The Cotswold

I woke up the next day early, checked out and subsequently headed out to rent a car to Cotswold. Initially the first car rental outlet rejected my application since I had not had an international driving license with me. Dejected, I had to rent from Avis which was around 5 pounds extra. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers I supposed.

So, happily, I paid for the Black Renault and headed off to my first destination, Burford. Since I only have one afternoon and one morning for the entire Cotswold, sadly, I had to plan my journey carefully so as not to miss anything. I had to skip Minster Lovell and the lovely ruins of Minster Lovell Hall and stop in Burford for a quick lunch. 

Everything in the Cotswold is just so cute; the honey glazen cottages and the lovely flowers hanging from the cottages, with the cobbled-stone paths and the oak trees lining along the paths, these sights are just too amazing to be described with mere words! And not to forget the hordes of tourists of all sorts, invading these little towns in their coaches or rented out cars! 

I wanted to stop in Stow-on-the-World, but it was swarming with tourists and I had no where to park! So I just made a few rounds in this little town, before heading off for Chipping Campden and the nearby Hidcote Manor Garden. This lovely little landscaped garden is one of the finest gardens in Britain, with its well manicured gardens, decorated with all sorts of lovely little flowers. I had to linger almost an hour here amidst the blooming flowers after the long drive.

After that, I sped towards Winchcombe for the Sudley Castle but I was 10 minutes late for the last entry into the castle. Thus, I continued my journey towards Cheltenham where I would be staying for a night at a BnB. 

Cheltenham, also known as poor man's Bath, used to be a spa resort for the less affluent in the 18th century (the rich and famous would go to Bath of course!). Hence, since then, it has flourished and made its name as the main city in Cotswold. After checking in my room and had a small chat with the host, I made my way into the city for a dinner with an old friend who was working there and some touring, before headed back to bed as I had to journey back to Oxford early the next day!

Oxford

I woke up very early to board my 7.30 am bus to Oxford from Parkside Bus Station. Fortunately for me, the ticket only costed me 4 pounds since I bought it online 2 months earlier. I dozed off in the bus as the bus swerved around the outskirts of London city, bypassing Milton Keys, before ending up in Oxfordshire.

The bus ended its journey in Gloucester Green Coach Station, and I started wandering in Oxford's town center, searching for my guesthouse. After making a few turns (over and over again), I let go a sigh of relief as I buzzed on the door bell of the guesthouse. Having dumped my luggage in the storage room as I could only check in after 3 pm, I started my journey into Oxford. 

Oxford somehow has its resemblance to Cambridge, only more classier and posher, I think, and is also swarmed with tourists. It is one of the world's most famous university towns, with 39 colleges and thousands of scholars occupying its grounds. I headed towards the most popular college - Christ Church College (which somehow wasn't that popular in Cambridge) and toured the Great Hall, where the movie Harry Potter got its inspiration from (it's the scene where the students gather for meals and where the sorting hat sings!) Somehow I dozed off in the tranquil halls Christ Church cathedral while resting my feet; I just could not help it! 

Next in line was the Magdalen College, another 20 minutes walk away from Christ Church College. This lovely college has an abundant collection of gargoyles and carved figures in its cloisters, as well as a deer park that inspired CS Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. The deers were however too shy, and chose to hide in the shady bushes away from the sun, and us. 

The Bodleian Library is one of the oldest public libraries in the world, but since I was short of time, I decided not to wait for its tour that allows access into the library. Just opposite of the library is the Radcliffe Camera, which is Oxford's most photographed buildings. I was too late for the extended tour and hence I just walked around this circular building before wandering off to the Ashmolean Museum. Alas, luck was not with me as the museum was closed for renovations. 

Oh well, since there was not much thing I could do, I headed off towards my guesthouse to check in, take a bath, and rest myself for the next day.

Cambridge

My train arrived in Cambridge around 10am, and as I disembarked the train and took my first Cambridge air, I find myself more intellectual already! The train station was just a stone's throw from the Cambridge YHA where I would be bunking in for the night, hence I dumped all my stuffs there after checking-in, and marched towards the city centre for a hurricane-like visit, as I only had a day here.

Unlike Malaysian universities where universities are practically walled up, Cambridge University has 31 colleges scattered within the town itself, and these colleges somehow compete among themselves to be the best. Cambridge University was established after a riot occurred in Oxford among the academics and the townsfolk around the late 1200s, and since then, it has flourished to be one of the best universities in the world!

And since it was a Saturday in the month of July, the town itself is swarmed with tourists, both locals and foreigners! I kept on stumbling myself upon tour groups of Chinese elementary school students, or Italian high school students, or a bunch of Indian families, or some  high school French girls. I started my excursion with the King's College and its renowned chapel, which is one of the most photographed landmarks here in Cambridge. Too bad the choir was not singing that month since the students were on their vacation. Damn!

