England is a green, undulating country associated with a gentle way of life: romantic, heather-covered moors, sparkling lakes, warm and welcoming inhabitants. If you’re on a quest for charm and tradition, go to Cornwall. Southampton will take you back to the era when the Pilgrims Fathers embarked on a voyage to what became America. Bath is an elegant holiday resort highly esteemed for its thermal and Roman baths. At Windsor, visit the residence of the Royal Family; at Cambridge and Oxford you’ll be in the very heart of English university life. If you happen to pass through in April, don’t miss the traditional rowing competition between the two universities, held on the Thames.
And of course there is London, the marvellous capital on the banks of the Thames where past and future rub shoulders.
England is the birthplace of many famous people known world-wide. Visit Stratford-Upon-Avon, whose crowning claim to fame is being the birthplace of William Shakespeare; in Liverpool, follow the trail of A Hard Day’s Night.
The Channel Islands (Jersey and Guernsey), scattered in the English Channel, combines the pleasures of the seaside and the countryside.
In Wales, land of Celtic tradition, you can’t help falling under the spell of the country and of the Welsh, a proud people who have always protected their culture and their nation. The jagged coastline offers vistas of hills surmounted by romantic ruins, such as Harlech Castle. In the small port town of Portmeirion, you can imagine yourself in the shoes of Number 6, hero of the series “The Prisoner”. At Caernarvon, imagine Prince Charles and all his predecessors being crowned Prince of Wales. In the interior, Snowdonia entices you to practice all the outdoor activities that you like in striking surroundings.
Another exceptional country is savagely beautiful and mysterious Scotland. Everything here is extreme: the coast is wild and rough, the lochs shelter monsters, the many castles are haunted, the moors are enormous. The capital, Edinburgh, is a captivating city. Huge monuments mark this city overseen by a hilltop fortress. Edinburgh has the reputation of being one of the nicest cities to live in out of all of Great Britain.
This legendary land has as another asset in its outer islands, the Orkneys, the Shetlands, and the Hebrides, which offer unsullied and protected nature and extraordinary fauna.
If you have to go to one festival in Scotland, it has to be the International Edinburgh Festival. It spawned the wildly popular Fringe Festival, which annually attracts scores of artists, both amateur and professional, who perform in halls, pubs, and churches.
Ireland is a combination of all these images: a wild coastline (County Donegal, the Ring of Kerry, the Cliffs of Moher) and steep regions such as Connemara along with softer landscape of a startling green.
Vestiges of many past eras are at your fingertips: visit Killarney Park, explore the Dingle Peninsula, the peat bogs, and famous lakes of Connemara.
Northern Ireland is worth exploring via the superb panoramic route from Antrim to the amazing Giant’s Causeway. The glens immerse you in natural beauty: the deep gorges hollowed from the rock have incredibly romantic rivers and waterfalls. When you arrive at the Giant’s Causeway, a long line of huge, perfectly symmetrical basalt stones, ask yourself if the site is really the result of earthquakes over many centuries, or if you prefer the legend that says the giant Finn MacCumhail built himself a road to suit his size in order to wage war in Scotland.
Whether in Dublin, Londonderry, Galway, or one of the smaller towns, it’s in the pubs that you’ll meet the Irish, friendly people who, over a beer and between dart games, will tell you their stories. Very quickly, you’ll be intoxicated by the sound of traditional music and the festive atmosphere.
In March, participate in the Saint Patrick’s celebrations, the national Irish holiday that lasts for a week and is full of parades and concerts. It’s another great way to get to know the Irish.