UK Trip Report: How Laura Planned a Solo, Accessible Journey at 60

Planning a trip to the UK and want to make the most of every moment? In this episode, Laura shares how she celebrated her 60th birthday with a 15-day journey across England and Scotland, combining solo adventure, accessible travel planning, and plenty of unforgettable experiences.

You’ll learn how to:
 ✅ Plan a realistic itinerary that balances sightseeing and rest
 ✅ Navigate London during busy times like Tube strikes
 ✅ Make the most of flex tickets, early entry tours and coach trips
 ✅ Travel confidently with mobility considerations
 ✅ Turn detours into highlights with the right mindset

From London’s iconic attractions and afternoon tea favourites to the dramatic Highlands and windswept beauty of Orkney, Laura’s story is packed with practical tips, inspiration, and confidence-boosting advice for travellers of all ages and abilities.

Perfect for: solo travellers, over-50s adventurers, and anyone planning a UK or Scotland itinerary.

📝 Show Notes - Episode 173

🎧 Listen to next

• Episode 123 – Family Fun in London: Cathy Stephens’ Trip Report
• Episode 161 – Top 12 Mistakes First-Time Visitors Make in London and How to Avoid Them
• Episode 142 – Exploring the Tower of London: History, Highlights, and Helpful Tips

For more information and to book a consult or video review, visit our website UK Travel Planning.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome & Laura’s 15-Day Overview
• 2:46 Why September, Faith Holidays, Timing
• 2:59 Route: London, Bucks, Glasgow, Orkney, Edinburgh
• 4:06 Beyond London: Landscapes And People
• 5:13 Solo Travel With Mobility Considerations
• 5:25 Planning Method: Lists, Podcasts, Budget
• 7:10 Staying With Friends Vs Hotels
• 9:16 London Plans: Tower, Eye, Teas, Fabric
• 11:00 Countryside Joys: Thatched Roofs & Phone Boxes
• 12:16 Choosing A Coach Tour For Scotland
• 13:28 Community Moment: Dogs And Conversations
• 14:14 Resources, Websites, And An Open Plea
• 16:27 Guides, Maps, And Train Confidence
• 18:36 Tube Strike Curveball And Workarounds
• 20:40 Tower Of London: VIP Quiet Morning
• 22:11 River To Westminster And The London Eye
• 24:26 Views, Benches, And Accessibility Wins
• 26:05 Passion For London’s Changing Skyline
• 27:20 V&A Dreams And Future Plans
• 28:53 Afternoon Teas: Fortnum’s Review
• 30:04 Photo Shoot Adventure And Belgravia
• 32:08 Serendipity At Changing Of The Guard
• 34:32 Peggy Porschen: Food, Chat, Cookbook
• 36:52 Scotland Highlights: Highlands To Street Art
• 38:30 Highland Cows, Italian Chapel, Puppies
• 40:42 Orkney Ferry, Weather, And Wonder
• 42:52 Skye Vs Orkney, Loch Ness Take
• 44:22 Edinburgh Free Time: Islander Bag
• 45:50 Pubs, Haggis, Irn-Bru, And Markets
• 47:42 Sweets, Snacks, And Dietary Needs
• 49:24 Whisky Tours, Fudge, And Desserts
• 51:17 Future Trips: Cotswolds, York, Wales
• 53:12 One Big Tip: Plan Assistance, Go Anyway
• 55:42 Ladies Who Travel Community
• 57:27 Wrap-Up, Shout-Outs, And CTAs

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:00

Dreaming of taking your own UK adventure, in this episode you'll hear how listener Laura turned her 60th birthday trip into a 15-day journey through England and Scotland, coupled with afternoon teas, train rides, and howl of cows.

SPEAKER_00: 0:12

Welcome to the UK Travel Planning Podcast. Your host is the founder of the UK travel planning website, Tracy Collins. Each week, Tracy shares destination guides, travel tips and itinerary ideas, as well as interviews with a variety of guests who share their knowledge and experience of UK travel to help you plan your perfect UK vacation. Join us as we explore the UK from cosmopolitan cities to quaint villages, from historic castles to beautiful islands, from the picturesque countryside to seaside towns.

SPEAKER_01: 0:46

Hi, I've got Laura here this week to talk all about her trip report. Now, um, Laura has been on the Global Travel Planning Podcast. Actually, I think, Laura, this episode and your episode of Stamped on the Global Travel Planner Podcast are coming out the same week. So it's like a double Laura week, which is really exciting. So if you enjoy this episode with Laura talking about a UK trip report, do pop over to the Global Travel Planner Podcast and listen to Laura's episode talking about uh travel there as well. But anyway, this episode, let's go back to it, is all about your recent trip to the UK. So I'm gonna stop gabbling on and let you introduce yourself, Laura. Tell us um where about you from, where you went in the UK, just kind of a brief overview and how long you were there for.

SPEAKER_02: 1:33

Sure. So I'm Laura Sternheim Diltz from Massachusetts near Worcester, Massachusetts. And I went on this trip in honor of my 60th birthday, and both my children are away at school. So I'm a semi-empty nester and arranged for dog care so I could easily go. And I had researched to go when it's less uh crowded but still nice, and so you know I chose September, and I went September 7th through the 22nd. It was 15 days. I would have liked to have stayed a few more days in Edinburgh than I did, but I wanted to be home in time for the beginning of Rosh Hashanah. So I had planned it accordingly and was home a day early for the Eva Rosh Hashanah, jet lagged, but I was home continuing to spend Rosh Hashanah with my one of my best friends.

SPEAKER_01: 2:27

So okay, so you kind of chose the September, you kind of knew when you're gonna go, you knew when you had to be back in the States. So tell me a little bit about your itinerary because you mentioned Edinburgh. Where where else did you go?

SPEAKER_02: 2:40

Yeah, so I started in London, then I went to only, which is near Ravenstone, to see a friend, a lifelong friend, and then I took the train to Glasgow, and then I joined a Colette coach tour and did all of Scotland all the way up to the Oakneys, back around and ended in Edinburgh, and it was so magical. And if you're gonna go to Scotland, you definitely need to go outside the cities. And I feel that way about the UK in general, even though I love London, always want to spend some time in London. I truly enjoyed my times outside the cities and being around the people and and the different landscapes and all that kind of stuff. I truly, really loved that and the trains. Thanks to Doug, I was brave enough to do trains. I loved my five hours, five and a half hours going to Glasgow on the train.

