14 Days Exploring London and Beyond

My husband and I aren't tour people. We don't like sitting On buses, being herded around, and waiting stop after stop for that person who is always late back. We prefer a fairly open schedule where we can wake up and decide what time we want to head out, where we want to go, and with the power to change things last minute.

The first two times we ventured overseas, we found companies that accommodated our needs. We told them where we wanted to go and how long we wanted to stay each place. They set up the hotels and transportation (rail or bus) between each place. They could also book a tour guide for us if we wanted, or book specific attractions. We loved the freedom. 

Since then, all we find are companies that offer self-driving tours, so we've had to step up our game and do the planning ourselves. Before we headed off on our trip to the UK, we set up our accommodations, purchased a local sim card for one of our phones, bought transit passes and loaded them with 50 pounds, purchased two four trip train pass, booked train and hotel for an overnight in Bruge, paid for The British Museum special exhibit, and booked a high tea boat tour. 

We wanted to relax and enjoy our 14 days in London so we chose to pay a little more to get an amazing Airbnb near Hyde Park.  We were only half a block off a busy street, but it was quiet and our views were a private park in front and a churchyard in back. The living room and bedrooms were spacious, the shower head high enough for my super tall husband to get under. The long stairs were a challenge, but still do-able.

The focus for our trip was suggested by our neighbors who travelled there often.  Use your apartment as a home base. Alternate days exploring London with day trips out into the country.  A day or 2 in town, a day out. Back in London by the early evening. The idea was perfect. For our four day trips we settled on Bath, Rye, The Cotswolds (3 towns) and Oxford.  To this we added an overnight (2 day, 1 night) trip to Bruges which I had always dreamed of seeing. 

In London we didn't take any walking tours or line up to tour government buildings.  We explored back streets, neighorhoods and fun markets, just walking and snapping pics. We wandered in Hyde Park along the lake, relaxing for a spell on a bench as we watched the paddle boaters and enjoyed the late afternoon breeze. We'd grab a relaxed coffee somewhere interesting, walk some more, grab lunch in a pub (or  interesting cafe), walk a bit more, and then head home.

Just had to share this video from Camden Court - the end of the line for our canal ride from Little Venice. We had been wondering where all the 20 - 30 year olds were. We found them here. It was crazy high energy and volume. 

At the end of each day we felt we saw a few more of the many diverse neighborhoods to be found in this huge bustling city. A London tour book that had a suggested walk route for each area helped get us started each day. I added to that by checking out top ten lists on travel blogs. This is where I found the suggestion to take a canal boat ride in Little Venice, as well as taking high tea on a boat cruise. We loved both.

In addition, we chose three museums to visit - The British Museum, Design Museum and Natural History Museum. These three offered a great mix as each had a very different focus. Regular admission is free, but the lines are long.  We always paid to view the extra exhibits, which got us right in the door. Instead of trying to see it all, we picked what interested us and strolled through those areas for a few hours. There really is only so much you can soak up in one visit. 

 

When planning our day trips out of London, we researched online what might be interesting.  All Trails (dot) com had suggested routes in each area, as did several blogs. For our Cotswolds venture we used the basic itinerary found on a site call Trainline - see it HERE. We decided on a slower pace, so left on a later train and skipped the fourth stop.  In Charlbury we tucked into a cafe for our coffee and pastry where we were surrounded by locals (80 locals bought shares in this cafe to save it), followed by a walk through the town that took us past not only old buildings, but to an old church and graveyard. 

At Kingsbury we decided to take a walk in the country on a suggested route. The surprise? Two other couples from the train also read this blog and walked with us. The last stop for us was Moreton-in-Marsh where we enjoyed a pub lunch on a patio, explored the town, and then took a nap under the trees in a beautiful park.

Bath offered another great day trip. No we didn't go in the Roman Baths or the cathedral.  We chose to view everything from the outside while strolling at an easy pace. After exploring streets filled shopas galore, old buildings and enormous trees, we found a funky miniature golf course to take a break. We played a game, laughing non-stop, and trading pics with another couple. Then we tucked into The Salamander Pub where we grabbed a beer and a bite while talking to bell ringers in town to do a peal. After, we checked out a few free museums and took a boat ride into the countryside. 

As much as we enjoyed the town of Rye - especially walking through the old historic parts, as well as our lunch in the The Mermaid Inn Pub - our hands down favorite while there was a walk out of town to view the ruins of Camber Castle. This is a two kilometer round trip, plus the walk from the train station to the trailhead.  

Once we reached the trail start, we found ourselves walking through fields filled with sheep (adults and young'uns), opening and latching gates regularly between fields. There wasn't a single other human being in site. It is only open August - October on Saturdays, but you can still view the outside and look through the front gate. Imagine our surprise to discover two workers at the site. We managed to go on the one day a year they send a couple guys to re-paint the wrote iron gate and window grates. A twilight zone moment. This stroll reminded me of what I have read in many old style British murder mystery books like Agatha Christie's Poirot. 

Bruge was a bit of work, but well worth it. This town holds a magical draw for me that is hard to explain. We caught the 9 a.m. train to Brussels, then snagged a local train to Bruges, arriving by 1 p.m.  This town is truly a unique place. Fairly small, and laid out in a circle, you just can't get lost. During the day it's filled with energy - tourists walking and chatting, people eating in patio cafes, clopping horse drawn carriages ambling by, and canal boat rides floating past. I had my first Flemish food - Waterzooi Chicken. It was delicious. The canal boat ride was not only relaxing, but gave us a chance to see the town from a different perspective and hear a little of its history.

The surprise came when we went out in the early evening. It turns out that well over half the people were only in Bruges on day trips. The stores mostly closed by 6 p.m.  You could snag an ice cream, or maybe find a tourist shop open, but everything else was closed. The focus of those who remained was on the dinner hour. It was so peaceful - and unexpected.  The next morning we had until 1 p.m. to begin our journey home. The streets were still very empty until about 10, so a lovely time to stroll.  We enjoyed another long walk through town and through a large green, park ending at Lovers Lake. This was followed by a light lunch at a street cafe and a last local Zot beer.  Then it was time to head to the train station.

Oxford we only touched lightly. We were just two day from going home and worn out. It was only a 30 minute train ride, so we pushed ourselves out the door. We started with coffee at a local cafe attached to a theatre/charity, explored some of the top tourist buildings, explored a local market, and then enjoyed lunch in a what looked like a traditional pub, but with a surprise. Their menu was all Thai food. It was delicious. 

We didn't come back with a wealth of history or stories from tour guides, just a feel for the places we visited and the people we spoke with. We chose to just wander without too much schedule, and did our best to find moments with locals to share a conversation and absorb the atmosphere. I am so glad we did.