larger bridges crpssing the Thames, we saw many of these attached along the railing, apparently, these are place where many suicides are attempted.
The Tardis needs a little repair. Who can fix it?
The River Thames is so beautiful at night.
All over the city, we found beautiful flower boxes, green walls, and gardens tucked into the landscape; they brought so much vibrance to the city.
Of course, we need to throw in a few selfies:
Next Up
In addition to our group tour that started in London, we arrived a few days early and explored extensively on our own.
There’s so much ahead, and we’re excited to share the infamous Changing of the Guard and Buckingham Palace, a tour of Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, and St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Then there are unique places like Leake Street, Borough Market, Chinatown, and LOTS of food.
We’ll start with a little about getting there, our hotel, and the neighborhood where we stayed.
Hi Mark… Interesting… We just finished six countries in eight days on a Mediterranean cruise, to celebrate my retirement and our 25th wedding anniversary. After the cruise we spent two days away in the south of England at a 160-year-old English country Estate on 32 sprawling Hill acres of nothing but beauty. This is our second time in England. It included a proper tea at 2 PM one day also which was sensational, except for the beautiful, but yucky egg salad sandwiches, lol
One of the places we went 15 months ago when we were in England was the British Museum. It has all this really super historical tough back to Egyptian times, like with the 6 foot tall cat Statues, of the original Rosetta Stone, and so forth.
My grandfather Kennedy came from Manchester in 1913, and I was the first in my family in three generations to set foot there. We took the train from London to Stockport, just south of Manchester. He and his wife picked us up and the four of us went to lunch at this real fancy schmamcy place and he drove us around Manchester, too. I’m much more partial to the north of England because of my heritage than I am to the south.
I learned that the Manchester United football club and the Liverpool football club are mortal enemies, much like the Eagles and the Cowboys! Very much like it!
Safe travels to the two of you.
By the way, in July, we head to Central America, including Costa Rica, and then a couple other central American countries, then Mexico, then back to Fort Lauderdale, and home from there. Looks like you and Chuck and me and Hong Are criss crossing each other‘s roots, lol. Be safe, my friend.
Jake.
Thanks, Jake! We’ve had two more trips under our belts since this one and are safely at home now. (We said we were behind!). You’ll love following along on this trip, then, as we spend time in the Lake District and look into a bit of family history in Liverpool, Edinburgh, and Glasgow!
Just a heads up, the Tardis is actually not a phone booth, it’s a Police booth, which is why it’s a lovely shade of Bobby Blue 😃
LOL, can you tell we don’t know Who from what?