An Introvert Travels... Alone
I've been in London for 2 weeks now. Let's blow this popsicle stand! You know, that line is hilarious and Phineas and Ferb, and yet every time I quote it, it feels needlessly aggressive. [Theme song tidbit: What's something you accomplished recently that you're really proud of?] Welcome to driving on the left. I'm not terrified, are you terrified? Noooo, this is fine.
Well, right side of the car... left side of the road. Right? [Casual baroque music] This is fiiiiine. Everything is fiiiiine. I'm tense. [Car] Speed limit camera ahead. [Singsong] I'm very, very tense!
This is fine. This is totally normal. This is FIIINE. [Massive sigh] This is fine. This is actually fine. [VO] I have been forewarned by numerous Brits in London that the traffic in these peak tourist summer months is going to be monstrous, which was something I hadn't fully considered ahead of time. When I did a road trip through Scotland, the roads were basically empty, despite it being the same time of year, which I somewhat attribute to staying on back roads. However, I've been informed that there are no back roads in some areas - just one-way roads that all the incoming and outgoing tourists have to traverse in one giant slog. Anyway, with that info in mind, I've tried not to over- plan this road trip. Yes, it's 10 days, and that's
a lot of time to see stuff, but also, there's so very much to see when you're the type of person who wants to see everything. Basically, I stuck to the lower half of England, refused to venture into Wales (gonna give that a whole trip of its own someday), and booked five places for two nights each. Here's the plan: we go east to the Canterbury kind of region; stay in a glass cottage thing roundabouts here; see Dover; go west along the coast; stay in a houseboat in Brighton; pop over to Arundel; keep the coastline trip going towards Cornwall, or whatever this whole peninsula is called; try to see as much as possible on the way, but hey, I might dump Stonehenge in favor of a castle (I have priorities); stay at a very cute hotel roundabouts this area; see a show on the side of a cliff; northward bound; stop in Bath; stay in a shepherd's hut kind of right in between Bath and Oxford; visit Oxford; keep going north to this random place that's very near the town of Bakewell (gotta get a Bakewell tart at its place of origin); oh yeah, visit Stratford-upon-Avon on the way; and finally, have afternoon tea at Chatsworth House before closing the circle (or very lumpy bean bag shape) by returning to Heathrow to fly home. Do you think it's possible? Let's find out!
How did I end up here? What's happening?? [VO] My first stop was Leeds Castle, though I had a bit of trouble finding the proper entrance. [Charlie] This is literally a sidewalk. This is not meant for a car. Why am I on this? You gotta love when GPS is like, you're there! Good for you! And then this is where they took you. This is like some massively, massively back entrance.
Like no one's allowed to come in here. But here is where I am. Also though, this is freaking magical, as long as no other car comes from the other direction. [Singsong] I've entered a fairy land, but I shouldn't be here in a car. All right, so we survived, we made it to Leeds Castle, which is my first stop. I'm already
pretty dang good at driving on the other side of the road, if I do say so myself. GPS did not want to tell me where the actual real main entrance to this castle was. It was like, no - you're an employee, and we will take you through the employee entrance. But I'm super hungry, and I haven't had any coffee today, so here's hoping they have a cafe. First thing before you even get to the entrance: [singsong] coffee shooooop.
[VO] Armed with a map and a flat white, twas exploring time. [Light jazz, not quite befitting the castle time period] The weather fluctuated every half hour between atmospheric downpour and warm-though-windy sun, but that meant the castle was not very busy for a weekend, huzzah! As is typical for me, I passed right by the actual castle itself in favor of the gardens. I'm much more interested in collections of plants than collections of paintings. Nature is divine here with lots of water features, stunning trees, bright flowers, and a large selection of fowl, including this rather aggressive swan. Good heavens.
I eventually found the Hedge Maze and, assuming it would be a simple trot, dove right in. Uh, it was a legit maze. Everyone was lost. [Charlie] Y'all, this maze is legit. I've been lost in here for 10 minutes now. [VO] Do not enter if you are on a time budget, seriously. I finally found the center and was treated to an easy exit through an underground Grotto that is possibly my favorite part of this whole place.
