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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 Читать далее
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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Stacks of Duncansby

    22 мая 2023 г., Шотландия ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    Suzie - The ground is rock, peat and grass so it feels like a bouncy trampoline when you walk on it!!

    It's very windy and I think we saw puffins!! The view! Scotland, you are beautiful 💜🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿💜🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿💜🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿💜

    Nik - I liked this palace very much. The wide open spaces and the grass so green. The soil here is peat and feels quite strange to walk on. I felt I had to be careful of my footing.    Читать далее

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    John O'Groats

    22 мая 2023 г., Шотландия ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    Suzie - We made it to the furthest north we have ever been!! Woooooo!!!

    Very cold but I love it!! I'm definitely more suited to a northern hemisphere closer to the arctic circle climate!! I'm a snow bunny!!

    Nik - Cold. Very cold. And windy. I was very glad to go into the cafe and find a hot cup of green tea. I went into the gift shop but didn't buy anything. I wish I had...even if only to mark the most northerly part of our trip.

    There's not much here really, besides a few gift shops, the cafe, some sculpture and the famous sign post. Pretty though.    Читать далее

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK
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    Train From Inverness to York

    23 мая 2023 г., Англия ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Suzie - I love long train journeys! I really do and I have always been fascinated by trains 😀😀

    As my next trip to the UK will most probably be done mostly in a car, I'm soaking up all the train travel goodness on the 6 hour train trip from Inverness to York on the 'Highland Chieftain' LNER Azuma 7.55am from Inverness. This train's last stop is London's Kings Cross.

    Nik - The six hour trip gave us a chance to relax and take in the landscape with a hot drink and a few snacks.

    Trains are a great way to get around here however stowing your heavy luggage can be an issue. A reminder to myself of the benefits of packing light.    Читать далее

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK
    1

    York, Yorkshire

    23 мая 2023 г., Англия ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Suzie - We have checked in to our lodgings at 'The Fort' in Little Stonegate, York, where I have stayed before.

    York is still fabulous 💜💜💜💜 This was the land of the Brigantes tribe before the Romans sent the 9,th Legion to bring them.under Roman rule.

    Founded in AD 71 by the Romans and named Eboracum, it was a major hub for Roman civilisation. The headquarters of the Roman fortress is buried under York Minster. Roman emperors Hadrian, Septimus Severus and Constantius I (father of Constantine the Great) all held court here.

    After the Roman occupation declined in the 5th century, the Angles occupied.

    In the 7th century, York came under the rule of King Edwin of Northumbria and in 627 a wooden minster church was built for Edwin's baptism. It was remade in stone.

    The Vikings invaded in 866 and named the town Jorvik and became the capital Viking city in Britain.

    In 1068, William the Conqueror took over the city and began to fortify it.

    There is so much history in York!!

    We went to the Punch Bowl pub tonight in Stonegate and did speed quizzing... just like pub quiz but it works on special tablets that the quiz master has and you need to press the first letter of the answer or type the date in, or arrange the right answer; depending on the question. We came 7th 💜💜 Not bad!!

    Nik - York is beautiful. I think I am going to like it here. It has a bit of an eclectic, arty feel to it and the history is palatable. They seem to LOVE their street performers, especially those dressed as Vikings.

    Trivia at The Punch Bowl was fun. Though if cause Suzie did all the heavy lifting there.    Читать далее

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Walk Around York

    24 мая 2023 г., Англия

    Suzie - What a beautiful day!! The sun is shining, we're in York and we had a wonderful breakfast recommendation from a woman who overheard us discussing possible breakfast locations as people do not do early mornings here with most places opening at 9am or later.

    Our friend recommended The Blue Barbakan - a Polish restaurant in the Fossgate, so named as it's a street (gate) that leads and goes over the River Foss - a tributary of the River Ouse. I had a delicious spinach, garlic, cheese and mushroom omelette which was honestly the biggest I have ever seen!

    We then went to the Co-Op store and got some supplies for our last pre-booked tour to explore the Yorkshire Moors and Whitby tomorrow and we then went to the Shambles which led onto a square and the York Chocolate Shop. I left Nik there and brought the groceries back to our rooms here in Little Stonegate.

    We met back at the square and travelled to the tourist information centre for information on the York hop on hop off bus and went to Clifford Tower bus stop. We had a wonderful trip around the city and got off back at Clifford Tower and went to Coppergate.

    Clifford Tower is the keep of York Castle, the castle was built on the orders of William the Conqueror in 1068 to subdue the people in the north and this motte and bailey castle was made of wood. It was rebuilt in stone by Henry III in the 13th century.

    It was used as a prison in the 15th and 16th centuries and was an important Royalist strategic location in the English Civil War against the Parliamentarians.

    The remaining parts of the castle were again used as a prison in the 1800's when it fell into disuse. The castle is now the York Castle museum and Crown Court.

