Archive for January, 2009
January 31 2009: Trip to the UK, Part Four
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Today’s entry will be based on activities in Oxford.
City Sightseeing Tour – Oxford
This was definitely a wasted £9.50. The map of Oxford that they provided was misleading, encouraging you to think that the main attractions are far enough apart to warrant joining a hop on-hop off tour. However, the main city streets are well within walking distance of the train staton (fifteen minutes maximum), and with the attractions themselves within ten minutes of each other, it’s better to simply spend a day walking around by yourself with a map in hand. If you manage to find any where that rents out bikes (I personally didn’t because it was snowing lightly the day I went), Oxford would be a great city to explore on two wheels – nice flat terrain with no overwhelming hills.
Christ Church College
While I didn’t get a chance to actually go into the college itself (it was closed when I arrived), I could tell by the exterior that it was simply stunning. Amazing architecture in a Gothic style, with one particular building that I recognised as what seemed to have been the exterior of the Great Hall in the first few Harry Potter films – grab a photo if possible!
The extensive grounds on which its located are particularly striking in the chill of winter – with icy frost covering each individual blade of grass and all naked tree branches too, you feel almost as though you’ve walked into a winter wonderland.
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January 30 2009: Trip to the UK, Part Three
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The Queen’s Gallery
This attraction is best suited to someone with a true appreciation of art. While I wouldn’t describe myself as an uncouth youth with no love of art, I’m also not a connoiseur who can happily spend all day in a gallery. A minute in front of each piece is about all I can stand before I get restless and have to move on. As a result, paying £7.50 for a concession ticket really wasn’t worth my money, as I was in and out of the gallery in forty-five minutes.
If you’re anything like myself, I recommend that instead of paying for the Queen’s Gallery, you go to the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery (free of charge, and about a hundred times bigger), as well as the Tower of London, which is more expensive, but has a better collection of jewels as well as being more engaging and historically interesting.
Westminster Abbey
This was most definitely worth the £9 concession charge, if only for the audio guide voiced by Jeremy Irons, who, Alan Rickman aside, has the sexiest English accent ever. Deep and sonorous, he literally sends chills up my spine. As well as the sexy audio guide, the Abbey is also incredible considering what it is – one of the oldest medieval buildings in England with the most incredible architecture and contents.
The Abbey is acually still a working church, so they still have services and Masses – as a result, visiting hours are structured around this. Check their weekly opening times before you go to avoid disappointment. It’s probably an attraction best for those who enjoy either theological history, medieval architecture, or history – specifically, royal history. The amount of kings and queens buried here is quite incredible. I think the elaborate gildedness of Edward VII’s Lady Chapel is particularly stunning, but those who prefer a more obvious historical figure will enjoy Elizabeth I’s tomb with her sister Mary. Literary figures are also represented – my heart skipped a beat when I saw Austen’s.
The small Abbey museum is also worth a stop when in the Abbey, if only for utterly realistic wax figurines of many great royal men and women – many of which were sculptured from the actual death masks of the dead, in order to achieve a better likeness. All in all, the Abbey is most definitely worth a visit. The blending of history with the continuation of regular use of the abbey in modern times, appears to bring history to life. You can literally breathe it in as you walk in the hallowed halls.
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January 29 2009: Trip to the UK, Part Two
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What I tried to do with my written journal entries during my trip was to write them in a guidebook style, like what you might find in a Lonely Planet guide for budget travellers. So keep in mind that whatever is written in the entries regarding my trip, is written by someone with certain tastes, habits, likes, and dislikes – what works for me, mightn’t necessarily work for you.
Astor Quest Hostel – Hyde Park
The hostel itself is superbly located in the center of the Hyde Park/Bayswater districts – solid, respectable, and wealthy districts without any sign of a darker underbelly. Thus, they’re an excellent option for a single female traveller, as it’s obviously better to be safe than sorry. The security was quite good at the hostel itself – with 24 hour reception, you can be sure that there’s always someone around to keep an eye on what’s happening.
The beds were surprisingly good – solid and sturdy metal frames (no squeaking bedsprings) with firm mattresses that were perhaps a couple of inches narrower than a standard single bed. Linen was clean and free of charge (no towels though, so bring your own!). The bathrooms are impressively clean, hygienic, and fragrant. My 8-bed dorm room had an ensuite bathroom, and there are also extra toilets and showers elsewhere in the hostel. There’s free breakfast available, and though it’s only cereal and toast, it’s breakfast nonetheless and free for the budget traveller.
All-in-all, I’d suggest the Astor Quest for the single young backpacker with: 1) not much luggage (depending on which room you’re in, there’s up to six flights of stairs and no elevators); 2) a penchant for cleanliness, security, and comfort; 3) a small enough budget to enjoy a free, plain, breakfast; 4) no intention to use anything more complicated than a microwave in the miniscule kitchen; 5) familiarity with the London Underground, or who is comfortable walking half an hour through Hyde Park to get to tourist sites like Buckingham Palace.