Then I had to find the most untraversed path possible and do a bit of stitching in peace and quiet, as is my tradition. Also, I made friends with a squirrel. Finally, I walked through the castle itself, which was nice, it's lovely. There was clearly a wedding about to happen - great place to get married - but yeah, I'm always more impressed by the gardens and the grounds. [Charlie] Well, Leeds Castle was a delight. Such a lovely, lovely place to see. Also, I
got this freaking adorable bag - how cute is that? I was gonna go to Canterbury, but I ended up staying here longer than I thought I would, so I think I'm gonna go straight to my first Airbnb, and I will maybe go to Canterbury tomorrow. CanterBURY? CanterBARY? CanterBURY. Whatever. Uh y'all, I kind of forgot that this first Airbnb I booked is like a little cottage in the middle of a field. [Laughs] It took me so long to figure out how to get here, even though they gave me very detailed instructions. I was like, are you sure
I'm supposed to go through this very tiny, very secretive looking gate? But yeah, check this out: Field. More field. And, uh, a guy over there. He's staying in the other house nearby. You can't see it, but there is another house over there. There's a hot tub up there, and just more woods, tons of windows, really cute little kitchenette area, little day bed, little eating spot, and yeah... I'm in the middle of nowhere in a little glass house. I kind of love it. I'm really excited about this. I kind of just want to stay here for 2 days, like literally, stay here. [VO] I took my host's recommendation and drove over to The Pig
for dinner, which is this lovely restaurant in a gorgeous old manner (of course) that sources almost all of their food from within a 25 mile radius. Twas delicious - I pass on the recommendation. You can even go walk through their massive kitchen gardens, which made me super jealous. Every time I see thriving edible gardens, my desire to plant is rekindled... with vigor! Then I was treated to this lovely view on the drive home. It's been a good first day.
[Peaceful but energetic piano music] I allowed myself to sleep in and laze in bed and watch the ducks and not rush to do stuff this morning, cause I'm still kind of pooped from the time in London, and there's a lot more trip to come, which meant, once again, Canterbury got skipped. Sorry! And I headed straight for Dover Castle. The weather was less back and forth today, and more forth, as in pouring forth liquid from above. What better way to see a castle on the cliff sides though than through the lens of moody rainfall? Honestly, if you're willing to get a little damp, some dreary weather works miracles for chasing away the crowds. [Charlie] I'm a little bit wet, but y'all, I haven't seen another human in like 10 minutes now. I'm just strolling through these castle grounds completely alone in the rain,
and it's very.... aesthetic. There's blue skies over there, which means the rain is gonna stop for a little bit. [VO] This one is less gardens, more grounds. Lots of medieval history in the Great Tower, and more World War history in the surrounding areas. Also, some lovely views of the ocean and Dover and
my past coming back to haunt me.... And every once in a while, the sun peaked through the clouds, so I quite enjoyed it. [Charlie] Well, I made it to the White Cliffs of Dover. Uh, little side note for anyone who was wondering: there's no sneaky back entrance. Not that I was trying to sneak in, but after the castle, I saw a cute little tea room that was kind of around the opposite side of the White Cliffs, so I went there for lunch, and then I was like, well, I'm so close. I can just come from this side, right? No, you cannot. You have to go back around to the other side and pay for parking properly and, you know, go in the, go in the proper place. But we've done that, we're good. The sun came out
while I was eating lunch, so mmm, I kind of want to risk it and not take my raincoat, but also, like, there's always a dark cloud in the distance, so that might not be a good choice. I think I'm gonna take it. [VO] Good thing I did, cause the sun went away the second I stepped out of my car and played a lot of peekaboo for the rest of the day, though thankfully - seriously, very grateful - it never did more than sprinkle for a few minutes. The Cliffs are stunning
and massive and awe-inspiring, and the walk was.... windy. Very windy. [Charlie, barely audible under extreme wind] When I say I am being buffeted by the wind, that is not a strong enough term! [VO] But I made it all the way to the lighthouse, the wind pushing me along, and then realized I had to make it all the way back to my car, with the wind pushing me back. Hoo y'all... gimme a second. I think I have windburn, cause my face is burning right now! White Cliffs of Dover: not for the faint of heart. I mean, you don't have to walk all the way to the lighthouse and
