england

In a world of increasing connectivity, innovative technology, and hyper ingenuity, are we actually in a state of regression? You see, this summer I was in Oxford—the home of Oxford University and the inspiration for Hogwarts—and I spent most of my time glancing down at my phone. Whether I was looking for directions, making sure I got a good photo, or staying connected with my friends who were checking out London, I was missing the beauty all around me. In fact, there was a statue on top of a building that I didn't even notice until someone pointed it out. As I looked up, I wondered how I had missed it. The seven-foot-tall statue was staring right at me! It was something I should have noticed, whether because it seemed so creepy staring down at me, or because it looked like someone potentially about to jump from the roof.

When you think of English royalty, a few images might come to mind: Queen Elizabeth outfitted in a bright dress and matching hat, Prince William and Duchess Kate on their wedding day, or a black-and-white image of an elderly Queen Victoria. To most tourists in London, the only essential royal site to visit would be Buckingham Palace with its famous columned façade and marching guardsmen. To a royal enthusiast, however, London offers a wealth of sites steeped in regal history. With a bit of guidance, any tourist can become a royal enthusiast and have an extremely rewarding time discovering the well-known and little-known royal sites throughout London.

Travelers have long since sought out places associated with classic artists: Stratford to visit Shakespeare’s hometown, Giverny to tour Monet’s house, and Salzburg to bask where Mozart composed his music.

An obstructed view could change the way you travel.

After a short ride on the ferry, I stepped onto the street to face a neo-baroque castle. Turning left, I spotted a large, Victorian mansion half-covered in ivy, and then I started to wonder, “Am I in England?”Victoria, Canada, was named after the famous Queen Victoria of England, and this city on the southwestern tip of Canada stays true to its namesake. Along with its architecture, this tourist destination is starkly reminiscent of England, emitting a foreign and historic energy. With the picture-perfect waterfront, the horse-drawn carriage rides, and the pervading Victorian style, it’s hard to remember that you are less than two hours away from the United States. Victoria is a perfect weekend getaway to escape without spending thousands. Victoria DayIf you’re planning a weekend to Victoria, May Long Weekend is the perfect choice. The Monday before May 24 is Victoria Day, a national Canadian holiday celebrating Queen Victoria’s birthday (actually on the 24th). Victoria boasts the most prominent parade, celebrating its namesake with food, music, and fireworks. For many, Victoria Day is a happily anticipated long weekend and a symbol of the beginning of summer.Darri Guinto, a recent visitor, described Victoria as “quaint and picturesque.” She particularly remembers the numerous flowers that cover the city, adding to its beauty and charm. Guinto said that instead of lampposts, Victoria has hanging baskets of flowers that line the streets.

The annual parade for the Rushbearing festival at Grasmere, an ancient tradition where the villagers gather the rushes from around the lake or river, make ornaments out of them, and carry them in a procession to St. Oswald’s chapel.Last summer, while living in the green and beautiful valley of Grasmere, I felt like I had stepped into the past. I first arrived to this small village in northern England for a summer internship and saw more nature untouched by man or time than I thought possible. In addition to its vibrant color and overabundance of life, everything about Grasmere and the entire Lake District exuded a sense of timelessness that the Romantic poet William Wordsworth tried to capture in his poems. Dove Cottage, the little house he lived in for a time, was still standing, allowing visitors to come and explore life in early eighteenth-century England. Even the church he’s buried at, St. Oswald’s, still holds regular Sunday services. All the while, the forests, streams, trees, ferns, and fells surrounding the little village have an ancient feel to them that seemed entirely undisturbed. The past and the present seemed intertwined: I could have just as easily been visiting that spot more than two hundred years ago and would have seen Wordsworth walking by, muttering his poetry under his breath.

Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, London Bridge—each of these and a thousand other landmarks make London worth seeing. But for many visitors, the most fabulous side of London is found in the west . . . the West End, that is. This side of London boasts some of Britain’s finest hotels, restaurants, cinemas—and, of course, theaters, the hallmark of West End.

The sun is sinking into the everlastingly green knolls of the English countryside, covering the valley in a glow that makes this picturesque landscape almost seem unreal. A trail winds through the scene, a thin line of worn land in some places and nothing more than an indentation in the grass in others.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: traveling wasn’t always my thing.

There’s a saying that goes, “Hell is where the cooks are English.” Some people describe England’s food as bland or icky; others claim that the English eat only fish and chips. You may have heard these rumors, been turned off by dishes like blood pudding, or heard horror stories about Marmite.

Illustration by Kate Hildebrandt

You’re booked for an early-morning July flight to the United Kingdom. You got your tickets for the gymnastics program months ago, thanks to your quick web surfing. You watched The King’s Speech for the hundredth time to try and understand British customs. Now what?

Go grab your surfboards and hit the beach—you’re in England!