There is Only One London

There is the United Kingdom, there is England, and then there is London. . Three are related, but strictly speaking, London seems to be a world apart from the rest of Britain, marching to its own, unique rhythm. Everything in London comes across as new and different. Throughout history, its people, fashions, trends and street life have always expressed the very essence of city life. Like New York, London is a city that never sleeps. 

Millions of tourists arrive in London every year, many of them already half in love with the city. You see them in the London Underground (the tube), on red double-decker buses and stepping into taxis. The new central London traffic zone, where private transport is essentially banned, makes the sights of London more navigable than ever before. It is also possible, and very pleasant, to walk through the city on foot, or to rent a bicycle along the Victorian Embankment on the Thames.

The first City of London

What is today London was once a small, rather insignificant settlement called Plowida, a name that means "settlement on the wide river". The Romans conquered the region in the first century and founded the fortified city of Londinium around 47 CE. The Roman city of London covered an area of approximately 1 km2. The Romans built a bridge over the Thames, and used its banks as a shipping port for minerals and agricultural products. Londinium grew very quickly in the second century, when it became the commercial centre of the Roman province of Britannia Superior.

The Anglo-Saxon city

In 314, London became a bishop's see by order of Emperor Constantine. By that time, the Roman Empire was growing weak. Without imperial patronage, London settled into a long period of decline. By the time the Romans had officially departed from their colony of Britannia in 410, the city was essentially depopulated. After 150 years of near abandonment, the Anglo-Saxons arrived to take advantage of London's strategically advantageous position on the Thames. They did not settle there permanently, however, until 604, and even they chose not to rebuild within the ruins of the ancient fortified city, but somewhat further west. The new city, named Lundenvic ("London Harbour"), was declared the capital of the Kingdom of Essex. Its centre lay to the east of Trafalgar Square's present location.

The Norman invasion

The Normans defeated the Anglo-Saxons at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. After entering London, William the Conqueror had himself crowned king of Britain in Westminster Abbey, which had just been completed the year before. All British monarchs ever since that time have been crowned there. In order to discourage any remaining Anglo-Saxon warriors from revolting, William had three fortresses built. Of the three - Baynard's Castle, Monfichet's Castle and the Tower of London - only the last survives today. In the interest of gaining popularity and ensuring domestic peace, William openly adopted the same rights, privileges and laws that had governed London during the Anglo-Saxon period.

A city in its prime

The sixteenth century was probably London's golden age. After the city of London annexed Westminster around 1600, it quickly became the centre of the British Empire. London was one of the most important European commercial cities on the North Sea, despite the fact that the city was located some 30 km away from the sea on the banks of the Thames estuary. During the late sixteenth century, London's cultural renaissance was in full swing. A great many theatres were built along the south bank of the Thames, the most famous of which was the Globe, where many of William Shakespeare's plays were first performed. The New London.

The Great Plague and Fire of 1665 and 1666 left London shaken to its very foundations. Over 70,000 people died of plague and nearly two-thirds of the city was consumed by flames. Architect Sir Christopher Wren was responsible for rebuilding London's many destroyed churches, including St. Paul's Cathedral. The destruction of residential buildings in the city led many residents to settle outside the city walls in new districts that became London's first suburbs.

Most aristocrats never returned to their city mansions, preferring to build townhouses in the now prestigious West End. Dickens' London. The nineteenth century saw the construction of many important buildings and squares, including Trafalgar Square, Westminster Palace and Big Ben, the Royal Albert Hall, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tower Bridge and the University of London. Prosperous times, however, are often accompanied by a dark shadow. Millions of the less fortunate were forced to live in overpopulated, filthy slums and suburbs. This was the London immortalized by Charles Dickens in novels like Oliver Twist and David Copperfield. By the turn of the twentieth century, London was far and away the biggest city on Earth: a whopping 6.6 million people lived there in 1901. At the time, London was undoubtedly the most powerful city in the world.

The ravages of war.

