UK

A WEEKEND IN EDINBURGH: Beautiful views and rainy days

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I have a good friend in Edinburgh, so I’ve been there a few times to visit. It’s a beautiful place and very close to London, so it’s perfect for a weekend trip.

Here are some good things to do in Edinburgh:

1. Wander around the Royal Mile

Edinburgh’s city centre is very pretty and it’s always bustling with life. A great place to walk around and explore. And the impressive Edinburgh Castle is right nearby and definitely worth a visit.

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2. Hit the bars

Edinburgh is great for pubs – there’s just too many to choose from! Sample a few to find your favourite!

3. Go to the beach

If the weather is good, it is a good idea to explore some of the Scottish coast nearby. We went for a walk in Aberdour, which is a quaint little town 30 minutes from Edinburgh.

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4. Visit a museum

Edinburgh has some great museums, and the National Museum of Scotland is one of the best. Besides the impressive permanent collection, the terrace on the 7th floor has great views over the city.

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HOW TO DO IT:

  • Go: There are lots of flights from London, but taking the train is also a good alternative – the journey takes about 4h40.
  • Stay: Staying close to the city centre is the best option as most of the sights are within walking distance.
  • When to go: The weather in Edinburgh can be positively dreadful in the winter, so avoid going between November and February. In August the Edinburgh Festival is on with lots of amazing art and comedy.

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DRINKING IN STYLE: 3 pubs to visit in Edinburgh

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Edinburgh is full of great pubs, and as it turns out I spend a lot of time in them every time I’m in the city. On my last visit I went to these three cool places:

1. THE GROSVENOR

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This pub is located about 15 minutes from the city centre, and although it’s still very close, it’s much less busy than pubs in central Edinburgh. A good option if you want to avoid the tourist crowds.

2. BOW BAR

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This traditional little bar is centrally located and had great atmosphere. Friendly staff and a great range of beers on tap – that’s all you need really!

3. CASTLE ARMS

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Located very close to Edinburgh Castle, this pub is a good option for a break while sightseeing. I didn’t try it, but the food looked delicious.

THE LONDON GUIDE: Insider tips for the best art in London

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London has some of the best museums in the world, and many of them are free to visit! For such an expensive city, London is very generous with its art. Here’s my quick guide for making the most of London museums:

1. NATIONAL GALLERY

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Right at Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery is a great place to see amazing art. You can easily spend a whole day wandering around, staring at masterpieces such as the Arnolfini Portrait and The Ambassadors (two of my favourites). It’s also a great place for British art, with anything from Turner to Hogarth.

It’s free to visit and there are many free talks and even drawing lessons!

Around the corner is the National Portrait Gallery. Visit on one of their late shifts to enjoy special talks and live music.

2. TATE MODERN AND TATE BRITAIN

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Split on either side of the Thames, Tate Modern and Tate Britain are among the most well-known galleries in the UK.

The Tate Modern specialises in (obviously) modern art, with exhibits cleverly displayed in a range of broad themes. The building is an attraction in itself, with the massive Turbine Hall serving as a unique venue for large displays which are specially commissioned annually.

Tate Britain is the home of British art (my words). Here you can see the best of the Pre-Raphaelites alongside Henry Moore sculptures. The building has been renovated recently, when all the displays were reorganised strictly by date.

Both are free to visit (temporary exhibitions are paid). Check for special events as well as free tours.

3. THE BRITISH MUSEUM

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It’s impossible to visit the British Museum without ending up reflecting about colonialism. This museum holds a massive collection of historic objects from all over the world, from Easter Island Moai to Egyptian mummies.

Entering the permanent collection the first thing you will see is Rosetta Stone. Just a few rooms away are the equally famous Elgin Marbles – the insides of the Parthenon are not in Athens after all.

The British Museum is located within a beautiful building with a Greek façade which is replicated inside the museum with a modern twist. The main court houses nice souvenir shops and a good cafe. Free to enter except for temporary exhibitions.

4. EXHIBITION ROAD: V&A, Natural History Museum, Science Museum

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Exhibition Road in South Kensington is home to three amazing museums.

The V&A is just too wonderful to describe. The beautiful building is home to the largest collection of design objects in the world, with room after room filled with beautiful displays. Join one of their free tours and then chill out at their fancy cafe.

Across the road is the Natural History Museum, where you can see dinosaur fossils alongside dodo models. It’s a great museum, but avoid weekends as it’s always too packed with children.

Next door is the Science Museum, a fun and interactive museum which include exhibits like a lunar module. Again it’s full of children on the weekends, so it’s best avoided then.

All of these are free to enter, except for special exhibitions.

5. OTHER POPULAR MUSEUMS

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  • Royal Academy: Very centrally located, it’s not free to visit, but it has great exhibitions on all the time.
  • Courtauld Gallery: Housed in the beautiful Somerset House, this is the best place to see impressionism in London. Tickets at £7.
  • Wallace Collection: The building has just opened after a long renovation, so it’s a good time to visit. Stop for a meal at their popular restaurant.
  • Transport Museum: I visited this recently, and it was really fun! Tickets are expensive at £16, but you can visit as many times as you wish throughout the year.
  • Soane Museum: An unusual home filled with a unique collection.

6. GALLERIES

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There are countless galleries around London, with new displays available every day. Just wander around Hoxton or Soho and you will find lots of places with great art.

Famous galleries such as the White Cube or the Saatchi Gallery are always a good starting point.

Within the Southbank Centre, the Hayward Gallery has great temporary exhibitions, with tickets at around £10.

HOW TO PLAN:

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There are endless options of museums and galleries in London. For up to date information, TimeOut and the Art Fund have comprehensive listings of what’s on at any given time.

Go get lost in a museum!

THE 5-MINUTE TRIP PLANNER: Day trip to Stratford-upon-Avon

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Stratford-upon-Avon could as well be renamed Shakespeareland. Not only is it Shakespeare’s birthplace, but also this is referenced all over the place – the Mayflower Chinese takeaway being a particularly memorable take on it.

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It’s a very nice place for a day trip, with a pretty city centre full of nice shops.

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HOW TO DO IT:

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The 5-minute trip planner: Planning a short trip in no time.

A DAY IN LONDON: A walk in the South Bank

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You could easily spend months exploring London. But if you’re short for time, one of the best things to do is walking along the South Bank of the Thames.

This is the first place I take my friends when they come to visit, as you can see a bunch of the city’s highlights at once.

So here’s a step-by-step itinerary for a leisurely day in London:

1. Eat something first:

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Start your day by taking advantage of one of many places around London that do great brunch. My suggestion is Milk, in Balham (I discovered it recently and it was AMAZING!), but there are loads of places around.

2. The London Eye

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Start your walking tour at Westminster Bridge. There you get one of the best views of the city: Big Ben and the Parliament on one side, London Eye on the other.

The view from the London Eye is awesome (on a sunny day), but the ridiculously long queues are really off-putting. If you are planning to go, book in advance as it saves time and sometimes you can get a good discount (an adult ticket costs £26.96, ouch!).

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3. The South Bank Centre

Continuing along the river, the Southbank Centre is a great venue for arts, so check out what they have going on.

4. The Tate Modern

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You will then reach the Tate Modern. Admission to the permanent collections is free, so you should really stop and have a look around.

There are also some good cafes and restaurants (as well as a great shop), so you can stop for lunch there.

5. The Globe Theatre

Right next to the Tate is the Globe Theatre, which is the original Shakespeare theatre (although it had t be rebuilt after a fire).

There are always performances on (not all of them are Shakespeare plays), and standing tickets cost only £5! I see something there at least once a year, and it’s always great.

6. Millennium Bridge and St Paul’s

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Across from the Tate is the Millennium Bridge, which leads to St Paul’s Cathedral. This is another great place to get a good view of London.

You can continue along the river all the way up to Tower Bridge, but I always prefer to split this up in two days – so I’ll leave that for a future post…

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THE 5-MINUTE TRIP PLANNER: Day trip to Liverpool

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Liverpool is a great place for a day trip from London.

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The city is easily accessible and small enough that you can cover a lot of ground in one day.

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It’s a great place for art – as well as for bars!

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HOW TO DO IT:

  • Go: Trains from London take as little as 2h20, and prices start from £29 each way.
  • Do: Wander around the city centre, then spend some hours around Tate Liverpool – they always have great exhibitions on!
  • Drink: It’s impossible to go to Liverpool and not to think about the Beatles. Stop for a drink at the venue where it all started: The Cavern Club.

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The 5-minute trip planner: Planning a short trip in no time.

TRAVELLING ON FILM: 3 of the best movies about London

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Oh winter! You always overstay your welcome.

I haven’t travelled since mid-October and I don’t have another break planned until the end of January. I know, it’s not much at all, but for me it feels like AGES!

A good way to distract me while I’m not going anywhere is watching films about specific places. Here’s a short selection of some of good films set in London:

1. V for Vendetta

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It’s thanks to V for Vendetta that many non-British people know about Guy Fawkes (myself included). This is a great film to learn more about British history.

Plus it’s very entertaining, and Hugo Weaving is simply amazing: which is a great feat given that he’s wearing a mask pretty much the whole time.

2. Notting Hill

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Yes, Notting Hill is cheesy. But as romcoms go, it’s actually pretty good.

This film is one of the reasons why Notting Hill became so popular with tourists, and it really is very nicely portrayed in the film.

And because the neighbourhood is a key part of the film, you can do a self-guided tour around some of the main locations!

3. Skyfall

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There are not many things as British as James Bond. But James Bond at the National Gallery in front of a painting by Turner takes it to another level!

I confess I’m not a massive fan of the 007 films, but Skyfall is a great option for light entertainment, perfect for a lazy wintry afternoon.