    After another bus trip, we walked back to Little Stonegate and are resting in our rooms ready for a ghost tour tonight. York is one of the most haunted places in Europe so here goes!!!!    Читать далее

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Trip to the Yorkshire Moors and Whitby

    25 мая 2023 г., Англия ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Suzie - This is our last pre-booked tour on our trip which is almost coming to a close. Less than a week from now we will be back in Brisbane.

    Today we went to the Yorkshire Dales and Moors and Whitby, a seaside village and we also travelled on a train from Whitby to Goathland on a gorgeous volunteer run train service, the Northern Yorkshire Moors Railway that runs from Whitby to Pickering.

    It was such a beautiful day and I have wanted to visit Whitby for so long. It was everything I thought it would be and it had a gorgeous carnival like atmosphere, that we had step back in time to the funfairs of yesteryear. And I bought myself some Whitby jet jewellery like I have wanted for so long 😀😀😀

    These photos are from our first stop at Hutton le Hole, a village inside the North York Moors National Park. The Old School House had the best homemade raisin scones I have had since we arrived!!

    Nik - Hutton le Hole is a pretty little town. Very green and seems like everyone knows everyone else. The little cafe we stopped in at was cute and friendly.    Читать далее

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Train Trip from Whitby to Goathland

    25 мая 2023 г., Англия ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Suzie - This was absolutely fabulous fun and there were so many people that wanted to join in on the trip!

    The train was meant to go from Whitby to Pickering, however there was a fire on the line so it wouldn't go any further from Goathland. No one was hurt, thankfully and the other passengers were catching coaches to their destinations.

    We went through one of the oldest train tunnels in the world at Grosmont station. It was pretty special and it was built in 1835 😀😀    Читать далее

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK
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    York Minster

    26 мая 2023 г., Англия ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    I have wanted to visit here for such a long time and wasn't able to go last time I was here. I first baulked at the £16 entry, but it was well worth it.

    We had a guided tour in this beautiful cathedral, visited the crypt and the undercroft which held many Roman and mediaeval treasures as part of the Minster is built on the Roman Fortress and some of the walls and roads are exposed but most is still buried underneath the Minster and under part or most of the York city centre.

    These photos honestly don't do this gorgeous building and it's treasures, justice.    Читать далее

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    The York City Walls

    26 мая 2023 г., Англия ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We travelled between Bootham and Monk Bar on the walls and saw a gray squirrel!!

    Bootham and Monk Bars are two of the four main entries into the Roman Fortress there have been gates here since AD 71. Bootham Bar is getting some work done underneath it at the minute but it's still my favourite Bar into York. Bar means 'gateway:.

    Bootham and Micklegate Bars both displayed the decapitated heads of those executed for treason.

    The Walls were built following original Roman walls, built up in the mediaeval period and the Victorians created the walkway.    Читать далее

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Last Full Day in York

    27 мая 2023 г., Англия ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Suzie - Well, all good things must come to an end, but you can bet I will be back to my beloved York when I can.

    Today, we went to the York Castle Museum, had lunch at The Golden Fleece pub (did you know that there are 125 pubs in York?!), went for a boat cruise along the River Ouse, had ice cream in the park and we have now collapsed with sheer exhaustion in our room. I'm so tired! This sun is so bright and hot and I don't know how English people can be out in it! But they are, in their droves!!!!

    Tomorrow it's London for the afternoon and night, catch the 10.05am flight from Gatwick to Dubai the next day, spend 14.5 hours in Dubai before coming back to Brisbane.

    We have dug really deep on this trip and I'm so proud of Nik and I,- we said we could and we almost have finished this epic journey that's taken us through history, to Eurovision, more history, fun, learning and teaching. Travel is character building and while I'm sad I have to leave the land of my ancestors , I know I will be back - perhaps one day to stay.

    I'm looking forward to seeing my family and friends, my own bed and starting the savings journey again for the next trip!!    Читать далее

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    York Castle Museum

    27 мая 2023 г., Англия ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Suzie - This museum is the history of Yorkshire and was the brainchild of Dr John Kirk of Pickering, Yorkshire who wanted to preserve the vanishing ways of life, especially rural life. Dr Kirk was a collector and he gifted his collection to the City of York in 1935 when it outgrew it's previous home.

    Dr Kirk's collection even allowed for a recreation of a full scale Victorian Street of York inside the museum and it was named Kirkgate. This street has the sights, sounds and smells included and it's wonderful! Visitors can even go into the stores and try on hats, obtain goods and buy sweets!

    A new exhibition opened today celebrating the rich history of the York Gypsy and Traveller Community to raise awareness and understanding of Gypsies and Travellers family groups through photography, visual art and the spoken word. It was fantastic and very informative.

    There was also a permanent exhibition on how the First World War affected Yorkshire and her people. There was even a recreation of a trench from the war.

    The museum opened on 23 April 1938 and as mentioned before, is on the site of York Castle commissioned by William the Conqueror. A prison was also built on the site in the 18th century and it was here that Dick Turpin was housed before he was hanged in 1739.