Next to it is the Trinity College, where I visited subsequently; it is the largest college here and has a long list of famous alumnus, like Isaac Newton. Adjacent to it is the St John's College where lies the famous Bridge of Sighs, which spans across the river. Visitors are not really allowed to cross it, and you can take snapshots of it, as well as the people punting along the river, yet if you're streetsmart enough, you could be lucky enough to walk through it unnoticed, just like me. 

Beyond the river lies the Backs, where there are lovely gardens and sculptured lawns,  green meadows. I spent an hour just lying down on the greens, enjoying basking under the sun, something new that I started picking up here. As I lie down wondering, I thought of 徐志摩's poem. 

輕輕的我走了，

正如我輕輕的來；

我輕輕的招手，

作別西天的雲彩。

那河畔的金柳，

是夕陽中的新娘；

波光裡的艷影，

在我的心頭蕩漾。

軟泥上的青荇，

油油地在水底招搖；

在康河的柔波裡，

我甘心做一條水草！

那榆蔭下的一潭，

不是清泉，是天上虹；

揉碎在浮藻間，

沉澱著彩虹似的夢。

尋夢？撐一支長篙，

向青草更青處漫溯；

滿載一船星輝，

在星輝斑斕裡放歌。

但我不能放歌，

悄悄是別離的笙簫；

夏蟲也為我沉默，

沉默是今晚的康橋！

悄悄的我走了，

正如我悄悄的來；

我揮一揮衣袖，

不帶走一片雲彩。

I spent the next few hours shopping for souvenirs, before I headed down to the Fitzwillam museum. In my opinion, it is as good as the Asmodean in Oxford, but still being dwarfed by the British museum in London. Still, the exhibits are worth a visit, and I would have lingered in it for hours, if not for my sore feet and my worn off shoes, which beseeched me to go back to my hostel and rest them.

Anyway, I headed back to the hostel around 5 pm in the evening for a good rest, as I would have to wake up early in the next morning to catch a 730 am bus to Oxford!

York!

My journey carried me next to the medieval city of York, used to be known as the Viking city - Jorvik. My train stopped me at the outskirts of the city, as I trudged ahead for a room that I had rented via airbnb. After settling down, I marched towards the city for another adventure! 

York is one of my favorite cities in UK, as its city center has its medieval luster preserved; its crisscrossing narrow streets is enclosed by a magnificent circuit of 13th century walls, and from afar you are being greeted by the awe-inspiring York Minster. 

I got myself a one-day Yorkshire pass, as it saved me a lot of money. At first the lady who sold me the pass gave me a weird one-kind of dubious look, as she was doubtful I could finish the big attractions in just 5 hours. So I made it a challenge for myself!

I started off with the York Minster, the world's most beautiful Gothic building where the archbishop of York sits. It was built in the 7th century and over and over again it was given lots of make-over until now. The interior of the minster was breathtaking, and I especially love the stained glass windows and the eerie crypt. After an hour lingering in the minster, I headed off to my next two destinations.

Next in my list was the York Dungeon. Since I missed the Edinburgh Dungeon back then, I figured it would be nice to try the York Dungeon as I could get in free with the Yorkshire pass. I had to admit it was a fun and creepy experience, but you do learn something about York's history. There was a family with 3 children who opted to back out halfway because the kids were too terrified to go on! The actors and  actresses were genuinely entertaining, and I particularly loved the lady judge at the end. 

I walked across the street and visited Jorvik - The Viking Experience, where I start off with the exhibitions before proceeding to a pseudo-roller coaster ride, witnessing how the Vikings lived in York. The entrance fee is steep but since it's included in the pass, I would say it's worth a visit, plus, it's the second most visited attraction here after the minster!

Having visited the three main attractions in York, I allocated the rest of my afternoon (it was merely 4 pm to be exact!) to walk around this medieval town. I randomly bumped into Barley Hall (while trying to locate Haunted) and so I went in for a peek. Somehow, somebody accidentally found this clandestine medieval house in their behind their courtyard years ago, well preserved almost in its original form, and turned it into a museum where you can see how medieval houses were back then. 

One of the most interesting streets in York would be the Shambles, where this narrow cobbled lane is lined with 15th century Tudor buildings that overhang so much the residents can shake hands with another opposite the street! Otherwise this little town is kind of overrun with tourists, as it was the peak season then after all.

I wanted to go for another ghost tour but since the York Terror Trail was included in the pass (2 pounds discount) and the reviews in tripadvisor was encouraging, I decided to partake in this tour. The trip was almost cancelled as it seemed that I was the only one at the waiting point at 5.40 pm outside the Golden Boar Inn, but I was joined by another 2 English couples just at the nick of time, so the guide, James, had no choice but to lead on. We walked around York town as he explained the historical background and stories pertaining to this town. Since there were only five of us, so it was a really personal experience as each of us took turn to roleplay in his stories!

