The Bergs Take Europe

For over a year, my trip abroad with my parents felt like it was way off on the horizon. It would sometimes come up in conversation, but it always felt so far off. That is until April approached and I realized I would soon be leaving for a multi-week European vacay!

I had been to Europe a couple times previously, once for a trip in high school and then when I studied abroad in London during college. I was excited to share a place I loved with my parents who had never been there before.

England

We left Seattle on Tuesday, April 23 and landed in London on Wednesday, April 24. Of course we landed to rain and a hotel snafu, which resulted in us having to transfer to a new hotel. It was a bit of a rocky start , but we powered on.

The next day we started our day at the British Museum where we wandered around the artifacts for a few hours. That was one of my favorite activities when I studied abroad in London, and speaking of which, we also swung by my old flat which was a great trip down memory lane! We then walked to King’s Cross station where my mom and I posed in Gryffindor gear at Platform 9 3/4. That evening, we went to our next hotel where we would be later joined by our tour group and walked across Tower Bridge at sunset.

April 26 was a busy day for us. We began our day doing a Hop On Hop Off tour, which is really great way to see a city. We started by hopping off at Buckingham Palace before heading to the Natural History Museum. We spent the tour driving past the London Eye, Big Ben (which is currently under construction), Trafalgar Square, and the River Thames. We were also able to squeeze in a couple hours at the Tower of London, which always provides plenty to see. That evening, we met the rest of our tour director and group before going to a pub to have pies and beer.

Our first full day with our tour was quite busy. Just while on our coach, we visited St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace (again). We had the evening to ourselves, so my parents and I spent a couple hours at the Imperial War Museum before ending the night with dinner at St. Katherine Docks.

The next day we hopped on a train and traveled to York, a town I was lucky enough to visit when I was studying abroad. We were only going to be there for one night, so we spent most of the first day with the group on a guided tour that covered so much of the city. We learned that Kit Kats originated in York and caught a parade for St. George’s Day. On our own, we walked the town walls and got up early the next morning to squeeze in a visit of York Minister before heading off to Scotland.

Scotland

Scotland may have been my favorite place out of all three, which may come as a surprise to those who know how much I love England. First of all, as we were driving through, we were treated to the most beautiful green hills full of sheep! So many sheep! Everywhere! Secondly, we had a clear view of Edinburgh Castle sitting on the hill from our hotel room. That’s not a bad way to begin our time there. Our first evening in Edinburgh, the whole tour group went to a three course dinner at a small, intimate restaurant. My parents and I were the youngest people there, with most of the group being retired Southerners. Our group dinners allowed us the opportunity to talk to these people, get to know them, and give them a little insight on what it’s like living in the Pacific Northwest.

The next day we walked A LOT. My parents and I started our morning on our own, walking down the streets and popping into The Elephant House, the coffee shop cafe where J K Rowling started writing Harry Potter! As a fan of the books and movies, I loved it. We then joined back up with our group to visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse. It is the Queen’s official residence in Scotland and is full of history. Mary Queen of Scots used to call the palace home and was even the place of a murder! (I literally saw the blood stain on the floor.) I thoroughly enjoyed walking around the whole palace and see so much history throughout all of the rooms and on the grounds. Our tour guide then took us on the Royal Mile, which is a succession of streets going through the Old Town neighborhood, ending at Edinburgh Castle. We spent some time there before returning to our hotel room for a little rest. That evening, we went to the “Taste of Scotland Scottish Show” at historic Prestonfield. What an evening we had. We were treated to singing, haggis, dancing, and a whole lot of Scottish accents that I could not understand. My dad and I even got dragged out onto the dance floor to participate!

Overall, Scotland was an amazing experience and I’ve already mentally started planning a future return!

Wales

Our journey to Wales was a long one. We started out with breakfast in Scotland, before driving through England for lunch, then arriving in Wales in time for dinner. Our time in Wales was short and sweet. Once we arrived at our dwellings, Ruthin Castle, we were all pretty tired. It was a long day on a coach but we had to soldier on. The apparently haunted Ruthin Castle sits atop beautiful grounds, old ruins scattered about as peacocks freely wander around, sights we took in shortly after we arrived. The whole tour gathered again for another three course meal (I swear, the amount of three course meals we had was bonkers) and were treated to a talk from a Welsh guide. It’s safe to say we slept like babies that evening.

We left Ruthin Castle the next morning and made one stop in a small Welsh town before we headed back to England.

England (again)

The last stop on our guided tour trip was in Stratford-upon-Avon. Many will probably recognize that town name as it is where William Shakespeare was born and is currently buried. We started our time there visiting his birthplace and a couple little shops in the small town. I then took a solo walk to the Holy Trinity Church to see where Shakespeare was buried, and I have to say, as somebody who studied Shakespeare in school and went on to pursue a degree in writing and literature, that was pretty cool. Of course this was the one day when it absolutely dumped on us. I’m talking torrential downpour. Our coach wasn’t scheduled to pick us up for another hour or so, so we took cover under an awning with our drenched rain coats and my old umbrella.

From Stratford, we took a day trip to Stonehenge and the Cotswolds. I’ve always wanted to visit Stonehenge and it did not disappoint! It’s pretty spectacular that people were able to do way, way, way, way back in the day and that they’re rock structures are still standing. The Cotswolds were beautiful, small little quaint towns in the English countryside. My parents and I got a kick out of watching all the ducks in the small river that flowed through town.

Our last night with the tour group, we all had dinner at Susanna Shakespeare’s house where we were treated to performances from two talented Shakespearean actors. It was a lovely way to end our time with our group, eating another three-course meal and experiencing European culture. We managed to pack a whole lot in on our trip and I know I’ll be talking about this adventure for quite some time.

My parents and I stayed one extra day than everyone else in our tour group. We spent that day in Windsor, checking out the Queen’s weekend home of Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, and unexpectedly catching the changing of the Queen’s royal guard. It was a great way to end the whole trip: together, just the three of us.

Traveling is really the most rewarding gift you can give yourself. Getting out of your own bubble and experiencing new cultures, new countries, and new people will allow yourself to grow and broaden your own horizons. I’m so happy I got to go on this big adventure with my parents and I can’t wait to embark on another adventure (hopefully) very soon!