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Suzie and Nik Do The UK
  • Suzie Holland
  • Nicole Sumpton
  • Suzie Holland
  • Nicole Sumpton

Suzie and Nik Do The UK

Hello! We are about to embark on a most amazing trip to the UK! We are going to begin in London, make our way up to Chester for Eurovision in Liverpool (YAY!), then onto Edinburgh, then to Inverness, scoot down to York and then back to London :D Leia mais
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  • Inicio da viagem
    27 de abril de 2023
    Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Brisbane Airport!!

    27 de abril de 2023, Austrália ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Suzie - Here we are!!! Boarding will begin at 8.15pm and so far I've had to take something out of my checked luggage and put it in my carry on, needed to buy a new lock, dropped a tin and I'm not even at the bar....yet!! Maybe I should rethink that idea!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

    Nik - My passport didn't scan properly. The security guy asked me to to go the counter and I thought I had done something wrong. 🤦 It was just that the scan had timed out. Oh well. Bound to be a few hiccups along the way.

    We still have two and a quarter hours until we can board.    Leia mais

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Dubai International Airport

    28 de abril de 2023, Emirados Árabes Unidos ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Suzie - Lots of Emirates planes, it's hot and people are pushy and rude.As usual, the men treat the women like crap sadly.

    Nik - I had been told Dubai airport was big...that is a HUGE understatement.

    We had to ask for directions a couple of times. (We were so tired it was hard to fully take on what we were being told.)

    They rush us through the security check. I found the way it was done to be a bit rude. It was so rushed that my stuff ended up going through the machine in 3 different trays, rather than them waiting til I could put all my stuff together. As a result I've lost two of my bracelets.    Leia mais

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Kensington Gardens

    28 de abril de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Suzie - We are staying in Bayswater, part of the City of Westminster and on the doorstep of Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park 😀😀😀 It's absolutely beautiful here 💜💜💜💜

    I'm so glad we are here!! Our arrival at our hotel wasn't as smooth as we hoped but it sure was memorable!! Note to self, go to stations that have lifts, most stations have stairs and the people of London were very kind to help us get our bags up the stairs!!!

    Nik - After battling with our bags on the stairs through the train stations....(Why are there no ramps? Do they not like ramps here? They would be very helpful when your dragging a 20kg bag around. ((However I do have to thank the many, many people who showed us such kindness, offering to help us with the stairs.))

    ...and a strange issue with the express train pass I had, (🤷) we made it to our hotel in Bayswater. It's small, but tidy and warm and suits our purpose....sleep and showers.

    I'm tired and have sore legs from being cramped up in the plane for so long, and looking forward to sleep tonight, but I'm not really feeling jet lagged. So yay!

    After dumping our stuff at the hotel and a very much needed shower (the shower could be hotter) we went for an explore. A walk to Kensington Palace and the gardens too. So good to stretch our legs a bit and start looking around.    Leia mais

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK
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    Good Morning London!!!

    29 de abril de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    I'll be posting again soon, and I wanted to share some thoughts of these beautiful surroundings...as you know, I have been to the UK before and it's so wonderful to share the UK with someone I love 💜💜💜💜 I love it here 💜💜💜 London is one of my favourite cities in the world.

    We have been exploring this morning - from Bayswater we went to Notting Hill, Holland Park, North Kensington, and back to Bayswater 😀😀😀 A good 6km's 😀 We are going to go back to the hotel now and getting bags to take to Portabello Road markets!!

    There's such beauty at 5am when other people are asleep... promises of a new day; so peaceful    Leia mais

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Our First Morning

    29 de abril de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Nik - We're both early risers and it's no different here on the other side of the globe. After 4am call home we ventured out for an early morning walk and explore all rugged up. Google told us it was 8° and yes it was cold...but not as bad as I thought.

    With no real plan to speak of we just wondered through Bayswater and Notting Hill Gate. We found an old church, coronation flags flying and even signs of fellow Eurovision tragics. Then a lovely breakfast at a place called Dr Power.    Leia mais

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Portabello Road Markets

    29 de abril de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Suzie - One word for these markets - bonkers!!! It makes Salamanca Markets in Hobart, Tasmania look like a prim tea party!!! So many people!!!

    Time for a hot chocolate and a break!!

    Nik - Yep...what Suzie said. Crazy.Leia mais

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Kensington Gardens and Surrounds

    29 de abril de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Suzie - Including our 5am trot this morning, we have walked almost 20 km, seen the most lush green of Kensington Gardens, visited De Vere Gardens where my Glasgow born grandmother Nancy Gibson lived and worked at the Prince of Wales Hotel before her emigration to Australia in the late 1930's, I touched the Royal Albert Hall (!!!), we marvelled at the opulence of the Albert Memorial, caught 3 red London buses (ended up at the wrong place the first time!), and found the biggest market we have ever seen. Time to rest!!Leia mais

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Prince Albert Memorial

    29 de abril de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Nik - Well it's been an epic journey to get to this memorial. (It involves hopping on the wrong bus, an aborted attempt to get into the Natural History Museum (we said no way when we saw the line up) and a very long walk.

    The memorial is beautiful though. Much bigger and more ornate than I had imagined and the surrounding park is stunning.

     We are however exhausted. It's warmed up and we're both feeling a bit sunburnt (despite the sun cream) and ready for a sit down and something to drink.    Leia mais

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Tower of London

    30 de abril de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Suzie - We have been sent to the Tower by order of....well, ourselves really!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 This example of Norman (and other dynasties of English royalty) is a sight to behold!

    The last time I was here, I was with a tour and it's so wonderful to just meander through the Tower and grounds, instead of being rushed through.

    We are having lunch at the moment in the Armouries Cafe and we are about to go to the original Tower, the White Tower, built by William the Conqueror.

    Nik - I was expecting a crowd at The Tower of London. I was not, however, expecting the line up to get in to be three quarters of the way around the outer wall.

    Having said that though, the line moved quickly and we were soon through the gate.

    It's a marvel, how they were able to build such huge, beautiful, enduring buildings way back when with such simple tools. We certainly don't build like that now, even with the technology we have. Do you expect any modern built building to still be standing in 950 years? I sure don't.

    I loved seeing the ravens. They are two or three times the size of the crows we have back home. Unfortunately they we're not allowed out of their cages due to an avian flu going around. I would have liked to see them out and about.

    We went to see *some* of the crown jewels. Many of them were not on display due the the coronation of King Charles in six days time. We did get to see many of the crowns though. So sparkly.

    I found walking on the old cobble stones tricky. They are all uneven and I got the toe of my shoes caught between the stones several times, causing me to stumble.

    I loved exploring this old site, trying to visualize it back in the years just after it was built, knowing I was walking in the footsteps of Kings and Queens, being in the room where the two princes were kept, So many stories, so much history.    Leia mais

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Tower Bridge

    30 de abril de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Suzie - While we were too late to get tickets to go up the Tower Bridge (having too much fun at the Tower!), we did walk over the bridge and back to Tower Hill tube station. It was fabulous and seeing the look on Nik's face 😀😀😀

    And we even went down to the banks of the Thames!!! I've wanted to do that for ages!!

    Nik - I've obviously seen the bridge in TV many, many times. The pictures don't do it justice. It's simply stunning.    Leia mais

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Old Roman Wall, Tower Hill

    30 de abril de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Suzie - This section of the Roman built walls around the city the Romans named Londinium, are 40 foot high and date from 200AD 😀😀😀 You bet I was going to touch them!!!! They are some of the best preserved in the City of London. They are characterised by the layers of red tile to ensure the walls were level in each section before the next part of the wall was erected. Those Romans were pretty clever!!!Leia mais

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Harry Potter Studio ( Part 1)

    1 de maio de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Nik - Ever since we began planning this trip, today's activity...visiting the Harry Potter Studio...was something I was very much looking forward too.

    The tour did not disappoint. At the moment the doors to the Great Hall were revealed, I started to tear up. Seeing the long tables set for a feast, the floating candles...my breath caught in my throat.

    I've read the books and watched the movies many times, and each time I'm drawn into that world of magic. This time...it wasn't imagination. This time I was there and it took my breath away.

    Highlights of the tour were the Forbidden Forest, the two Gringots displays (one before, one after it was ruined by the excaping dragon), Diagon Alley and the big Hogwarts Castle at the end.

    We had read that the tour could be done in 4 hours, but I think that is a serious underestimate. There is so much to see, so many little videos explaining the production and creative processes. It would be impossible to do it all and REALLY take it all in during a full day, let a lone 4 hours. (Honestly, if your a serious Harry fan.... you'd want two days.). As it was we had 5 hours. We missed one and a half sections entirely and had to rush through the second half in order to get back to our bus in time.

    But my gosh was it amazing.

    I took so many photos I'm we're going to have to do two studio posts to get all the images in. (We can only put 10 photos a post.)    Leia mais

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Soho Square

    2 de maio de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Right now we are sitting on the park bench that commemorates singer Kirsty MacColl. I sat down and cried, thinking of my Nan and I singing The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl song 'The Fairytale of New York' when she was alive. I feel her with me now. We listened to the song, then Kirsty's version of 'A New England' and for Trev, Kirsty's song 'In These Shoes'.

    This is a special moment for me. RIP Kirsty, you are gone too soon and thank you xxxx    Leia mais

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Tottenham Court Road

    2 de maio de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Suzie - Just outside the station there is this amazing visual art installation 😀😀😀 A brilliant concept - 'Everything We Touch' by London based Argentine artist Paula Zucotti has created a visual representation of everyday items from people around the world with items that they use every day.

    'The Summer Palace' by Agustin Vidal Saavedra is a visually and audiological stunning experience. We are blessed 💜

    Nik - I really wish I had of taken video of the show that was on after this one. (it was called The Summer Palace.) This one was interesting, but the following one was more artistic, but I got so drawn into it, I just didn't think. Either way, it was a great find, and it highlights the value and immersive nature of video arts.

    I could have sat and watched the different instillations all day. But we had other areas we wanted to explore too.    Leia mais

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    The Savoy Hotel, Strand

    2 de maio de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Suzie - High Tea time!! At the Savoy no less!!!! Absolutely gorgeous and we were spoilt rotten by Ben and Savanna 😀😀😀

    20/10 recommended!!!! 💜💜💜

    Nik has more photos than me!

    Nik - It was a bit daunting walking into The Savoy. It wasn't just fancy...it was dripping in diamonds, trust fund fancy. I felt quite underdressed and very out of place.

    We had originally booked an afternoon tea but after we were seated ( with the chairs being pulled out for us and everything) we were offered the opportunity to upgradeto a High Tea. At the time we were so in awe of the place we just kind of agreed without thinking to ask about the price difference. (For the record it ended up being £65 vs £115.) 😯

    But...it was worth it. Every cent...or rather...penny I guess.

    Everything was simply amazing. Truly a memory to cherish.    Leia mais

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