    Nik - This place was awesome and so very detailed. Of particular interest was the recreation of a York Street, complete with shop fronts, horse and carriage and ambient sounds.    Читать далее

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    River Ouse Boat Trip

    27 мая 2023 г., Англия ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Suzie - What a lovely way to round out our holiday!!!

    Nik - A cruise along the Ouse as a final farewell to York. I think York has been my favourite town on this trip. (With Chester being a close second.). So much history. I wish we had the time to visit the Jorvik Viking Centre too but we can't do everything. If I ever make it back to this part of the world again though...

    It's been a bright an sunny day. This little Aussie has found it quite amusing to see the locals strip off as they try to catch some sun...and some sunburn...pleased with themselves when their friends tell them they are starting to 'pink up bit'. Perhaps we should have stopped to sing them the Slip Slop Slap song. 🤣    Читать далее

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    Back to London

    28 мая 2023 г., Англия ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Suzie - I'm absolutely shattered!!! The plan was to go to Brighton this afternoon but after the day we've had, I will have to go next time.

    Our train was cancelled from York, so we had to get on a 4 carriage train instead of the 9 carriage one which arrived later than expected. All these people were waiting to go to London Kings Cross station; it was a mess, bags and people everywhere on the train, 4 working toilets for everyone, me next to the toilet thankfully on a fold down seat with Nik on a similar seat over the other side of the train.

    We got to London Kings Cross almost an hour after the scheduled time, the lift was broken down to the tube platform, went from there to Victoria Station, took at least 30 mins to get up the lifts to get to the Gatwick Express platform, we stood the whole way to the airport and had to ask a few times how to get to our hotel (Bloc Hotel), which is conveniently located inside the airport. But we are here and resting and for that I'm grateful!!

    Our Dubai hotel is across the road from Dubai International, so hopefully the shuttle will be easy to find! Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a room in a similarly located hotel, but you get that!!    Читать далее

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  • Suzie and Nik Do The UK

    London to Dubai

    29 мая 2023 г., Англия ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Suzie - We caught the 10.05 am from London Gatwick to Dubai International, plane got away late, cabin crew weren't very nice and we got into Dubai later than expected.

    After going through immigration, having my passport checked, asking several times where we needed to go for the shuttle and getting the run around, we finally exited where we were meant to be...at 9.30pm...into 35° heat. Oh my gods...

    Our shuttle bus finally arrived and took us to our hotel nearby (Holiday Inn Express Dubai) and we checked in.

    After a shower and something to eat, I feel a bit better.

    Nik - The flight from London left a bit late, which of cause meant our arrival in Dubai was later than expected. The flight crew on the way to London were lovely. No complaints. But the flight crew from London to Dubai I found to be on the rude side. They seemed trust if I asked for a cup of tea

    Being in Dubai...this was always the part of the trip I was dreading.

    When we originally booked the trip it was booked for a 7 hour layover in Dubai. Seven hours is not ideal, but I figured that we'd just hang around the airport and suck it up for the sake of our trip and...well, Eurovision.

    Then we got an email from Emirates with change of flight details. It would now be a 15 hour layover. Way too long to just hang around the airport after a 7 hour flight from London and a further 14 hours to Brisbane.

    Suzie tried to change our flights so we wouldn't have to be here as long, but the only option to allow for that was to leave London a day earlier. It was not ideal, especially as we had already planned, booked and paid for various accommodations. So we opted for a night in a hotel (Holiday Inn Dubai) across from the airport with a free 24 hour shuttle. It would mean a shower and a bed for a few hours. Recoup before the last long leg home.

    On arrival from London we were lost. Trying to find where we had to be to get the shuttle. We asked for directions several times. I lost count how many to be honest. One person told us through security and to door three. We get through security (which was at least a better experience than when we were doing Dubai to London) and had to ask again because we couldn't find door three to save ourselves. Then we asked someone else and we're in the wrong spot...up a level. We go there, ask someone else....no it's across this area. It just went on and on and to be honest, all but one of the people (men) we spoke to seemed put out that we had asked. We found all but one of them quite rude.

    We eventually found the shuttle stop. Waiting out in the heat (35°c at 9:30pm). We had one guy (a driver I think from a different hotel) ask what we were waiting for, in a rough, rude manner) then he hurried off when he found out we were not going to his hotel. Later, another guy (I think another shuttle guy) began to chat to us and we actually had a good chat to him. I began to relax a little before the shuttle arrived.

    We got to the hotel to book in. It was about 10:15pm at this point. We were asked if we wanted to book in for the buffet dinner. We agreed as we hadn't eaten, and paid. It was only after we paid for it that we were told it was only open for another 30 minutes. So we had to scarf our food rather quickly. I wasn't happy about that but I will say the Dahl curry, rice and salad I had was quite tasty.

    Then we found our room. (What a rabbit warren the hotel was.). It feels good to be away from people who seemed entirely too rude. The room and bed ate very comfortable. The shower was nice too.

    I can't sleep. I' m on edge.    Читать далее

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