While spending a semester studying in the United Kingdom, I have had the opportunity to travel to a myriad of different cities across the country. Applying through UTD’s exchange program, I spent my fall semester at the University of Reading. Reading is located only 25 minutes away from London by train, allowing me to have access to a wide array of different trains that could take me anywhere. When the weekends rolled around, I would take a break from school to go and explore a new town. The United Kingdom is relatively small which allows for easy day trips to almost anywhere. I went to many different cities, but the most notable to me are Bath, Edinburgh, and Dover. Each had their own unique British charm that left me in awe from what I saw.
The very first city I visited, besides London and Reading, was Bath. Located only an hour away from Reading, I was able to spend the majority of the day there and take in all the different sites around me. Bath is a historical city with bits and pieces of history everywhere you look. During my time there, I visited the Roman Baths and the Jane Austen Center but there are still so many other places to visit. The Roman Baths are located right next to the abbey which created the most magnificent views while walking around in the baths. The Roman Baths themselves were quite impressive. It was amazing to be able to walk around in such a unique historical site.
The city of Edinburgh is up far north of Reading in Scotland which brings with it endless chilly winds and rain that help add to the dreary atmosphere of the city. Just like Bath, Edinburgh is a historic city with many impressive monuments. Overlooking the city is the Edinburgh Castle which housed many soldiers and royals. The castle is expansive with many artifacts lurking within its walls such as a pet cemetery and the Honours of Scotland (the royal crown). Edinburgh is a large city with lots to see and do. Some of my favorite spots in Edinburgh are Arthur’s seat and the Greyfriars cemetery. Arthur’s seat is a hiking trail that leads you up to the top of an ancient volcano with breathtaking views of the city. Unfortunately, I was unable to reach the top because of the bad weather, but there is still so much beauty in the lower portions of the hill. It was still a great experience even though I was not able to see all of it. The Greyfriars cemetery, like most things in the UK, was a profoundly old site. It was a beautiful graveyard that became creepy at night. One notable member of the graveyard is Bobby the dog. He and his owner used to be the watchmen of the cemetery during the height of grave robbing. There are endless interesting stories surrounding Bobby that you can find in the city.
While the city of Dover is not quite as picturesque as the others, the White Cliffs make up for it. My favorite trip that I went on during my stay in the UK would definitely be hiking up the White Cliffs and seeing the most stunning views of the ocean. As someone who does not normally hike, I was a bit hesitant about the cliffs. I thought that the White Cliffs were incredibly enjoyable though. It is not quite as intense as other hikes, but it has a clear path to follow which makes it easy to walk around and take in the views. When you first arrive at the cliffs, you have to walk up an extremely steep incline. Once you make it to the top though, it makes that short amount of time worth it. In the distance, you can vaguely see the Dover Castle but the real show stopper is the ocean and of course the cliffs themselves.
All of the places that I visited always left me amazed by what I saw. As someone who has never traveled out of the United States before, getting to see the incredible sights from another country was an amazing experience that I will never forget. I had lots of fun navigating new cities every weekend and discovering the beauty that each place held. The United Kingdom has lots of places to explore and marvel in besides London. I’m glad that I had the time to be able to discover these new places.
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