London was badly damaged during World War II. The German Luftwaffe thoroughly destroyed its once uniform cityscape of Georgian and Victorian buildings, leaving large parts of the city centre and most of the East End completely levelled. After the war, housing complexes were built cheaply and rapidly. London's docklands never recovered economically from the effects of World War II. Ship traffic was rerouted and the old piers and warehouses fell further into ruin, until city planners rediscovered the district in the 1980s.

Redevelopment has made Docklands one of London's hottest commercial and residential locations. A wonderland of things to see. There is a greater concentration of important sights and tourist attractions in London than anywhere else in Britain. Greenwich Park, Westminster Palace and Abbey, the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Tower of London are all on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Many of London's most popular museums offer free admission. Recent additions include British Airway's gigantic big wheel. Known as the London Eye, it is actually a slowly rotating observation platform from which most of the city can be seen. Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, the changing of the guard at Buckinham Palace, a tour of the Tower of London, the Flower Market on Sundays, the bustle of Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square ... the list is endless.

The finest entertainment

Those eager for culture will find that the British capital is full of variety. While the mostly modern cultural facilities may look like nondescript concrete blocks from the outside, world-class performances are underway within. The Barbican Arts Centre is a case in point. Opinions about the exterior are divided; although it has its fans, it has also been described as an architect's nightmare. Still, there is no disagreement on the excellence of its presentations, which include performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Classical Orchestra. 

Visitors should not miss an opportunity to attend a performance here. Breath of fresh air in the city. London does have a number of tranquil oases amidst the hectic activity of the city. London's numerous parks are popular destinations for those who like to stroll out in the open air. Hyde Park is located in west-central London. This spacious park was once a royal hunting ground, the scene of bloody duels and executions, as well as a venue for exciting horse races. During World War II, it was transformed into a gigantic potato field. Today it is a fresh-air getaway for sun worshippers, or for those who want to take a boat ride on the Serpentine, its sinuous lake.

One corner of the park, near Marble Arch, is known as Speaker's Corner, where anyone can stand up and express his or her opinion before a more-or-less interested audience. In Regents Park, near London Zoo, the lovely Queen Mary Rose Gardens are a wonderful place to pause and reflect after a busy day of seeing the very many wonderful sights of London. Finally, the ambitious tourist may want to take a double-decker bus or taxi north to Hampstead Heath, another vantage point that offers a magnificent view of the entire city.

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A History Of Britain For The Visitor

Over many centuries its character has been formed most importantly by its geographic location. hence its status as one of the largest islands! Its has never been successfully totally invaded. Even the Romans could not take Scotland and had to build a wall known as Hadrians wall to keep them out. The roman invasions in AD 43 lasted 350 years, however the britons in built independence borne by island living quickly estinguished the roman influece, although many of their advances such as Roman roads still exist today. This independence of the Brits is also shown by its breaking away from the catholic church in the 16th century.

Today the very chracter of the British is seen by its almost comical participation in the European union. They are still opposed to the Euro currency and still insist on driving on the left hand side of the road. After fighting two world wars the British were very relunctant to cooperate with the French on a channel tunnel. After all wasnt it this that we fought the war for. i.e. to keep the foreigners out!

Yes the British do have their quirkyness, even not been very famous for its culinery skills it has still claimed the crown for making tea! Which in all fairness the continenetals do respect and never challenge! After all, all it needs is to boil some water! Although regarded as rather aloof, they do understand freedom and are the mother of democracy. Their heritage is unbelievable.

From horse racing, i.e. the grand national to its very strange Morris dancers. The wonderful parks and Royal family. The Royal family probably epitimises the british best. Where most countries got rid of theirs, by guillotine and other forms of execution, the British somehow still kept theirs.

The reason for this is their culture of playing the game and the balance of justice. A great example of this was when a Italian prisoner of war was accused of murdering a local Brit. it was widely felt a partisan jury would find him guilty, but no, the verdict was a very stong not guilty, showing the inbuilt fair play of the British. Although a small island, the diversity of its geography is quiite amazing. From the flat lands of East Anglia, where by the way Cambridge and its famous universites lay. To the great lakes of Windermere to the unbelieble mountains of Scotalnd Ireland and Wales.