SPEAKER_01: 3:42

Oh, so you um I I love the fact that you're already saying don't just go to London. And I I understand if people are going to go to the UK for the first time and they've got a limited time and they think, right, okay, everybody wants to go to London. I know it's one of the most popular cities in the world for people to visit. Um, hence the fact we've got a whole London travel planning website, which is dedicated to London alone. But there is so much more to the UK than London. And as you say, getting out and exploring out of the cities, whether that's in Scotland, whether that's in Wales, whether that's in England, whether it's in Northern Ireland, any of the cities, just getting out of the cities and going and exploring the landscapes. Because we have such diverse landscapes. Um, you also got to the islands. I was so excited you went to Orkney because it's just amazing. But just the variety and also getting to meet lots of different people in the UK as well, which is really great because we're all, you know, there's English, there's Scottish, there's Welsh, there's Northern Irish, that we're we've all got our own accents, we all have our own um, you know, regional histories and our own um, you know, just our own quirks in idiosyncrasies depending on where we come from. Um, you know, I'm Northern, proudly Northern, I'm from Northumberland. So I just love the fact that you you you got out and you did that. Um, and you you planned part of the chip was independently and you were traveling um solo. So I'm gonna say as well. So, you know, solo travel, fantastic. You know, being able to do that at any stage of life is fantastic. Going out in there and just doing it. And also, I am gonna mention, I'm sure you won't mind me saying that you have got some mobility issues as well. So you've had to kind of plan about uh uh those sort of um, you know, those those needs and things that was on the train challenges, that's a good word, yeah. So let's talk a little bit about kind of how you put it together because you have that kind of solo bit where I know you're taking the trains and and um I know Doug's Doug helps you with that, and then you picked up this tour um around Scotland. So kind of how did you how did you put it together?

SPEAKER_02: 5:41

Well, I started two years ago. So what I had on my itinerary, plus I've listened to every one of your podcasts at least three or four times, and that's how I found you originally because I'm dyslexic and I hate to read. So, I mean, I can read, I have a master's degree, but I much rather listen and I have an oral memory, so I can remember chunks of your podcasts, like I could regurgitate them to you. Um so you would talk about something and I would look at it and I'd put it on the list, and then I take it off the list, and I have a whole bucket list of more places I want to go in the UK, and I always want to go to the UK, so I have a whole nother trip I want to already do, but it probably won't be till at least 2007 because but because I'm I've got a whole bucket list of places at some point. So I made lists, I listened, I researched, I re-evaluated. To be honest, I tried to find a friend to go with. Talked to eight different people, some local, some in other parts of the United States. I I'm a networker and I have friends from all parts of my life, and many people were interested, but for various reasons, it wasn't working out. And because I had a friend drop dead at age 56, uh, who I was originally going to go to Scotland with, I told my mother I wasn't waiting anymore and I was doing this either alone or uh no matter what, I was doing it because life's too short and I'm doing this. And I I mean I saved two years' tax returns to pay for most of it. And uh like originally I added going to Greenwich because you talk so fondly about Greenwich. But in the end, I said I would need more time in London if I was going to do Greenwich because I really wanted to see my friend that lives in Ravingstone near only Buckinghamshire. So and originally I was looking at hotels, but I reached out to my friends that live in Britain and they offered to put me up. So I changed my itinerary slightly because of that. And to me, I'm prioritizing my friends in the world. So almost all my trips this year, I'm connecting with friends from different parts of my life. So in London, out on the Jubilee line in zone three, I stayed with my friend Chris. Our fathers worked together at the University of Massachusetts, they both were physicists. And Chris and his family moved back to Australia when he was nine and I was 12. But our families went camping together, hiking together. So we've stayed in touch our whole lives. So he and his brother live in the UK and have married Brits. So their mom still lives in Melbourne. And I reached out and said, I'm coming to England. And he says, Well, just let me know. And I said, Well, I'm looking at fall or Christmas, because this is when I was still planning, and then I nailed it down more to September. And he says, Well, stay with us. I said, Are you sure? Because I was about to pay for an add-on pre-trip to London, not because I wanted the add-on activities, but because it made the hotel package was an incredibly good price, and it was really good hotels in the center of London. So I was planning to skip most of the touring they were doing because this is my fourth trip, it was my fourth trip to the UK, and I've done a lot of stuff, and I didn't really want to do some of it, but I wanted to be in London and do my own thing. You know, so but he said, no, stay with me. I'm like, well, that's a no-brainer. I wanted to see him anyway. So I stayed with Chris and his family, got to meet his children, his wife, spent more time with them because he had started a new job. Originally, one of the things I added to my itinerary, because he wanted to do it, and he's lived in London for 20 years and never been to the Tower of London. Now I've been to the Tower of London, but it was in my 20s. So I said, okay, I'll do the Tower of London. Now I hadn't bought the ticket that I really wanted to that you recommend with walks, because by the time he said, I can't do it, go ahead and buy one on your own. I couldn't do the VIP early entry one, but I did a regular two and a half hour early entry one, and I'm glad I did. But that was one tour that I wasn't originally doing, but he had wanted to. So glad I went, totally enjoyed it. But again, that wasn't originally on my list. So my itinerary changed based on what I was doing. I knew I wanted to do afternoon teas. I knew I wanted to go to Liberty of Lemon to buy fabric. Oh, yes. I knew I wanted to do the London Eye, and I originally wanted to do the hop on, hop off bus, which when we get into the more details, I'll tell you. And then I knew I wanted to see my friend Mary, who is my exchange friend. Now I'm in 4-H, which is the equivalent of young farmers in the UK. As a teenager, my family hosted many equivalent farmers from around the world in our home for a few weeks. From the UK, Costa Rica, Germany, lots of places. So Mary and another girl stayed in our home. And every time I've been to the UK since, Mary has come to meet me wherever I was. And then, well, we went to afternoon tea in Northamptonshire, and I sent you the link to it. And then we went to an Indian restaurant in the town next to hers. And my favorite part of besides catching up with her, was she took me for a drive in the countryside, which was gorgeous, but we happened to go through thatched roofs, houses with thatched roofs, and telephone booths in the middle of nowhere, but it was like for that neighborhood. And I took pictures of mailboxes and phone booths throughout the UK because they're iconic. And it just made me smile because they seem to be like sometimes in the middle of nowhere. It just cracked me up where these phone booths were. There were some that were now lending libraries. It was just it's just a fun thing that's unique to the UK, and it just made me smile when I saw these different phone booths and stuff. And it also meant I was already on the train uh same train route I needed to go. So that kind of affected my DIY part of my um a tour. And then because of logistics to do Scotland on my own, first of all, I don't want to drive. The amount of energy it would take to plan all that, I started looking at different tours and picked one that would work for me that was considered easy pace. I did work with a travel agent to help with that. I looked for a f at a few separate from that and chose that one because every day we had free time in the tour. So it always took us places, but then I had time on my own because I like to be able to do my own thing. But it meant I didn't have to figure out how to get to point A to point B. The transportation was figured out. I didn't have to figure out did I need to buy an early ticket to do XYZ to get in to see this castle, that castle. I didn't have to figure out breakfast and dinner because most of the breakfasts and dinners were included, and that way it was all paid for. So that's why, and I do all kinds of travel. So it was a way to do like a hybrid approach for myself. Is that the dog? Yes, I'm sorry. He's running something outside, and I don't have much. Oh, well, he's a little um Jack Russell.

SPEAKER_01: 13:26

Well, we're not gonna cut that out because this is real life. So Ryan, this is Ryan's my editor, so everybody listen to the podcast, we'll even in well, even in Matza, because then he has a guest slot on the on the podcast.

SPEAKER_02: 13:37

Yeah, so I also took pictures everywhere I went of all Brits love their dogs. I have pictures of all these dogs, and I asked every time may I take a picture of a dog and they're like, sure. And I'd learn the name and I'd get to love them up. So because I like as my mother yells at me for talking to strangers, I love talking to strangers.

