, , , , , , , , ,

2010 Journal – Chapter 1

Published by

beccaleerobinson

on

I had a lot of free time 10 years ago. I was single. I worked full time in a fossil shop. I lived at home. While I “took care of myself” paying for gas, nights out, and much of my food, I didn’t know what all adulthood entailed.

The fossil shop got minimal foot traffic in the winter of 2009 and 2010 so I spent at least half of the day reading and planning my trip. I poured through Harvard’s Let’s Go Britain and Let’s Go Ireland on a Budget planning out every detail. I did research, when a computer was available, on train schedules through National Rail. I bought a rail pass for England, Scotland and Wales, and I sketched out a plan to make the most of two months of travel (see below).

I didn’t talk to any travel experts, I used my geeky sense of the world to research information. I booked my flights online direct from the airlines. I packed by bag based on what the guide books told me.

Social Media was relatively new. I had abandoned Myspace about a year before and facebook didn’t even have video functions. 2010 internet seems a very weird land in retrospect.

My sweet summer child self though the following plan would go off without a hitch. I had planned everything so well, I knew exactly what I needed to do, where things were, how long to spend. I planned.

I believed that planning was the key to the world. It would take me another 7 years to accept that the universe does not give a shit about ones plans.

When I have clients today that want to see everything in one go (known as FOMO in 2020) I remind myself of my own desire to cram 20 lbs. in a 10 lbs. bag. I also let them know that I have had chaos on my trips that meant I was glad to have flexible plans.

After all, dreams a great, but reality often has something more interesting in store.

My tentative travel plans (ALWAYS subject to change, Ireland especially) for those who may be interested or have ideas! =D

Wed. April 7th
Fly out of DIA

Thurs. April 8th
Arrive at Heathrow in London flight to Stuttgart at 3:40pm

Fri. April 9th
STUTTGART, GERMANY
Sights:

Sat. April 10th
STUTTGART, GERMANY
Sights:

Sun. April 11th
Drive to Paris
Paris Day 1

Mon. April 12th
Paris Day 2

Tues. April 13th
Paris Day 3

Wed. April 14th
Paris Day 4
Drive back to Stuttgart in afternoon/evening

Thurs. April 15th
WITH GODWIN’S

Fri. April 16th
WITH GODWIN’S

Sat. April 17th
WITH GODWIN’S

Sun. April 18th
Flight from Stuttgart

Mon. April 19th
London day 1

Tues. April 20th
London Day 2

Wed. April 21st
London Day 3

Thurs. April 22nd
London Day 4

Fri. April 23rd
London Day 5

Sat. April 24th
London Day 6

Sun. April 25th
Going to Colcehester, England Staying in Diss, England

Mon. April 26th
DISS/NORWICH,ENGLAND
Sights: Origins*, Norwich Cathedral, Norwich Castle*.

Tues. April 27th
DISS/NORWICH,ENGLAND
Going to Nottingham
Sights: Tales of Robin Hood*, Nottingham Castle and Martinmer’s Hole*, Sherwood Forest*

Wed. April 28th
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND
Train to Lincoln in the afternoon
Sights: Sherwood Forest*, Lincoln Cathedral*

Thurs.April 29th
LINCOLN,ENGLAND
Possibly go to Louth, and on to York in the afternoon.

Fri. April 30th
YORK,ENGLAND
Sights: Jorvik Viking Center*, Clifford’s Tower*, Medieval Walls*
Train to Newcastle in the afternoon

Sat. May 1st
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE,ENGLAND
Train to Edinburgh in the afternoon
Sights: Hadrian’s Wall*, Mercat Tours* (Edinburgh, night tour in underground city, www.mercattours.com )]

Sun. May 2nd
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
Sights: Edinburgh Castle*, Writers Museum*, Museum of Scotland*, Museum of Surgery*, Mercat Tours*
H
Mon. May 3rd
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
Sights: Rosslyn C,astle*, other sights I didn’t see the day before
Train to Stirling in afternoon

Tues. May 4th
STIRLING,SCOTLAND
Sights: William Wallace Museum*, Doune Castle*

Wed. May 5th
STIRLING, SCOTLAND
Train to Inverness in the morning. TIMES: 7:33, 9:07, 10:35
Sights: Leakey’s Second Hand Books, Inverness Dolphin Cruise, Loch Ness Exhibition Center*, Loch Ness Tour

