Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Museum of Wales,
with everything from a huge collection of Impressionist paintings
to an animatronic woolly mammoth, as well as the quite astonishing Victoria decora-
tive arts delight of
Cardiff Castle.
It's only a short journey to the
Big Pit,
with its
mining history (and mine tour). Southern Wales is full of other delights, from the
mountainous beauty of
Brecon Beacons National Park
to the wild coastline of
Pembrokeshire and the west.
West of Cardiff is
Swansea,
birthplace of Dylan
Thomas; you'll also find places he lived as you travel farther west.
NORTH WALES
This is where you'll find Snowdonia National Park, a massive
area of mountains, rivers, lakes, and rugged coast; at its heart is Snowdon, the highest
point in England and Wales at 1,085m (3,560 ft). Once you've done this, it's time to
move on to see historic castles such as
Harlech, Caernarfon,
and especially
Conwy Castle,
ordered by Edward I and a masterpiece of medieval architecture.
The playful Italianate coastal village of Portmeirion is a delight, and you'll find more
historic railways than you could do in one trip.
3
ENGLAND IN 1 WEEK
If you're coming to England for a short time, you want to make the most of it. And
our week-long tour does just that. It might seem packed, but that's what you're here
for. If you'd like to slow down for a bit then feel free to drop a place or two to save a
day to relax. This tour gives you a good dip into London (the
Tower of London,
British Museum
), and then takes you on an edited highlights trip of all those places
you could name without hardly thinking (
Windsor Castle, Stratford-upon-Avon,
Oxford, Hampton Court
).
Days 1 & 2: London Calling
Start on the banks of the Thames, the mighty river that flows through London.
A ride on the
London Eye
(p. 107), near Westminster Bridge, the world's larg-
est observation wheel, is the way to get your bearings. The ride takes 30 min-
utes. Afterwards, check out Westminster Bridge with its wonderful view of the
Houses of Parliament
and the clock tower
Big Ben
(although the name is
actually that of the bell; p. 100). Walk past them and you're immediately at
Westminster Abbey
(p. 103), where most of England's queens and kings have
been crowned and where they lie at rest. Check out the fan-vaulted Henry VII's
Chapel (one of the loveliest in all of Europe), the shrine to Edward the Confes-
sor, and Poets' Corner, where the literati (Chaucer, Dickens, Tennyson) are
buried. Allow 1 hour here.
Now it's time for a stroll up
Whitehall,
passing
10 Downing Street,
the
official residence of the prime minister (you can join the crowd gawking at the
gates), to
Trafalgar Square
(p. 93). Towering over the pedestrianized square is
Nelson's Column, a tribute to Admiral Nelson. It's the thing to have your photo
taken in front of one of the stone lions at the base. On one side of the square is
the
National Gallery
(p. 89), where you can do a highlights tour of the gallery's
30 must-see paintings, which include Van Gogh's sunflowers and works by
Gainsborough, Monet, and Vermeer. You could easily spend 1
1
⁄
2
hours here, but
it's worth nipping next door to the
National Portrait Gallery
(p. 90)
with everything from Old Masters to pop art by David Oxtoby and Andy
