#i just want a townhouse in a smaller seaside city up north…

[909th]

i like the freedom of movement that comes with renting but i like to think i’ll own a home some day

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Top 10 Summer Destinations in the UK

1. London

If you are looking to immerse yourself in the busyness of the hustle and bustle of the city then visit London. It offers the iconic London Eye, Big Ben, and Westminster. Overcome your fear of heights, visit the shard, or enjoy the beautiful Gherkin and see its beautiful architecture. If you’re looking to shop, then enjoy yourself in Oxford street as you lose yourself in the many retail stores it has waiting for you. Eat away and explore the diversity of London as you taste away in London’s Borough Market or Camden market. 

2. Lake District

If you’re looking for a quiet getaway to cherish mother nature, then Lake District is the place for you. If you're feeling energetic why not hike up Lake district and camp amidst the beautiful view of the Lake. Lake District National Park is popular for its stunning scenery, abundant wildlife, and cultural heritage. Its special qualities include: Cool, clear lakes, tarns and rivers - nationally important stretches of water for their range of habitats, and species such as vendace, charr, crayfish, and schelly.

3. Cornwall

Cornwall is popularly known for its Celtic history, but it also offers a coastline located in the southwest of the UK. Let’s be frank, charming seaside trips are amazing. I mean, at the first sight of (sunshine or dry even dry weather for that matter) us Brits rush to the sea. It’s in our blood! Especially in Cornwall, where there’s a whole heap of pretty seaside towns and coastlines to explore. If you’ve never had a seaside holiday in England before then you’re in for a beautiful and mouth-watering treat. Most are filled with some of the tastiest fish and chip shops (add a few splashes of vinegar), lots of tearooms, and plenty of local pubs (a favourite once the sun starts to set) – with Cornwall being of no exception. With all the little hamlets, rugged rocks, and the kind of beaches that make you want to stay all day – you won’t want to leave this gorgeous area of England.

Some of the popular routes are

Glasgow taxi

London taxi

Norwich taxi

Abingdon taxi

Aldershot taxi

Andover taxi

Ashford taxi

Aylesbury taxi

Banbury taxi

Barnstaple taxi

Basildon taxi

Basingstoke taxi

Bath taxi

Bedford taxi

Bicester taxi

Birmingham taxi

Blackburn taxi

Bolton taxi 

Bournemouth taxi 

Bracknell taxi

4. Bath

Located in Somerset, Bath is rich in culture and history. It is the largest city in the county of Somerset, known for and named after its Roman-built baths One of the popular places to visit in Bath is the medieval Bath abbey along with its roman built bath. If you're exploring architecture, then why not try the royal crescent, an arc formed by Georgian townhouses designed by John Wood. Soaked in history Bath has plenty of places to visit, from The Circus and Stonehenge, Bath’s Many Crescents, and already mentioned Bath abbey. 

5. Bournemouth Dorset

A genteel Victorian seaside resort on the South Coast of England, Bournemouth cultivates a polished, stately image. This has much to do with its many gardens, planted with sub-tropical species like palms and ferns that thrive in the town’s warmer microclimate. Bournemouth has some of the warmest sea temperatures in England, on seven miles of coast that includes four Blue Flag beaches, held as some of the best England has to offer. These beaches are hemmed by green cliffs, and you can use funicular railways built in Bournemouth’s Victorian heyday to get down. In a few spots, the cliff is broken by a ravine, known on the South Coast as a chine, and often landscaped with gardens. From the Hengistbury Head Beach to the Oceanarium to the West Cliff lift to the ever-popular Bournemouth Pier, it is full of eye-catching spectacles. 

6. Edinburgh 

The capital of Scotland, Edinburgh has got to be one of the most mysterious cities in Europe. Its dark, medieval walls hold so many secrets, most of which we probably don’t even know about boasts itself for its well-known Edinburgh castle. Uncover the history and visit the Scottish crown Jewel in the Royal places well as the Scottish national war memorial and the famous stone of destiny. Edinburgh is touted as the greenest city in the United Kingdom, the place exudates lush trees and plants everywhere. It is also known for the widely popular Edinburgh Fringe festival fare, the largest arts festival globally. All in all, it is a must summer destination in the UK.

7. Stonehenge in Salisbury 

Stonehenge, prehistoric stone circle monument, cemetery, and archaeological site located on Salisbury Plain, about 8 miles north of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. It was built in six stages between 3000 and 1520 BCE, during the transition from the Neolithic Period to the Bronze Age. As a prehistoric stone circle, it is unique because of its artificially shaped sarsen stones (blocks of Cenozoic silcrete), arranged in post-and-lintel formation, and because of the remote origin of its smaller bluestones from 100–150 miles away, in South Wales. Quench your thirst in history as you visit the world's oldest heritage site. Originally known as a place of worship it is now a popular tourist site. Salisbury holds one of the most popular cathedrals that goes far back to the Magna Carta. 