Hopefully if you are visiting the UK (United Kingdom) you will be able to visit the diverse cities, with its multi cultural and great shopping. Harrods its a must if you are visiting London. We Brits are great sports fan, inventing Football (soccer) Rugby and of course cricket. Getting back to the great British menu. Britain's most popular food has got to be fish and chips. Fish and chip shops first made an appearance at the end of the 19th century and since then have been a firm favourite throughout the United Kingdom.

The dish is simplicity itself: fish (usually cod, haddock or plaice) is dipped in a batter made from flour, eggs and water and then deep fried in hot fat. Chips are made from thick batons of potato and deep fried. Fish and chips are served over the counter wrapped in paper, and traditionalists prefer to eat them straight out of the paper because they taste better that way, before the EU it would be newspaper. Thats the rebelliousness and quirkness of the Brits!

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Ideas for a Budget Hotel in Britain

Travelodge UK offers accommodation for budget-minded individuals and families in England, Wales, and Scotland. Throughout the UK and Ireland, a Travelodge Hotel may be what makes it possible to take a short break in one of the more popular tourist attractions. With family rooms starting at just 19 pounds, anyone should be able to afford a break and your family could probably use one.

From Aberdeen to Worcester, you will find Travelodge accommodation. Where should the budget-minded family go? If you plan carefully, you can go just about anywhere: 

Think about the things that your family enjoys and choose accordingly. You can spend time outdoors for free. If you have young children, choose locations with playgrounds and picnic areas. Go to the beach or hike in the mountains. Save money by avoiding restaurants and bringing your own groceries. If you plan carefully and stay in a Travelodge Hotel, you should be able to afford a visit to the water park, a movie or a show.

If the kids have their hearts set on going to Thomas Land at Drayton Manor, there is a Travelodge Hotel in Tamworth, less than 10 kilometers away. If you are thinking of a holiday in Blackpool, there are three hotels to choose from. The rates vary, according to the season. Off-season rates are lower, but you can't always travel during the off-season with a family. If you book ahead, you may be able to get a lower rate and some locations offer special discounts for families. Always ask about discounts, regardless of when and where you are staying.

London is always a popular destination. With over 15 different Travelodge UK locations in London, you should have no problem finding one that is close to the things that you and your family want to see. If you don't have kids and you're looking for some nightlife, consider the Brighton Seafront Travelodge Hotel. Located less than a half kilometer from the Brighton pier and practically next door to numerous nightclubs, couples and friends can enjoy all that the popular spot has to offer, without spending a fortune. 

As a courtesy to the night owls, the hotel offers a late check-out service. You can sleep in until 2pm for only a few pounds extra. Whatever you like to do, there is always a way to do it and still save money. It might mean traveling by train, instead of by car or plane. But, if you plan to stay in a UK Travelodge, you can count on affordable accommodation.

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The Next Time You Travel Kingston, Pop Into the City of London for It's Shops

London is the capital of britain and a truly popular tourism spot. in fact, its home to breathtaking uk landmarks love Big Ben, the Tower of London and the Globe Theatre. We hope you enjoy our london guide and that it gives you plenty of info about activities to do in the city, as well as a bit of history and some fascinating facts. In 1863, bad traffic congestion on roads in london city centre led to the creation of the world's first underground railway system, the london underground.

The city was bombed badly during world war two & several lives were lost. following the war, several buildings in the city had to be built again. After the second world war, immigration changed London into one of the most racially diverse cities in Europe. Immigration was not always smooth, because there were big race riots in notting hill & brixton, but intergration was certainly more smith than in other english regions. One of the most popular tourist destinations in London is Buckingham Palace, which has been the london residence of the monarchy since 1837. The palace was initially opened to visitors in 1993 & the changing of the guard has proven particularly popular with them. This ceremony takes place in the forecourt of buckingham palace at 11.30 every day in summer & every other day in the winter.

Buckingham Palace is found in Westminster & it is accessible by tube & bus. Needless to say that the shopping in London is the finest in great britain. In fact, the city boasts a wide variety of famous outlets, comprising of Harrods and Hamleys. Camden Town is renowned for its alternative stores and fabulous market. it is a diverse location, which sells everything from retro clothing to cds. Alternatively, shoppers should visit knightsbridge or mayfair for the more high end outlets. you'll find some exciting designer names in this elite area.

