help me daydream slash plan!

[alexseanchai]

So I have realized that I save money better when I'm saving for something, something more exciting than 'my own apartment' and more concrete and, frankly, apparently attainable than 'getting out of debt'. Therefore I have decided I am saving for a month two weeks in the British Isles. Ireland, England, Wales. (Not sure if Scotland and Northern Ireland too.) Date to be determined, but this is definitely number three on the priority list, behind 'getting out of debt' and 'my own apartment', so we're talking a few years out at least.

Off the top of my head, places I can think of that I want to visit are Dublin (nowhere specific off the top of my head, but I know there's exciting things in the city), London (ditto), various family-history-pertinent spots in Ireland that I can't actually name without asking my dad the amateur genealogist (but Dublin's among them and I think so is London), Cadair Idris in Wales (Wiki it and look at the first paragraph of the 'myths' section; also, there is a reason this post has a music thingy), Stonehenge, Blarney Stone, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Where else in the British Isles, dear readers, should I put on my list of 'places I absolutely must see while touring the British Isles'? Other than 'some lovely little bed and breakfast somewhere in scenic Ireland where I can sit and write my heart out', of course. :)

Comments

[rmc28]

If you go to Aberystwyth, not far away is Machynlleth, which was the historic seat of the Welsh parliament and has the most amazingly non-chain high street (or did anyway), and nearby has the Centre for Alternative Technology, which was founded back when worrying about climate change was a very niche hippy thing to do. It also recently has become a centre for Serious Mountain Biking, for some reason, and is not too far from Cader Idris.

(My aunt has lived in the area for as long as I remember, and I went there in school holidays a LOT. I've walked up the easy bit of Cader Idris, several times, once very hungover. I've not yet made it to the top.)

If you want a little scenic place to write your heart out, I am totally going to recommend my friend's gorgeous self-catering cottage in Wales. Ingi's an artist herself and knows about having peace and beauty around you.

Skara Brae in Orkney is also amazing, for the sense of deep time, and how recognisably human-home the 5,000-year-old settlement is. I went there once 12 years ago and am determined to take the family there in the next few years. In fact, when I went, we did 7 historic sights in one day and it was exhausting but SO AWESOME. Put Orkney on your list (even if it is for visit 2)!