Day 10 in Croydon

The last full day we had in England was spent with family in Croydon on what was our most relaxed day of possibly the whole trip! We even got to sleep in which was a nice treat indeed. We woke up and got ready, going downstairs to what was another nice breakfast courtesy of John and Dot. I can't thank them enough for their sweet hospitality! While leisurely eating breakfast, we looked at some more old pictures of family. For me, this was an amazing treat. I love history, but history of my own family first hand was unique and great to hear about!

This Saturday we would be dining for lunch with our extended family. Over the course of the morning, Uncle Bill and Cousin Jo arrived! I was so happy to meet Jo, as I had no memories of her (she met me only once when I was a baby!), but right away she seemed so familiar and lovely. Everyone, as a matter of fact, especially John and Dot, made us feel so welcome and at home. After chatting for a while, it was time to leave for our 1:30 reservation at Coombe Lodge.

We got there and were the first in. The room we had all to ourselves was called the Library and was beautiful! If I remember correctly, there were 13 of us that day. As soon as everyone arrived, it was hard to make a decision on the menu because we were all catching up and saying hello. What lovely people! That day for lunch I had an amazing meal of Smothered Chicken, which was chicken covered in bacon and cheese. Mmmm... plus chips and salad on the side! I think we all enjoyed our food very much. But afterward we were all full and needed some time before dessert, so I followed suit with my sister and went outside to play with the kids. There was Charlie, who was 5, and Evie and Isabelle who were much younger (I can't remember their exact ages!). As everyone there will attest, Charlie seemed to take to me. My sister is the one who is good with kids but for some reason me and Charlie got on and played outside for a bit until dessert was on the table. This was a favourite- Banoffee cake- which was banana and toffee in one deliciously toffee smothered pie with biscuit crust. I can't say yum enough!

I was so incredibly full at this point but then Charlie insisted we go back outside to play. I couldn't help but comply, he was so adorable! We played in the back field and forest, hunting bears and befriending snakes. I bent under many-a low branches for that youngin'! It was fun to see what imaginations kids have and how they can keep a story going. We were out there for so long that we had to be fetched when it was time for a group photo!

After some snaps the group slowly started to part ways. Charlie and his parents (Dot's son Dan and his wife Sarah) came back to John and Dot's with us and I continued to play games and make crafts with him until he had to go. It was so much fun and we all had some good laughs thanks to Uncle Bill and his opinion on kids! (Hahaha). There was more tea to be had as well, of course. It was probably an hour or two until Charlie left and when he did, he kept waving goodbye to me which melted my heart. He gave me a couple hugs too! The room I was staying in at John's was the room Charlie usually sleeps in, so I thanked him for letting me stay in his room before he left. He said he would let me stay not just for one more night, but however many more I wanted! He was such a sweet boy. That night I wrote a letter to him to thank him for his room and tell him how much fun I had hunting bears with him. I also put that I would say hello to the bears in Canada for him (there aren't any bears in the U.K.!).

The rest of the night was spent chatting, as we would be leaving the next morning. It went by fairly quickly. Too quickly for me! I went to bed, exhausted from the whole trip in general, and fell asleep quickly. We had to get up early to leave for the airport.

I will add one more post on the itinerary of the trip home!

One more thing-
Just yesterday, my mom called me in Waterloo from Hamilton and told me I had a letter by Royal Air Mail. It was from Charlie! He had hand written a note to me in a card (which was deciphered) telling me it was nice to meet me too and he had fun playing as well. What an incredibly adorable gesture! I think I made a friend for life in that boy!

London 2.0 (Day 9!)

Day two of London was another early start. We decided the day before what we would want to do on the Friday, and decided we still wanted to go back to London because one day wasn’t enough!