back, but if you do, be prepared. My glasses are fogging up. Yeah, I definitely have windburn. I'm glad I didn't do this first. I'm glad I went to the castle first, cause I think if I had done this first, um, I would have just gone back to the Airbnb to lay on the bed afterward, cause I'm exhausted. But it was beautiful. Woo! [VO] I had revived enough by the time I got home to take a little
stroll through the picturesque area where I'm staying. [Charlie] Tree tunnels, y'all. Tree tunnels. I'm not saying we don't have them in America - I'm sure there's tree tunnels somewhere - but I've never come across any that feel as magical and fantastical as the ones in Europe. The French ones were also real good, which is why I say Europe as a whole. This is what fairy tales are made of. [Light music, for fairies having a tea] [VO] I also find these public foot paths so interesting, cause they don't look like super used, and also, they're just straight through people's fields. I feel like there was some drama back in the day about people crossing private property, and it resulted in these signs and stuff. Pretty cool!
[Comfy cozy light jazz] After a bit of peaceful morning stitching, twas time to pack up and hit the road. [Charlie] Well, that was a bust. I went to this super cute place... well, you can't really see through the windows - this super cute inn that serves breakfast that my host at the last Airbnb recommended, and then I walked in, and she was like, I'm sorry, our gas is broken, so we, like, we can't serve anything. Sorry! Fair enough. Um, now what? I was gonna go to Rye next after breakfast, cause it's this really cute town that everybody suggested I go see, so I guess I'll just go ahead and go there, and hopefully, find a breakfast or coffee shop there, cause I need coffee. Made it to Rye. Only got honked at once. [Laughs] Let's go find coffee. [VO] Coffee was promptly found. Rye is a very quiet
town, not literally of course, because people are still driving through it, and the seagull population screeches loudly, but in spirit. [Seagulls screech] Lots of antique stores and novelty shops and art galleries and quaint cafes... Definitely a lovely place to just stroll around. All the homes and cottages have names, which I find delightful. I mean, that just kind of seems like a thing in England in general. Even the stroll to where I parked was picturesque and peaceful. [Charlie] Y'all, I wish I could show you all of the things that I see while I'm driving, like the old bridges and the stone churches and the thatched cottages and the vistas and the tree tunnels - we know how I feel about tree tunnels. It is all so pretty, and this is why I recommend road tripping when you go to another country. Like yes, it's a little stressful and scary at first to figure out a new
car and navigation and new roads and all of that, but it's so worth it just to see all of the little sites along the way that, like, you can't even stop for them. You just have to take them in for that split second, and then keep going. Anyway, we're in Brighton now. I'm gonna go to the Brighton Pavilion or the Royal Palace or whatever it's called. It seems to have a lot of different names. [VO] I have a lot of thoughts on the Brighton Palace, but they aren't really the kind of thoughts for this video, so suffice it to say, it was sumptuous. After that, I strolled around the area a bit and down to the pier. To be honest, this is not super duper my vibe, so I looked on from a distance, then went my way to a delicious dinner that very much was my vibe.
[Charlie] Y'all, I had accepted that I was gonna have to mail this frame home, but just went into a TK Maxx - by the way, why is it a TK Maxx in England and a TJ Maxx in America? Cause that's such a small change, why does it even matter? Anyway, I was just gonna get a carry on, cause I already had to get a carry on anyway for, like, all the books I keep buying, and then I found this! A massive duffel bag. It's supposedly 80 inches long, or 80 cm long, which is exactly how long this thing is. If it fits inside, I can just check another bag on the way home, which I'm pretty sure is cheaper than mailing something that weird of a size all the way back home would be. It fits! With room to spare, easily.... yes! It's so nice to problem solve. That is one thing off my list - kind of two things off my list, cause I had to get a suitcase, and I had to go to the post office, and now, I'm done with both of those. Let's go to the houseboat.
