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Best Things to See in Oxford

January 9, 2017February 28, 2018 by Michelle Rae, posted in Europe, Wander

During my three week visit in the UK, I took the opportunity to explore the beautiful university town of Oxford on my way to the Cotswolds. I took a train from London to the city, which took less than two hours, and stayed at lovely Cotswold Lodge Hotel.

Teeming with amazing architecture and structures worth photographing, you’d need at least a week to truly explore Oxford. But with so many places to visit in England and not enough time to do so, I only stayed there for a couple of days. That was enough, though, to see some of the highlights. Also, not having a car and being forced to explore it on foot helped as that allowed me to end up in places I wouldn’t have thought to visit.

Here are some of the best things to see in Oxford.

Saint Giles Church Grounds – Only a few blocks away from my hotel, Saint Giles Church is located at the intersection of St. Giles and Woodstock Rd. It’s a small church completed in 1120, and certainly not one of Oxford’s most impressive. But it has a small graveyard, one of my favorite places to explore and photograph, a consecration cross, and a small park where you can sit for lunch and people watch, which incidentally is one of the best things to do in Oxford.

Martyrs Memorial – Directly in front of Saint Giles consecration cross is the towering Martyrs Memorial. Designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, the monument was completed in 1843 in honor of the 16th-century Oxford Martyrs. It’s an intricate landmark worth photographing, and definitely one of the best things to see in Oxford. It’s also surrounded by steps where you can take a quick break in. And behind it is Saint Mary Magdalen, which also has its own little graveyard.

Balliol College – Founded around 1263, this beautiful college on Broad Street is certainly worth walking around in thanks to its hidden garden, courtyards, and beautiful architecture. There’s a small visitor’s fee to get in, but you can spend as much time in there and even take a quick peek at some of the interiors, including its Great Hall. It’s not as impressive as Hogwarts, but it’s still pretty cool.

Trinity College – Known for its long standing rivalry with Balliol College and for having produced three British prime ministers, neighboring Trinity College is also worth ticking off your Oxford list. It was founded in 1555, and boasts a few interesting landmarks like its beautiful chapel.

Bodleian Library – Bodleian Library is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and that fact alone makes one of the best places to see in Oxford. However, it also has some of the most impressive architecture in town, in my humble opinion. If I had the enough time and better access, I would have photographed every nook and cranny of this place.

Sheldonian Theatre – Designed by Christopher Wren himself, the Sheldonian Theater is another photography must stop. It’s very famous, not just for its architecture but also for the music recitals, lectures, conferences, and various ceremonies held by the University of Oxford.

Radcliffe Camera and Square – Didn’t I tell you that Oxford is so full of spectacular architecture to photograph? Out of all of them, it’s the neo-classical Radcliffe Camera and Radcliffe Square, also home to University Church of St Mary the Virgin, that are by far my most favorite.

Bridge of Sighs – Reminiscent of the famous Bridge of Sighs in Venice, this skyway near Radcliffe Square connects the Old and New Quadrangles of Hertford College. It has no historical significance that I know of, but it’s pretty to look at and also photograph!

Oxford University Parks – I didn’t really intend to visit the parks, thinking I wouldn’t have time. But while venturing off High Street, I got lost and ended up in one of the parks. So I decided to stay and explore. The university parks aren’t as impressive as say, Central Park, but it’s a nice, sprawling space to find some peace and quiet away from the tourists. There are some cute spots to photograph too, but more importantly, it’s great for running or doing yoga. If you’re staying in town for more than a few days, the parks are definitely a great place to workout in.

Turf Tavern Oxford – While hidden, Turn Tavern is a very busy place probably owing to the fact that many dignitaries have dined and consumed many pints of beer here. These would include Former Aussie Prime Minister Bob Hawke, Former US President Bill Clinton, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, Tony Blair, Stephen Hawking, and the cast and crew of Harry Potter during their Oxford filming. Come here before you’re actually hungry as you might have a long wait to find a table, and they won’t let you order unless you secure one.

Oxford High Street – Lastly, wander about along High Street for more photo ops and if you’re looking to shop or dine. And don’t hesitate to walk into any buildings that are open to the public. Who knows? You might walk into a pretty garden or more Instagramable spots!

All About England: 10 Things You Need to Know Before You Go

August 3, 2016February 28, 2018 by Michelle Rae, posted in Europe, Travel Tips, Wander

Since England is an English-speaking country, first time travelers to the country tend to drop their guards. But during my first visit there, I was not only surprised by the many dissimilarities, I also ended up committing a few faux pas. The fact is there are many things about the country that are completely different from what we are used to. Here are some of them:

DSCF5155 — Millennium Bridge and St. Paul’s Cathedral (Photo: Michelle Rae Uy)

1. People are, in fact, pleasant and very helpful. And they say actually apologize for things like accidentally bumping into you on the street.

2. The usually have separate faucets for hot and cold water. Careful not to turn the hot water faucet too far or you WILL get burned.