The first thing on the agenda was going to Hampton Court, the number one place I wanted to see! Well actually, there was so much I wanted to see but Hampton Court was a favourite. It is what used to be the home (more like a palace) of Henry VIII, my most favourite historical figure! You know, the guy who had six wives. The guy who beheaded Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn would have lived in Hampton Court too, for part of her life. Until she was sentenced to death for treason and sent down the Thames to the Tower of London- been there, done that! I was so excited to see it! I would be standing in the vicinity of the real, actual Henry VIII. So pumped.

The gang (Myself, Mom, Madison, John and Dot) hopped on a bus and a train and eventually met Uncle Bill to all head to Hampton Court on another train. Arriving at the station I couldn’t yet see Hampton Court, but down the road and over a bridge on the Thames you could finally see it in the distance. It was nestled down the river a bit and going through the main gate (ahhh!) we could see the long road down to the front gate and draw bridge. Although it is not all original, most of the renovations and rebuilds were still historical, so I was in heaven. Viewing a site many had seen before as they arrived to Hampton Court, I was excited to be seeing the glory and splendor just like others have for hundreds of years.

We took a pit stop to the left in the ticket office/gift shop before we got to the main gates. The admission was pretty pricey, so we passed on that and bought a few trinkets before heading over to walk through some of the many, many gardens. We took pictures at the front gate but could go no further without tickets. Just standing on the bridge was incredible! I believe what is now grass used to be a moat. So many had come across the bridge on foot or by horse. Now it was me standing there!

After lots of pictures we headed into some of the gardens (the free ones… most of them cost admission!) which were beautiful. The weather that day was rainy and cold, but the landscape remained beautiful despite the overcast. Pretty early on we stopped in the Tiltyard Café for tea and coffee. The tiltyard, which the café was named after, was where jousting took place. After refreshing ourselves with caffeine and cookies, we were back out for more looks into the gardens. We walked around for a while, and finally made it to the back of Hampton Court where you could see the Fountain Garden and the rear of the actual building. More pictures here, with my imagination of who would have walked here going wild, and we decided to head off to London.

We grabbed the train back through Waterloo station and finally to Charring Cross station. It was the station we had first arrived at on day one in London, where everything is measured from. Instead of going right to the Strand, we went left which took us to Trafalgar Square. A sight I had seen in so many movies and pictures was now real! The weather was pretty crappy, and continued to rain for the rest of the day. So, we walked through the square and snapped some pictures but moved on; there was no room for lingering when we were all getting damper by the minute!

Just off Trafalgar Square we entered into the Mall, the long road up to Buckingham Palace. It is where streets fill to the brim and overflow to the parks on such occasions as Jubilees and Will and Kate’s wedding (: It was kept very clean and trimmed- the road is in the center but there are large walk ways lined with trees on either side of the road. To the left was a large park. I’m forgetting the name of this park right now but I’ll remember eventually.

Up the Mall we went, and just before Buckingham Palace we turned right and passed by Clarence House, where Charles and Camilla live and where the Queen Mum and Princess Diana once stayed. The guards were not on duty in their box posts, so no pictures of them, but it was cool to see such a grand house beside a beautiful park. We also passed where the Prime Minister lives, Downing Street number 10.

Empty!

Buckingham Palace was next! We took lots of pictures here (such tourists). I saw at the front the balcony where so many have stood waving to the crowds. And for me, it was the place where William and Kate gave each other two kisses after their wedding ceremony, rather than the traditional one! The reality of being there where it all happens was immense. It was hard to believe at times I was really in the country that I learn about all the time, my major being history and my area of interest being British Isles.

Our route took us next to Big Ben and the Parliament Buildings. Big Ben was pretty cool to see, being such a recognizable landmark. In behind some trees next to the Parliament Buildings was Westminster Abbey, which would have been amazing to go in, but we didn’t walk the loop around to it because everyone’s minds were on lunch and we didn’t want to be out in the rain much longer. At this point my boots were sloshing around inside with all the water in them. It was quite uncomfortable, let me tell you!

