Our Cuppa

We’ve just wrapped up 15 weeks in the UK, and we can confidently say we’ll be back next year! The UK is just our cup of tea. Not that we really drink tea, but, when in Rome…er London. We’ve been going there regularly for over fifteen years now. It feels like a home away from home. As full time travelers, it is a place to not only reset our Schengen Visa clock, but it is a place to refresh and recharge. We don’t have to think about language. We understand the food. We know how to order a pint. And we know to look right first before crossing the street. But we’re still learning every time we visit. Here are a few things we’ve learned and that you might not know.

1. This year we explored the island more than we ever have. We discovered that other than London, we prefer the smaller towns, especially those near dramatic scenery. And boy are there plenty of those. While it is fun to go to Liverpool, Manchester, or Cardiff for the day, the real beauty of the UK is getting out and exploring the smaller villages and countryside. And the people are lovely.

2. We learned what a farm shop is. We kept seeing signs referencing farm shops as we drove around Somerset. When we were in Cheddar, they referenced that their cheese was sold in farm shops. But we had no idea what one was. And then we went to Sheppy’s Cider Mill in Somerset, that had a farm shop. And oh man is that my kind of place. Jams, spices, cheeses, breads, sauces. Everything you could ever want to build the ultimate charcuterie board. Pretty kitchen towels, chocolates, and dried fruits. Small batch specialty foods. Local foods. I’m now in love with farm shops and will visit one every time I can and spend ridiculous amounts of money. Speaking of Sheppy’s, we learned that we really like cider! Somerset is full of cider production. It is pretty typical to see at least one cider on tap at every pub. But when you get into Somerset, you can try a lot of different varieties from local farms, or from larger producers as well.

3. There are amazing hotels attached to country pubs. When traveling the small roads through the countryside, you’ll come across small pubs with rooms for the night. They harken back to the old coaching inn times when it took days to get somewhere by horseback and not hours in a car. They still exist and are an affordable way to stay locally. Good food, quaint rooms, and hearty english breakfasts await.

4. We learned that cows in pastures can be a bit scary in late spring. And we learned that sheep can hang out on golf courses. We hiked a ton in the UK this year. As I shared in this blog post, much of England and Wales have public access right of ways, which allow you to hike on footpaths through farm lands. We met our fare share of cows. Once we were charged by some protective mamas. Another time, when we were a bit more cautious, we got heckled by an old farmer who assured us there was nothing to fear. We walked through wheat fields, narrowly stepping between rows so as not to crush the delicate plants. And we loved every minute.

5. We learned that we can navigate 3 months in the country on the train, but it is also nice to have a car to get to some out of the way places. Getting our Two Together Railcard was a game changer. And we learned that several of the big attractions around the country will give you a discount if you travelled there by train. It is part of the National Rail. Details here. There are further discounts for seniors, so make sure to explore the website!

6. Driving is easy once you get the hang of it. I never did, but Eric is now the master. I am the master of the “cringe” from the passenger seat when we are frightfully close to a hedge or a stone wall. And the master navigator around all the round-abouts. Four golden rules to renting cars in the UK. 1) It is actually called a “hire car” there, not a rental car. 2) Get the insurance. 3) Get an automatic. No one wants to shift with their left hand if you only know how to do it with your right 4) Get something small! Roads there were not built for Tahoes or Suburbans.

7. We learned that London is quite crowded in August. We can’t go to London with seeing all the Greatest Hits. But the main attractions were crowded. We prefer London in the winter. Yes, it is grey and dark, but we can walk down Portabello Road on a Saturday with a lot fewer people around!

8. We confirmed that it rains. A Lot. Especially in Wales and Scotland. In England in July and August we had dry hot weather. But May and June in Wales was drippy. And July in the Scottish Highlands was 100% rain. But as they say, there is no such thing as bad weather, there is only lack of preparation. And we didn’t let it stop us!

9. We learned that the flowers in May and June in Wales and England are unrivaled. Anywhere. Absolutely stunning. Oh, and canals are cool.

10. Finally, we learned that there are areas that we haven’t yet explored that need to be on the list for the future. More time in the Peak District. A full month in the Lake District. North Wales. We also learned that there are some places we don’t need to return to. It isn’t all sunshine (literally). There are some economically depressed places that we visited, that we won’t be going back to. But as with most things in life, the good far outweighs the bad.

The UK…you are our cuppa tea. Or coffee, we are still Americans after all. See ya next year!