George Alexander Louis. What do you think? With all this buzz about England, I can’t help but think back to my week I spent in London in 2011. England was always at the top of my list to visit, but London didn’t meet all of my expectations. I think I need to return and spend more time to get a better feel for the country. Have you ever visited a place and found it wasn’t everything you thought it was?
The mystery of Stonehenge. Why is it here? How did it get here?
Liberated Traveler 
Love the staircase shot
This is a fascinating folly in the Cotswolds, in Sudeley castle where Queen Catherine Parr, Henry V111’s 6th wife lived and is buried. The shot is great.
What disappointed you about England?
Well, it is my own fault. It was the second half of the trip, so I was wearing out a bit. We had issues with the tube and getting where we wanted to go, people were not as warm as I was hoping, I signed up for a tour that was misleading and I didn’t get to see a place I really wanted to visit, all the pubs seemed the same with a different name, and I only really saw London. I’ve learned a lot about planning an itinerary since then, so I would approach it differently. One thing I absolutely loved was Borough Market.
As opposed to disappointing, we are always anxious to get back to England and even London – we had avoided it for a while and have since changed our mind. There is always something new to see. What takes us back? The hiking, National Trust Properties, the landscape, the language, the history, the historical ghosts that we follow up, the little cottages that we rent and the easy accessibility of everything without the necessity of long drives. We feel comfortable in England, the location of the books we read, the movies we’ve seen, the TV shows we follow, the heroes we’ve learned about and best of all we can read and learn in our own language. We feel at home there.
Do you have some favorite towns that you like to visit? I’d definitely like to see more of England and revisit London.
Lovely photos as usual, I too love the staircase, is that at Sudeley Castle? A place I must visit as it is not too far from where I live. I have to say that London does NOT float my boat, and I lived within an hour of it for 6 years, but hardly ever went in. I dislike the dirty pavements, the crowded streets, the hot and crowded tube, and everybody rushing everywhere. Give me the peace and quiet and beauty of the countryside, and I urge you to get down to Devon and Cornwall on your next visit to our shores – it is so different in the West Country.
Jude xx
http://wp.me/pL5Ms-ma for one example of the lovely countryside.
On the other hand, London does have some great (free) museums.
Love the pictures, took me straight back to England where I lived a decade ago. I had very high expectations of Copenhagen but was a later disappointed but then it was all my fairy tale imagination.
I really can’t give you a list of favourite towns because they all contribute to the memory bank in their own unique way. However, it is the countryside which we revel in – we have just finished hiking the South West Coastal Path and many of my shots are of the coast and of nature which is always present when we hike. I quess for cities, London is always on the list, Winchester and Portsmouth are interesting and human scale but it is the countryside that we really love and the little villages so English and so appealing. I would really love to Blog about it but would have to get my head around the “how to’s” and find some time to do it.
I agree with you about the countryside. I think that is a major quality I learned about myself while in London. I had mostly been visiting large cities, which I enjoy, but not as much as the quiet escapes. I enjoy the amount of activities available in a city, but I appreciate the scenery and beauty of small towns and villages more.
There is also the cost factor which limits our time spent in cities. There is a lovely cosy feeling of having your own cottage or apartment to come home to at the end of a day of hiking, a bath to luxuriate in and a chance to enjoy a British mystery on TV or work on the computer which gives a homey touch to our holidays away. This would not be good for a solo traveler however, as the city environment would be less lonely with more things to see and be involved in. I think we do what feels right and what we are most comfortable with. As long as there is a healthy dose of exploration, photo ops and curiosity in every day, the travel bug is satisfied.
I haven’t been back in London for many years now, so the beautiful pictures brought back memories. Hope to exhibit art in London soon.