John and Bill were taking us on sort of a loop, which included everything we saw so far after Hampton Court. It would circle back around to near Charring Cross station and get us to our lunch destination: The Sherlock Holmes! First, we passed by the Horse’s Guard Parade, where the guard sat upon horses in their full uniforms. Pretty cool! I felt bad for the horses though, whose heads were being splattered with rain as they stood there. More pictures, and on we went!

John found our pub, luckily remembering where it was (yay!) and we all tracked in, soaking wet and freezing! It was like arriving at Heaven’s gates. John wanted us to come here because upstairs in the restaurant, there is a whole room that is made to look like Sherlock Holmes’ study complete with chemical vials, houndstooth cape, letters, a bear skin rug, bullet holes in the wall and a wax model with a bullet hole in the head. It was so awesome! We waited for a table, sitting down for a moment on the terrace where they had heat lamps. My feet were so wet and I couldn’t take it anymore, so I took off my boots and rung out my socks… and water actually came pouring out. Boo! We got our table shortly and sat just around the corner from the recreation study. After we ate, we went over to take some pictures of it. Did I mention how cool it was?

For lunch we all had drinks and for food I had the Ploughman’s Lunch, which was a variety of everything. Honey baked ham, amazing cheddar cheese, a roll with butter, pickle, pickled onion, and salad. I ordered a side of chips as well, because you know me! Delicious and satisfying, lunch took a couple of hours and we took advantage of this time to warm up once our bellies were full. As soon as the food had come, all talking ceased and it was silent as we munched. Once we were filling up and sipping our drinks, everyone’s cheeks become much rosier! We finished up and had a look into Holmes’ study, and then left the restaurant. I’d definitely go back, and to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese from the day before!

Everyone decided they were done for the day and we went to the station to get a train back to Croydon- tea and jammies were a unanimous decision. We said goodbye to Uncle Bill and boarded our train that would take us to London Bridge Station where we would stop over, but as we got on and were ready to leave when the intercom announced that due to a security issue, London Bridge was shutting down. Instantly, the sea of people on that train got off, along with us, and stood in front of the big screens that would announce the platform of the next train to Victoria Station. John was sure most of the people would head to Victoria instead, so we decided to get a train to Hayes, go around and get the tram to Croydon. The platform was announced and we, along with more people, boarded and waited. So finally, we got to the tram station, and guess what! The trams weren’t running, so plan B was over. On to plan C, where we hopped two buses that eventually took us into Croydon.

It was another long day, this time mostly wet, and when we all got in there was relief. I took a hot shower just to warm my two ice block feet and then had tea. We all sat downstairs and I uploaded some more pictures from London, and we looked at old photos and heard some war stories of my Uncle John, Bill’s brother. John our host showed us one of the coolest objects I’ve ever seen. It was a fork, snatched by Uncle John during a raid on a group of German soldiers in WWII, just as they were going to sit down for a meal. The fork has a German insignia engraved onto it- an eagle and a swastika. It was actually in a German camp, used by German soldiers in the war! And I got to hold and see it. That was quite memorable. Plus, the stories that we heard of what Uncle John went through were both horrifying and incredible.

I called it a night soon after, but the day had been another great one. It was amazing to experience London with my family who could give us anecdotes, making it all seem more personal. I thank them all so much for what they did for us during our stay in England! I’ll never forget it!

I have a bit more to write about, but everything touristy is over. Saturday was a family lunch, which was wonderful! I plan on blogging about it but this is mostly for my personal memory. Our trip, until this point, was a whirlwind! We did so much, and I learned so much, and I am so beyond thankful we went on this trip. I will now tell stories to my family in the future about my first trip to Scotland and England. It will become an incredible memory. 

London Town! (Day Eight)

Here is where I start to lose track of chronology, because we did two days worth of London and I can’t begin to describe how much we did! About half of it was touristy things, and the other half was having our family take us around to spots that were close to home. My great grandmother of my mother’s maternal line lived in London, as did many other family members, and so we were shown some of her old homes, where she went to school and where she walked to work. It was really an incredible two days! I will try my best to recount it all, for my memory’s sake. I’ll divide day one and day two, because there is so much to tell.