Oh my god y'all, tiny house boat. It's so cute and it's so cozy and there's a teeny tiny tub! This is fun, this is a fun stay. I always like to find interesting places to stay, because otherwise, you could just get a hotel, so you know, you might as well stay in something that's unique in some way. [Plucky music that harmonizes with the rain] Good morning! So it is super rainy. I mean, it's not super rainy - it's super drizzly. It's not much rain, it's just kind of never-ending. Hold on while somebody walks directly towards me. Anyway, I actually didn't really know what I was going to do today. My stop in Brighton was kind
of just because I needed something halfway between Dover and Cornwall, so I literally found this place last night. It's supposed to have a really pretty garden, and I've already forgotten what the name is. I'm here, I'm looking at it, and I, I don't see the name anywhere so I've forgotten what it is. It's like Leonard's Hall or something. Um yeah, but it's super dead and empty, because it's raining, and it's a week day, so.... I don't know, I think I'm just going to put on my rain coat and stroll around, and uh, we'll see how it goes. Well, it is delightfully peaceful and beautiful here, so I'm gonna say this was a good choice.
[VO] Exceptional greenery, lots of water features, ducks aplenty, a flourishing moss scene, and some stunning hydrangeas.... what's not to like? [The sound of rainfall on the giant leaves] I had a lovely, peaceful stroll, mostly downhill, which meant I then had to have a lovely, strenuous hike to get back uphill, but I rewarded myself with a piece of cake, so it's all good. [Charlie] Well, that was my workout for the day, along with my shower kinda. Onward,
to Arundel Castle, not to be confused with Arendelle Castle from, you know, Frozen. Hoo, well, we had the first straight up downpour on that drive, like hard to see the road, drive with caution. But it doesn't seem to be raining here which is great. Also, it is hopping here - very busy parking lot. No one was at the last place. Everyone is here. [Castle-touring-appropriate music] [VO] I switched up my methods and went in the castle first this time, mostly because I suspected it was about to downpour again. I was not wrong. I can see why this one is popular, though it was still pretty quiet inside. You can go all the way from ancient areas, with super steep curving stone stairwells and battlements and such, through massive halls with even more massive swords - seriously, that one is as tall as me - to apartments that were renovated in the 90s...
the 1990s. The gardens were also a pleasure. Very English in style: lots of plants crammed together in a sort of overgrown way, spilling onto pathways and making everything feel like it just sort of happened. I love how different the British gardens are from the French ones, and yet both of them are absolutely stunning and enjoyable in their own ways. The cathedral looms over the garden,
and there was this big edible section with pears and berries and kale and tons of stuff, including a tunnel of apple trees. Are the flames of my urgent desire to plant once again fanned? Yeeep! [Charlie] I am very soggy, but it is very beautiful here, and the rain, once again, is so aesthetic. [VO] Also, there were so many little hidden nooks where I would have sat to stitch for a bit if only it weren't so soggy. [Charlie] Hoo y'all, finally a place under protection: a little thatched cottage thing where I can sit out here by the Water Gardens for a minute, dry off a little... What is my hair doing?
It's doing whatever it wants. It's very nice to be alone in the rain in a castle garden. Highly recommend. All right, well, it was a bit too early for dinner, so I popped over into the Town Center, which is luckily like right here by where I parked, and I found a cute little, like, artisan grocery show- store, shop, store. Got myself some soup and crackers for dinner and a whole plethora of other snacks, because why not stock up? It's kind of hard to always have to be finding a place to eat, so like, I got breakfast for tomorrow too, cause I've got a long way to go tomorrow, and I'm still hoping to do two stops on the way. [Very Regency-esque piano music] Well, the sun's been kind of in and out. There are some
blue skies that I can see, which is exciting. [Laughs] And we have reached Mapperton, which only opened like 30 minutes ago and seems very quiet, so you know... my favorite. [VO] Mapperton has a very Bridgerton vibe, complete with a massive croquet lawn, and the gardens are best described as romantic. With their broken stones, creeping ivy, bright green moss, and quiet water features, it put me right in a storybook mood. [Charlie] There is no one here, and it's not raining. Jackpot! I don't know if you can see it, but some sheep just came over the hill right here. What could make this better than sheep?
