Welcome to the YouK!

Hey there everyone! I know I'm not awesome at posting on this blog lately but I have been working a lot getting a new business up and running. I'm happy to it is now officially official! If you still want more to read you can also check out my other blog at www.congestionzone.wordpress.com.

A little about YouK Custom Tours:


For those of you planning a trip to London we can help with with personalised travel recommendations, customised days out or bespoke tours.

If you are planning a trip around the UK, get in touch for itinerary suggestions, travel coordination or guided tours.

For new students and expats, we’ll help you learn all the basics about your new home.

Don’t forget, you can always reach us at info@youkcustomtours.com if you have any questions or need help.

We’re excited to help you get the most out of your time in the YouK!

Rub a Dub Pub

(updated May 22nd, 2011)

I have a vision of taking pictures of the pubs I go to while I'm here and keeping them all on one blog post so I have a huge list by the end. I know I will miss a few but it'll be fun to see how many I can get. For example, two of these pics I had to lift from their websites (The Camden Head and The Sun in Splendor). I could go back and take my own and may do so since they are in common places but I'll use these for now. I will build a link into the address should you want to see it on a map and, where possible, a link to the pub's page built into the name.

Come What May

Somehow it has been a month again.  How does that happen?!  The last few weeks saw me finish up the term (with good grades even), read a few novels, meet some new friends, spend time with some old ones, and successfully navigate a whirlwind tour of southwest Britain.  The following is a brief overview of the latter.  I would think of this as a random sampling rather than a proper narrative.  In no particular order, let me present our British Road Trip!  (click photos for larger versions)

The old library in Cardiff hosts an exhibition with two parts: an historic overview of the city and a selection of contemporary art by locals.  This graphic summed up the city for me really well.  I didn't expect to like Cardiff as much as I did, but the people were so friendly and the atmosphere so lively that it really grew on me.  Definitely recommend a visit.  

Cupcake Shmupcake, Give Me Summer Pudding!

For the last three weeks I have been carrying around an adorable, cupcake-themed notebook to record any funny/interesting/ridiculous things that may cross my path. I used to do this at home to remind myself about the little things that made me laugh/think/smirk respectively. As with the blog, I haven't been very good at documenting these things because, well I really can't give a good excuse. In the vein of my renewed dedication to y'all, however, I kept it handy today. I will share what I have so far:

• "If you are going to visit London, do it in September" (obviously this note was written before today...). The weather in August, while lovely, was temperamental and in it we experienced a week as cold and wet as would be expected in January (London January, not Utah January but still). As with all British systems, the weather is highly regulated and works in strict accordance to the established rules, most specifically the calendar. The moment I flipped the page from August to September, the clouds lifted and the temperatures rose. Throughout the month we had gorgeous sunny days and very limited rain. As planned, this all changed on October 1st. Grey skies and rain have dominated the agenda. The sun is still popping out now and again to remind us that it can and to make us appreciate it more (falling in line with another established English norm...passive aggressivity - Ok, being fair, that really is a stereotype. All things considered, they are much less passive aggressive than Americans. You will know if you have upset an English person. They will tell you. Directly. And using smart vocabulary. I highly recommend it just for the experience).
• Enroll is spelled Enrol. That's just wrong.
• You must try Summer Pudding. I ate this at my relative's house a couple of weekends ago and my life hasn't been the same since. Perhaps it is due to my mild obsession with berries and perhaps it was the atmosphere but I could not get enough of this. Apparently it is really easy to make too. Take some bread and line a pan, overload the middle with tons of berries (blue, black, rasp, straw, whatever you fancy), put in a little sugar water, put something heavy on top to smush down all the berries and make them get all juicy, then cook it for a bit on a low temperature. Simple enough. I can't seem to load a picture but here's two links for you to check out.
• Summer Pudding
• Mini Summer Pudding
• Harry Potter- The more time I spend in the city the more I realize JK is a keen observer of its people, its habits, its annoyances, and its charm.  I thought about her while I was waiting for the bus this morning...cue the Wayne's World flashback segue.  On Saturday I worked my first shift for my new job (and earned my first hay pennies!).  I had to take the bus from my house to the home of a chef who was throwing a dinner party for some friends.  Not only did I wait ages for the bus but when it did come we moved all of ten feet before stopping for another three minutes.  It took FOREVER to get just a mile or so down the street.  On the way home, however, it was close to midnight and we flew past all the stops, unhindered by pesky patrons slowing down our progress and unimpeded by loads of cars blocking our path.  It was beautiful!  This morning I waited patiently for my bus but as it came into view I realized it would still be a good five minutes before I would be free to sit down and enjoy the slow ride.  This feeling of being so close and yet so far made me appreciate the true magic of the Knight Bus.  It gets you places!!! And FAST!!!  It weaves in and out of traffic, forcing itself through nooks and crannies, with the sole purpose of seeing you to your destination as quickly as possible.  That is beyond magical.  That is miraculous!