8. Jurassic Coat 

The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. It stretches from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland Bay in Dorset, a distance of about 96 miles, and was inscribed on the World Heritage List in mid-December 2001. The word Jurassic makes everyone think of dinosaurs. Yes, you won't be seeing dinosaurs but you can discover fossils from nearly 92 million years ago. With the cliff slowly eroding more and more fossils are released so be the first to set eyes on these fossils. Why not make the most of your day with places such as Durdle Door and Old Harry’s Rock why not make the most of your day. 

9. St Michael’s Mount Cornwall 

This tidal island is one of the marvellous festival fares in the UK. The island is a civil parish and is linked to the town of Marazion by a man-made causeway of granite setts, passable between mid-tide and low water. The legend that coexists with it says that giants still inhabit the cave on the island. Go see for yourself whether this is just a legend or whether the existence of such giants can be proved. 

10. Bristol Clifton suspension bridge

Located in the Southwest of England this city encompasses the river, Avon. Its wealthy maritime history and M shed museum allows you to discover the social and industrial heritage. The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Avon Gorge and the River Avon, linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in North Somerset. Since opening in 1864, it has been a toll bridge, the income from which provides funds for its maintenance. The suspension bridge built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel is a recognizable structure with its spectacular view of the Avon Gorge is a must-see.

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

Soaking in the Magic of Gdansk

Gdansk was our fourth destination in Poland after visits to Krakow, Wroclaw and Poznan, and this northern harbour city by the Baltic Sea definitely had a bit of a different feel.

To me, Gdansk felt less like a city where you tick off main attractions and more like a place where you need to wander and slowlly soak it all in. Oftentimes, the sights that caught my attention in Gdansk were things like a random row of buildings, an unusual museum, or a brick gate hiding beautiful views just behind it.

We spent a week in Gdansk and for the most part, I was perfectly happy to walk around aimlessly and let the city reveal itself to me.

THINGS TO DO IN GDANSK

Walk the length of Długa Street

Unlike most Polish cities, Gdansk doesn’t have a central square, but what it does have is a long pedestrian street which kind of acts as a gathering place; that’s Długa Street, also known as Long Lane.

Starting on the west end of Długa, you have Brama Złota, the Golden Gate which marks the start of the pedestrian street. Once you walk through the gates you are met with two rows of townhouses standing shoulder to shoulder and running all the way down to the very end of the street. The bottom floors of these buildings have been converted into restaurants, souvenir shops, boutiques, cafes and bars, so it’s quite lively with out-of-towners.

Długa is peppered with landmarks like the Town Hall, which houses the historical museum; Artus’ Court (sometimes spelled Arthur’s Court), which was once a meeting place for merchants and now houses the History Museum; Neptune’s Fountain, a nod to the sea god from this seafaring city; and lastly the arches of Brama Zielona, which bring you straight to the waterfront.

We made time to visit the Historical Museum and really enjoyed it. For starters, the museum is set in a 14th-century Gothic Renaissance building and it has some pretty stunning ceilings, fireplaces, and spiralling wooden staircases, but it also has an interesting exhibit that looks at life in Gdansk before the war.

These may not be huge attractions on their own, in fact, it’s even easy to miss some of these places if you’re not actively looking for them, but they are all smaller pieces of the puzzle that make Gdansk special.

Check out the waterfront

Once you reach the end of Długa, you’ll find yourself on the shores of the Motława River, which might even give you flashbacks to Copenhagen’s Nyhavn. The river is lined with a mix of red-brick buildings done in the Hanseatic style and pastel facades adorned with flower boxes.

Along the waterfront, you’ll come across Gdansk Crane, which pays homage to the city’s history as a medieval port city. At one point, this was the biggest crane in the world, and it was used to transfer cargo and to put up masts on ships.

Continuing north, you then have the Maritime Culture Centre on the left bank and the National Maritime Museum on the right bank. There’s no convenient bridge for crossing without retracing your steps, but there is a quick ferry service that can whisk you across for just a few zloty.

Just in front of the National Maritime Museum, you’ll find the SS Soldek, a Polish coal and ore freighter that has been transformed into a floating museum.

And while you’re here you can hop on a myriad of river cruises, be it on a mock pirate ship, a motor boat that looks like a car, or if you want to put some muscle into it, even by kayak.

We also came across a floating restaurant called Oskar, where you can get fish and chips with a pint.

Climb St. Mary’s Basilica

For city views, we decided to climb to the top of St. Mary’s Basilica.

This is one of the largest brick churches in the world and as you can probably imagine, it dominates the heart of the Old Town. This also means that you better be ready to do some serious climbing. Reaching the 78-metre tower involves climbing 405 steps, and there are stretches where you may even wonder why you ever decided to do so.

