While the nearest Iāve been to Britain is through movies and pictures, I much prefer going there through another route; books ā through short stories, poems and other forms of literature. Well, it could be the old English countryside but it is nonetheless vividly described with such romanticism and charm; theyāve become places where I always want getting lost to.
My companion while I travel were Wuthering Heights on the Moorish marsh, The Other Boleyn GirlĀ while admiring the rural landscape of medieval England, Tintern Abbey through the banks of the River Wye and of course,Ā Sherlock Holmes through the streets of old London.Ā All these and many other books depicting the British landscape had instilled in me the longing to walk on those cobblestones and see the beauty of patchwork quilt of green fields with my own eyes.
Love for art
Imagine the hysteria I caused when hubby told me to browseĀ for UK city breaksĀ that we can book for on Ā a Ā semester break ā I was like an attention-deprived toddler screaming my heart out for a lollipop!
In my head I am already planning where to go, what to do ā first, to be inspired by some of the worldās greatest works of art, weād go visiting: DavidĀ Hockney at theĀ Tate ModernĀ andĀ Tate Britain, andĀ Salts MillĀ in Yorkshire, William Tate at theĀ Walker Art GalleryĀ in Liverpool, John Constable at the National Gallery in London, LS Lowry at the Lowry inĀ Salford,Ā Greater ManchesterĀ and most of all JMW Turner at the Petworth House in Petworth in West Sussex.
And what about installations and creations of Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko? Weāll visit Tate Liverpool, Tate St Ives, Cornwall, Tate Britain, London, and Tate Modern, London to see their worksā¦for free!
But, with just a short stay it would be impossible to do everything in one go. I still have to convince hubby for at least 2 weeks of hopping here and there to have everything else done.Ā There are a lot of otherĀ whyfors the UK is a top tourist destination, aside from the arts as cited.
Second, and needless to say, photography is one of the other reason why I love to travel in general. That I am able to take a chunk of reality in that particular moment that may never happen again through photos is my motivation. So where are the most picturesque places in the UK for perfect photos?
Ā
Hereās my list of what to see when planning UK City Breaks:
World Heritage Sites
Stonehenge, Wiltshire. Still an awe to this day, the prehistoric monument has baffled every visiting individual at how our ancestors were able to carry theseĀ humongous stones at where they stand now.
Tower Bridge at Night, London. This bascule and suspension bridge over the River Thames is most picturesque at dusk.
The Jurassic Coast, Dorset. One of Britainās many World Heritage Site worth visiting in this lifetime. It is consisted of Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous cliffs, spanning the Mesozoic Era, documenting million years of geological history. How could one say no to this piece of creation?
Seven Sisters, Sussex. A series of chalk cliffs by the English Channel, occurring naturally as a result of erosion. This is living proof that yes, our Creator knows and has crafted his masterpieces well.
Isle of Harris, Scotland. Talk about an oxymoron of sorts in the most beautiful sense. White-sand beaches spectacularly laid out in front of views of snow-peaked mountains in the distance.
Wastwater Lake, Cumbria. Englandās deepest lake and coincidentally the title of the play my daughter takes part in.
Related read: Best places to visit in the UK
Castles
Hereās a list: Warwick Castle in Warwirckshire, Bodiam Castle in East Sussex, St Michaelās Mount in Cornwall, Stokesay Castle in Shropshire, Leeds Castle in Kent, the Tower of London in London, Cardiff Castle in Wales and of course, Windsor Castle in Berkshire where the queen resides. I am sure thereās a lot more to list down, with 400 to be found only in Wales, even a whole month wonāt be enough to see all.
Wheew! Short UK City Breaks will definitely not suffice to see the grandeur that is Britain, thereās still so many to see and thereās so little space in this humble blog to list all of them. But, you know what I really want to see the most? Jane Austenās House in Hampshire. You can never just make a hopeless romantic forget her heroines.
photos courtesy of:Ā https://travellers-stories.com/
Mary Anne Vinzon says
UK is one of place I want to visit.I hope I can go there and explore the many beautiful scenery and have the opportunity to take pictures too.Thanks for sharingā¦
chubskulit says
h that first photo makes you want to go there right away.. if only!
Jessica Cassidy says
amazing pictures as always Sis š I have never been to London but I do love to listen to their accent when they speak š
Teresa Martinez says
UK has always been interesting because so many things originated from this place.
jheylo says
wonderful place. UK is not really in my bucket lists but looking at these photos made me want to see it in person.
peachkins says
Lucky you! UK is also one of the places I love to visit and yes! also because of Sherlock Holmes!
Ghel Pot says
your photos are stunning..it captures the very essence of UK travel. just by looking at it, it makes me want to dream of being in UK now.
Ane says
Definitely one of the places I would love to see someday! Iād love to visit Notting Hill and see where they shot Hugh Grant and Julia Robertsā movie, I loooove Hugh Grant and Iām also a Harry Potter fan, thereās just something about the British that I find so appealing, perhaps the sexy accent? š I can do a British Accent, but not as awesome as actors can, but pretty decent. LOL š My kids love it. š
Wow, the London Eye is awesome!
che says
since itās near to both of us, can we both have that break? I would love to travel and explore UK, too.
Momgen Reviews says
Wow so pretty shots. I like the first one and last one hehehe.
Bless says
Great Britain will always have a special place in my heart as it is where I first meet my husband in person š We have a lot of memories in that culture-rich place.
A Walk Through Life says
Indeed, thereās a whole lot of thing to do in UK. I have an aunt who sings at Liverpool. Itād be so cool to experience the night life there.