At the end of my five months at Reading University I went on a little tour around the UK. On Friday, 20th March 1992, I boarded a train to Cardiff, capital of Wales (£16.15) . I had a look around the town, especially the castle and the Civic Centre, before I continued to Abergavenny. At the station I was picked up by my host Mr. Fetherstonhaugh of Trewysgoed Riding Centre in Fforest where I had booked a horse-riding holiday for the weekend. I spent two days riding (unfortunately the weather wasn't very good) and on Saturday evening we (three girls from New Zealand, our host and I) visited the abbey and a pub in Llanthony.

On Sunday evening I took a train to Whitchurch in Shropshire (£10.55) where I met my penpal Elayne. On Monday the 23rd we visited Ironbridge (I always wanted to see the historic iron bridge which I once saw on a stamp and we also visited the Open Air Museum) and Shrewsbury (a medieval market town with many beautiful black-and-white Tudor-style houses). The following day we drove to Nantwich, Chesire, the Roman city of Chester (Chester is definitely worth a visit. You can walk a circuit on top of the old city walls. Chester's star attraction are its two-decker shopping streets called "The Rows"),  Whitchurch, Shropshire, and Ellesmere with its lake. On the 25th we went to see Market Drayton and once again Ironbridge. On Thursday the 26th Elayne took me for a walk at Bickerton Hill and Brown Moss.

Afterwards she was so kind to drive me all the way to Liverpool, home of the Beatles, where I met my penpal Gillian. On Friday Gillian and I visited the Albert Dock, Liverpool Cathedral (from where you get a great view over the city), the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, the Walker Art Gallery and the Liverpool Museum. In the evening we went to some pubs with live music with some of her friends. On Saturday morning Gillian took me to the seaside resort Southport and the Atkinson Art Gallery. In the afternoon we visited "The Beatles Story" exhibition. After another pub night Gillian and I drove to Blackpool with a friend of hers and her mother where we visited the Sea Life Centre aquarium. Blackpool is famous for its beach, its piers and amusement parks. We went out for dinner in the evening and saw another live band.

Now came a few days on my own. On Monday 30th March I took a train from Liverpool to Windermere in the Lake District (£9.05). As it was too far to walk to the youth hostel, I found myself a room at a bed & breakfast place (Osborne B&B). Unfortunately the weather was very rainy so the views of the lake weren't great. Lake Windermere is England's largest lake. I spent the day strolling around Windermere and Bowness-on-Windermere. The following day I took a boat from Bowness to Ambleside. The most renowned landmark of the town is the Old Bridge House of the 17th century which was built entirely on a bridge apparently to avoid tax payments.

On Wednesday 1st April I boarded a train to Carlisle (£6.55). It was still very rainy and I had to drag my heavy bag up a long hill to the youth hostel. When I arrived at the doorstep I noticed that it didn't open until the afternoon. I felt that no way I would drag my bag back to the station to store it at a locker and back up again later that day. So in my desperation I knocked at a door in the neighbourhood and asked them to kindly keep my bag for me until the youth hostel opens in the afternoon. I was glad it turned out to be no problem. So off I went to explore the town in the rain.

The following day I took a train to the beautiful town of Edinburgh where I stayed at High Steet Hostel. I absolutely loved that city and I was glad to be able to explore it at my leisure now (as before I had been tied up with the aikido people). From the castle you can walk down the Royal Mile to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, home of the Queen when she visits Scotland. From Princes Street, the city's main street, you have a great view of the castle above. In the evening I went to the cinema.

I also wanted to see the Firth of Forth bridges, so I took a bus out to South Queensferry (£1.00 one way) on Friday the 3rd which got me fairly close. So I was at least able to take a few pictures. This would have been denied to me if I had just taken the train to Arbroath (£8.25) that evening because we rolled straight over the bridge with not much to see apart from the road bridge next to it. In Arbroath I was picked up by my penpal Kate who lives in nearby Auchmithie. The following morning I visited Arbroath (Arbroath Abbey and the old lighthouse) with Kate and her family and in the afternoon we had a look around the beach. In the evening Kate took me out for a Chinese meal with some of her friends and we went to a pub and disco afterwards. On Sunday afternoon Kate's husband took me to Redcastle, a ruined fortification of the 12th century, and the House of Dun, a Georgian mansion near Montrose. On Monday the 6th we went to Arbroath again and out for dinner in the evening. Finally the weather was much better.

On Tuesday afternoon, 7th April, I took a train back down to London (£40.25). It must have been a journey of approx. five hours. In London I met my penpal Andrea from Switzerland. In the evening I took a train to Hastings (£8.45) where I spent a few more days with our friends Michael and Rosemary before my parents arrived to take me back to Germany.