Day one in London, we got up early to get ready and leave by nine. We stayed in Croydon which is about 30-40 minutes to an hour outside of London by public transportation. We left early, with John and Dot (my nannie’s cousin and his wife), to get tickets for the tram. The ticket machine ended up not working, so we got on with one ticket and one voucher between three of us. John and Dot had their cards already, so it was us who would be in trouble if a tram inspector came on. However, we got away with it! Arriving at East Croydon, we bought tickets and got onto a train that took us to London Bridge station.

Going in on the train I caught my first glimpses of London, mostly residential areas but then the London Eye and Big Ben from a distance! The station that we ended up at, Charring Cross, was huge and bustling, but not as busy as I would see it later. We met our Uncle Bill, a man as old as the Queen and as hilarious as anything! He refuses hugs and kisses, but my mom managed to squeeze him hello and his response was a guffaw and a tut tut! We stepped out into London, at the central point of London from where everything is measured from. The first thing we decided to do, after much deliberation, was head toward King’s College campus (where I want to go to grad school) and on the way we passed the church where my great-grandmother Margaret was married to my great-grandfather Hector. It was called Corpus Christi, and from the outside it just looked like another building. However once inside it was big and beautiful! John said this was the church where he was baptized; there were a lot of family connections at this church. I took a picture of Madison outside in the same spot where my grandmother’s wedding picture is. It was lovely to see!

Off to King’s College, a division of the University of London. We walked along the Strand Campus. It is right in the heart of London and where I’d be living and going to school if I end up going there! Inside I asked for the admission’s office and asked a few questions to a not so helpful woman. I pretty much gave up with her and we continued on, but the Strand Campus was really pretty and in a fantastic location!

Fleet Street, of the Demon Barber variety, was next on our route. Just walking up and down to see some old buildings was great! The weather that day was cooperating, it was a bit cool but there was no rain. I can’t say the same for Friday…

Along Fleet Street we saw The Royal Court of Justice, Twinings Tea (woo!), the building where Sweeney Todd’s barbershop was said to be, and the most gorgeous old bank. I was trying not to be the most obvious tourist and took some sneaky snaps, but that was to no avail. We were definitely playing the tourists!

Royal Courts of Justice

Old bank!

If it weren’t for our wonderful tour guides, John and Bill, we would have gotten no where fast. St. Paul’s Cathedral was the next thing we saw, and after a couple of pictures we stopped into Starbucks for a spot of tea. Uncle Bill mentioned that the top of one of the shopping complexes near by had a lookout, so we made our way up there to see St. Paul’s from higher up and a bit more of London.

It was very exciting to next walk to the Tower of London!!! It was so much larger than I ever thought. Not so much the square tower itself in the middle, but the walls and gates around the perimeter. We did a lot on this trip on the cheap, so we didn’t buy tickets to actually go in but we walked along the outside. There were some great spots, like the Traitor’s Gate where it was thought Anne Boleyn entered the tower! I stood beside those very walls! Just beside was the Thames and Tower Bridge, which I got pictures of as well. Just to think how many prisoners and well known people were kept in that tower, along with exotic pets and today the crown jewels… it was incredible to be there! On our way out of the area, we passed a spot on the Thames called Dead Man’s Hole, where all the bodies in the Thames (whether by suicide, accident, or murder) were washed up and collected. It was quite cold at this point, so we decided on eating lunch.

John looked up some of the oldest pubs in London, and his research led us to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. With my love of history, I can’t tell you how excited I was to eat in a 400 year old pub. The Cheshire, which was rebuilt after an even longer history in 1667, is still open and running. On the outside, they even have a list of British sovereigns who were in reign while the pub was open. Inside was like going into the past! I am so glad we got to eat there, not to mention had some delicious food. I ordered a chicken and mushroom pie with chips (which I have to keep reminding myself to say, not fries) and peas and carrots. We searched around a bit and found tons of old rooms. It was incredible!

Dot and John!

