This is a throwback post to my trip in the UK in 2016 and photos posted go back to then. On one of the days, we visited the Cotswold and Stratford via a 1-day tour package.
The first stop was Burford town. The second stop was Arlington Row. The next and third stop was Bourton-on-the-Water.
Bourton-on-the-Water is a village in the rural Cotswolds area of south central England. It is about 90 miles west of London.
Straddling the River Windrush, Bourton-on-the-Water is known for its low bridges and traditional stone houses.
Chestnuts Fashion FixThe Dial HouseOld Manse Hotel
The Cotswold Motoring Museum features vintage cars and a toy collection.
This is a throwback post to my trip in the UK in 2016 and photos posted go back to then. On one of the days, we visited the Cotswold and Stratford via a 1-day tour package.
The first stop was Burford town. Next and second stop is Arlington Row. Arlington Row is 10.6 miles South-West of Burford and about 90 miles west of London.
Arlington Row is a nationally notable architectural conservation area in the parish of Bibury, Gloucestershire, England.
Arlington Row was built in the late 14th century as a wool store and converted into weavers houses in the late 17th century. Today, it is a Grade I listed building, owned by the National Trust. It is also a popular visitor attraction,probably one of the most photographed Cotswold scenes.
River Coln
The River Coln flows through Bibury, sandwiched between the main street and an expanse of boggy water meadow known as Rack Isle. The Rack Isle is so called because wool was once hung out to dry on racks after it had been washed in Arlington Row. See more information at the National Trust website.
This is a throwback post to my trip in the UK in 2016 and photos posted go back to then. On one of the days, we visited the Cotswold and Stratford via a 1-day tour package.
TheCotswolds is a region in central-southwest England. It is about 90 miles west of London and 32 miles west of Oxford.
The Cotswolds, designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1966, covers a huge area โ almost 800 square miles โ and runs through five counties: Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire.
We started our tour at Burford – a town on the River Windrush, in the Cotswold hills. Burford is often referred to as the โgatewayโ to the Cotswolds. The starting landmark in town is the Cotswolds Arms.
We walked through Church Lane to Warwick Hall and Parish Church (Burford Church).
Then, we came back out to the main road (A361) via Lawrence Lane.
The area is defined by the bedrock of Jurassic limestone that creates a type of grassland habitat rare in the UK and that is quarried for the golden-coloured Cotswold stone. The predominantly rural landscape contains stone-built villages, towns, and stately homes and gardens featuring the local stone.
Cotswold stone is a yellow oolitic Jurassic limestone. This limestone is rich in fossils, particularly of fossilised sea urchins. When weathered, the colour of buildings made or faced with this stone is often described as honey or golden.
Planning a (solo) holiday trip in Hokkaido, Japan? Here are a list of 16 attractions from Lake Toya to Otaru to Sapporo to north of Sapporo in Hokkaido, Japan.
To know more about each individual attraction, click the image or “Continue Reading” to go to the post.
Odori Park spans about 1.5 km and covers 78,901 square meters in the center of Sapporo. It stretches from east to west across 13 blocks of fountains, monuments, and gardens. (Continue Reading)
Sapporo TV Tower stands exactly in the heart of Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. The Sapporo TV Tower was built in 1957 and is a 147.2-metre-high (483 ft) TV tower with an observation deck at a height of 90.38 metres. (Continue Reading)
You canโt give Sankaku Market a miss when you visit Otaru in Hokkaido. It is a down-to-earth marketplace with vendors selling fruits, veggies, seafood, and prepared seafood dishes in this wet market. Where is Sankaku Market It is the closest tourist attraction (200 meters or about 2 minutes walk) to Otaru JR station. (Continue Reading)
Beautiful Canal Lined with Old Warehouses โOtaruโ is one of the leading tourist spots in Hokkaido with high popularity, and its symbol is the Otaru Canal. But whatโs so special about the Otaru Canal? And how much tourism time should you set aside for it? (Continue Reading)
Sakaimachi Street is an attractive, preserved merchant street in central Otaru, a short walk from Otaru Canal. Sakaimachi Street is about 900 meters in length. It is here you can find souvenir shops, museums, restaurants, historical buildings, and landmarks. (Continue Reading)
Lake Toya is located southwest of Sapporo and New Chitose Airport, between Niseko (one of Hokkaidoโs finest powder snow ski resort areas) and the Pacific Ocean. Lake Tลya is a volcanic caldera lake in Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Abuta District, Hokkaidล, Japan. (Continue Reading)
