Cambridge, York, Leeds -October 10

Day 6

Our big fantastic bus that was to take us on our magical adventure across the United kingdom. Not to mention that the big fantastic bus was a Mercedes, so it was fantastic AND fancy. And incredibly comfortable. We climbed aboard the Cosmo bus and met our fellow travel companions. They came from all over the world, including Australia, Canada, and Korea, if I remember correctly.

Traveling by bus across the UK is a wonderful way to see the scenery, especially picturesque countrysides in Scotland. The unfortunate side effect of such a comfortable ride, however, is that it lulls you to sleep. So it was a restful vacation by the end of the trip.

Our first stop was the lovely Cambridge University. What I wouldn't do to be a student there, although there is another school in the UK I am more eager to attend. More on that later. Anyway, the buildings were old, gigantic, and downright breathtaking. Spirals jutted into the air, stones formed intricate patterns, and everywhere you turned was just a saturation of history. 

However, whenever you turned about, another student was bombarding you with offers for a campus tour for a small fee. Being short on time, the three of us dodged past all the offers and hunted down a cup of hot tea. By that point, I had unfortunately begun to grow sick and was eager for something warm to drink on the brisk October day.

Like any good college town, there were plenty of little shops serving tea and lunch. And like any good college town, there were also plenty of shops selling University books and paraphernalia. I couldn't resist buying a book about writing by C.S. Lewis. I've always been enthralled by his books about Christianity that I was quite eager to get my hands on something he had written about other subjects. Especially a subject I had gone to school for. I also bought a Cambridge University sweatshirt, mostly because I had gotten quite a chill, but also for pretend bragging rights when wearing it back in the States. Since my college had been shut down, I figured I should at least be walking around in another school I supported just as much.

Anyhow, back onto the bus we went! On our way to York, we passed by Sherwood Forrest. Despite my best attempts I didn't catch a glimpse of the infamous Robin Hood or any of his merry men (in tights).

Several naps later, we arrived in York. This particularly city is known for its rich history. In fact, it is one of the oldest medieval cities in England. It served as capital for the Romans, and at one point, for the Church of England. It's most famous street is Shambles street, the old 1800s meat market. As tour guide described it, the street used to be paved with the..mess that goes along with being a butcher. And if that weren't quite awful enough, above the street shops, people lived in homes above and would remove of their waste by hurling it out the window. The overhangs of the street were where the shoppers would duck in order to avoid any droppings. Needless to say, I was glad I was wearing my boots that day despite the fact that it was over 200 years ago.

We stopped for lunch at a tea at a cafe nearly as well known as the city itself: Betty's Tea Room. It offered a fantastic view of Shambles street below and carried the Big Rascal, a scone of mammoth proportions. It was an enjoyable way to spend our last bit of time in York before clambering on the bus to drive into Leeds. Unfortunately, it was quite late by the time we arrived and night obscured a decent impression of the city. The Jury's Lane hotel was one of the nicest we stayed at with a proper sized bathroom and cots that didn't collapse. Hooray!  

London --October 9

 

DAY 5

Sunday was, unfortunately, our last full day in London. For breakfast, we decided to check out the Orangery, which was recommended in basically every guide book I read. Now I know why. That was by far the best breakfast, if not one of the best meals, we had the entire trip. If only we had tried it earlier in the week, oh all of the missed meals! And besides superb food, there is a breathtaking view from the huge windows that line the restaurant. Basically, if you ever have the chance, eat there. Especially high tea, their pastries looked like an explosion of joy for your taste buds.


Just across the lawn in the Kensington Enchanted Palace. This was the most unique exhibit I have ever seen, and endless amounts of fun. I probably could have spent hours at this palace. The premise of the exhibit is that you are on a quest to find the seven princesses that have called Kensington home over the years. The exhibit is very hands on, a unique blend of modern art, fashion, and adventure seeking fun. If you can't tell, I loved it.

One of the neatest features were a stand of LED lights that were flashing slightly. At first, they just seemed annoying. However, when viewed from the corner of your eye, a fleeting image of a person would appear. Freaky, but awesome! Too bad capturing that on camera didn't quite work. As I said, hours could be spent there, however since it was our last full day in London, there were other things to do! Of course, since we had spent the last three days racing all over town I was ready for a bit of a slower day.

Lindsay and I decided to head over to Harrods again and take part in their high tea. It was lovely, with mini desserts and delicious scones. If only high tea were available in America. I'd probably have it every day. Look at those desserts, who wouldn't want that option everyday? We also found their French bakery. Oh the macaroon choices! We made our way to the East India Company and purused their extensive chocolate, tea, and jam selection. How very British. Dana even found a Boston Tea Party flavored tea, which said it had a very robust flavor. That's Americans for you.

Of course, we had to check out the Beatles London store. It was crammed full of Beatles shirts, socks, bags, posters, albums, and every Bealtes related memomorbilia a fan could hope for. It got +10 cool points for being on Baker Street. It got plus +100 cool points for being just a few doors down from 221b Baker Street.

Oh yes, the Sherlock Holmes museum was right there in all its wonderful glory. I was estatic with surprise. Since it was our last day, I'd given up on the hope of getting to see the Holmes museum. London: so much to see, so little time. Interestingly enough, address 221 should have been located on the other side of the street. Even numbers and odd numbers sort of thing. But the city moved the single address since that was the only location available for the museum. It was a quaint little shop, selling all sorts of copies of the stories, smoking pipes, and a wide assortment of Watson and Sherlock hats. Luckily I had brought along my Sherlock and Watson amigurumi so it was a great photo op.

It was a fantastic last day to spend in London. While we were each quite sad to be leaving the sprawling metropolis behind, the next day would begin our fantastic bus tour adventure!