I will say that if you don’t enjoy heights, this is probably not the place for you. Once you reach the second staircase within the tower, you can basically see all the way down which can give you (me!) some vertigo. I was basically hugging the wall with my clammy hands the whole way.

Must…grab…handrail!

Eat at a milk bar

I know I probably sound like a broken record at this point; I feel like I mention milk bars every time I talk about Poland, but I’m kind of obsessed with them! They are cheap and you get massive portions of hearty-homecooked meals, so what’s not to love?

In Gdansk, we found Bar Mleczny Neptune, which is located right on Długa Street. We went back there twice and tried everything from savoury pancakes to cutlets with dill potatoes. The nice thing about this milk bar is that you just point at the food you want and then pay for it after making your selection, as opposed to other milk bars where you have to decipher a Polish menu and pay before you get your food – definitely the less intimidating of the two options.

Learn all about Baltic Gold

The Amber Museum was a complete surprise for me. I didn’t even know this place existed before visiting Gdansk, but soon after arriving in the city we started seeing amber jewellery and amber souvenir shops everywhere, so we decided to visit the museum and see if we could learn what all the fuss was about.

It turns out that amber, or Baltic Gold as it’s referred to in this area, comes from the resin of coniferous forests that grew in the region. The largest source is found east of Gdansk around the Kaliningrad enclave, and the combination of northeasterly winds and sea currents means that a lot of it washes onto the beaches of Gdansk.

The museum had some interesting displays of amber inclusions (that’s amber with small plants or insects that became trapped in the sap), amber-adorned furniture and amber jewellery.

Another bonus of visiting the Amber Museum is that the top floor has a viewing deck where you get some pretty nice views of the Old Town and Długa Street. It’s not nearly as high as St. Mary’s but I almost feel that’s a good thing!

And if Gdansk is giving you some Amber fever, just walk over to Mariacka Street, which is often nicknamed Amber Street. It’s lined with even more amber shops and you’re sure to find a souvenir or two.

Visit the European Solidarity Centre

I have to admit, I knew nothing about Solidarity before coming to Gdansk, but when I told my dad where I was travelling, he insisted I needed to dig a little deeper into the history and that’s how I ended up at the European Solidarity Centre.

In a nutshell, Solidarity is the name of a Polish trade union that was founded in 1980 on the grounds of the Lenin Shipyard with Lech Wałęsa, an electrician by trade, as the leader of this movement. (He would go on to become a Nobel Prize Winner and President of Poland.)

To understand the importance of this movement, we need to go back to the 1970s, a time when wages had been frozen while food prices continued to rise, a time when foreign debt was mounting, and a time when underground groups were forming to fight against the system.

When Solidarity was founded, it became the first trade union not under the control of the communist party, and just a year after it was founded it had reached 9.5 million members, which at the time made up a third of the working-age population in Poland.

The European Solidarity Centre does a wonderful job of laying out the history in a chronological timeline and it’s a great place to learn about a movement that shaped the city.

Day trips from Gdansk

We went on 3 different day trips from Gdansk, all of them very easy to do.

Sopot – This is a popular seaside town on the shores of the Baltic Sea and it’s only 15 minutes by train from Gdansk. We spent our day here walking on the longest wooden pier in Europe, enjoying a cruise of the harbour, stuffing ourselves with baked pierogi, and then strolling along the beach because the water was too chilly for us!

Malbork – This town is home to Malbork Castle, which is the biggest castle in the world by land area. Our entire visit was devoted to visiting the castle. The train from Gdansk to Malbork can take 30 or 50 minutes depending on which one you hop on.

Gdynia – We visited Gdynia thanks to our friends Agness and Cez from eTramping. We first met a few years back in Hong Kong (and I’ve also met up with Agness in Amsterdam and Seoul), so when we found out we were all in town, we had to go out together. Cez grew up in Gdynia, so he showed us around his ‘hood. Gdynia is just north of Gdansk and Sopot (the three are called the Tricity) and in comparison to the other two, Gdynia had more of a modern and youthful feel with wider streets, newer buildings, and lots of young kids hanging out at the beach. Oh, and you can get some delicious waffles (gofry) along the boardwalk and load them with nutella, whipped cream, strawberries, and all sorts of sugary toppings.

Where to stay in Gdansk

We rented this AirBnB in the Old Town just 1 block from St. Mary’s and it was a beautiful apartment.

I will say that Gdansk is a little pricier than other cities we visited in Poland, so you’re usually looking at around $40-75 per night for an apartment, though you can get lower rates if you just want a private room. If you’ve never used AirBnB before, you can use my discount here.

The city also has a nice mix of boutique hotels, bed and breakfasts, and guesthouses on offer. You can get a better idea of rates here.

Have you visited this Baltic city? What were some of your favourite things to do in Gdansk?

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