London has fabulous fashion, which we are sure that all of us will find fabulous. From fabulous shops, to vip night clubs and cocktail bars, there is something for everyone to enjoy in London. One of the most famous night clubs is the Embassy, which is a private members club on Old Burlington street. The night club is relatively expensive, but it's full of celebrities and fabulous for star spotting. as well as this, it serves fabulous food by michelin starred Garry Hollihead. 

As it is such a huge location, London is truly easy to get to. in fact, it is connected well by rail & has some big railway stations, which include London Bridge, London Victoria, London Euston & Liverpool st. as well as this, the city also boasts three huge airports, Heathrow; Stanstead & Luton. Driving in London can be difficult due to the congestion charge, but the city boasts a excellent underground & bus network to help people get around.

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Historic Places to Visit in Britain

Britain is a great place to visit if you are interested in History; it has many castles, ancient monuments and attractions to visit. London is home to some of Britain’s most famous landmarks. Buckingham Palace and the infamous Tower of London can be visited as a group. You can also take one of the big red tourist buses around London and listed to some of the history and attractions.

British Museum

This museum holds more history than any other museum in the world. Up until five years ago, most of the museum’s collections had been stored away in the warehouse. Now the exhibits are on full display and ready to impress.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge is one of the most remarkable man-made creations of the ancient world. Created from large stones which had to be sailed to Britain from France, this work of art is believed to have been erected between 3,000 B.C. and 1600 B.C.

Very little is known about this mysterious location, but recent evidence points that it may originally have been a burial mound for a king, which changed over the years into a religious icon. To this day, pilgrims and druids from all over the world continue to meet during the longest day of the year.


Glastonbury

Cloaked in the mystery of the Arthur legend, this area is thought to be the resting place of the graves of the true Arthur and Guinevere, and is believed to be the location of the island of Avalon. Glastonbury Tor is a giant man-made hill that used to once hold a church on the top of it. Now, only the bell tower called the “tor” is available. When the morning mist covers the surrounding town of Glastonbury and crawls slowly up the hill, it is easy to imagine that beneath the mist is the fabled lake, home to the Lady of the lake.

Although Glastonbury is large, it should not be missed by any group of true history buffs. There is even a sacred well, which is thought to be one of the possible locations of the Holy Grail. Each year hundreds of pilgrims come here to offer prayers and drink in hopes of benefiting from the blessed water.

Bath

Bath and the stunning countryside surrounding it is one of England's most beautiful places to visit. Bath, England, is a unique city; its hot springs, Roman Baths, splendid Abbey and Georgian stone crescents have attracted visitors for centuries. Set in rolling Somerset countryside, just over 100 miles west of London, it is a beautiful and unforgettable place to visit.

Tintagel-Tintagel Castle

Tintagel-Tintagel Castle is also part of the Arthur legend. Although only ruins of the castle can now be seen, Tintagel is thought to be the site where the sage Mernyl, also known as Merlin, fought and lost the battle with Morgan de Fay. It is also believed to be the final resting place of Merlin’s body and his cave filled with ancient knowledge and magic. Perfect for the historian at heart!

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Britain is The Best Holiday Destination

Well, my dear friends, this time I am going to tell you a story on how to have a great holiday not far away from your home and on a small budget. So, as I see it, there are two main objectives, to get greatest pleasure from and spend as little money on this kind of bliss as possible. To tell you the truth, often it not really the place but the company, who are going to be with you, that makes the holiday. So we need to think carefully who we are going with and choose well and then together decide perhaps to have a nice holiday break nearer to home, let us look at the advantages of the Great British holiday.