Shลwa-shinzan is one of Japanโs youngest mountains and is also a volcanic lava dome in the Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Hokkaido, Japan, next to Mount Usu. The peak is 398 m (1,306 ft) tall, and still actively smoking. (Continue Reading)
It is a great place to have a superb, large panoramic view of Lake Toya as well as Nakajima Island, Mt. Usu, Mt. Showa Shinzan, Toyako town, and Nishiyama Crater. (Continue Reading)
In Yoichi, a town in the Yoichi District, Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan is one of Japanโs top whisky maker and main distillery. (Continue Reading)
On a clear day you can see as far as Mt. Shokanbetsu and the Shakotan Peninsula. The views offered of downtown Otaru and the Sea of Japan are said to be one of the three best night views in Hokkaido. (Continue Reading)
It boasts a view of grapevines sprawling across almost 80,000 square meters of rolling hillsides, as well as Mt. Tokachi from the glass-fronted shop right in front of you. Itโs the ideal place for viewing the Daisetsuzan Volcanic Group while savoring sweets available exclusively in Furano. (Continue Reading)
Located on a hill overlooking the Furano City in Hokkaido is the Furano Winehouse. You can enjoy splendid views of the city, lavender fields, and mountains of Tokachi. (Continue Reading)
Farm Tomita, located in the heart of Hokkaido in Nakafurano, Hokkaido, Japan, is home to Hokkaidoโs lavender fields. Farm Tomita is one of Hokkaidoโs largest tourist attraction site that brings in over 1 million people annually from all over Japan and the world. (Continue Reading)
Located in the rural town of Biei in Hokkaido, Shikisai-no-Oka attracts many people with its beautiful scenery of panoramic flower gardens. It is a paradise of seasonal blossoms from spring through to fall, in which several dozen different species of flowers and grasses flourish. (Continue Reading)
The Blue Pond outside the hot spring town of Shirogane Onsen is named after its deep blue colour which it owes to natural minerals dissolved in the water. It is one of Hokkaidoโs most popular sightseeing destinations! (Continue Reading)
Hereโs a throwback post to my trip in the UK in 2016 and photos posted go back to then.
There are so many attractions to cover in London. If you want to explore London by foot and with a guide – give Strawberry Tours a shot.
Free Tours of London take you on a journey through the cityโs colourful and sometimes dark history. They are both informative and fun; no boring lectures! Explore Londonโs busy streets and discover 2,000 years of fascinating and entertaining history. London walking tours guarantee plenty of laughs through fun facts and anecdotes, as well as the promise of hidden gems to visit. They are far more entertaining than your history teacher! At Strawberry Tours we believe that everyone, no matter what oneโs budget is, should be able to experience and enjoy what London has to offer and we also believe that the price of a tour should correlate with your budget and how much you enjoyed it. Therefore, on all tours you decide how much you want to contribute, should you want to, at the end of the tour, depending on your enjoyment and possibilities. Come rain or sunshine (this is England after allโฆ), these free walking tours in London offer something for everyone!
Even though it goes by the line of โfree walking tours Londonโ, the tours are solely tips based so you can decide to contribute as much or as little as you feel the experience was worth.
We spent 2 hours with a Strawberry Tours guide bringing us across London to selected landmarks.
1. King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Memorial
2. St Jamesโs Palace
3. Buckingham Palace
4. Horse Guards Parade
5. St Jamesโs Park
6. Westminster Abbey
7. Big Benand Palace of Westminster
8. Downing Streetand Cabinet War Rooms (Churchill War Rooms)
Hereโs a throwback post to my trip in the UK in 2016. On one of our days in England, we visited Stonehenge in a 1-day tour package.
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. Stonehenge is regarded as a British cultural icon. Stonehenge has been a UNESCOโs World Heritage Site since 1986.
It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around 13 feet (4.0 m) high, seven feet (2.1 m) wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connecting horizontal lintel stones. Inside is a ring of smaller bluestones. Inside these are free-standing trilithons, two bulkier vertical sarsens joined by one lintel.
Hereโs a throwback post to my trip in London in 2016. On one of our days in England, we visited Bath in a 1-day tour package.
Bath, about 97 miles (156 km) west of London or 90 miles west of Windsor Castle, is known for and named after its Roman-built baths. Bath is the largest city in the county of Somerset, England.
Bath Abbey
We stopped outside the Bath Abbey and admired this 7th century, medieval Gothic architecture.
The Abbey is a Grade I listed building,particularly noted for its fan vaulting. The west front includes sculptures of angels climbing to heaven on two stone ladders, representing Jacob’s Ladder. The Abbey is built of Bath stone, which gives the exterior its yellow colour.