SPEAKER_01: 13:55

So well, you know, talking to strangers and talking to a stranger with a dog as well. I mean, there's a there's a great reason to start a conversation. I think that's always the thing when you you see a cute dog walking past. Exactly. So I know you used a lot of our resources to to help plan the itinerary, which is great because you're a member of our obviously you've mentioned the podcast, which is great. You know, I am I was a a teacher and I'm I'm kind of aware that everybody has different learning styles. So the kind of listening thing with a podcast, I know it appeals to so many people, and it's just you know, you can listen to me when you go for a walk, you can listen to me when you drive your kids to school, which I've heard drives kids bomb me saying, Oh not Tracy again. Um you can listen to me at the gym. You can listen all the time, it's great. Um, and those of you who enjoy the reading, and actually I met a lovely lady today who's a big fan of the website. She loves reading through the website.

SPEAKER_02: 14:43

Well, I did go to the I did also go to your website to get more details of things. You know, it's a wealth of information. People need to go to your different websites. They're they're excellent.

SPEAKER_01: 14:54

Well, I will I will actually just gonna be give a big shout out there. So is that um, and I'm gonna I'm actually gonna appeal to everybody who's listening to this podcast to really do me a massive, massive favor because we have been we are being hit constantly by the developments in AI. We are being hit constantly by the the AI overviews that that that search engines like Google are now using, um, and it's having a massive impact. Now we provide a huge amount of resources out there, the podcast, the website, uh we've got the Facebook group for for everybody to use, but we need you to use them. We need you to go on our website. And if you enjoy the podcast, go and check out the website, go and look at our articles because it helps us to survive. Because I'm I'm not I'm serious when I say this, and I'm not joking that um without everybody's support and help, we're not gonna be around in the next couple of years. We're just not gonna be able to do it because it's like a brick wall is being built between our resources and what we do and and you guys. Um, and that brick wall, you won't even be able to see us. People won't even, you know, you guys have found us, but eventually people aren't aren't even gonna see us because it's gonna be a brick wall dividing what we have got and and you guys wanting that stuff. Um, and it's just all and if you know, you all you're gonna get is AI and and not the genuine, you know, Doug and I love the UK, we know the UK like the back of our hands. Um, and if you want that kind of community as well, come and join the UK travel plan and family um and connection, you we're gonna lose that. So, so and uh that's a bit of an impassioned plea from me there, Laura, but I I think that's a good time to put it in.

SPEAKER_02: 16:32

But it's it's really worth it, and you have you update your newsletters and um like I love that you have one on the best places to take pictures of the phone booths, for example. I just um, or your you know, your favorite pubs or the history of pubs, or I love that you have the links for the afternoon teas that you vetted that you say are excellent, you know. So I listened to your podcast, but then I would look at the materials to be able to plan accordingly. And then obviously I purchased some of your some of your resources, your planning map, Doug's ebook on train travel, which gave me the confidence to do the train travel, and your uh introductory planning guide to London. I I think those are the three that I I purchased. Um, and I wouldn't hesitate recommending or purchasing them. They're high quality, easy to use, and make it very helpful. And if I was doing a more complex DIY trip, I would have definitely paid for a consult with you. But I felt I could handle London on my own. But if I had really wanted to do Scotland on my own, there's no way I would do it without talking to you and Doug to make sure I got it right. Because I am a planner and I like to leave things a little bit flexible, but I want all the things I worry about planned out.

SPEAKER_01: 17:57

Yeah, well, I I and I I mean that's what we do. I guess when whatever the video one, if we do a video, kind of somebody's got a uh an itinerary already and they they they send us to go over, we do that by video, and then obviously we'll offer the one-to-one so we we can chat through which really works. But but also, and I think it's really key, um, you you were traveling by train, and we're gonna talk a little bit about the transportation because you um you were traveling by train, um, and I know you were very incredibly nervous about the train and um taking the train, but I know that Doug Doug also, I know there was a messaging going on with Doug trying to reassure you as well about kind of booking assistance and stuff like that, um, and you bought the book. But um, how did you find your experiences? Did you feel I know that that you were you felt prepared for it and the fact that you actually did it as well before you had that kind of confidence from the resources, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 18:46

Yeah, and and you had told me to mention about the tube strike. So, right before I left, after two years of planning, there was all these news alerts about the tube strike, and you guys also give an alert on your Facebook pages. So that's another reason for people to sign up for that because if you're if it's not on your radar, you guys always talk about that stuff and give suggestions for plan B's and that kind of thing. So about a week before, I reached out to I had already arranged for XFA cars for transport from the airport and then from my friend's house to the Houston station because I knew I cannot handle two carry-on suitcases and a medium-sized suitcase and my cane, and I don't want to injure myself. And to be honest, Riz's prices are excellent, and I told him he was more affordable than getting to Boston, and I meant it. I, for a shared, I have to do a shared van from where I live. It's more expensive than a private vehicle with Riz. So if people are questioning, I'm telling you, you know, city to city, his services are excellent. So I reached out to him. We actually had a phone call on the WhatsApp. We we agreed on what he made several suggestions, one of which I wish I could have afforded, where I would just have a car like private uh, well, I don't know if it's on call, but mine, you know, for the whole day. Couldn't afford that. I would love to, but that was like way out of mine. So we ended up doing a ride in and a ride out of the city, and I walked in between. I urge people, even if they're not mobile challenged, to make sure they get in shape. I walked one to two miles, two to three times a week and did chair yoga for over a year, and I've lost over 30 pounds. So I would never have been able to make it in this trip without doing that, because once I got into the city every day, I was walking like seven to ten miles, easy, probably more, because when I go to New York City, I walk that, and that's with using the subway system and taxis. So the day I went to the Tower of London and did the London Iron stuff, I got there about 45 minutes early. Um, I had to be there for 8 45. So many people were having trouble getting there. For the walks tour I had signed up for, which was the the gentleman I was talking to said they had seven people, 17 people. Only three of us showed up. Wow. Uh so we had a private tour. I'm telling you, the Tower of London was like empty. Like empty. Like I could have talked to a beef eater for an hour. You know, by the time I left, okay, there were a few more people, but everything, the jewels, I went around it six times. I could have gone around, I could have looked at them for an hour. I remember waiting in line in my 20s. Yeah. Now in my 20s, they didn't have the moving sidewalk thing. It was empty, Tracy. I mean, empty. I mean, maybe a hundred people in there.

SPEAKER_01: 21:47

It was not see that this the there's advantages and disadvantages of tube site. Disadvantages, obviously, trying to get around was really, really difficult, and uh that threw a lot of people out. Um, hopefully that don't do it again because it's the worst. But obviously, then it also meant that because you had booked with Riz and you were getting all this transport, you got all these places and nobody in them. Right, but then I also walked miles.