First of all, you can save your time on investigation with regard to the location and climate of the new country, as you are already know the weather of your own country! However, maybe you think that it is rather boring to explore the country you are already familiar with? Not at all, I personally think that it is very interesting and alluring doing so. Your investigation and survey can go wide and deeper than ever you imagined. If you spend your vacation on Britain, it can often you cost you far less as travelling time to another country is curtailed and the economy is not offering good exchange rates recently so you pound does not buy what it used to when traveling abroad...So this is a high time to think what you can do within the country of origin seek out the places you have here at this moment as they are now very competitive.

So, as we can see price is the first major advantage. To travel around your own country, visiting closer to home places, to discover the wonderful local UK natural worlds and open your mind towards meditation and fun, is a super thing that you can do easily on home soil. Let us not forget that home soil is the best place where you can feel really comfortable and safe. It is a splendid opportunity and benefit to explore the country where you live. Believe me when I say you will have a lot to discover. As you fully understand the second advantage you will also know your country far better: its culture, language, history, customs, traditions, places of interest, and places of natural beauty. There is also the added benefit of already being familiar with the cuisine thus only the locally meals will not worry your foods needs if with a fussy family.

Taking into account all the above, I would like to recommend you one special destination. It is one of the most wonderful and green islands in the United Kingdom and as you may have already guessed called the Isle of Wight. I think and feel it is an important that you have an exciting vacation and unforgettable experience with the all members of your family. An Isle of Wight Holiday is a very good opportunity to spend super vacation time with children. You can be relaxed as there are so many things to do on the Isle, so much so that your children will be busy all the time. The Isle of Wight is full of gorgeous scenery, various attractions, great historical places, Zoos, museums etc.

The Island offers a one stop package shops as it ahs something for everyone. You are able to be close to nature gaining having pleasure and enjoyment as it is so simple to be very happy there. In order to find a suitable Isle of Wight Hotel, click here.

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UK Travel: Holiday Parks in the UK

Many parks are inspected on an annual basis and graded according to the Visit Britain Star rating scheme. These official ratings reflect the overall quality of each park, to help you have a clear and independent idea of what your holiday accommodation will be like. Whether you are one of the thousands of guests who book with us every year, or are considering us for the first time, I'm sure you 'll enjoy browsing through our extensive holiday selection for your dream way to get away.

The UK Holiday Park has become one of the great national institutions. Generations of families, from the turn of the century onwards, have left the UK’s cities to head for their two weeks summer holidays on the British coastline. The Holiday Park had a fairly humble beginning, essentially offering accommodation, entertainment and food all under one roof, more often than not on the edge of a large traditional seaside town like Blackpool, Skegness or Great Yarmouth.

These holiday parks were very popular with families looking for affordable holidays, at a time when overseas travel was expensive and unobtainable for a large percentage of the general public. However as overseas travel became more affordable Britain saw the rise of the package holiday in the 70’s and 80’s, which meant that the UK holidays no longer offered the value that was such a unique selling point for many of the popular parks. With the new found competition from guaranteed sun, cheap accommodation, food and drink, UK holiday parks came under increasing pressure.

The challenging times that faced the industry were definitely compounded by a change in perception of the holiday park experience. When you mentioned holiday parks people began to think of the popular TV series Hi-de-Hi and never ending rounds of knobbly knees competitions, donkey rides and red coat style entertainment. Unfortunately combined with cold and windy chalets and indifferent food!

The holiday park has however come a long way since its humble beginnings and in the last ten years the industry has seen a massive revolution in the breadth, quality and style of holiday parks available in the UK. Like many UK tourism business the independent and multiple holiday park owners began to see a decrease in the interest in their holiday offering. The park owners came up with a number of solutions to counter the perception and the improve the quality of the holiday park experience.

Firstly the accommodation was upgraded. Customers were no longer happy with basic facilities, so holiday parks spent millions on improving accommodation facilities, from upgrading the standard rooms to developing penthouse apartments with plasma TV’s, four poster beds and room service. This resulted in holiday parks giving a more upmarket feel to all their accommodation and provided customers with a much greater range of choice.

Secondly the entertainment offering changed enormously. Some UK parks began to specialize in just offering specific entertainment breaks. Top comedians, shows and musical acts have begun to top the bill and themed weekends specializing in entertainment like county western, 60’s revivals and dance and sport breaks. Parks have also become better at targeting key groups like adult weekends, family activity holidays or special nights for stag and hen groups.

