Exploring Abroad: After the Enchanting English Coast, We Went—WHERE?

Edd:  After 2 ½ hectic months in Europe exploring four countries and five major cities, it was nice to spend a relaxing week with our son-in-law’s parents on the southeast coast of England before returning to the States.

Cynthia:  Such a lovely part of the world the villages and countryside of Kent turned out to be.

E:  They are avid boaters, and what a treat it was to tag along for a trip past the famous White Cliffs of Dover. I even played captain for a few minutes.

C:  You actually looked confident piloting the boat, and we somehow survived. It was fun to see France in the distance. Strolling around the charming little towns and learning some of the history was interesting as well.

E:  Most of the buildings were so old. Heck, this inn opened its doors before our country was even discovered! That’s mind boggling.

C:  What’s a visit to the English countryside without going to a castle? Luckily, several were nearby including Walmer Castle, built by Henry VIII in 1540 to defend the southern coast.

E:  Even more impressive were the gardens on the property. I loved them.

C:  I guess it’s time to talk about the “issue” of getting back to the States. You see, we’d delayed booking our flights because we kept thinking prices would come down, but instead they kept going up. Yikes!

E:  So as is often the case with our style of budget traveling, we had to get creative. We found flights on two European low-cost airlines we’d never heard of—Wizz and Play. Our return left from Luton airport outside of London and ended at Stewart airport in New York. We’d never heard of those either. But wait. There’s more…

C:  That sounds crazy enough, right? In between London and New York, we spent the night in Iceland!!

E:  Yep. We flew into Reykjavik, took a shuttle bus to our Airbnb, got up the next morning, had scones with clotted cream and jam for breakfast at a local cafe, and headed back to the airport.

C:  We ended up saving almost $500 with our unconventional itinerary, plus we can now say we’ve been to Iceland. We weren’t there long enough to explore this island of extremes at the top of the world, but did get a few photos to share.

E:  What a wacky and, considering all the adventures and surprises, appropriate way for us to end our European Magical Mystery Tour. We’ve had a blast, and hope you’ve enjoyed following our journey. 

C:  Let’s have one more chat to rank which European city we liked best—Lisbon, Madrid, Bordeaux, Paris, or London.

E:  That should be a lively discussion, because I’m not sure we’re in agreement. We’ll find out next time.

Have you been to any of the cities we visited? Join our conversation, and tell us about your favorites. We would love to hear your comments!