[VO] I was not at all dressed for a walk in the woods, but that's never stopped me before, so I had a pleasant walk through the woods. I even got to pet the house cat. Not this. This is a tortoise. I didn't get footage of the cat. [Charlie] Delightful stop, probably should have peed before leaving, but I'm not very good at making smart choices like that. I'm trying to break up this drive today, which was why I stopped here, cause it's the longest drive I have to do pretty much of this entire, um, road trip. But next stop is Tintagel Castle. Tin-TA-gel? I don't know, y'all. Emphasis is tough for me. Let's go! [Very peaceful piano music] Well, I found where all the tourists are: it's in Tin-ti-gell, Tin-ti-gel, Tin-tag-ul. [Snorts]
Y'all, this place is packed. Also, it's not raining, so I think everybody's, like, out now, and trying to take advantage of that. But uh, I kind of miss the peaceful, silent empty gardens. Oh well, let's go see a castle. And if we have time, a cave. [VO] Lies. I took a look at it from afar, got tea and cake, and then left. Shame? Maybe. But sometimes, you're just not in the mood to hike a windy and tourist-filled path, and as a solo traveler with limited mental and physical energy, you gotta make these choices. There was something else that I wanted to hike more, so
back on the road I go. Also, we've officially reached the comfort level with driving where I start talking to myself. A lot. [Charlie] I mean, I guess it's one of those things that like... it just has to be done. The house has to be moved.
Oo y'all, the tree tunnels on the way here. Also, there's a whole area of just free- roaming sheep and horses, and that was fabulous. This is a really cool area. Um, where are we? Wistman's Woods. Possibly, from what I've seen, one of the most magical places on Earth. Um, let's take a hike. [VO] So none of this is really marked, but there is a small parking area at the head of the trail, and then you just kind of start walking down some gravel, and it feels like you're not in the right place, cause there's no woods close by in sight. Eventually, you go through this hole in a stone wall, and then there's no path at all - you're just kind of rock scrambling for a bit - but then the path comes back. [Charlie] So those are the only woods that I see, unless there's
some like hidden in the pocket right here, so I assume that's where I'm going? [VO] Yep, that was it. So it's less of a hike through the woods and more of a hike to the woods, which was lovely. Beautiful scenery, amazing views, and at last, you reach the magic. [Magical music, babbling brook, wind in the trees] They ask that you don't walk through the actual woods, to preserve it, so you can keep following the trail all the way around them, but I just went a little ways and stopped on the edges to look in and admire this fantasy world. Totally a good decision to come here instead.
[Charlie] Y'all, whatever part of England I just drove through, I highly recommend driving through it. The, uh, not only were the animals adorable, but the views were literally jaw-dropping, like my jaw dropped. Also, I'm at my hotel now. Wee! It's really pretty. [VO] I thought it would be a good idea to book an actual hotel for the middle stay of my trip, just cause, you know, you kind of know what to expect with a hotel. They're generally a little
comfier. Twas a wise choice... this place is lovely. [Charlie] Oh my god, look at the view from my room. [Birds singing] Y'all, this is the least amount of clouds I've seen in the sky since this road trip started, and what absolutely perfect timing, cause I'm going to the theater today - an outside theater. Rain would not be good. [VO] Basically, my entire reason for including this peninsula in my road trip is that a viewer told me about the theater on the side of a cliff, and you know I couldn't pass that up. I booked a tour of the theater and a matinee show. Minack Theater is well worth the very wind-y, very thin drive down there. The views are stunning,
and the design of the theater is fascinating, not to mention, apparently, it was created by a woman and her two gardeners, by themselves, no machinery, no architect or engineer or anything. The story is such fun - total powerhouse of a lady there. And it was very cool to see an actual show after wandering around and exploring all the nooks and crannies, although... [Charlie] Hoo y'all, I was so busy thinking about, um you know, what if it rains like it has for the last week? Are they going to cancel the show? Do I need to wear just a rain coat and get a little drizzly? Kind of forgot that if it doesn't rain, it's going to be sunny, you're going to be outside for hours... I'm a little sunburnt. Whoops!