Thirdly the traditional three meals a day offering of parks has probably seen the greatest change. To adapt to the change needs of holiday makers more and more parks have began to offer self catering options rather than providing full or half board and charging extra for meals. Some of the larger chain parks have gone even further and don’t offer any catering, just inviting the restaurants and fast food places to offer food on the Park. However, as the parks themselves have diversified, offering different things to different holiday markets, so has the catering, and some holiday parks now make a virtue of the fact that they offer three top quality meals all day.

One example of a company who stayed ahead of the game was Potters Leisure Resort (http://www.pottersholidays.com/). As the UK’s only Five Star Independent Park they had long been investing to top quality infrastructure, entertainment and catering and the initial costs of the project have been rewarded with a reputation for top quality holiday park experience.

But Potters aren’t the only company offering top quality park style holidays. More and more developments in the UK are building the lodge style accommodation away from the traditional holiday park centres of seaside towns. The inland lodge style developments have specifically moved away from the ‘park’ image and now offer champagne and hot tubs style breaks in a quiet and secluded rural environment.

Parks are springing up right across the UK on the coast and inland and more than ever before the UK holiday park experience offers something for everyone from traditional entertainment in Great Yarmouth, to five star luxury in the Cotswolds. With so much innovation in the industry holiday parks will continue to offer more of what the holidaymaker wants and needs – a top quality holiday experience.

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Ex-Britain Cruises are Growing in Popularity

Cruise holidays are growing in popularity among Britons, as more and more people are finding budget airline flights to be more trouble than they are worth – literally. Statistics show that the number of holidaymakers departing on cruise ships from ports around the UK grew by nearly 25 per cent last year, with around 40 per cent of all cruises booked leaving from British harbors. Known as ex-Britain cruising, these numbers are only set to grow, especially as three ex-Britain cruise ships are due to be launched by British company Cruise & Maritime next year.

One source within the cruise industry believes that the number of ex-Britain cruises will grow in relation to the number of cruises that are booked to depart from overseas, i.e. fly-cruising. It is expected that as the industry grows, more companies will take their ships to more obscure ports around the UK, as demand for holidays dictates departure points. P&O cruises believe the main thing that holidaymakers want is convenience, and will have 128 ships leaving from Southampton.

Currently, those considering a cruise are most likely to book to go from major UK ports such as Dover, Southampton and Portsmouth, all of which are easily accessible via main roads and rail services. For those who don’t have their own transport, and prefer not to travel by train, P&O are able to offer their cruise customers coach transfers, with pick up and drop off points in 50 different locations around the country. So, the first thing to decide is where you would like to go, and how long you would like your trip to last. The world is most certainly your oyster.

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Stately Homes of Great Britain

Great Britain has a great selection of stately homes that were built by aristocrats centuries ago.  Many are still occupied by there descendants and display wealth, power and social standing. Most of the homes were built with great attention to detail and craftsmanship. The art collections and furnishing were displayed as the priceless treasures they were and still are. Not only were the walls covered with magnificent art and paintings, but also with expensive tapestry. Over 500 stately homes alone were built between the mid 16th century and the 20th century, and have survived two world wars and remain standing today. 

Visitors can admire the ancient decorations and experience first-hand the designs of an earlier era. Visits include a comparison view of the servants quarters to get an idea of what life was like for the less privileged.  The landscapes alone are breathtaking with gardens and parks that just beg to be admired. Many of Britain’s stately homes and surrounding countryside are used as movie locations in films and TV. All in all, there are over 600 castles, stately homes and gardens across Britain.  History buffs will not be disappointed!

Here is a list of some popular Stately Homes in Great Britain that you or any group would surely enjoy visiting:

Kentwell Hall: One of England’s finest Tudor homes complete with moat and tudor brickwork. Built in the 16th century, with improvements made in the 1820's, this Gothic style home by Thomas Hopper was built and designed by the Clopton Family. This home has been lived in by the Phillips family since 1971. It contains a strong sense of history and is open for viewing and private functions such as weddings, re-creations or corporate events. Visitors to Kentwell Hall can conveniently stay in Long Melford where a vast selection of top-notch hotels and country Inns are located.

