There are so many wonderful places to explore in England and traveling by train is definitely our favorite mode of transportation – especially because it makes it so easy for us to bring our dog, Lily. Oxford had been very high on our list from the outset and our weekend trip to this historic town was even more eagerly anticipated after a full month at home in London.
We decided to keep up our new tradition of treating Lily to a vacation over the late August bank holiday weekend (last year we went to the Lake District) by heading up to the Cotswolds for a lovely, relaxing couple of days spent in the English countryside. One of my childhood friends from Kansas City was visiting us, too, which made this weekend getaway even more special.
Between getting married, moving to the UK, visiting 8 countries, and celebrating plenty of professional accomplishments, 2021 was, without a doubt, the craziest and busiest year of our lives. We decided pretty early on that we wanted to stay in London for the holidays so that we could finally take a moment to relax, as well as experience the magic of London at Christmas.
Our first official adventure as expats was a trip to the Lake District over the August bank holiday weekend. Famous for its associations with Beatrix Potter and 'Lake Poets' like William Wordsworth (and for the deep-cut Taylor Swift bonus track, obviously), the area is home to one of the largest and most popular national parks in the United Kingdom, which includes the largest lakes in England and all its land higher than 3,000 feet above sea level.
We decided to celebrate our first official weekend in the UK by taking a last-minute weekend trip to Rye, a coastal town in East Sussex that is only about an hour away from London by train and is famous for its medieval streets and architecture. I had seen it on several "most beautiful places in England"-type of lists, and it definitely lived up to the hype. The idyllic charm and relaxing atmosphere of the town made for a picture-perfect start to our European adventures.
Lindsey in London 