[Rich piano music] Okay, so Bath is definitely not only the most crowded, but the most confusing place I've been so far, as far as driving goes. I was trying to find this specific parking lot, and like, the GPS could not tell where I was. It kept being like "turn right," and I was like, there's not a street there, or I would turn right, and then it was like, no... that wasn't where we wanted you to
turn right. Very confusing, lightly stressful. I'm gonna walk around here basically for the rest of today, and then go to my next Airbnb. [VO] Admittedly, when towns are pretty full of people walking around, I don't enjoy myself quite as much, but Bath is really a lovely place. I stopped by the Jane Austen Center - such fun, so cute, great presentation on her life and family - then I went to the Roman baths - less my thing, but cool to see nonetheless.
And then I just strolled around a bit, went in some shops, got buns from Sally Lunns, and finally had sticky toffee pudding with my dinner. Don't know how I got this far in my trip without having some. [Charlie] Y'all, I was like speed walking back to the car after dinner. It was sprinkling. It got just enough for me to pull out the umbrella, but it wasn't bad, and then I like slammed the door, and we got rain. Y'all, this place is adorable! It's a little Shepherd's Hut. It's in the middle of a field, like... that's great. Oh my god, my sunburn's gotten a lot worse. I'm very red. Oh well. Uh yeah, beautiful
views into the fields, and it's so cute inside. It's even got one of these - what is it? Dutch doors? Haaaa! [Clunk] Whoops. I mean, come on. What a glorious view. A glorious day also. I think this one might be my favorite so far. I really like it. [Quiet piano music] I'm heading to Oxford today, but I thought I would start out by stopping by one of these adorable Cotswolds towns, so this is Bee-bury? Bi-bury? [Very soft, almost lightly sad piano music] Bath was more confusing, street-wise. Oxford is absolutely packed with, not only buses, but also just massive groups of tourists. This should be interesting. [VO] Oxford is a gorgeous town, don't
get me wrong, but unfortunately, my visit there happened to fall on a Saturday, and the massive tourist groups, mostly of teenagers, were flooding the streets. I've been in England and around people for 3 weeks now, and my capacity for handling crowds is pretty rapidly sinking, so I popped into every bookstore I passed for refuge, even if they were just the chains. And then I had a nice long lunch, during which I finished my current read, which afforded me a reason to revisit the bookstores, until my library tour at 3. The library was well worth the wait. You're not allowed to film in there, so here's some photos. [Charlie] Well, I did not get a lot of footage of Oxford, because it's one of those things where there were just so many people around, and I don't really like... I mean, I try to avoid putting strangers faces in my videos as much as possible. Like, they didn't
consent to be in my video. So it was really hard to get any footage, but it was a beautiful town. It was just so crowded. I did find out while on the library tour that it's graduation weekend, on top of all the tour groups being there. Um, so it's still fairly early, but I'm gonna go back to my very cozy shepherd's hut in the middle of a field, because I bought three new books, so you know, I'd rather go home and read. [VO] And that's just what I did. Good morning. Energy levels are... running low. We've got two more days. [Sigh] I love traveling. [Laughs] Uhhhh lord. No, legit, I love traveling, but 10 days is a long road trip, especially when you
were already abroad for two weeks before that. Um, so this is why I try to be careful about the things that I do and going to the busier cities and stuff. I can definitely like keep my energy going longer if I'm doing more of those things like I did at the beginning of this, where I was going to castles that were abandoned cause it was raining. That's very handy. Uh, the last several days, I've definitely been in busier spots, and it is starting to drain me a little bit. But that's just what happens, and that is okay. Today, I am driving to my last Airbnb, which is up, uh, in Derbyshire. Close to Chatsworth House. I basically got it solely so that I could do Chatsworth House. My