The basement of Cheshire Cheese

Regrettably we had to move on, and we did a bit of walking through London and got to Covent Garden. This is where Eliza Doolittle met Henry Higgins, who taught her to speak proper English. In the play, anyway (:

We went through a huge flea market in Covent Garden where a few things caught my eye, but I didn’t buy anything. There was a ton of cool stuff though! In Covent Garden we saw some of the original piazzas and the church where the big columns are (like you see in My Fair Lady). It was really beautiful! Around there were some more posh places like Burberry which we didn’t even dare go in.

Through a small alleyway by an old pub called the Lamb and Flag, we entered Floral Street and took a pit stop for Madison in H&M. On the other side of H&M we walked out to Long Acre and off to Langley Court, another spot where our relatives used to live. While Kate Spade and other boutiques are there now, it used to be much different. Uncle Bill was explaining to me that air raids and bombs used to fall here during WWII. My family used to live right in the area and Bill himself was once evacuated from his home. It was so nice to walk around with them to get a history we would have not found elsewhere.

A relative used to live in this area, when it was a house.

When I write about walking between places, it was not just walking. There was so much to look at everywhere we went! So as we walked to the school my great grandmother and Uncle Bill (her brother) used to go to, we saw so much. The school, Macklin Street School, had girls and boys entrances that would have been used at the time. To think my great grandmother Margaret, who I was named after in my middle name, walked those streets and went to school was amazing.

We hopped on a bus and drove down Oxford Street, very slowly in the traffic, and saw the seas of people getting out of work. We would be stopping to do some shopping at a huge department store called Primark, but on the way one of the notable things I saw was one of the oldest stores on the block, an umbrella shop. Looking in a book of John’s, I saw how it used to look in the late 1800s with the storekeepers standing out front.

Primark is a bit like Forever 21, but with men’s and children’s departments as well as ladies with a much wider selection. It’s like a huge fashion store for very cheap. My sister and me went in while the rest of our group went for tea. I almost wish I went along, because Primark was crowded and the lines for fitting rooms and checkouts were horrid. We had been walking all day and I could have sworn my feet were bleeding. I bought a few things, so did Madison, and we regrouped with our fam and visited Grosvenor’s Square. This is where a lot of the embassies rest, including Canada’s. It was a lovely park with lots of monuments.

Canadian Embassy

Outside of the square was one of the ritziest districts I’ve ever walked through, called Mayfair. Where else do you see Jenny Packham, Oscar de la Renta, and a Porsche dealership on the same block? The fanciest hotels were around here, and we saw two events going on (what seemed like galas) as we passed through. We even saw paparazzi running around! There was also a Rolls Royce store front, and there I was carrying a Primark bag where I bought a dress for 5 pounds. It was starting to rain, and I didn’t have suitable clothing on or an umbrella. This was where we ended our day, and we got on a bus to get to Victoria station to get a train back to Croydon.

The first day in London was tiring and my feet ached after driving everyday for seven days straight! We got a train and a bus back to Croydon and once settled in, there was more tea and cakes to go around than I could have ever wished. We sat and chatted all night with John and Dot, before heading to bed. I wrote a bit for the blog and uploaded some pictures and immediately fell asleep. It was such a cozy bed and much needed!

Soon to be up, London day two!

Still On the Road (Day Seven)

It's becoming very exhausting travelling around so often, but I believe we are in luck because for the next four nights we will be staying in one spot. Today, we got up at the youth hostel in Manchester and got ready to go downstairs and use our breakfast tickets for a meal before we got on with our day. There was good galore! Juice, yogurt, sausage, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, croissants... The list goes on! And tea, duh! The hostel's lunchroom had fantastic huge windows that looked out over the canal, so we got to eat viewing another lovely sight. Once we all were done, we put our stuff into the car and tried to use the last bit of wifi to figure out a map and directions to head London way. We were really driving to Croydon, a town on the outskirts of greater London. This is where our family lives in England, cousins to us through my mothers maternal side!