SPEAKER_02: 22:10

I mean, I couldn't use an Uber. So I ended up just right after the tour getting on the boat um and taking it down to Westminster. And um highly recommend it. It's lovely, it's another way to see parts of the city, the shard and the and the bridge and all the different architecture, and they actually do a little narrative while you're on it, so they're telling you little tidbits. And then I had done a flex ticket for the London Eye because um on one of your podcasts, the grandmother with the two granddaughters that love the um cats talked about the flex ticket. So I said, okay, I'm gonna do the flex ticket. Um, and then walked across from Big Ben and uh Param Lint across the bridge to the London Eye side, and I went up to where you you know you do your ticket. There was no line, Tracy. Again, nothing. Nobody there too. I said, I have a flex ticket and I had reserved 315, but I'm early. Can I go? He's like, no problem. I think he would have let me go even if I didn't have the flex ticket. I'm telling you, there was nobody. I walked the ramp up to it. We're talking like two minutes. I was on a in a pod with two other people, a mother and daughter that were in that were from oh god, it starts with an M. I can't think of the name of the town. But they were in the city for the day and they decided to do a touristy thing after they did whatever business thing they needed to do.

SPEAKER_01: 23:45

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 23:46

I couldn't believe the pod was empty.

SPEAKER_01: 23:48

I was like, Well, you're you know, do you know how many times I've been on the London Eye? I can't count how many times I've been in the London Eye. I've never been on it without like being quite a few people in the pod. So you were you were really lucky. See, so I say there was some there was some upsides to this then.

SPEAKER_02: 24:02

Yeah, oh I mean it was amazing, and they took my picture, I took their picture. So, you know, yes, it was a 30-minute circle thing. I love it. I love the London, it was just amazing, and so I you have to appreciate moments. I understood the magnitude of the blessing of the tube strike that day numerous times and said, hot dang, I'm really lucky. You certainly were. And then afterwards I got an ice cream from an ice cream truck, and then I messaged for my ride to go back to my friend's house because I was exhausted by that point. My ice cream was my lunch that day.

SPEAKER_01: 24:43

Can I can I can I briefly interject as well? Because um, because I have I have heard I have heard other people who who um do stuff about London um really being quite um oh, what's the word? Complimentary complimentary, thank you, Laura. I should just say to everybody, it is quite late at night at the moment, so when I'm recording, so I think my brain's uh it caught yeah, so not very complimentary about the London Eye. I love the London Eye. Now I can remember going to London when I was about the first time I went, I was about seven, and the tallest thing in London at that point was the BT Tower, which is tiny now. It's and I remember my dad pointing it out it was like a big thing, BT Tower, which honestly you you wouldn't even see it, it's so small these days. And to me, um, you know, London is about changes, it's not, it's the this the the history of London is in the buildings, and it doesn't matter if it's a new building where in in London, because that is London. London is about over the centuries, you know, when when places were bombed in World War II, then then new buildings have gone in the place, all that sort of stuff. And the London Eye to me is exactly that, it is London. So this, oh, it's an eyesore. No, to me, it's not an eyesore. So that's my first point. I'm gonna say to me, it's not an eyesore, it belongs there. And also, you just get the best view from the London Eye of the Thames. You can see the Thames, you see how it kind of winds around, and the Parliament building is so cool.

SPEAKER_02: 26:11

You see the whole thing, the you know, you see the whole layout of it.

SPEAKER_01: 26:15

Yeah, you get you see the House of Parliament, you see you see the Elizabeth Tower before anybody tells me because I always get tall. Big Bent, Elizabeth Tower, whatever. You see that, you see the the the red buses going across Westminster, uh Westminster Bridge. Um, you see the Uber boats going down the Thames, you just get this fantastic bird's eye view of London, and I'm gonna see the massive how big it really is.

SPEAKER_02: 26:41

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. I mean, to be honest, it's because of your passion for the London Eye and other people's raving about it that I decided to do it. Now, I do have to preface one of the things I asked in the Facebook group, because I was very worried, because I can't stand still because of my back injury for very long. So I said, Is there seats in the London Eye? And when you said yes, there's a bench, that's when I decided I could do it. Otherwise, 30 minutes in that kind of thing, I couldn't have done standing. And I know you said, Oh, but they're often, you know, people are sitting in them. Well, I have a cane and I have no problem saying, excuse me, but I need a seat. Now I have to say the Brits are very accommodating and everybody always said, Oh, please take this seat. Can I help you? Always. But I have no qualms of politely speaking for my need, but I didn't have to worry about it because again, I was in the pod with two other people. I could have laid down on it.

SPEAKER_01: 27:41

Plenty of places to sit, Laura. Plenty of places to sit.

SPEAKER_02: 27:46

The three of us could have laid down on the seat.

SPEAKER_01: 27:50

Oh dear. I'm supposed to let you go around. You could have done by the sounds of it. It's hardly anybody on it. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really am. And look, I mean, I sometimes feel on the podcast I do talk with passion about the things that I love because I can talk about the things that I love. So I share them, like the VA, you know, like the the ceremony of the keys, like all the things that I I really a lot of those items I originally wanted to do, but for various reasons I had to pick and choose.

SPEAKER_02: 28:18

Like I really would have liked to have gone to the VA, but I knew that was more walking. And I'm like, oh, I gotta there like that was a backup plan. If the weather was bad, I would change what I was doing and go there. Because I love Art Deco. I love Art Deco, and I know architecture there's Art Deco.

SPEAKER_01: 28:37

So Right, well, I'm gonna say next time, next time you're in London, if I'm in London, we are gonna go the VA for the day. We'll go, we'll sit in the cast courts because I always want to go in the cast period.

SPEAKER_02: 28:49

I want to go in the cast period. Right.

SPEAKER_01: 28:50

Well, we'll go in the cast courts, and then I can have my kind of hour in the cast courts absorbing all of the history. I just love everybody knows I love the cast courts, and then we'll go and have lunch and enjoy the cafe and the art deco. So we'll do that.

SPEAKER_02: 29:03

And I also wanted to do the um the fashion, the the one exhibit I wanted to do was all the fashion.

SPEAKER_01: 29:10

And the jewelry. You've got to do the fashion and the jewelry.

SPEAKER_02: 29:12

So and then the other thing that I really wanted to do when I was in London was afternoon teas. So I researched not only what you said, but I watched YouTube reviews on on afternoon teas. And so I chose the famous traditional one at Fortnite Mason at the Diamond Jubilee tea salon. Oh my god, this gentleman was playing the grand piano. It was so beautiful. The sandwiches and the scones were good. The top tier of the pastries they need to improve, and I did say that in an evaluation to them. The chocolate pastry, the mousse pastry was good, but the arrests were eh. Their sandwiches were amazing. The atmosphere was amazing, and of course, their tea is amazing. And the service, it's lovely. Highly recommend going. They just need to improve the top tier of the of the afternoon tea there. And then the other afternoon tea, which you have to go to if you haven't, the best amazing food was at Peggy Portions. Now, the day that I went to Peggy Portions, I also had us um a photo shoot from um your favorite uh Scallion studio scal Scalion Scallion Scalin' Scalin Studios. And I didn't have Dommy, but I had her employee Jean. And poor Jean was late getting to me because she ended up having to take use three of those bicycles to get to me because three of them broke. I said, I hope you're gonna complain. She says, Yep, the chain broke. This the tire went flat. And she's texting me, she says, I'm sorry I'm late. I said, I'm here when you get here. Please do not panic on my account. Just take the time you need. It took her instead of whatever, you know, normally in the tube, it would take a few minutes. She had planned ahead, but three bicycles had broken. Oh my goodness. Yeah. And then part of what we wanted to do, she said, I can't really do all the spots you want because the tube's down and we can't get to part of it. I said, That's fine. We'll do something else. So that's how, besides the iconic with um Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben and the phone booth, which she did manage to get, and I sent you the picture. Big Ben, the phone booth, and a bus all in the same picture. I was so excited because that's totally iconic, and she managed to catch me in it. And we did all I had so much fun doing the photo shoot. That was a splurge to myself for my 60th birthday. I had paid for my daughter to have her senior photo shoot. It's a thing in the United States. I said, Well, I paid one for her. I'm doing this. I had so much fun, and I have lovely pictures, definitely worth doing. I don't know if I would do it again next time because it was a lot of money, but I had so much fun and the pictures are amazing. I get compliments on all the pictures. So I might budget to do it again and do a different area.