very last day before I fly home is..... that. Also, this is a weird angle, but I didn't want to get out my tripod. So on the way, I'm passing through - or I could pass through - numerous like cute Cotswold towns, and also, I could pass through Stratsferd - Stratford-upon-Avon - which I would very much like to do. So I'm just gonna kind of take it easy and go where I want to go and see how it goes and not wear myself out so that I can enjoy my last day having afternoon tea at Chatsworth House. But I am starting to very much look forward to going back home. Which is kind of the point of
traveling, right? To enjoy yourself, to see new stuff, and to want to go home at the end. Cool. Let me finish my coffee. Oh wait, I was finished. Okay, let's go. [VO] Stow-on-the-Wold - I think I'm saying that right - was quiet and peaceful and absolutely lovely. I don't think I'm ever able to capture
the real beauty of these small towns with just my quick shots on my phone, but the stone work combined with the ivy is gorgeous every time. I also totally forgot that this is the home of the much-Instagrammed door and stumbled upon it quite by accident. [Charlie] Okay well, from the quiet and peaceful to the, uh, hoppin'... I don't know what's going on in Stratford-upon-Avon, but it's like 10:00 a.m. and this parking lot that I came to is crammed already, and there's people everywhere. So um, I don't know, this should be interesting. Is it Sunday... right now? I think it is Sunday. That took me so long to think
about. I'm pretty sure it's Sunday, so I guess maybe it's just that. But let's go have a little explore. [VO] Stratford was really lovely when I arrived. It had quite a relaxed feeling. I got a delicious cream tea, read a book, was one of the only two people on a tour of Shakespeare's Schoolroom - lightly awkward - then the tour groups set in, right as I was getting to Shakespeare's Birthplace, where there were massive lines to get inside. I still stood in the line, but I was ready to go after that. I think I
would love to spend some weekdays in Stratford though. It is definitely a beautiful place to stay for a bit the next time I'm in the area. [Charlie] Moving on from Stratford-upon-Avon this early though - cause I think it's only like 2:00 - means that I just have time to go to Warwick Castle. It's only like 20 minutes away, so I can't miss it, right? [VO] Warwick is the most theme park style castle I've been to yet. [An unseen showman] ...wanted to bring this bird to the castle, as he believed it would bring him luck... [VO] They've created a lot of attractions and shows within the grounds, so it seems like it's a big favorite for families and kids. I didn't have a lot of time, but that worked out fine, cause I just
wanted to tour the inside and then get those views. And what stunning views they were. Totally worth the 5 million curved stone stairs that I climbed to get there. [Charlie] Y'all, I didn't know it, but I saved the best for last, which is great. There's sheep here. Also, this, like, cottage is massive, especially compared to everything else that I booked so far. Let's take a little tour. Uh, first of all, welcome to outside.
Seriously, sheep. Like these are the owner's sheep, but also look at these views. [Sheep baa-ing, bits of wind, peaceful piano] I'm always so impressed by these stone walls... because I mean, they're incredible, and they're everywhere, and they're so long. Like how long did those take to build? But also, where did the stone come from? Where did it come from? Anyway, on to the cottage. We've got a whole lovely living room here... goes right into a little kitchen area. She made me brownies, what? I've had apartments smaller than this in my life.
And then look at this: bedroom. Does it look giant? That's because it is. And the bathroom has a tub and a shower. Am I gonna take a bath? Yah. Yah, I am. Yay! [Casually peaceful piano music] Last day in England. I mean, technically, I'm in England tomorrow morning, but that doesn't count. We're just flying home. Part of me kind of wants to stay here all day and make friends
with these sheep, but no. We're gonna go to Pemberley. AKA Chatsworth House. And then, if I have time, I will also stop by Haddon Hall, which is another location that they used in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice. And that's it: that's my plans. After that, I got to come back here and repack all of my luggage, cause it is a mess. [VO] Popped by Bakewell first for breakfast and a bit of a stroll and, of course, a Bakewell tart from its place of origin. [Charlie] You know, it's not uncommon for me to utter the words "[quack] me" as I come around a bend and see a castle or a view. Um, Chatsworth was definitely a "oh, [quack] me" moment. [VO] As is typical, there were already clumps of tour groups around the house, so I headed straight for the gardens, which were still barely occupied and highly peaceful.
