As in the first few times, unusual accommodations in England happened to me. In particular, by visiting my friend who lives in London, I got more into the British climate.

We talked about the difficulties of fitting in, in a new country and in such a large and tiring city. Especially coming from a small place like Cesena. But in England the possibilities are there. They do not care where you come from, but only if you are trained and capable. She immediately started doing the same job she did in Italy, even though she did not yet have perfect English. And not just any job, but as a graduate and with a lot of contact with people.

In this article I recount anecdotes experienced in July 2022 and others in January 2024.

My first time in the UK

And the time I went there to work.

The susceptible innkeeper

I often do not write reviews of accommodations and venues. On the solo trip in ’22 I did, partly because of the much free time and connection always at hand. To the lodging in Oxford I gave a rating of 9 out of 10. I omitted that I had found a couple of half-foot-long hairs (so definitely not mine). I pointed out that it was not very close to the center (information that was taken for granted, by the way) and that for me, almost 6’3″ tall, the bed was a bit small. I had imagined that perhaps for a possible 2 meters it might be important information.

After a few days, the angry owner wrote me a sour papyrus: never had she been given less than 10. And she had given me the maximum despite the fact that I had not taken off my shoes at the entrance. She was going to complain and demand that they kick me off the site.

The king of unusual accommodations in England, and luckily it was a bed without a breakfast

The British also go to the sea, and many go to Cornwall. There are not the crowds that you can find in Italy and only the most daring go swimming, but I loved it. It also reinforced my idea of doing the walk that goes all the way around the United Kingdom. Although there is the problem of accommodations that are particularly expensive.

I had found a room in an inland village, the perfect base for my 3 days of touch-and-go in the various little places all within walking distance. If I have a choice, I prefer independent accommodations, especially without hosts in the way, because though rarely, it can happen that there are intrusive ones. This accommodation I would call disturbing. It was a typical English house, mini-garden, cars parked in front, interior with lots of creaking wood and the ever-present carpeting. My room, filled with dolls was the perfect place for a horror movie.

The owner a couple of days earlier, asking me about the check-in time, revealed that she was even excited that I would be arriving. She lived alone on the ground floor and told me that on the first night I would be the only guest. When a couple of Indians arrived on the second, I felt safer.

To go upstairs one had to walk through the kitchen filled with dirty dishes laid everywhere and unusual smells. He said I could use the small bar at the entrance. Too bad everything was piled there both in the small sofa and on the stools. On the counter sported the cardboard box with a dozen yogurts that had expired a year and a half ago.

About unusual accommodations: an Italian in London

For years I have considered London the most beautiful city in the world to visit. Both for the many and varied interesting things to see and experience and for the history. The idea of returning after a quarter of a century to what had been the main destination of my first solo trip thrilled me. Adding to the desire to return was the fact that I had read Edward Rutherfurd‘s London the year before. He tells the story of the city by mixing realistic fantasy with historical events and characters.

I had a great desire to go there but had decided to stay only a couple of days so as not to penalize the part where I had never been.

Since the first time there had been many new things, especially the modern buildings and the vibrancy of the south riverfront and from there the pedestrian bridge that leads directly to St. Paul’s. Speaking of bridges, as a result of all the research I’ve done on the mysteries of Italy, I was somewhat affected by that of the Black Friars, under whose beams in 1982 the banker Roberto Calvi was found hanged. And where there is now an incessant bustle of people who have taken or will soon take aperitifs in the many little bars and kiosks (at least in summer) in the surrounding area.

I lingered more than I normally would have done on Lombard street, which thanks to my readings I learned is so called because the Lombards (actually Tuscans) used to lend money there, and over time it became the street with the headquarters of the world’s most important banks.

Wandering around, I found myself in the midst of a chess event where amusing human chess was being moved by two young boys.

The hottest day in London’s history

The morning I returned home, a sign in the subway announced that it was the hottest day in London’s history. All citizens were urged to stay home as much as possible. For me, living in the Po Valley, it was an absolutely bearable heat, and these alarms at our place are there with 15 degrees more. But I must say that the first emotion I had 2 days earlier getting off the bus from Oxford was one of discouragement.

I had arrived in Hyde park and immediately took a look at those lawns that I had frequented so much the first time I had been there. Already I was looking forward to a tuna sandwich picnic spread out in the greenery. But I realized that instead everything was yellow and dried up.

Boris Johnson had resigned that day, and a few weeks later there would be a funeral for Queen Elizabeth.

Those rats aren’t ours, but they make for unusual accommodations

I had never been to England in winter, plus my friend had changed her quarters and could have accommodated me. Above all, we had been planning a tour together forever, and I was missing a little corner that I was very interested in.

My friend had been concerned about putting her hands on the fact that the apartment was modest and cramped. He shared it with 2 other people from Romagna, and to thank them I brought them treats from our homeland. I have slept in impossible places, so for me there was no problem, quite the contrary. But he had not told me that they had had problems with mice, which, however, had not given any sign of life for some time. In fact this might have upset me a little, but I tried hard not to think about it, and the reception was most pleasant.

I am very sensitive to expat issues, and I found it very interesting to discuss with them the difficulties and also the differences between countries. Of the many talks we had over Sunday dinner, I remember 2 things in particular. The first, that the roommate girl’s employers called panettone bread, as if it was more or less like what you eat every day. The other major theme of our confrontations was the difficulty of dealing with landlords and neighbors. In particular, that the Spanish neighbor from whose apartment we suspected rats were moving in, claimed those rats are not ours.

The White Cliffs of Dover

I arrived on Friday evening, just enough time for a walk between Piccadilly, Soho and Covent Garden. The next day we rented a car. Like the pilgrims of centuries past, we headed first to Canterbury and then to Dover. The famous cathedral is absolutely worth seeing, even considering what a place full of history it is, beginning with the fact that it is where Thomas Becket was murdered, an event determined in the birth of the Anglican Church. In this link an interesting insight.

We arrived in Dover in the late afternoon. We had time for a sunset walk on the white cliffs I had so often imagined and seen in books and movies. And from where we could see the lights of France across the Channel.

The next day we went for 2 walks in cute little Rye and Brighton. Here, however, a sharp, freezing wind made us spend more time indoors for lunch and coffee than out and about. The urge to get out and about is always great, but winter in the north limits quite a bit. It was amusing to find that if at home on Sundays for lunch we go for tagliatelle and tortellini, in England, again with the family, we go for fish and chips.

Home travel Trouble with right-hand drive? No, but…..

Previous stop Meet people on the road and remains of prehistoric animals

Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent

Countries visited in my travel stories

Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives