London is gorgeous in springtime. People start to wear lighter jackets and sometimes you even see some shorts and skirts with bare legs! The flowers that sprout up everywhere are simply joyous. These flowers can be observed just doing everyday things around London. No special trip to some pricey gardens required. Just keep your eyes open and feast them on the cherry blossoms, daffodils, bluebells, hyacinths, tulips and all the other plants bursting into life to celebrate a new year of growth.
The white cliffs of Dover is famous but there is nothing like seeing something like this in person on a beautiful, blue sky day! The cliff-side walk is really stunning. Best to pay for parking up near the cliffs. You could search for parking close to Dover town but then you would have to climb up the hill to get to the cliffs!
I kept my eyes peeled on the water for some whales or dolphins but I didn’t see any but is that France I see? The high location also gives a stunning view of Dover port.
Stretch your legs on the drive home from Dover by stopping in Canterbury for a look at the magnificent Canterbury Cathedral. Tickets are about £15.50/adult or you can time your visit for a service so you pop your head in for a quick look for free!
When visiting London, there are a number of places which can be visited on a day trip from the city.
Bath is a beautiful city. If you want to go to the famous Roman Baths, the tickets are best pre-purchased and are allocated in 15 minute time slots, so check your transportation timings! The tickets are quite expensive (approx. £26/adult) and can sell-out during peak periods such as school holidays and bank holidays. When you go in, you will be provided with an audio guide in your choice of language to help you understand the history and context of the Roman Baths. It is not a particularly large attraction but it is interesting. Take your time, try to ignore the crowds of tourists and try to feel the serenity and history of the baths!
Stonehenge is another interesting day trip destination not too far from London. Once again, tickets for this can be pre-purchased for approximately £21/adult or you can brave the long queue if you get there on a busy day without a ticket. A ticket will get you free parking at the carpark for the Stonehenge Visitor Centre. You will also get to view the exhibition at the Visitor’s Centre. No ticket required for the toilets or the gift shop. You can then choose whether to join the queue to be herded onto one of the giant coach buses that will drive you 2km to Stonehenge or you can walk the 2km. This walk is a delightful amble across some well kept paddocks and is quite lovely on a sunny day. Many people who paid for tickets chose to walk one direction and bus back once they had seen Stonehenge. It is important to note that even with a paid ticket, you will be unable to get close to the stones and you will never be able to touch them.
The cheaper alternative is to do the 2km walk to Stonehenge. Without a ticket, you may have to pay to park. Once you are within sight of the stones, you will see the crowds in the paid section. There is actually a small, heritage trail that runs parallel to the paid trail. This is free for the public. This trail is further back from the stones compared to the paid area but not by much. It’s a great free alternative to see the stones. You can read up on the history of the stone formation online and then check them out for free!
Whilst we were there, we did see some vehicular roads that get quite close to Stonehenge. If you don’t have a great desire to walk and don’t need to get close, it might be worth using your GPS and driving around the area. It is probably possible to get a good view from the road and then perhaps pull over for some photos.
A visit to Windsor Castle is also an easy day trip from London. This castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Once again, pre-booking of tickets is recommended on busy days as they do sell out. Tickets are around £28-30/adult.
All across the world when you speak to someone about their home country, you will get a stream of negativity. I have seen this from Australians, Canadians, Germans and now the English. You could argue that there can’t be anything too terrible by this list of countries. They are affluent, high-functioning, first world nations and not war torn, famine-stricken back-waters. In the UK, the most common reaction when a local finds out you have relocated there from the paradise that is Australia is “but WHY!!?? It’s DISMAL here!”
Dismal, what a horrid word and what a sad sentiment to say about ones own country. Defined as causing a mood of gloom and depression. Common synonyms are bleak, cheerless, desolate, dreary, and gloomy.
No country is without it’s problems, big or small. This is the case with the UK. Things are tough for many in the UK. Energy costs are high and inflation is high and yes, the weather is often grey and rainy. In London, the city is grimy, the rental market is insanely competitive and the cost of living vs average earnings makes things very difficult. You could also argue that politicians are lousy people no matter what country you are in. Nevertheless, there is plenty to be positive about.
It could be argued that without having some bad times you don’t appreciate the good times as much. Similarly without experiencing some grey and drizzly weather, you don’t appreciate the gorgeous sunny, blue sky days. Weather reporting in the UK is unreliable (apparently there are good meteorological reasons for why forecasts are more difficult in this part of the world). There have been many a day that have been predicted to be rainy but all of a sudden, the clouds will part and the sun and spectacular blue skies emerge. The side effect of the drizzle and rain is a beautiful shade of lush greenery here in the UK. This is something that someone who has lived in the dry parts of Australia really appreciates.
Anyway, the worst of the winter is over and there are the most glorious signs of spring everywhere. There are snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils. The cherry blossoms have come out and they are so enchanting, that it is impossible to say that London is dismal!
If you are sick of the cold, grey London weather, one of the best things is that London is a major transport hub. From here, there is so much of the globe which is easily accessible. Perhaps a short trip to the south of Spain for some warmth and Moorish architecture!
London is a massive city and the result is a melting pot of diversity. A huge number of people from all over the world live and work here and also plenty of tourists. The result is a dynamic city with lots of diverse, delicious choices to tickle your fancy in food and events.
There are plenty of other advantages of living in a big city. There are plenty of free and paid events, performances and lectures. There is also loads of opportunities to meet interesting people. The population density also means that the apps like Olio, that helps to reduce food and non-food waste work really well.
London is very famous for it’s theatre scene. There are so many shows which are playing that the competition is fierce and the talent and quality of the productions outstanding. Whilst it may seem expensive to go to a big name show, there are plenty of ways to score a cheap(er) ticket.
London is full of iconic sights. It’s hard to feel dismal when you look up and you see something majestic like Tower Bridge.
In addition to the iconic sights are the hidden gems. Walk around, look up, look around and you may see something interesting. Here are some cool places and things in London that I’ve accidentally stumbled across whilst wandering about.
The people in London are kind and friendly people. This has been unexpected. It has not been difficult to meet people who have transitioned from being new acquaintances to being friends.
The public health system in the UK is dysfunctional at times but is free and is very good. The medical staff do their absolute best and are kind, supportive and competent.
When you need to get out of London, the UK is a big country with centuries of history to explore.
No place is perfect. There will always be good and bad. Hopefully you can look around your life and there are some positive things, some joys, however small in size and that things are not dismal for you.
Andalusia, in the South of Spain is a lovely spot for a warm getaway. Layers of history to explore, orange trees on the sidewalk, a laid back, slower paced lifestyle, tapas and sangria consumed alfresco. Cities and towns in this area include Seville, Malaga, Cordoba, Rondo and Granada. It’s was lovely to visit in March. The temperature range throughout the day meant only a light jacket was required in the morning and evenings. The middle of the day warms up to make it comfortable in a T-shirt. It was pretty amusing to see the tourists coming from colder climes blossom in the warmer Spanish weather whilst the Spanish locals were rugged up with thick coats and scarfs as they were really feeling the cooler temperatures.
Andalusia is a great place to visit. The whole region also feels very safe for tourists, even at night. The food is interesting and the people friendly. The cost of living is also less than London and Australia making it an affordable getaway. March is a good time to visit as there were tourists around but it wasn’t overwhelming.
Here are some random observations of our visit there.
A lot of the houses have an inner courtyard or Andalusian patio. This is an architectural development from the Roman atrium. It makes a lot of sense in the usually sweltering Spanish weather. These inner courtyards are a cool, tiled, sanctuary, made lush and green with the use of pot plants. They are private places just for the household and interestingly keeps the display of family wealth much more hidden than in other cultures. The outside of their homes are modest with little hint of what may lay within in contrast to ostentatious showy homes with large front yards open for all to see.
The walls in these older homes seem very thin. Noise carries easily from one room to the next.
There is plenty of fertile land and good soil in the south of Spain. There are areas where it is more rocky and hilly but there is plenty of flat, fertile and productive land. Whilst traveling through the region in bus and trains, there are plenty of wind turbines scattered throughout.
One of the most striking thing around each of these cities are the orange trees. There are orange trees planted on sidewalks everywhere. Despite being the end of the season, there were still plenty of oranges on the trees in March. Initially, it seemed silly that edible fruit should be left on the trees to the point where some fruit has become moldy. Other fruit lay on the sidewalk below, even the birds don’t touch it. When we tried one of these fruit, the explanation became clear. This variety of oranges are horribly sour and are only used for marmalade with the addition of a lot of sugar. Regardless, the bright colored oranges contrasted with the green leaves of the trees makes for a distinctive and cheerful sight in this region.
In a pleasant contrast from Australia, it felt like there were very few annoying bugs or insects. Windows can be left open to catch the night breeze with no fear of insects being drawn into the indoor lights.
After the rubbish, dirt and grime of London, the cleanliness of these Andalusian cities was a pleasant surprise. There is little rubbish around and the streets were very clean.
Interestingly, the parks of the Andalusia does not have much grass or flower beds. It seems that the Spanish prefer to pave over their parks or to have packed earth instead of grass or flower beds. Flowers are grown in flower pots. Disappointingly many of the parks do not grow big trees which would help shade and cool the area.
The trains and buses in this region are of a high standard. The coach bus that goes between Seville and Algeciras was very new, clean and modern. The tickets were very reasonably priced. The intercity trains in this region are clean, well kept and surprisingly spacious and comfortable.
There were issues however, for example, mass confusion at a bus station due to the lack of clear signage. It would have been simple to rectify. It is a disappointing letdown to what seemed like a well functioning system.
The other highly annoying thing about the Spanish train system is the need to buy seat reservations for an Interail or Eurail rail pass. These only cost about 4 euros each but can only be purchased at a Spanish train station. This means that for tourists, the reservation can only be purchased when they get to Spain. This takes precious time away from sightseeing and risks the train being already fully booked thereby upsetting other plans. In reality, when travelling Spain, the Interail or Eurail railpass is a waste of time and money. It is better just to buy individual tickets. These can be purchased in advance online and are not too expensive.
The historical centers in these Andalusian cities are centuries old and were never designed for cars. As a result, some of the labyrinth of roads can be incredibly narrow and when a car goes down the street, it requires all pedestrians to practically hug the wall on either side to get safely out of the way.
The infrastructure for biking and scooters is excellent in Spain. Using e-scooters or bikes are normalized and the bike lanes are often smooth, segregated and world class.
As with all touristy cities, the horse and cart is also a mode of transportation. These are always lined up near the big sights ready to whisk away some well heeled tourists willing to cough up the exorbitant fee.
Wondering around the supermarket, it was striking the differences in the products being sold between Spain vs UK or Australia or USA. It is so easy to eat according to the Mediterranean diet and things are less processed. Ingredients on food products only contain ‘real food substances’ instead of unrecognisable chemicals, preservatives or additives. The olive oil section is huge. There are plentiful choices of cans and jars filled with all manner of legumes e.g. beans, chickpeas, lentils etc. A huge section of the aisle is dedicated to canned oily fish like tuna, mackeral and salmon. There are lots of good quality fresh vegetables and also a large section of various fresh seafood. The quantity of seafood vs pork vs chicken vs beef reflects the diet of the population. Seafood of all kinds dominates! Pork and chicken are a distant second and beef hardly eaten at all.
The proportion of fundamental foods rather than pre-prepared foods in the supermarket indicates that the people cook from scratch often rather than taking shortcuts or eating pre-prepared meals. There was less obesity on the streets to be seen.
One surprise we found at the supermarket was a free chain locking system for wheeled granny shopping carts. This is convenient as the carts can be securely locked up whilst the person does their shopping and then used to cart the shopping back home!
Tapas culture dominates this region. It’s nice because it’s not just about eating quickly or eating a big meal for fuel but about lingering over a few bites of food and a small drink. The emphasis is about spending time chatting to friends and family. It felt more about making meaningful connections with people and taking time with them instead of the practicality of fueling the body.
In Andalusian restaurants, tapas is more common than the daily menu (Menu Del Dia). The Menu Del Dia, when you can find it, tends to be excellent value for lunch where a 3 course meal including bread and a drink can be had for between 11 – 15 Euros. Service charge or tip is rarely added to the restaurant bill which was a great relief after London where this practice is unfortunately normalized.
Following on from the healthier food, it could be argued that the Spanish culture and way of life is healthier and more balanced. The starts are slow in the morning. The streets are quiet and shops are still shuttered. Eventually, things come a bit more to life after 10am. Lunch is later, between 1 -4pm approximately. Then in the late afternoon, the streets become deserted again. Most shops are shuttered again as the people take their siesta or have a late afternoon rest to hide from the hottest part of the day. If you make a dinner booking at 7:30pm, you will be one of the first tables at the restaurant. The later part of the evening is when the city really comes to life. There are more people on the street than at any other time of the day. Suddenly the streets are buzzing with people and the whole vibe becomes more lively as people sit out at alfresco tables chatting, drinking and eating tapas. Most of the year, it is too hot to be out during the day and the coolness of the night is so much more alluring.
Despite the slower pace of the culture and the greater emphasis on family and friends instead of the rat race of work, things seemed to be functioning (at least superficially) sufficiently well in Spain.
It might be interesting to some to get a feel for the costs of a trip to south of Spain. Of course this is just an indication, everything depends on your tastes and budget. The currency is what we paid in. The price of train tickets vary greatly depending on how early you book and what time in the day you travel.
Smoking is very common in Europe. There are a lot of people smoking in Spain. Interestingly, vaping is less common in Spain than in the UK. Smoking cigarettes and cigars is more common than vaping.
There are a lot of churches scattered all through the city. This is a reflection of how Spain has always been quite a religious country. Things must be changing though, as we accidently visited a number of churches during evening service. The crowd in attendance was minimal and old. The service was very old fashioned and boring. If the church wants to remain relevant, engaging and pull in the youth of today, they will have to change a lot.
Does this whet your appetite to travel this region? Check out my other blog posts on Seville, Ronda, Gibraltar, Cordoba, Malaga and Granada as well as a post about Andalusian food.
The food of the south of Spain exemplifies the Mediterranean diet. Various types of seafood dominate the cuisine when it comes to the protein. This includes a lot of oily fish like tuna and anchovies. Pork and chicken come a distant second to seafood followed by beef which is not usually eaten. Vegetables, olive oil and legumes such as lentils, chickpeas and beans form other key building blocks of this cuisine.
The supermarkets are filled with a higher proportion of fundamental foods which form the building blocks for cooking a meal instead of pre-prepared, processed foods or meal shortcuts. This makes the Spanish diet very healthy.
Eating out is mainly about tapas. It’s about having a small plate to nibble on with a small drink. It is less about filling up with large meal than about connecting with friends and family. This too is very healthy as plenty of research shows that having meaningful connections in life is a key to a happy and healthy life.
The famous soup of Andalusia is the Salmorejo. This can be considered a cousin to the famous Spanish Gazpacho. Salmorejo is a cold, tomato based soup which also incudes bread and olive oil. Bread is not used as an ingredient in Gazpacho. Salmorejo has the same refreshing, cooling, tanginess similar to Gazpacho but is made creamier and more filling with the bread blended through. It’s a smart way to use up leftover bread. Ancestors of this soup can be traced back to the Roman Empire where a tomato-free version of this soup existed. The tomato was a much later addition once they were introduced to Spain.
Another classic on the Iberian peninsula are the legs of ‘jamon’ or ham. In many restaurants, specialist shops and even in the local Aldi, there are legs of ham strung up. These vary in price but are usually quite expensive. They are delicately sliced into the thinnest layers and arranged carefully into plates for tapas or to be sold in smaller portions.
The first stop everyone makes in Seville is to visit the Real Alcazar of Seville. This and Granada’s Alhambra are the two big tourist “must visit” sites in Andalusia. It is strongly advisable to pre-book tickets to these two attractions as they are absolutely crawling with tourists. Don’t let that put you off going though. These places are jaw-droppingly special. These photos are a very small selection of many, many photos that were taken. People probably argue as to which is better, Seville’s Alcazar or Granada’s Alhambra. I would insist that a visit is essential to both if you are in the region. They are different. It is easy to forget in the Alhambra that the patterns on the walls used to include colour but with time, the colour has all worn away. In the Alcazar, there is still a lot of colour and I was surprised how understated and lovely it looks. I had assumed that the inclusion of colour would make it all very garish. For me, Seville’s Alcazar is better, but only by a whisker!
The reason why this type of architecture looks so distinctive because it is influenced by Islam where it is not permitted to make art with depictions of humans or animals in case it led to idol worship. As a result, great artistic beauty can be found in patterns and symmetry.
One of the striking things about Seville how you can feel the city’s long and layered history through it’s varied architecture.
A beautiful city with treasures to see around every corner. Sad to see so many beautiful old churches conducting services for only a handful of old people. Perhaps it is time these beautiful buildings be used for other purposes.