SPEAKER_01: 32:08

It was just so and also travel and solo, Laura. I was gonna say, like travel and solo, how do you get how do you get those photos? Because you have to stop somebody in the street and hope they're gonna not gonna run off via phone um to take the pictures, but you have them professionally taken, so I think it's uh I just do a lot of selfies.

SPEAKER_02: 32:51

Oh, I'm glad it was with the money. Do you not dealt well worth every cent. And I had so much fun doing it. And um, so we ended up walking over to Buckingham Palace, and I didn't realize I didn't remember all the gardens there. You know, it's funny what you remember, your brain remembers. So I got to see Buckingham Palace from further away in a view that I don't remember. And I've been to Buckingham Palace every time I've been to the UK, but it just was different. Now it was crowded, and there was a lot of um press because Harry had come to visit to reconcile with his brother and his father. So there was this all this buzz. And I didn't know that, but I said to the reporter, because there were cameras, I said, What's going on? He says, Well, nothing at the moment. He was so funny with his accent and probably some British swear. He says, But this is what we're waiting for. I said, Oh, thank you. Okay, yeah. But I laughed. Yeah, I don't remember exactly what he said, but he he it was definitely a British, like sarcastic swear kind of comment. And um have beautiful pictures with the flowers in the gardens. And then we walked to the park that's between where the palace is and it's the other, I can't think of what's at the other end. That park that's in between the other St.

SPEAKER_01: 34:14

James's Park or Green Park? Well St. James's Park. Well, you walk in between to get from one end to the other. It'll be St. James's Park. Yeah. Did they have the Pelicans and you can yeah, you've got the bridge and the you've got the great views of London Line. St. James's Park. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02: 34:28

So originally I wasn't going there, so we took some pictures in that park, and then we went to walk back. Now there's a lot of crowds and there's barricades, but people are walking back and forth. When we got back, the policeman said, I'm sorry, you're nobody's allowed to cross. And I said, Oh, why? He says, Well, the crossing of the guard is about to happen. I'm literally at the barricade, the police officer. And I said, Well, how long will we be here? Oh, I don't know. It might be 15 minutes until it happens. I said, Well, how long is it? Oh, okay. So I said to Gene, I guess we're watching the changing of the car. Right in front of me. Like if I had planned it, and the reason I skipped it, because I don't like crowds, I don't want to have to stand still. I could lean on the barricade right in front of me, have great pictures, got to hear the music, got to see the horses. I'm like, okay, embrace this amazing moment. You know, and I was there because again, the tube strike and I had to change what I was doing. And we had decided to go that way because then I'd be walked half the way to um the neighborhood in Belgravia where Peggy Portions is, and I was gonna have to walk there anyways. So by doing the photo shoot that way, I was half where I needed to go. And originally I was gonna try to get on a bus, but none ever came. So Jean, this is after her a lot of time. She's like, I'm not letting you walk another mile or two alone. I'm walking with you. So she walked me all the way to Peggy Portions to make sure I got there. I mean, this young lady did not need to do that. She's from the Ukraine, she's an immigrant. It's her second career. She was a dancer and then went to photography school because she wasn't going to be able to dance. She's 28. She wasn't knew she physically wasn't going to be able to dance anymore. Lovely, enjoyed getting to know her. And I made it to Peggy Portions. But I highly recommend you've got to go to Peggy Portions, the most amazing food. And I was early. So I said, Well, I have a reservation, but I had to walk because of the tube. Is it possible? Can you see me early? And they're like, Are you Laura? I'm like, yes. She says, Well, as long as you don't mind being in the back room. So they put me in the back room. Well, Peggy's husband was working on his computer in the back room. It was a dining room, but it's not the prime location. To be honest, I loved it because I had the whole space to myself. So talk to him for an hour. He clearly didn't really want to work that hard. So I learned that he's also a chef, and he's in charge of all the savory parts of the menu. Every bite of that, I chose the vegan menu because I I remember I was going to do several teas, and I'd already done the traditional menu at Fort New Mason, and I was doing another traditional afternoon tea with my friend Mary. So I wanted something different. And the vegetable sandwiches, there was um a beetroot with avocado, a hummus one, amazing. And the scones, they were hot, and then she's a pastry sift, so the pastries were amazing. I ate one of them there and took the rest home to my friend's house. They were actually gluten-free and part of his family's celiac, so I shared them with him. Amazing. And I also bought the cookbook. I collect cookbooks because and because I like reading them for fun. I I would definitely go back there again. Like that was one of the best meals. I know you asked later about food. That was some of the best food of my trip.

SPEAKER_01: 38:02

Can it can I tell you that I've actually not been to I have not been to Peggy Portion, right? Now I really want to get to Peggy Portion, and I think I've emailed them a few times because there's the thing that you can do, like to the PR saying, I'd like to come and you know, like take some photos and and have it some food or whatever. And they they kind of from what I gather, they pick who they who they feel is the best people to respond to. Or I guess we're talking the kind of influencers, maybe the people on Instagram who have 25 million followers. Clearly, I'm not an influencer enough.

SPEAKER_02: 38:33

But you definitely need to, you know, they now have they have a thing, they have a breakfast tea with you. Like, um, I don't know if you like breakfast, but like you can pick a breakfast food item to go with. It's like an afternoon breakfast.

SPEAKER_01: 38:48

I'm I'm waiting for the invite from Peggy Portion because I'm actually gonna say to Peggy Portion, like I I it's like nearly 600,000 people don't listen on our podcast. Not enough of an influence.

SPEAKER_02: 39:00

So I'm just I'm waiting for the invite. I mean, and for people to know, if you don't make a reservation, you can walk in to buy their pastries and stuff.

SPEAKER_01: 39:10

Well, I need to. I need to. I need I really need to.

SPEAKER_02: 39:13

It's just of of the afternoon teas, and I I toyed with the other one I would like to go back is the one at the shard, because one for the view, but I love I've seen where they the ship and they make the um, I'm assuming it's dry ice where they pour the dry ice.

SPEAKER_01: 39:30

Yeah, that Doug and I've done that one. We loved that one because not only do you get a good afternoon tea, you get a great view, like you say, from the shard. I'll I'll look at the phone.

SPEAKER_02: 39:38

But there's also an Asian-themed one, something uh at the shard in the Asian, yeah. There's another restaurant that's like that one appeals to me because I love Asian food. I don't know what that one is, but I I saw that there is an afternoon tea at an Asian restaurant in the shard.