For those of us who associate Chatsworth with Pemberley, this is the money shot of recognition, but the house and grounds are so much more than that. Forest walks, a rockery, hidden springs, placid lakes, a grotto, a kitchen garden, and many stunning green houses. Their peach trees astounded me. I'm so jealous. There are lots of little sort of hidden paths through the woods and rocks and wild flowers, and if you take them, you end up in the same place as the main paths would have taken you, but you have a lot more fun getting there in my opinion. [Charlie] What is that? I want to know.
[VO] That is the Hunting Tower, which you can stay in... if you book far, far, far in advance. I spent 3 out of the 4 hours until my tea reservation in the gardens, and happily could have spent longer, but I figured I should eventually tour the house. By this point, it wasn't entirely empty, but it was fairly quiet... Just how I like it. [Charlie] They're preparing to film here in a few days. They're already starting to unload equipment, and I'm so jealous. [VO] Seriously, I long to do background work in England.
They had a display about a fashion line inspired by the house upstairs, but mostly, I just admired the lavish paintings on the walls and ceilings, before popping over to their restaurant for an afternoon tea, just in time to miss the sudden change in weather towards wetness. Well, I lingered over tea and in the shop, so I didn't have time to see Maddon Hall before it closed, but that's okay, cause this was a perfect way to end this trip. Really, like, saved a good one - possibly the best one - for the last day, which is always really handy planning. Or really good luck. Also, got in a
few more absolutely delectable tree tunnels on the way home. Traveling with another person is lovely for the camaraderie, for, like, the shared memories, for body doubling your experiences, quite frankly, but traveling alone makes me feel... the word that I want to use is "powerful," but I think the more realistic word is "capable." It reminds me of how capable I actually am. I am capable of problem solving, of overcoming challenges, of learning new skills, which are all things that you just kind of end up doing when you're alone in a new country. I'm capable of driving on the left side of the road, of figuring out which restaurants are actually serving dinner at 4:30 in the afternoon, of, uh, fixing the toilet in the Airbnb so that it will flush. And yeah, feeling capable is akin to feeling powerful. It's a good feeling. It comes after some more negative feelings, like uh, "what the
crap, why did I do this, how on earth, and what now?" Like if I was traveling with Mat, then he would have driven the entire time, cause honestly, he has better spatial awareness than I do, and I have more appreciation for scenery than he does, and that's great! Like that's great that we compliment each other in those ways. But it's also good to travel alone and have to do all of that myself. I mean, I did basically this exact same thing 8 years ago in the Scottish Highlands, on the left side of the road, in a freaking manual car - I don't know how to drive manual - with no cell service, like I had cancelled my phone plan. Do you ever look back at the things that you've done in the past and just think like... damn. I was a badass. Or stupid. So anyway, to circle around to that very first warning that I got about, um, road tripping England in the height of tourist season, uuuuuh... it was fine.
I did run into some traffic, but like, have you ever tried to drive from Glendale to Culver City during rush hour traffic? I don't know, it just didn't seem very bad to me. I mean there's so few stoplights in this country, that sometimes, I thought I had hit traffic, and it turned out we were just at a red light. And as far as the GPS not being accurate - like I was warned that it'll say 2 hours, and it'll actually take 4 hours in reality. That also did not happen. Maybe I just got lucky, but the most that my arrival time ever went up was like 8 or 10 minutes. Granted, I have one more 3-hour drive to do, which is kind of the most important one cause it has a deadline. As in a plane will leave
without me if I don't get there. Assuming I make it on time though, and there's no problems there, this is the end. I will see you back home..... for projects!! Aaaall the projects! [Evil giggle] [Theme song tidbit: Guess what? You're super capable, and you deserve to be proud of you!]
2024-08-05 05:58