Before we left Manchester, however, we walked around the city a bit just close to our hostel. We were able to leave the car in the parking lot and take a stroll down about three blocks to get to.... the set and studios of Coronation Street!! Any Corrie St fans out there? We saw Grenada Studios, and one of the back entrances where we hoped the stars would be going in and out. This was to no avail, but we did however see some of the set from where we were standing! Scaffolding was holding up fake streets, which we got some pictures of. I got pictures but I have to upload them! The gates were open and there was a sign that said 'No Public Access' but of course my mother the ultimate fan walks right in to try and get a better picture. The guard politely told her to stay "behind the gate, love." She thought that because he said 'love' he was super nice, but really she was just breaking the rules like a hooligan and he was doing his job! We walked back and forth about four times, my mother still hoping to see some actors, but then we gave up. We did get to see the front gate of the studio, too, before we got back to the car and left Manchester to head to Croydon.

The drive was about four hours with a lunch break in between right after Birmingham. Our lunch today consisted of burgers and fries at Burger King at a service station, but honestly it hit the spot! The guy at the counter asked me if we were travelling far, and I told him we were headed London way and that we were from Canada. He said, "I thought so!" I wonder if our accent is distinct? People keep thinking we are American, so there can't be too big of a difference. Maybe it was because I kept saying "sorry" and "thank you" so much!

I gave up on the radio quickly and put on some music on my laptop, which I had in the front seat with me. I had on good ol' Mumford & Sons at first, but then switched to some stuff my mom knew better. This included Frankie Sinatra, the Four Seasons, and then some real music in the spirit of being in England: The Spice Girls, The Beatles, and The Clash!

Driving into Croydon was like driving into a quaint little cottage country. English cottage style, mind you. It was charming! Exhausted and done with driving, we arrived at the home of my nannie's first cousin John and his wife Dot's home to a fantastic welcome! I have seen my family over the years, mostly as a child but once about five years ago as well. However, it has never been in England. This was the first time I visited over here on their turf! Their home is so adorable and they were so kind to give me, Madison and my mom our own rooms! After sharing one room with these ladies for 7 days, it is beyond explanation how nice it is to be in a space of my own for the next four nights. The rooms are awesome and have huge windows, making everything seem so bright and cheery! We sat and talked for a while, and had dinner (homemade pizzas- thank you Dot!), then chatted some more while watching the news unfold on the TV. Unfortunately, the breaking news was the horrible crime that happened about the time we drove into Croydon. It took place in south-east London, in Woolwich. The story played on one news station for hours and details still seem to be unclear.

Hopefully things can be cleared up on that front, but we are safe and sound here and look forward to visiting central London tomorrow. It will be a long day, so I better get some rest!

Goodnight people!

P.S. No pictures here, but I will edit it later and add some when they are uploaded.

On the Road Again... (Day Six!)

Day six was yesterday, and it mostly consisted of travelling. Early morning in Castlebay, we awoke again to a view of Kisimul Castle just a mile or so down the road which was covered with a slight fog, although the morning was not too cool. I got dressed, got ready and began to make a quick breakfast- yogurt and fruit. Tea was the obvious choice of beverage. As a side note  I am so happy with the amount of tea I'm drinking here! The camping boys from Kent were also making brekkie and packing like we were. Like I said, it was cool, but not too cold. I was able to begin packing and taking my suitcase out to the car without a coat. I finished up my tea outside, overlooking the bay, and then it was off to line up for the ferry.

The boat was again huge, and it left from Castlebay and would take us to Oban on mainland Scotland. It was about a five hour ferry ride, so I popped some gravol and hoped for the best. I have not stopped moving in the last week, and it takes its toll on a girl! At first, we boarded the ferry and my mom and I went up on the outer deck so we could see the castle go by as we left the bay. We sat outside for a bit and took some pictures leaving the coast, but it got too cold and we went inside. I got tea, my mom got coffee, and we tried to warm up. I remember dozing off for a bit when I laid on one of the couches in the lounge, but I was soon up again for more tea (I was freezing) and a little snack. I packed three granola bars in my small purse because I knew I'd be hungry.

