England Travel Bucket List

In the last few days I was asking myself what’s the point to live in a foreign country if I only know – not even entirely – its capital? I mean, I have been in England for a while now, but never stepped out of London and I am convinced that there is so much more out there to explore and discover about British culture & history. Doing some research on the web I found some places that I would like to visit this year – yeah, it’s kind of 2013 resolution – and since they’re not too far from London I shouldn’t be able to find excuses – ‘I don’t have time’, ‘It’s too far’ and so on. So, assuming that I’ll have some free weekends & funds I will be visiting the following:

• Windsor’s Castle, the world’s largest & oldest occupied castle. Less than one hour away from London is the perfect destination to learn something about the Royal history.
• Stratford-upon-Avon. Since I started learning English, Shakespeare has played a pivotal role in my Education: I don’t know about English teachers, but Italian teachers rely a lot on his plays and masterpieces for filling up their lessons. Therefore, a visit to Shakespeare’s birthplace is due. Usually there’s much more to see than just the places where he has been so I’m quite curious about finding out that something else.
• Oxford & Cambridge. Again, Oxford & Cambridge are places I heard ever since I started learning English, firstly because of the names on the dictionaries, afterwards for their famous universities. Cambridge has also a Botanic Garden, which I would be very happy to visit since I love taking pictures of flowers and plants, as for Oxford I’d love to see the Ashmolean Museum which contains works by, among others, Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Picasso.
• Canterbury. All I know about England comes from my early English lessons, I remember that one of the first texts ever treated in class was the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer and, although I don’t remember much about the tales themselves, I think I should pay a visit to the town. It could be an occasion to refresh my knowledge of English literature as well.
• Stonehenge, Bath and Salisbury. The three often come together in advertised organised tours because of the proximity and the historical legacy they all have. Stonehenge is definitely a must-see, same goes for the Roman baths in Bath and the Salisbury’s Cathedral.

These were the easy ones. Now, on a more dreamy note, there are some other places that would make my travel bucket list, but as they’re further and they require more money am not sure I will be able to make them, at least not in the very next future.

• Cornwall. I can’t remember a time in which I didn’t want to visit this place. From TV series to documentaries they all showed an amazing land, with beautiful coasts and stunning views. It would be great to spend a weekend there, enjoy the nature in its primordial beauty and breathe a different air. I really hope I can make it!
• Nottingham. I must confess, I only know this city because of Robin Hood. I loved the Disney cartoon, although in the cartoon it looked like a gloomy city, lol.
• Liverpool. Some friends of mine have been there recently and told me wonderful things about Liverpool and I read that its docks are a UNESCO  world heritage monument so I don’t think I need any more reasons to go there
• Manchester is quite famous for its architecture which ranges through different centuries putting together old & new in a very fascinating way. Other than that, is a good place to learn more about the Industrial Revolution (which I hated in school).
• Isle of Wight. What to say? I love water and coastal landscapes and this is a good reason for spending a weekend there

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Would you suggest any other place in England that I cannot miss?

(This post is in response to the DP Writing Challenge: Map it out)

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