Thurs. May 6th
INVERNESS/ LOCHNESS, SCOTLAND
Train to Thurso 2 mile walk/bus ride to ferry terminal stromness. FERRY TIMES: 7pm(19:00)
Ferry to orkney Islands

Fri. May 7th
ORKNEY ISLANDS, SCOTLAND
Rent a bike
Sights: NO plan day (Ancient Sights, Stromness Musuem)

Sat. May 8th
STROMNESS/ORKNEY ISLANDS, SCOTLAND
Ferry back to Stromness/Thurso; train to Kyle of Lochalsh;

Sun.May 9th
KYLE/ISLE of SKYE,SCOTLAND
Bus to Kyleakin (Every hour)
Sights: Apple Cross, Isle of Skye, NO Plan day

Mon. May 10th
KYLE/ISLE OF SKYE,SCOTLAND
Train from Kyle of Lochalsh, to Glasgow, Bus from Glasgow to Inveraray

Tues. May 11th
INVERARAY,SCOTLAND
Bus to Glasgow, from Glasgow central station train to Windermere at
Sights: Loch Fyne, Inveraray Castle* (Family MacLachlan worked there)

Wed. May 12th
WINDERMERE, ENGLAND
Ferry and walk to Hawkshead. Train at to Liverpool
Sights: Beatrix Potter House and Art Gallery*,

Thurs. May 13th
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND
Sights: Beatles Story*, Beatles Shop*, Maritime Museum

Fri. May 14th
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND
Leave Liverpool arrive in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
Sights: Shakespeare houses etc.*

Sat. May 15th
STRATFORD-UPON-AVON, ENGLAND
Train times to Oxford:
Sights: Shakes. stuff

Sun. May 16th
OXFORD, ENGLAND
Sights: Christ Church*, Magdelen College*, New College*, Blackwells Bookstore*

Mon. May 17th
OXFORD, ENGLAND
Train to Dover
Sights: Cliffs of Dover* (Buses at least one an hour), Dover Boat Tour

Tues. May 18th
DOVER, ENGLAND
Train to Salisbury
Sights: Stonehenge*

Wed. May 19th
SALISBURY, ENGLAND
Bus to Bath
Sights: Roman Baths*, Museum of costume and Assembly Rooms*
Bath to Cardiff train

Thurs. May 20th
CARDIFF, WALES
Go to Abergavenny, Back to Cardiff in evening
Sights: National Coal Museum*

Fri. May 21st
CARDIFF, WALES
Train to Swansea in the afternoon 5:04 (17:04) then Ferry to Cork, Ireland

Sat. May 22nd
CORK, IRELAND
Sights: Fitzgerald Park and Cork Public Museum, University College Cork

Sun. May 23rd
CORK, IRELAND
go to Blarney and back
Sights: Blarney Castle*
Train to Dublin through Limerick

Mon. May 24th
DUBLIN, IRELAND
Sights: Trinity College/The Old Library/ Book of Kells, Grafton Street, The National Museum of Archeology and History*, Dublin Writer’s Museum*

Tues. May 25th
DUBLIN, IRELAND
Sights: (Shopping) the Eager Beaver, Jenny Vander, Oscar Wilde Statue*(1 Merrion Square, close to St. Stephen’s Green northwest corner of the park across the street from Merrion Square), Guinness Brewery

Wed. May 26th
DUBLIN,IRELAND
DART to Dun Laoghaire (2Euros)
Sights: Seaviews etc.

Thurs. May 27th
DUN LAOGHAIRE, IRELAND
DART back to Dublin, Bus/Trains to Newgrange and Hill of Tara, back to Dublin, Bus to Londonderry (4.5hrs. 4-5 a day, 27.50euros)
Sights: Newgrange, Hill of Tara,

Fri. May 28th
LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND
Sights: Museum of Free Derry*, City Walls, Workhouse Museum, Genealogy Centre*

Sat. May 29th
LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND
Bus to Portrush Then Bus to Giant’s Causeway
Sights: Giant’s Causeway***

Sun. May 30th
LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND
Bus to Belfast in morning
Sights: Black Cab tour, Murals

Mon. May 31st
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND
Flight back to London, Via http://www.bookryanair.com/SkySales/FRSelect.aspx
Arrive and take train to Cambridge then transfer to Hitchin. Meet Angie and Kristian

Tues. June 1st
ENGLAND

Wed. June 2nd
Evening Flight home

Read More:

Leave a Reply

Previous Post
Next Post

Discover more from Rebecca Lee Robinson

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading