I'm going to England :D

[sholio]

And I'm finally buying tickets because I SUCK at planning. (Although it's not actually any more expensive than it was when I first looked into it three months ago. Thank you travel gods.)

So basically, I am flying into the UK on approximately the 3rd, and leaving sometime during the week of the 15th. The weekends are already spoken for, the first because of frith_in_thorns's wedding which is my whole reason for flying over there in the first place (WEDDING! \o/), and the second because of Nineworlds. Around those commitments, though, I'm hoping to sightsee throughout as much of the England/Scotland/Wales part of the world as possible, and meet up with anyone who lives there. I was there for a couple of weeks in 2000, when I was a wee young thing on a honeymoon backpacking trip around the UK and western Europe, so I've already done most of the big tourist things (saw Stonehenge, British Royal Museum, Salisbury Cathedral, etc) and really had the most fun just traipsing around stone circles too obscure to have names or randomly wandering the Welsh coast, so I'd like to do more of that kind of thing. And I really didn't see Scotland AT ALL the first time, so I want to get up there for a day or two at the very least.

I haven't quiiiiite bought the tickets because I don't want to commit myself and end up barely missing something awesome that's on, like, the 18th of August or something, but right now I'm probably looking at flying out on the 17th or so.

So, UK flistees, who would like to say hi? :D

Comments

[alatefeline]

Have fun! Never been, totally envy you. *cheers on*

[sholio]

Thank you! :D

[abyssinia]

Yay! I mostly know the northern parts of Scotland and some off-the-grid bits of Wales, but if you want tourist tips let me know. And have fun!

[sholio]

Thank you! :D Still working out details, but I'll let you know, depending on where I decide to go!

[winter_elf]

I'm green with jealousy. I love England/Scotland/Wales to pieces. Been twice and want to go again and again. I swear, if I had the money, I'd buy a place there. Come on lottery!

My favorite places:

Wales: Tinturn Abbey, Conway Castle/city (stay in the walled city overnight if you can, it's a great place!)

Scotland: Hadrian's wall - it's really cool! Edinburgh (love the royal mile and all the Close's and tours), Loch Ness/Urquhart Castle (they've expanded the visitors center - I could spend all day here!), Oban (really cool port city)

England - York (I LOVE this city), Apsley House, also known as Number One, London/museum (I love regency/Napoleonic War stuff), lake district/Castlerigg stone circle, Bath, Glastonbury abbey/tor

Any castle. I only saw three stone circles, so I'm jealous of your wandering around finding them. TAKE PICTURES. ARGH!

[sholio]

Thank you for the suggestions! :D Wheeeeee. I especially want to try to see at least some of Scotland!

[nny]

Well I'll be at nine worlds, but you're more than welcome to come stay in Nottingham the night and explore the castle and caves, if you'd like?

[sholio]

Ooh! Nottingham! I have never been there; I'd love to! :D

[sholio]

HI AGAIN! :D So basically I am firming up my plans for the time I'm going to be in England. My base of operations will be Oxford, because I'm staying with friends there, and it looks like it's all of a 2-hour drive to Notthingham, so that is ENTIRELY do-able at any point! Right now it looks like my free time is going to be:

- Sometime during the week of the 8th (part of the time I'm going up to Scotland with Frith, but not the whole week)
- The first few days of the following week (I'm flying back on the morning of the 18th, but have no firm plans otherwise)

And Nine Worlds, of course! We should DEFINITELY arrange some kind of fangirl meetup for that weekend! I won't be doing the entire 3 days of the con, I don't think, but I have a pass for the whole thing, so I can be there on any of the days it's going on.

My email is layla.in.alaska@gmail.com if you want to email me about it!! I don't think I have yours.

[schneefink]

Same continent! I'll turn north and wave in your general direction ;)

[sholio]

Hee! Well, it's a little closer, compared to Alaska ...!

[schneefink]

A little?!

[naye]

You know where to find me!

Though our holidays overlap - and of course we're leaving the UK for ours. But we'll be flying back August 9th, and I've got tons of leave saved up, so if you want a guided tour I'd be happy to meet up and hang out.

We're also looking into Nine Worlds - we've never been, but it looks super friendly and inclusive enough to draw in introverts like myself...

[frith_in_thorns]

NineWorlds is great and super queer and inclusive! I know a lot of the organisers personally and they're really committed to that stuff. This is my fourth year going -- I've been every year since the first one.

(Layla be warned that the X5 from Oxford to Cambridge is England's worst bus.)

[sholio]

.... Er, it seems that I'm finally getting around to answering comments on this post on the most tragically ironic of all possible days ... but YES, we will definitely have to meet up while I'm there! Right now my schedule is wide open for that week, and I'll be around for at least a few days on the following week. (Still haven't bought tickets. Procrastinators r' Us!) I like the idea of trying to do some kind of fangirl meet-up at Nine Worlds, too.

[azvin]

Avebury has an awesome stone circle I visited as a kid (it was in the middle of a sheep pasture, as they tend to be). And the Isle of Aran was a nice place to wander, though harder to get to. It has three bus routes (clockwise, counterclockwise, and through the middle), which makes it very hard to get lost, a stone circle, and a nice mountain to climb if you like that sort of thing.

[sholio]

I've been to the Avebury stone circle - it's cool! :D Never been to Aran, though! I'll have to see how many different places I can manage to get to ...

[roga]

If you have any way of catching them at all, I highly recommend Showstoppers! the Improvised Musical :D They are hilarious and amazing.

Have lots of fun!

[sholio]

Thank you! :D