3. Your servers at restaurants will ring you up at the table, and not many of them will be pleased if you asked for wine recommendations.

4. Don’t believe the myth. The food is actually good and hearty. Definitely try the Full English for breakfast.

Preserves and cheese, Borough Market (Photo: Michelle Rae)

Processed with VSCO with c2 preset — Q Grill (Photo: Michelle Rae Uy)

5. They won’t let you order food at pubs unless you secure a table first, and not many do takeaways (that’s British for take out).

6. Speaking of pubs, many of them close early. Like 11pm early. Even in London.

7. The public transportation will get you literally anywhere. While planning for my trip in the Cotswolds, I was terrified that I’d get stuck somewhere in the middle of the country if I missed a bus. My fear was quickly dispelled as soon as I realized that even in the countryside, buses and trains run pretty regularly.

DSCF5490 — Bibury (Photo: Michelle Rae Uy)

DSCF5475 — Chipping Camden (Photo: Michelle Rae Uy)

DSCF5447 — Chipping Camden (Photo: Michelle Rae Uy)

DSCF5399 — Burford (Photo: Michelle Rae Uy)

DSCF5471 — House in the Cotswolds (Photo: Michelle Rae Uy)

8. You need to keep up the pace during rush hour in London. That’s usually between 7:30 and 9:30 in the morning, and from 5 to 7 in the evening.

9. Some hotels, especially the cheaper ones, may not have in-room air conditioning. This may not seem so bad during the cooler months, but in the summer time, it CAN be torture.

10. They actually have good coffee and nice coffee shops. The afternoon tea, however, is a lovely affair that you must partake in at least once. I very much enjoyed the one at sketch in London.

Travel Tips for Visiting London for the First Time

July 20, 2016February 28, 2018 by Michelle Rae, posted in Europe, Travel Tips, Wander

London is an easy city to familiarize yourself with, so even if you come unprepared and decide to just wing it, you’ll find the city pretty effortless to become acquainted with and accustomed to. Still, it’s nice to be just a little prepared and look like you know what you’re doing. With these ten tried and tested travel tips, you might just even blend in with the locals.

Get an Oyster Card. Everybody in London either walks or uses the public transportation (or realistically, both). The city’s network of public transportation, which consists of buses, the Underground trains, National Railway trains, trams and even boats, is very efficient, very effective and the fastest way to get around (the trains especially). Before you start your London explorations, obtain an Oyster Card that you can “tap up”—meaning add credit to—at every National Rail and Underground station as you go. Oh, and do memorize these symbols below…

– London bus stop symbol

– London Underground symbol

– National Railway symbol

Get a Pay As You Go SIM Card. Unless you belong to an amazing cellular network, an international data plan might be just a tad too expensive for what you need. As soon as you get to London, visit a local store and get a Pay As You Go SIM Card, which allows you to choose and purchase a bundle that fits your needs best. These bundle are usually cheaper and provide more minute, text and data allowance. Best of all, you can purchase and activate a bundle through your phone.

Get a London Pass. If you’re planning on visiting many of London’s most popular attractions, London Pass will save you a ton of time, money and hassle. Starting at £59 for a 1-day pass, the passport will give you access to over 60 attractions at no extra charge, as well as discounts and extra perks at many others. Additionally, you’ll also get Fast Track access to a select few—the Kensington Palace, the Tower of London and the London Bridge Experience, for example—so you can beat the lines and save even more time.

DSCF5804 — Tower of London grounds (Photo: Michelle Rae)

Learn the Currency. Much like the rest of the city, the British pound or pound sterling is pretty straightforward but it’s still a pretty good idea to familiarize yourself with them, especially the coins. Londoners are usually very patient, but you still wouldn’t want to be holding up a line while you try to figure out which one’s 20p and which one’s 10p. The banknotes are usually £5, £10, £20 and £50 bills while the coins you’ll come across are usually 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2. And when someone asks you for 5 “pee,” don’t freak out. They only mean 5 “pence”.

Skip the Cabs, Take the Tube Instead. London, like many metropolitan areas, is plagued with really bad traffic. This means that a £15 cab ride can easily turn into a £30 one during rush hour. With your Oster Card tapped up and ready to go, you can easily hop on a train to get to your destination in no time. It’s cheaper, faster and also very easy to figure out as timetables, directionality, connections and stops are displayed at every single station and every single platform. And if you’re still not feeling confident, simply use the Google Maps app on your phone. It’s pretty good at providing idiot-proof instructions on getting from one point to another using public transportation.

Visit by Neighborhood. While London is quite compact, every neighborhood in the city has a number of things to offer. If you have plenty of time in the city—3 weeks perhaps, I would suggest exploring it one neighborhood at a time. This will give you ample time to get to know each one—as they each have their own distinct personality as well as must see sights. Go for a literary walk in Bloomsbury, go shopping in Soho and Mayfair, visit the historical attractions in the City, enjoy arts and culture in Shoreditch, etc.