Audley End House: This stately home and gardens is one of Britain’s great wonders. It was originally built by the first Earl of Suffolk, the Lord Treasurer to James I. It has been compared to many great royal palaces, and was purchased by Charles II in 1668. It was finally returned to the Suffolks in 1701, when certain sections of the home were demolished. It is considered one of today’s best examples of Jacobean houses in England. Visitors to the Audley house can stay right in Saffron Walden, and can choose from several great hotels and Inns while visiting. 

Elton Hall: One of England most romantic and Gothic stately homes. It has been in the Proby family since 1660 and is build in the middle of an unspoiled parkland. It was designed with a fascinating combinations of styles. Visitors to Elton Hall can stay at one of several fine hotels or Inns in nearby Peterborough. In addition to the above the following stately hz`omes are also worth mentioning:
  • Sandringham
  • Copped Hall
  • Helmingham Hall Gardens
  • Euston Hall
  • Belchamp Hall
  • Houghton Hall

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Visit Britain

I love visiting Europe.  I’ve been many, many times. But I do have one MAJOR issue with it: as the British would say, it is “too bloody expensive.”

When you consider that the American dollar is in the toilet compared to the Euro (and certainly to the British pound), travel gets super expensive.  Furthermore , in major destinations for Americans like London, Dublin, and Paris, there are 5 billion tourist traps out there designed specifically for the purpose of milking as much money as possible off you.

It is for this reason that I often like to travel elsewhere.  Travel in South America, Africa, and parts of Asia, comparatively, can be ridiculously cheap.  Your only real expense is the initial plane ticket (which will, to be fair, often be significantly more expensive than your run-of-the-mill ticket to Europe.)  The difference is how LITTLE you will spend during your time in these other countries versus Europe.  You can save a lot of money by going to these off-the-beaten path destinations, especially if you forsake some of the big name tours/attractions, or if you opt for a local guide to take you to whatever the major attraction is.

Sometimes, however, rural Uruguay just isn’t doing it for you.  You need your fix of European culture. The good news, which many people overlook, is the fact that many of the best things to do in Europe are FREE, or at least cheap.  Maybe the Beatles were onto something when they said, “The best things in life are free.”  We can only hope.

Take Dublin, for example.  There are a host of free places to visit in Dublin.  Furthermore, the author of that guide has some great tips of ways to travel on the cheap in Dublin elsewhere on the site.  Some glaring things many travelers forget: don’t take the taxi.  They’re expensive.  You wouldn’t take a taxi every day at home, would you?  So why do it in Dublin, where the minimum fee is going to be $4 euro?  Eating out, if you must do it, presents another opportunity to save.  Go for the Prix Fixe lunch menus, if they offer one.  Also, consider that takeaway prices for food may be cheaper than dining-in prices; so why not grab a bite to eat and take it with you to the park or a favorite neighborhood?  You’ll get much more of a feel for the local culture that way.

England is another good example; here’s another guide of free things to do when you visit Britain.  Many museums in Europe actually have free admittance.  I don’t want to sound bitter here, but this seems to be because, unlike in the United States, many European countries recognize the need to PROMOTE the arts and culture, rather than relegate it to a backroom that only the rich can afford to enter and appreciate.  Some museums in the Bay Area are starting to charge over $20 for entrance.  This is insane.  If you keep it free, you can reach a lot more people.  The high entrance fee deters people of more limited means from the joy of artistic discovery.  But I digress.  Getting back on point, there are many free attractions in Europe, and you should take advantage of them.

On a final, more obvious note, many of the iconic destinations in London are buildings.  And while you may have to pay to go to the top of some, if you just wish to see the place, a building is, well, a building.  It is public.  And free.  So stare at Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge, and the Millennium Bridge all you want.  Go and spend the day in Hyde Park.  You don’t always have to mortgage the next 3 years of your life to afford a perfectly pleasant European trip.  It just requires a little budgeting.

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