The tour ended at around 6.30pm, and I trudged back towards the room I rented, 25 minutes away! I was totally exhausted and slept almost immediately since I had to wake up early the next day for Cambridge. 

Durham

After a good night's rest, I woke up early the next morning to catch my early 8 am train to Durham, which is around 20 mins ride southwards. 

Durham is famous for its cathedral and castle but I only had 90 minutes to spare so I chose the cathedral instead. The walk from the train station to and from the cathedral was taxing as I was encumbered with my backpack and the terrain was somehow a bit undulating. However, I had a pleasant surprise as I stumbled into this little dandy town; I was in a middle of a parade!

I've always love parades! There's nothing more interesting than witnessing a local parade or joining one if you have the chance to! The experience would be awesome! 

So on that lovely Saturday morning, the Durham coal miners union had their own parade, with brightly color uniform and their own brass band! Aside from that there were stalls selling all sorts of food! Yummy! 

I bypassed the parade in the town center and headed for the cathedral for a spin.Durham cathedral is one of England's most beautiful Romanesque cathedral, undoubtedly a masterpiece of Normal architecture. As 19th-century novelist Nataniel Hawthorne fawningly said, "I never saw such lovely and magnificient a scene, nor (being content with this) do I care to see better." It's supposed to house St. Cuthbert's bones but I don't think they're here anymore. 

Following that, I rushed back to the train station to catch my train southwards to York.

Hadrian's Wall and Newcastle

The Lakes district undoubtedly is a beautiful place, earning its reputation as one of UK's most visited site. Unfortunately, since I only had a day to spend here and was heavily dependent on public transport, it pained me to know that I could only travel a small part of this wonderful countryside. Furthermore, my blistered foot made me a bit hesitant to trek.

After a long day of adventure in the Windermere and its surroundings and a lovely night of sleep, I woke up to catch my train to Carlisle, where I would catch my Hadrian's Wall Day Rover bus to visit the sites along Hadrian's Wall, and eventually end my day in Newcastle to visit my friend, Dr Lim. Purchasing the ticket online really saved me a couple of pounds.

The trip via train from Windermere to Oxenholme then to Carlisle was uneventful; I arrived in Carlisle pretty early, at around 8.30am, and the town was still pretty quiet. Streets were rather empty with a few cars and buses and pedestrians slowly emerged in the walkways. As I exited Carlisle's train station, I was welcomed by the Carlisle townhall, which rested itself in 2 brick red towers of centuries old. Further ahead was the Carlisle cathedral and castle, which was not in my itinerary as I did not have ample time to linger in this little town. So I sat on a bench near the town center, and started nibbling on the Granny Smith apples that I had bought a few days back. 

Around 9.20am, my bus arrived and I started my journey eastward. Hadrian's wall was actually built by the Romans to demarcate their borders and protect themselves from the Scots in the north. It runs from the west coast of Britain till the east coast, and there were numerous forts located along the wall. After the Romans deserted Britain, it was left to decay on its own, but fortunately some remnants still persist and recent archaeological expeditions managed to uncover some of the Roman forts.

As I need to arrive in Newcastle by dusk, I could only afford a few stops here. I bypassed the Vindolanda Fort and the Roman museum due to lack of time, and visited Houseteads Roman Fort, which is the most famous and has the most complete ruins. Fortunately the kind salesgirl at the ticket counter allowed me to store my huge backpack in their storeroom, otherwise I would have to carry it up and down throughout my journey. I felt bad thought as she was later reprimanded by her supervisors for fear of me leaving explosives in my backpack. How ridiculous! Do I look like some fanatic bomber?

Anyway, Housesteads Roman Fort is just breathtaking. Upon entering the historical zone, I was given a warm welcome by flocks of sheep scrambling around the ruins and bleating at me as if I were some hungry looking wolf. The sheep were kept out from the fort by the stone walls and trapdoors however, but there were already hordes of tourists swarming inside the fort. 

The Roman fort had been geniusly designed I would say, as each fort has a building for the commanding officer or Principalia, barracks for the soldiers, baths, mess hall and bakery. Outside the fort however were small settlements for the peasantry and slaves who would supply the fort with food and rudimentary services. The fort is no more but the stony foundations and the ruins somehow gave us some basic idea how the fort might look like. 

Having spent around 90 minutes here, I picked up my backpack and waited for the bus and head out to my next destination. It was already 1.30 noon by then and I gobbled on a piece of sandwich that I bought here; food sold in tourists site are never cheap!

