By: MJ + PJ
BUCKETED: Month Eight – United Kingdom and Ireland (January 2nd to February 1st 2019)
After heading back into London for a few days for AJ to participate in a theatre camp, we returned to Bicester then prepared to move on. Ireland was next, and where we caught the fever of the craic and saw quite a bit in the space of a week. We then saw the best of Northern Ireland and Belfast the following week before heading to Edinburgh for the final week. The new month brought us full circle back into London for a few days.
We only flew once, this being to Dublin. We then elected to take trains and busses between major cities, this being more leisurely and cheaper than flying (once you add in three large bags at £20-35 each). This also enabled us to spend some time on a very comfortable ferry to get to Scotland from Belfast, and to roll by the beautiful coast of Northumberland on our exit from Edinburgh towards London.
Our budget was near target this month, being only $8 per person per day over. This was mainly as we had no single large expense in the $1000 to $2500 bracket like in the previous four months. Our decision to not go to and from Asia in the first two months of this year was beginning to play out like the budget-friendly move we had hoped.
The other aspect of travel we had been missing while in South America was knowing people where we were. In the UK/Ireland this month we caught up with no less than 22 people, these being mostly family, but others being friends we had not seen for a long time. Good times!
ENGLAND
- Eltham
- London Bridge
- City of London Monument
- The London Stone
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
- Millennial Bridge
- Churchill War Rooms
- Wellington Arch
- Sherlock Holmes Statue
- Royal Academy of Music building
- Ben’s Cookies
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Dramatic Dreams Acting Camp at Turnham Green
- Franco Manca Restaurant
- City of Windsor
- Windsor Castle
- The Carpenter’s Arms
- King Edward Court
- Windsor Royal Shopping Center
- Coffee #1 Bicester
- The Cotswolds
- Burton on the Water
- HALT Motoring Museum – CLOSED!
- The Model Village
- Snowshill Lavender Farm
- Broadway Tower
- Stanway Estate
- Stanton
- Hook Norton Brewery
- Oxford Castle and Prison
- The Bear – Oxford’s Oldest Pub
- University Church of St. Mary the Virgin
- Turf Tavern
- The Crown
- Bristol
IRELAND
- Dublin
- City Walking Tour
- Docklands North
- Dublin Castle
- St. Andrew’s Church
- Trinity College
- Long Room of the Old Library at Trinity College
- Book of Kells
- Brian Boru Harp
- Temple Bar
- Oliver St. John Gogarty
- Pearsey South Docks
- The Giant’s Garden
- Merrion Square Park
- The National Museum of Ireland – Archeology
- St. Steven’s Green
- Fusilier’s Arch
- Ha Penny Bridge
- Dublin North
- Howth Fishing Village & Lighthouse
- Howth Castle – CLOSED!
- Family dinner in Dublin
- Guinness Storehouse
- Brazen Head Pub – The oldest pub in Ireland
- O’Neils Pub
- Paddywagon Tours via the Elegant Irish
- Dunguaire Castle
- Kinvara Fishing Village
- County Clare Baby Cliffs of Moher
- Doolin – Fitz’s Cross
- Fitzpatrick’s Bar and Restaurant
- Cliffs of Moher
- Cliffs of Moher Tower
- Bunratty Castle
- Blarney Woolen Mills
- Wicklow
- The Firehouse Bakery
- Patrick’s Farm
- John’s Farm
NORTHERN IRELAND
- Belfast
- Titanic Experience
- Maggie May’s (Milkshakes)
- S.S. Nomadic
- St. George’s Market
- Belfast City Hall
- Grand Opera House
- Europa Hotel
- Queen’s University Belfast
- Belfast Botanic Gardens
- Ulster Museum
- The Salmon of Knowledge
- Albert’s Clock
- Henry’s Public House
- The Crown Saloon
- The Adventurous Playground
- Belfast Castle
- Cave Hill Caves
- McArt’s Fort
- St. Anne’s Cathedral
- Victoria Square
- The Duke of York
- Cathedral Quarter
- Belfast’s Oldest Building
- Courtyard Bullet Hotel
- Jaffa Memorial Fountain
- Victoria Square
- Victoria Square Dome
- Irish Tours Bus Tour:
- Carrickfergus Castle
- Carnlouch Fishing Village
- Giant’s Causeway
- Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
- Bushmills Distillery
- Dunluce Castle Ruins
- Belfast Parliament House
- Strangford Lough
- Portaferry Ferry
- St. Patrick’s Church
- Saintfield
- StenaLine Ferry to Cairnryan Port
SCOTLAND
- Edinburgh
- Old Town Edinburgh
- Museum of Childhood
- Tron Kirk and Royal Mile Market
- St. Giles’ Cathedral
- Outlook Tower and Camera Obscura
- World of Illusions
- Scott Monument
- Edinburgh Walking Tour
- Royal Mile
- Office of Lord Lieutenant of Edinburgh
- Old Parliament House
- Edinburgh Castle and One O’clock Gun
- Grassmarket Square
- Greyfriars Kirkyard & Bobby’s Memorial
- Flodden Wall
- Voldermort’s Grave (Tom Riddell)
- The Elephant House (“Birthplace” of Harry Potter)
- Writers’ Museum
- Princes Street Gardens
- Rose Street
- Pure Spa
- East Meadows Play Park
- Lebowski’s Restaurant
- CORO – The Chocolate Cafe
- Camera Obscura
- Arthur’s Seat hike
- St. Anthony’s Chapel
- The Scotch Whisky Experience
- Edinburgh Post Office – to ship some “stuff”
- Edinburgh Castle
- Salt Horse
- Royal Museum of Scotland
ENGLAND
- Northumberland coastline
- Science Museum