The joke of this trip has become how much I can eat, and how often. About every hour or so I ask when the next food stop will be, and apparently I am very concerned about the wait times between meals. Packrat could appropriately describe some of the habits. I buy extra food and take it with me because "I don't know when I'll be eating again." Being on the road makes me hungry, plus with no groceries to travel with food stops are a major concern. I think travelling is just making me exhausted and constantly peckish!

The rest of the ferry ride was mostly sitting inside and looking out the window. Camping boys were just sitting across the lounge from us, and it was so cute to listen to their adorable English accents. Mom said one sounded like Jamie Oliver, the chef, if you know what he sounds like. I went up to the deck again one more time to get some snaps of a lighthouse, and by this time it had warmed up and the sun was out. Inside, a little later, I saw a castle pass by in the distance. It was a beautiful day!

We arrived in Oban, an adorable coastal town with lots of shopping, and we stopped for some directions to get to Manchester where we would stay the night at another hostel. It was really just a stopover on our way to Croydon, where we are staying with family for the remainder of our trip. More on this later! Driving away from Oban, we started the 5 or 6 hour drive to Manchester. The drive was tiring and I wanted to sleep, but once again the scenery was too good to pass up. Driving down out of Scotland, it was a sunny day and there was more mountains and yellow flowers to stare out at and enjoy.

Oban, Scotland

A little while later, we stopped for food at "The Green Welly" for a bit of a refresher. We grabbed a bite; I had carrot/orange/coriander soup which was absolutely delicious. I also shared a bit of pizza with Madison (typical me). We looked around at their shops a bit and my mom got some more directions, then we continued to drive around a national park. No wonder it was such a mountainous and beautiful drive! Loch Lomond was on the way, and just as we saw Loch Ness, we saw this gorgeous lake. This time though, it was sunny and radiant. The water was bluer than blue, and the trees were vibrantly green. Some puffy white clouds passed by. It was better than a postcard!

Loch Lomond

The drive continued on like this for a while, and before we knew it the landscape become flatter and the sheep became more plentiful, and we saw the sign for England. Leaving Scotland was bitter sweet. It was so diverse. Cities like Edinburgh were busy, big, and filled with gorgeous old buildings and remains of societies that used to inhabit it for hundreds of years. There was also the countryside and northerly highlands, which were so remote and mostly untouched by human settlement. It was more amazing than I could have dreamed it to be, and I am beyond happy and privileged I could see it. The people were so nice and friendly, and a 'good morning' was always in order. Plus, the accents were charming and I wish I was still hearing them! I am proud to say much of my heritage comes from Scotland. It was humbling to be there.

While Scotland humbled me, the entry way into England excited me! England is home to so many greats and so much history! We were headed to Manchester, and after another couple of hours we made it to our hostel. It was more like a hotel, compared to the hostels of the highlands we had stayed at in Scotland. It was big, modern, so clean and so fresh. Our room was the biggest one yet, and I have to admit it was so much warmer than the rest! We got to our room and settled in. It's funny, because every time we get to a place we all need a plug and a charger to refresh the batteries in our computers, cameras and phones. I was trying to load the wifi we had paid for, but it was a horrible signal in our room and I gave up trying to get onto Skype. I was trying to video call my brother, whose 18th birthday was yesterday the 21st of May! Happy Birthday Connor, I really wish you were here with us!

I went downstairs in the hostel to try and get a better signal. It was a success and I uploaded some pictures to my Facebook of the trip, plus worked on my blog for the day before yesterday. I'm running behind! Then I went up, showered and called it a night. Today was more travelling so I had to be rested!

Overall, my first impressions of Manchester were awesome. We stayed on a canal which our hostel overlooked, and it was lovely to look at. The water was so glassy and the lights sparkled over it when it got darker. More on Manchester in my next blog post!

Outside our Hostel (on the left) by day!