My next stop was Chester's Roman fort, which was a cavalry fort and has a museum loaded with Roman artifacts excavated from the site. It was not as grand as Housestead's Roman fort and hence there were less tourists there.

The museum paraded all sorts of Roman artifacts dug out at Chester's, particularly the stony ruins of walls, arches, roofs, etc.. The fort was a bit smaller in size, and had a stable for the horses of the Roman Cavalry, hence I finished my visit in an hour's time.

The was no point heading back the opposite direction, so I caught an earlier bus to Hexham where I could catch the next train to Newcastle around 4pm. Hexham, another small town, has nothing much to offer me, so I lingered in the train station only waiting for my train.

I eventually arrived in Newcastle's railwaystation around 4.45 pm and waited for my friend to pick me up. Apparently he aldy had plans made for me; he cooked me a sumptuous Malaysian Indian feast of nasi briyani and chicken curry with cholocate lava cake and ice cream as desert, and took me out to stroll at Tyne's riverside. 

I did not like Newcastle that much as it left me an impression as a modern city just like Glasgow, unlike Edinburgh. Yet my friend was so proud of this city and the left me pondering. Oh well. We snapped a few photos at the riverfront where lies the Millenium Bridge and the Sage Music Center, before heading for home as I was already weary of my long day and I had to catch an early train to Durham and York the next day!

Windermere and the Lake District

My train arrived late in Windermere at around 10 something at night, after a transit at Oxenholme station. I was already in England then and somehow I miss the lushness of the Scottish countryside. 

Stepping out from Windemere's train station I headed for my hostel, which is just as the crow flies from the station. It was kind of hidden from the main road even though there's a signboard telling you to turn into the alley. I guessed most visitors to Lake District are here for the weekends only, since I was alone in my four bedded dorm. Having settled down, I took a shower and dozed off pretty soon, exhausted from the journey. 

I woke up the following morning, ready for my excursion! A visit in the tourist information center had me suggested me  to take a one day Lakeside Explorer, which allowed me to hop on and off buses at Bowness, Ambleside, and Windermere, as well as some small towns in that vicinity.  

My first stop was the little town of Ambleside. Since I wasn't that interested in Peter Rabbit or William Woodsworth, I basically skipped all their attraction, plus the admission fees are not cheap anyway. After dangling there for a while, I took the bus and headed for Dungeon Argyll.

Dungeon Argyll is a very small settlement on top of a hill. I was still too tired to trek up the peak of the hill so I stopped halfway, took a few pictures and went back to the inn for a drink while waiting for the next bus. 

I was contemplating where to go next, since I was almost 3 by the time I reached Windermere. So I decided to cut short my adventure for today and headed for Bowside instead. 

And I was amazed by the crowd at the lakeside! It was too late to go for a cruise so I strolled by the lakeside, watching the people feeding the swans and the ducks.

It was almost 6 pm then and hence I headed back to my hostel for a rest. Lake District is such a lovely place and my only regret was I had not had the time to really enjoy it. I missed out Buttermere and Conniston Waters and a couple more nice places. Maybe I should come back here for another visit, with a rented car?

Glen Coe and back to Glasgow

I woke up extra early to catch my bus from Fort William to Glen Coe. I was a bit dismayed when the bus driver told me that Glen Coe is somewhere in the middle of nowhere and I could not leave and store my luggage anywhere there. Oh well, I guessed I had to modify my plans then.

The bus departed Fort Williams as we headed south. After 30 minutes, I disembarked at Glen Coe village, just as described by the bus driver, a town in the middle of nowhere. 

So, I had to carry my 10kg heavy backpack and walk from the village of Glen Coe towards the visitor center. The scenery was lovely though, as I trekked past the site where the McDonald clan massacre occurred years ago. William of Orange, while trying to exert his authority, ordered the genocide of the entire McDonald clan whom he felt dubious of their loyalty. Maybe that place is haunted but under broad daylight, the scenery is picturesque!

I eventually reached the visitor center early, so I hang out at the cafeteria and ordered two pies just to assess their wifi. From the visitor center, you can view the splendid Three Sisters from its viewing platform or trek around the area. 

Having chilled out until 12 noon, I decided to taken an earlier bus down to Glasgow instead of waiting for the 430pm bus which I had booked. Hence, I had to spent an extra 20 pounds for that. Sigh. At least it was better than sitting in that God forsaken place doing nothing! 

The scenery from Glen Coe towards Glasgow was indescribable! The bus drove past the Three Sisters, the Glen Coe Ski Resort, and further down by Loch Lommond and into The Trossachs National Park, before it stopped in Glasgow. I was starting to have a bit of motion sickness but I could not miss this divine natural beauty! 

After arriving in Glasgow, I hang around near the train station until it was time for my train down to Windermere in the Lakes District. I had spent a week in Scotland and it was finally time to bid farewell and venture into England.