The Roman Baths
The Roman Baths are well-preserved thermae in the city of Bath, Somerset, England. The Roman Baths are preserved in four main features: the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House, and a museum which holds artefacts from Aquae Sulis. However, all buildings at street level date from the 19th century.
It is interesting to note that the modern ground level is 4 metres above Roman level.Great BathView of the abbey just above the Great BathWater flowBooking.comBooking.com
Hereโs a throwback post to my trip in London in 2016. On one of the days, we toured Windsor Castle under a tour package.
Before her passing, Queen Elizabeth was the owner of Windsor Castle, as can be seen in a brochure later below. Now her son, Charles III is the owner of Windsor Castle.
Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Windsor Castle is a royal residence of the British royal family at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire.
Founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, it has since been the home of 39 monarchs. Queen Elizabeth used to spend most of her private weekends at the Castle, which is also used for ceremonial and State occasions.
For tourists, the entrance is on Castle Hill road, where thereโs an admission gate to pass through.
We walked up Castle Hill road towards Edward III Tower and entry into the castle precincts. After passing the castle walls, we were at the Middle Ward.
King Charles II statue
We walked down towards the Lower Ward where the St Georgeโs Chapel is. Photography and filming are permitted inside the St Georgeโs Chapel.
Set within the Castle precincts, St George’s Chapel is one of the most beautiful ecclesiastical buildings and finest examples of Gothic architecture in England. 10 monarchs, are buried here, including Henry VIII and Charles I.
Lower Ward
After that, we made our way back up to the Middle Ward via the path along the North Terrace. We walked through the Norman Gateway to the State Apartments.
You could see the Round Tower (the Keep) up close.
We entered the State Apartments and Queen Maryโs Dollsโ House.
The magnificent State Apartments are frequently used by members of the Royal Family for formal events. Follow in the footsteps of Kings and Queens as you view the magnificent State Apartments decorated with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection.
Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House is the most magical residence in that it is a perfect replica in miniature of an aristocratic home. Designed for Queen Mary in 1923 by the leading British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens.
Photography and filming are not permitted inside the State Apartments.
After a walkthrough tour in the State Apartments, we were out at the Quadrangle.
After that, we walked back down to the Lower Ward and exited the castle precincts at Henry VIII Gateway.
St George’s ChapelSt George’s ChapelExitExitmultimedia guidebrochureBooking.comBooking.com
Hereโs a throwback post to my trip in the UK and more specifically to Portobello Market in Longon in 2016. Earlier, we visited Borough Market. Today, we take a trip back to Portobello Market.
How to get to Portobello Market
Like us, if youโre travelling via the tube, stop at Ladbroke Grove station on the Circle or Hammersmith & City line.
Portobello Market is open from Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm. We visited on a Saturday, which is the main day and the market was in full swing, as youโll see below.
Monday
8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday
Closed
Portobello Market
Quoted as Londonโs world-famous market road by visitportobello.com, youโll find stalls selling antiques, arcades, bric-a-brac, fashion & clothing, fruit & veg, and food.
Portobello Road has one of the most famous street markets in the world and is home to one of the UKโs most diverse communities. It has a rich history dating back to the 19th century with millions of visitors visiting the market each year. The market stalls stretch for a mile all the way down Portobello Road and round the corner into Golborne Road. Whether you are just out for a stroll, people watch, looking for a bargain or out to grab a bite to eat, Portobello Road is a great place to spend your time exploring.
The west London site is most famous for having one of the worldโs largest antique, bric-a-brac and vintage clothing markets. It’s a location that attracts tourists, locals and celebrities from all walks of life. Visitors can find every type of collectable from stamps, jewellery, furniture, vintage clothing, fresh produce, delicious street food, and freshly baked goods. The street is also home to some incredibly talented musicians busking on the streets. Originally known for its excellent choice of fresh produce, some families have been selling on Portobello Road for generations.
Hereโs a throwback post to my trip in London in 2016. Nevertheless, letโs take a trip down memory lane in this holiday tribute to Tower of London.
Explore Londonโs iconic castle and World Heritage Site. Get up close to the Crown Jewels in the year of the Platinum Jubilee, meet the legendary Yeoman Warders and ravens and see the Tower like never before.
View of Tower of London from across the ThamesWhite Tower
Marvel at the imposing White Tower, a magnificent example of Norman architecture at the heart of the Tower of London.
Tower of London ticket price in 2016 (web concession purchase)
You can pre-book your ticket and time slot (where applicable) online before you visit or purchase tickets on the day from the ticket office on Tower Hill.
Book your Tower of London tickets through Klook below and see why this heritage site is visited by almost three million people every year.