SPEAKER_01: 39:54

There are there are there are so many afternoon teas. I'll try to keep up with them. I think there's a whole dedicated website just for afternoon teas. Um I I I much as and I do get invited quite often to afternoon teas. I did do um a couple when I was back last time. Um, but but again, it's it's one of those things like you there's only so many afternoon teas you can do. Well, one a day, preferably, if I'd actually had a choice. Um You better bring stretchy pants. I know. That that's another problem as well. It's like I have to be careful how many afternoon teas I do have. Um because but I don't like scones, which is always a big thing for everybody. I'm not a big scon fan. Uh I I like a cheese scon, but I don't like a sweet scon. So I can judge it based on the savory stuff, is my favorite. The savory is is definitely my top thing on afternoon tea, and a good cup of tea.

SPEAKER_02: 40:39

Well, I don't know, I know you've been to the Diamond Jubilee tea. You know, they have a savory afternoon tea menu.

SPEAKER_01: 40:45

Yeah, savory afternoon tea is all the way is my thing. Absolutely. Yeah, okay, so so to just do a kind of quick overview of everything in terms of your favorite things that you did, because we've talked quite a lot about about London, but obviously you did quite a bit in Scotland too. And I know you went you were in Glasgow um for a couple of days. You you did some stuff solo because I know you you kind of talked to us a little bit about different places to eat. Um, but talk about kind of your favorite experiences in and places that you were we went to in Scotland.

SPEAKER_02: 41:17

Yeah, I apologize, but we started with the beginning in Richard. So my favorite, well, Doug would be on this totally the ride to Scotland. Definitely part of my favorite piece, just seeing the countryside. The street art in Glasgow and Glencoe, the breathtaking landscapes. Just just be it's so beautiful and magical. The Highlands. You have to go to the Highlands. Um my favorite castle that I went to was Ukart. Ukhart? Urkit. Erkit. Inverness, the town of Bora. Getting to see Highland Highland Koo.

SPEAKER_01: 41:56

Yeah, Highland Koos.

SPEAKER_02: 41:58

Oh, the Highland Koo, which is not really the most popular cows for raising, and most of them are a tourist um attraction. So one place our coach stopped, we could buy vegetables to feed them to take pictures with them, and they were they told us they could eat their weight in vegetables. And I I did farming, so in Australia and the UK, Highland cows are huge compared to other cows. I mean, they're just huge, but so adorable. We ran into more Highland cows at this historic site from World War II of Italian prisoners. They bought brought they built a chapel.

SPEAKER_01: 42:48

Oh, it's on Orkney. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 42:49

Yeah, it's on Oakney. And um, there was more Highland cows there.

SPEAKER_01: 42:54

And there was that's the Italian chapel on Orkney, yeah. Right next to the chapel.

SPEAKER_02: 42:59

Yeah, but they were actually, those weren't tourist ones, that was like some farmers. So there was um a mom and a dad and a baby. Now the baby was huge, but the baby came over to the water trough that was near the fence. He wanted people to pet him and rub his ears. It was so darn cute. That was when he did the other thing that I, you know, that was part of the tour, and I did look up where we went was the sheepdog demonstration. And I sent you a picture because the gentleman who did the demonstration, and I'm familiar with sheepdogs because I worked with them. It was fun seeing the demonstration, but he brought he went to get puppies, he brought them out in a bucket, a bucket full of puppies. So darn cute. And I was at that point, I was sitting on a tree stump because I can't stand that long, and he knew I was off to the side. He came over to me first and handed me a puppy, and the whole rest of our tour group, there was 40 of us that I traveled with, went aww. And so then he passed them out. Well, there was another puppy that walked over to me. So I I have this one puppy who's licking me and getting loved up, and another fellow traveler was taking a picture, was whining, so I ended up holding two puppies. Aww. It was lovely, and then I really loved the ferry ride to the oak knees. Now you definitely need your motion sick patch behind the ear and the acupuncture bracelets. If you I get every kind of motion sick, so I totally empathize with your husband, and I made sure I was out in the air and not underneath, and I was fine with the patch, and you have to put the patch on several days before. It was really choppy, and I've done a lot of boats and stuff. At one point, I held on to one of my fellow companions because I swear I thought I was gonna fall off the bench. It was that choppy, and we went to Kirkwall, St. Ola, and we had another local guide there, and we went got off the coach and walked around the church 70 mile an hour winds. I almost fell. Another traveler helped me not fall. I could not believe the wind. And I'm like, are we gonna be able to get back to our hotel? We got to take a ferry back. And some of the coaches from other companies that day didn't make it back because our tour guide said what they had to do. Other companies they had to try to find lodging for people overnight. And I thought, without luggage, medicine, all this, but we managed to get back. But so highly recommend the oakneys plan accordingly worth worth it for the choppiness, and I definitely would want to go back. It was just everything there was so amazing, and I'm glad I went to the Isle of Sky, but the Oakneys, I would say top down more than the Isle of Sky. Loch Ness, okay. I went to Loch Ness, eh, take it or leave it. I mean, the water was lovely. I did take my picture with this, you know, the statue Loch Ness. But I'm telling you, the Oakneys, people have to go all the way up there. They plan, take a tour, go.

SPEAKER_01: 46:18

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Go to the Highlands, go to the far north.

SPEAKER_02: 46:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 46:22

Um, go over to the Orkney Islands. Um, I'd like to go to Shetland. I haven't been up to Shetland even further. Um, the Scottish Islands are fantastic, you know, and and I know everybody heads to Edinburgh and and Edinburgh and Edinburgh. Um, it's like in sky, sky, we always hear about sky, but there's just so much more. It's a bit like you know, heading to London and and just go to London and maybe the Cottswalds and maybe Bath is so much more.

SPEAKER_02: 46:43

Do you know what I'm saying? I loved every minute of the whole trip. I'm just saying, go to some other places that aren't as popular. No, yeah, yeah, no, I agree. I agree. Um I wish I had more time in Edinburgh. And I did do, I want to make sure I mention, and I know you have a link for it, is to do the Icelander bag workshop.

SPEAKER_01: 47:04

Oh, yes, yeah, the Islander bag, yep.

SPEAKER_02: 47:06

Now, I mean I I made a bag, it's a gift for somebody, so I don't want to say more than that, but it was so much fun. Highly recommend it if you like bags, if you like doing workshops, it's worth it's worth it. So I did that on my own because I had free time in Edinburgh.

SPEAKER_01: 47:24

Yeah, yeah, I did I did that in January this year as well on my own because Doug didn't want to go and make a bag, so I went off a mate and it was good fun. I enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_02: 47:31

Yeah, yeah, so highly recommend that. But I don't think there's a wrong thing to do in the Highlands. I mean, even though I'm uh I was on a coach or but I love just sitting and watching the scenery. And I'm glad I didn't have to drive. I mean, as a solo traveler, I'm not driving. Yeah, logistics-wise, I'm not gonna do it.

SPEAKER_01: 47:52

Oh, hey, when I go back, I go with Doug, and he drove, he does the driving. I I get to see the scenery, he gets to do the driving. That's the agreement.

