An Uncaged Mind

One of the major reasons why I decided to settle in London during my time in the UK was because of it being the epicentre of transport throughout the city, and the rest of the Kingdom.  Whether you travel on foot, or by bike, bus, taxi, overground/train, plane, tube or ferry, it really is easily accessible. In fact, the underground system is still expanding with a brand new  Elizabeth line being installed (with an estimated completion date within 2021), and other projects on existing lines .   The World's First Underground When the Industrial Revolution spread throughout Europe, the use of trains had become paramount for transportation, as many people moved out of the countryside into major cities for work. As the population of London tripled within the 1800s, so did the need for faster and less obstructive modes of transportation — this meant the phasing out of using the canals and narrowboats within the UK. A connecting tunnel between the north and south sides of...

Overall, I had an "interesting" gastronomic experience while in the UK. Generally speaking, "English" food is quite bland and brown (I found that they use very little seasoning or herbs in their dishes). On the other hand, many international flavours and restaurants have made it in the country, creating more variety and choice.  I'm not one to take pictures of my food, but I did get a few shots of some dishes for the sake of this blog. Buon appetito! Traditional Pub Grub They are the equivalent to Tim Hortons in Canada - they're everywhere! Some offer extensive menus alongside an equally intimidating drinks menu; while others stop serving dinner at 7pm. Pub grub can be hit and miss, I've noticed; but then again, you wouldn't go to a pub to specifically eat.  Pub food is typically high in carbs and protein, with a side of potatoes and gravy. The English love their meat pies for their convenience, and historical and cultural significance, so I wanted t...

Remnants of the Londinium Wall History within Britain wouldn't have been recorded until the arrival of the Romans who established the country as 'Britain'. They invaded the lands and established many settlements (many of which are still towns and cities to this day): London, Bath, Cirencester, Exeter and Canterbury just to name a few. In fact, the word 'cester, chester or caster' comes from the Latin 'castrum' meaning 'fort', so the cities that bear these endings are undoubtedly Roman.    The Romans introduced so many new concepts to the Britons, who fought valiantly against them;  such as the written word, roadway and sewer systems, building structures and trading routes with other Roman-run countries. Today, there are so still many ruins and artifacts of British Roman occupation from 2000 years ago still standing to this day, and I was fortunate enough to be able to see many of them.  You can view  a dated timeline of Roman occupation from Histori...

Stonehenge Before recorded history began in the vast green lands of England, Scotland and Wales many nomadic Celtic tribes habited the land and have left behind many artefacts to give us a glimpse into their existence before the Romans established Britannia.  Stonehenge Other than a vast number of spearheads and tools that are on display in such museums as the  Museum of London  and Museum of Liverpool , there are several permanent reminders of the early Celts that roamed the land.   Of course, the most famous of these is Stonehenge, which is one of the seven Wonders of the World. The word 'henge' is actually self-descriptive as it refers to the 'ditch' dug around the circular formation of wood (and later, stone) pillars. Unlike today, the henge wasn't well protected, so throughout the centuries people would chip pieces of the 13-foot stones to take home with them.  Estimated to have been constructed over  millennia by a series of different peoples, we...

The Tower of London With an astonishing number of close to 1500 castles, the UK's history is surrounded by these incredible buildings (some in complete ruin). Of course I couldn't visit every single one of them, but I did get the chance to visit quite a few.  Buckingham Palace, London Surrounded by the beauty of Green Park and St James's Park, and with its own private garden, Buckingham Palace serves as the monarch's office/administration building for matters of the state.  Every year during the summer, the palace opens its doors to the public for themed tours through its  19 state rooms  (2019 saw the reign of Queen Victoria at the epicentre of the tour to mark her 200th anniversary of her birth).  On a less positive note, Green Park has been discovered to be the site of a mass grave, or  plague pit , from the outbreak of the the Black Death in the 17th century. As so many people were dying from the disease, city officials resorted to burying all the ...