Out of a book

Some of the best times we’ve had as a family have happened while we were traveling. It’s that time we have to enjoy a bit of what everyone likes, spend time together with no though of anything else; it truly is great.

This time, our trip started in London where we would take it to ourselves to explore every corner of this great city. Most cities in Europe follow one of two stereotypes, the beautiful historic city with old buildings, museums and centuries of history, or the big modern cities; London is the perfect mix between the two. Being able to visit places like the British Museum, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Gardens, or the Globe Theatre allow you to relieve wonderful history and really feel a part of it all; meanwhile just a few blocks away from each you can find places like the Tate Gallery, Soho, or Piccadilly Circus, which make you feel small in a huge and modern world. This was the one place where we could do everything, go to the theatre for a play, or to a club for some music, go shopping at the lovely streets and visit museums that were filled to the brim with wonders. There is nothing in this city that will bore you, and in the end, we were simply wishing for more time to plan better and do more.

While staying in London we took a day for a trip one of us dreamed of making, taking a short train ride over to Canterbury. This gorgeous city is filled with medieval architecture that will make you gape at every building and you definitely must see the cathedral which is filled with history and is actually an UNESCO World Heritage spot. To spend the day visiting the beautiful cathedral, church and Westgate is to walk on the pages of hundreds of books. For me one of the best ways to tie the day was to visit the Marlowe Theatre for a great play or take a Stour Boat Trip which will let you sail by some of the medieval monuments and float among the old building which will let you feel like you’re in a movie set.

Finally, after returning to London, we had to catch a plane over to the wonderful city of Edinburgh. From the instant we drove over to the center of the city at Waverly Station, its just as if you were dropped on an ancient and mysterious town, with a dense air to enhance this feeling. For me, just to walk around the crooked streets in the city was enough to be entertained, but there wasn’t a second, we were still. From the need to do like Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh Castle, or the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which left us all open mouthed and I must say, left us all very shook because of the strong winds. To the beautiful Royal Mile and all the shops, you could cross, or the beautiful Victoria Street which inspired scenes for Harry Potter, and even a great jazz club on a nice, slightly mysterious building. The magic of Edinburgh was a great way to end the journey, believing anything could pop up on every corner.