SPEAKER_02: 47:59

Yeah, um, I mean, and I love seeing all the animals. I did list for you in my notes, all the hotels we stayed at were lovely. So even though I didn't pick them, they were all lovely for different reasons. So I gave you the list of that, and then I gave you a list of restaurants because um my favorite meals were the two pub meals. Pubs have excellent food. So even if you don't drink, and I'm not a big drinker. I had one pint of lager with my friends outside of London at their pub, which I gave you. It's in Kilborne, the Black Lion in Kilbourne. It's an Indian fusion pub, so it's think of pub food with Indian spices. The most amazing lamb chop appetizer. I'm dreaming about that lamb chop. You know, I was with, and what was lovely is people had their dogs inside the pub. I was uh I was just so I I obviously I'm a dog lover. I just thought it was wonderful that the dogs were allowed in. Yeah, and in Glasgow, our first night we were at um a pub, um the Gale and Grain or Gale Gale G-A-E-L and Grain. Gale pub. Yeah, Gale and Grain. Yeah, and I had Haggis, the turnip and potatoes. I always remember can't remember the names of it.

SPEAKER_01: 49:18

Yeah, Haggis, nips, and teddies.

SPEAKER_02: 49:20

Yeah, amazing. And because your husband always raves about iron brew, I had the sugar zero, because I'm diabetic. I am brew. Loved it, wish we had it here. The way I would describe it to Americans is think of cream soda with a tropical twist. That's how I would describe the flavor. So I had I am brew many times while I was in Scotland, and my dog walker's son is a bagpiper and they go to Scotland, she's Scottish, and she's planning another trip with their bagpiping, like she's helping coordinate it. And one of the games here locally in uh New Hampshire, they're getting IM Brew in for the high. I said, Oh, can you bring, can you smuggle one can for me, please? She says, I'll bring you one. But they're having it shipped specifically for the event. Well, that's great.

SPEAKER_01: 50:18

At least you can get some.

SPEAKER_02: 50:19

Yeah, but she can't you can't buy it regularly here. And I'm like, it's so much better than Diet Coke. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01: 50:27

Well, it's different. Yeah, and another drink that I really like in the UK that you don't get anywhere else, I think, is dandelion and burdock, which is worth trying. Oh, I do.

SPEAKER_02: 50:37

I do want to take a shout out for supermarkets or the groceries, Mark and Spencer, and Sainsbury. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 50:46

Sainsbury's, Marks and Spencer's.

SPEAKER_02: 50:48

And there's another one I can't think of it. But I love going to grocery stores wherever, whatever countries I'm in. So because of you, I had to try your favorite snack cake and and Doug's. Had to compare them. I like your cherry, your cherry one better. Sorry, Doug. And I bought candies, pega pig candies. Yeah. If your kids like gummies, highly recommend you bring some of those back. The chocolates, but I like buying food. And I've I always bought snacks and things because I'm diabetic, so I don't ever not travel with food. And breakfast every day, there was always fruit available, so I took it with me. So even though there's meals, I always have emergency foods, and I truly loved having tea every night. I mean, I always have had tea, I'm always a tea and coffee, but because of the trip, I'm now like, oh, time for my evening tea.

SPEAKER_01: 51:48

Yeah, I like my cup of tea in my uh shortbread, Scott, Scottish shortbread.

SPEAKER_02: 51:53

That's my yeah, and then I did go to a distillery. I'm not really a whiskey fan, but I did like whiskey in things. I loved it in the different sauces for different flavoring meals. And our tour guide would do different surprises. I mean, I'm sure it was in his itinerary, but we were surprised. He bought whiskey fudge. Oh my god, you gotta have some whiskey fudge. That's all I'm saying. It's delicious.

SPEAKER_01: 52:21

Oh my goodness. Oh, well, it sounds like you tried some. Did you have any um sticky toffee put in? Because that's always the thing that you have for Americans.

SPEAKER_02: 52:28

Um, our dinners always had um a choice of three starters, three manes, and three desserts. So one of the times I did pick the sticky toffee pudding, however, as a diabetic, that's not a smart choice. So I took two bites, I tasted it, but there's no way I could really eat that. That would have been my carbs for the whole meal. I understand why people love it, it's delicious, but I knew I couldn't enjoy it.

SPEAKER_01: 52:55

See, I find it it's a bit too sweet for me, to be honest. It's very, very sweet.

SPEAKER_02: 52:59

I'm glad I tasted it. My favorite is is it the is it kraken, the whipped cream with the berries, raspberries, the raspberries soaked, yeah, and the whiskey with the oats. That's highly recommended. Yeah, so I definitely like whiskey in things, but not so much as the um drink. But I'm really glad I went to a distillery with a tasting, and I did give you the website for the one that was included on our tour. It's definitely part of the Scottish experience, and if you're able to have alcohol, I would encourage you to taste it. Otherwise, at least go to learn how it's made. It's very interesting, and the history and how different regions taste different and why. So it was very interesting. I'm glad I learned about it. And your cheese is. I wish I wasn't lactose and challenge. I wish I could have eaten more cheese. Amazing. The a little bit of cheese that I did eat was delicious, but I had to eat it sparingly. I don't know. I I enjoyed every meal. Every meal. There wasn't, you know, the UK gets a poor rap for food.

SPEAKER_01: 54:04

It does, it does. I did a food show at Borough Market a few years ago, and um the the the guide kind of asked what do you think of when you think of um British food? And it was all all bland, um, you know, beige, bland, bland, beige. And then at the end of the tour, they were like, no, completely wrong. And I I I don't know because it I I find British food tasty, hearty. Um, I love potatoes, and there's a lot of potatoes and things. I love like things like gammon steak, I like my scampi, um, I like the traditional.

SPEAKER_02: 54:34

I did not end up having gammon steak. I would have tried it, but and the fish and chips. Oh, I forgot to give you the fish and chip place. I'll have to send it to you. And um, that was amazing. The fish and chips was amazing. And in New England, we have really good fish and chips, and it's called fish and chips in New England for a reason, because we're New England. So, you know, we have a lot of British related food here. Um, so I mean I grew up with fish and chips, um, and of course you have to have it with the malt vinegar.

SPEAKER_01: 55:07

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_02: 55:08

Amazing. Mushy peas. I really don't like mushy peas.

SPEAKER_01: 55:12

I didn't know I don't either.

SPEAKER_02: 55:14

I did really I did eat it, you know, I did taste. I'm always willing, as a world traveler, unless it's something I'm allergic to, I'm always willing to try something once. You know, I'm willing to try it. You know, I I love in the UK to ask about your allergies and stuff. If someone has a food issue, you're not gonna have an issue in the UK. Even now, most of the menus had it, some of the more rural places it didn't, but if you told them, they would make sure that whatever you were eating was safe for you to eat.

SPEAKER_01: 55:43

Um and and a lot most of the time they that they should technically ask as well. They they generally will ask. They do, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 55:50

Um it must be the law or whatever, but it's yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 55:53

I know they're really good, and uh a lot of people have have mentioned that. So you you had a good trip. You really did have a trip.

SPEAKER_02: 55:59

But I already want to go back. So I told Lisa of Go Coswell's, that's on my list. Yeah, and my my friend Mary that I visited, she said, Well, I'd go to Codswell's with you. So I will be back. I really would like to also do York. I want to go to your home area because it's because I feel like we've gotten to know each other, so I I would enjoy doing that. Definitely, any friend asks me, I will go back, no matter no qualms. Definitely would go back to Scotland. I went to Wales when I was 18, but I don't remember a lot of it, so I wouldn't mind going back to Wales because I really I remember the bed and breakfast. Isn't that funny? I mean it's 40 some odd years later. I don't remember most of our I was only in Wales for three days and I can't remember what I did there.

SPEAKER_01: 56:44

Uh well it's a long time ago, so you just have to go back. And also we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna go to the VNA and and have afternoon tea. Definitely. I think that'll be really good. Now I'm gonna wind up, Laura, because we've been talking for for a long time. It's great. It's been really interesting. And no, no, don't apologize. It's been really interesting. I enjoy talking to you, and I'm sure that um people listening and you're listening are gonna be like interested with what Laura, how Laura's trip went. Um, I always end the podcast, as you know, with this the same question. Everybody anticipates it. Um so what would be your one tip for anybody visiting the UK? Uh I know it wasn't the first time that you went, but for somebody who would be gone for the first time, what would you advise?

SPEAKER_02: 57:24

Yeah, so if you're a solo traveler, just go and do it. And if you have a mobility issue, it is possible you just have to plan accordingly. And passenger assistance in the airports, the train, people are extremely helpful offering you hey, do you need a seat? In the Edinburgh Castle, I used the passenger assistance to take the ride up to the top of the castle. I chose to walk back down at my own pace. Walking up it would have been really hard, and it exists and is available. Anywhere they have visitor assistance, utilize it. That's what it's there for, and it will make your trip enjoyable and make it doable for you. That's my advice for first-time travelers who have a challenge. If you want to do something in traveling the world, you can do it. You just have to do it your way. It's okay that you don't do all the things. I acknowledge my physical limitations when I'm tired. I'm perfectly happy sitting at a cafe and watching the world or at a park. Even on my coach tour, I sat at the park waiting for the coach to come back. I talked to Brits. Of course, anybody who had a dog, that was an excuse to say no. I am definitely not a shopper. I've conf confirmed that. I went in and out. I'm wearing my one of my purchases so you could see it. Um, it's a scarf. Um, the food markets, yes. The regular shopping, I could take it or leave it. I go in, look, go, sit. I I definitely am not a born shopper. My daughter, on the other hand, loves to shop. So when I travel with her, I go find a place to sit. And I say, if you see something I need to see, or you know I'll like, then I'll come over and look at.

SPEAKER_01: 59:09

I think that's a good plan. I think that's a good plan. Um, I and I think I think you made the trip work for you. You did the research, you planned all, you got the assistance when you needed it. Um it didn't stop you doing the trip. Um, and you know, hats off. I think you had a great, you had a great trip, you had a great time. You were very flexible when things changed. Like the example, the the the tube strike threw a bit of a spanner in the work um just before you went, but you you know, you worked with that as well and and were were really flexible. And and I think having that attitude is the is the right way wherever you travel in the world. You go with that flexible attitude. Sometimes things change, but you make the best of it, um, and you adapt when you need to.

SPEAKER_02: 59:49

Right. My also my feeling is if you miss something, it means you're meant to go back to that country. So there are things I didn't get to do, so I know it means I need to go back. Like the first time I went to Greece, the museums were on strike. This the workers were on strike. So I knew it meant I was to go back, and I have been back. And the museums were open.

SPEAKER_01: 1:00:10

There you go. There you go. It's it's silver silver lining, absolutely silver lining. Well, Laura, it's been so good to chat with you this week.

SPEAKER_02: 1:00:17

There is one other thing I do want to mention. Go, go, go. The ladies who travel, yeah, the new Facebook group. If you're a woman and you like To travel and if you want to do solo and you're scared, highly recommend they join that Facebook group because it's a wonderful group of women and people are giving such wonderful support and advice.

SPEAKER_01: 1:00:37

Oh, yeah, we'll do yeah, thank you for that, Sha Laura. So that's um that's our uh new Facebook group, Ladies Who Travel, that I do with Melissa, which is it basically it's a series that's come out of my global travel plan and podcast. So at the end of every month, Melissa and I um sit down and we talk about um just just how we travel and any kind of issues for traveling, whether you're traveling solo, but just traveling as a woman. Right. And we talk about all sorts of things like packing and jet lag and when things go wrong, what do we do? And we've just doing it, we'll do an episode next week about traveling when it's you know like in the colder seasons and how we plan for that and what we pack, especially because Melissa's from Australia where she grew up where it was hot all the time. So it's a bit of a it's all right when you've we're used to the seasons, but when you're used to kind of living somewhere where it's hot most of the year, it's a bit of a challenge, it can be a bit more difficult than you would imagine. Um, yeah, so so come and join. So we that that that Facebook group started off. Um we we've had it for a while, but but last month, some reason the Facebook God smiled upon us, and we have grown to at this point, I think we're nearly at 16,000 members. Um, we have we've had meetups with people, we have virtual, we have online um meetups, we have um online uh virtual copper with myself and Melissa, which is really good to come and join. So it doesn't matter where in the world you can come and chat. Um so that's been a lot of fun, and um, yeah, so we're we're working on that at the minute. So thanks for that, Laura. And and you're you're in that group as well, helping us moderate, which is brilliant. Um, yeah, so that's a fantastic community as well. Um, I will mention before we sign off, uh anyway, the thanks for coming on the episode is that you have given me the details of um the places that you stayed and the restaurant, so I will put those in the show notes so you can check that out. Um, but um yeah, this week I just want to say thanks so much, Laura, for coming on. And also, you're another um one of our listeners who enjoys leaving messages via SpeakPipe as well. So we look forward to hearing from you every week because you you go on, whether it's the UK podcast or the global podcast, uh, leaving us a message. And we've been getting some fantastic messages coming through, some requests and some episodes that people are enjoying, and um just saying hi from wherever you are in the world, which blows my mind when I get a message from somebody in in Texas or even somebody in New Zealand or somebody in in Malaysia just saying we'll listen to your podcast and love it. Um, because you know we record these episodes and they go out into the ether. And I just want to hear from you guys. Um and Laura, you you were one of our listeners who got in touch and and you know, we've become good friends, haven't we? So it's been it's fabulous.

SPEAKER_02: 1:03:08

Yes, so hopefully they meet you either in the UK and you made me want to go back to Australia. I took um well it's been a long time, but it's now back on my list to put up with the long haul flight and come. So I definitely want to go back to Australia.

SPEAKER_01: 1:03:23

Come and visit, come and visit myself and Melissa. We'll we'll very much look forward to seeing you. But I'm gonna sign off for this episode um so you can find all of uh Laura's information that she shared in the show notes at uktravelplanning.com. Until next week, I'm gonna sign off. Do you want to say bye, Laura? Bye, everyone. Happy travels and uh happy UK travel planning from me. Bye! Thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of the UK Travel Planning Podcast. As always, show notes can be found at uktravelplanning.com. If you've enjoyed the show, why not leave us feedback via text or a review on your favourite podcast app? We love to hear from you, and you never know, you may receive a shout out in a future episode. But as always, that just leaves me to say until next week, happy UK travel planning!