Processed with VSCO with c3 preset — Carnaby Street in Soho (Photo: Michelle Rae)

Look Right Then Left. If you come from a country where people drive on the right, which is basically most countries, it’s easy to get confused when navigating the streets on London. The whole United Kingdom drives on the left side of the road. While you might not be doing any driving during your visit there, this is still a very important tidbit to remember as you’ll need to remember which way to look when crossing streets. Always remind yourself to look right first and then look left. Look right then look left. Make this your mantra for the next few days until it’s practically second nature.

Stay on Your Left-Hand Side. Pedestrian traffic is much like vehicular traffic. Everybody walks on the left side, on the streets, up the stairs, at the stations… Or at least they should be. Most people do, but it can get a little confusing since most visitors and tourists don’t follow it. The best thing you can do is keep walking on the left side but pay close attention to oncoming traffic so you can dodge accordingly.

Take Some Day Trips. There’s a lot to see in the city itself and chances are you may not be able to see most of it during your visit. If you’re staying for two or three weeks however, it will be good and a nice change of pace to visit some of the smaller towns and cities outside London. Literally everything is a leisurely train or bus ride away. Take a couple of days or even weekends to visit Oxford, the Cotswolds, Bath, St. Ives, Weymouth, Brighton, Canterbury, or even Edinburgh and Glasgow.

DSCF5582 — Bath Abbey in Bath (Photo: Michelle Rae)

Get Some Clear Plastic Bags for Your Liquids. If you’re planning on visiting other cities in other countries while there—Marrakesh, Madrid or Lisbon, perhaps—it’ll be good to know some of England’s rules for air travel. One clear-cut rule that airport security is firm about is your liquids storage. They prefer that all flyers use a clear, resealable bag that’s about a little bigger than the Ziploc sandwich bags we have in the US to store their liquids. If you use the wrong container—a big Ziploc bag or a clear make-up bag, for example—chances are they’ll make you take them out and repack them in the preferred bag. Don’t worry, though. The airports usually have these bags on hand, whether for free or for purchase, so you can go to the airport and grab a couple before going through security. Also, bear in mind that every passenger has a limit of 2 bags max, so make sure to only bring the necessities.

Museum Island: The Heart of Berlin’s Cultural Collections

January 14, 2016February 28, 2018 by James Holland, posted in Europe, Wander

Berlin may not be the first destination culture hounds think of when looking to travel in Europe but there are ample reasons to reconsider Berlin as a travel destination. The 800 year-old city is home to such landmarks as the Brandenburg Gate, portions of the Berlin Wall as well as a world-class zoo (the most visited in Europe), and boasts a top class collection of museums.

At the center of Berlin’s network of museums lies Museum Island, a complex of 5 museums that take up the Northern half of an island that splits the river Spree near the center of the city. Below are the 5 museums that make up this ‘Louvre on the Spree’ and what you can find in each collection:

Altes Museum (Flickr: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra)

Of the 5 buildings that comprise Museum Island, Altes Museum is the oldest, having opened in 1830. Its façade may be the most impressive with its 18 columns harkening back to the grandeur of ancient Roman architecture. The original showcase for Berlin’s collections, it now houses the collection of classical antiquities including an ancient Greek collection found on the ground floor.

Neues Museum, finished in 1859, was the second of the museums to be built and was renovated in the ‘80s to incorporate damage from WWII into the preservation. The museum houses Stone Age and ancient Egyptian artifacts. One of the most famous pieces at the Neues Museum is the bust of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti.

Alte Nationalgalerie (Flickr: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra)

The Alte Nationalgalerie, completed 11 years later in 1870, was built in the style of a temple, even covered in motifs of antiquity. The museum houses fine arts collection including Neoclassical, Romantic, French Impressionist (including some Manet and Monet) and early Modernist works.

The Bode Museum, opened in 1904, covers the island’s Northern tip. It has an impressive Byzantine and coin collection as well as Renaissance, Baroque and Gothic art, separated and organized geographically and chronologically. One of the more controversial pieces in the art history, the Flora Bust, is housed here. Thought originally to be a Leonardo da Vinci piece, there has been claim and counter-claim to its authenticity.

The Ishtar Gate at The Pergamon Museum (Flickr: Francisco Antunes)

The Pergamon, built in 1930, might be the most impressive inside. Not only does it house the antiquity collection (including a fragment of Epic of Gilgamesh, the first story ever written down) but it also includes many rooms that could be considered pieces of themselves. These include the 2^nd century BC Pergamon Altar, disassembled from Pergamon, Greece and for which the museum was built, as well as the Roman Market Gate of Miletus, the lapis lazuli covered Ishtar Gate of Babylon, and Mshatta Façade from an 8^th century desert castle in Jordan.

You can gain entrance to any of the museums for a fee between 10 to 12 euros or 18 euros to get into all of them for the day. A 3 day “Museum Pass Berlin” can be purchased for 24 euros.