Among the Hills and Dales of England

England has plenty in store for nature lovers, history buffs, people who love the bright lights or those who want to get away from it all. This short travel guide to England briefly describes some of the interesting aspects of both the north and south of the country.

Like most European countries England shows you many different faces. The south is gentler than the north, which has harsher winters, higher hills and more rugged countryside. The 50 million or so inhabitants are concentrated mainly in the towns surrounded by open country with farms and pretty villages with thatched cottages.

Hadrian's Wall was built, close to the border in the north with Scotland, to symbolise the power of the Romans early in the second century AD. You can still hike the length of the wall between Wallsend on the east coast and Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast of the country.

This is a great way to see the hills and dales of England and there are many trails and short walks all over the country. In the beautiful Lake District you can see the views that inspired the poets Wordsworth and Coleridge in the 18th century. In the Peak District you can also see some of the grim, looming mills of the industrial revolution, and great aristocratic houses like Chatsworth.

You can walk in the south too, of course. The south west coast path runs along the south coast from Poole Harbour, all the way down to the southern most tip of the country at The Lizard, then the western tip at Land's End and up the Atlantic coast to Minehead on the edge of the Exmoor National Park.

On the way take time to visit beautiful gardens like those at Abbotsbury in Dorset, close to Chesil Beach; see the fossils of the jurassic coast at Lyme Regis; head inland to Dartmoor and climb Haytor Rock for a distant view of the sea; watch an outdoor play at the famous Minack Theatre; eat at Rick Stein's famous fish restaurant at Padstow and visit the legendary birthplace of King Arthur at nearby Tintagel Castle.

If you prefer more sophisticated activities, you could base yourself in famous London town, or perhaps Birmingham in the midlands, which is the second largest metropolis. Here you'll find theatres, cinemas, night clubs, art galleries, museums and shopping opportunities.

You will also find these on a smaller scale in the coastal holiday resorts, like Blackpool and Scarborough in the north, or Bournemouth and Torquay in the south. Visit these resorts to combine trawling the shops in the morning with lazy afternoons on the beach, before the exciting night life begins.

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5 Common Myths About England and the English

If you are planning to come and spend some time in the UK to study or to improve your English language skills, you might be asking yourself: is England really like people say it is? What you really mean is: is England really as bad as people say it is? There are many common myths about life in England. Fortunately, most of them are just not true. Below you will find the most common myths about living in the UK examined and evaluated. The truth is often even more shocking than the stories that you hear. OK, let's be honest, if every country had an identical culture, and only a different language, the world would be a boring place, wouldn't it?

Myth Number One "The food is terrible!"

OK, nobody travels to Britain for purely gastronomical reasons. We all have our favorite stories about British food. Here's mine: once whilst I was in Scotland, I ordered a pizza from a fish and chip shop. I felt that this would be the healthiest option from that on offer on the menu. However, the man serving me simply took a frozen pizza out of the freezer and dropped it directly into the hot frying oil. When the pizza eventually floated to the surface, he skimmed it out and placed it on some old newspaper, then handed it to me. Mmmm!

But, wait a minute. British cooking has improved tremendously over the last 10 to 15 years. More and more British people have travelled abroad, thanks to the arrival of low cost airlines, and so they have woken up to the good cooking that is available in France, Spain, Germany and Italy. Supermarkets in the UK now stock an extremely wide range of fresh quality international ingredients.

Another positive is the fact that we British have always been more adventurous when it comes to trying foreign food and so you will find restaurants serving authentic Indian, Chinese, Italian and Thai food on almost every high street in the UK. Also, many "Gastro-Pubs" have recently started up and have become very popular serving good nutritious British cooking using the very best quality ingredients. So don't be frightened of eating in Britain, look forward to being able to try such a broad choice of international cuisine!

Myth Number Two "The weather is shocking!"

Quite simply, this depends upon where you come from! If you live in the South of France or Italy then, yes, Britain probably is colder and wetter than where you come from. Most people coming to live in the UK from these countries actually notice that Britain is much windier than their home country. However, should you come from Siberia, then clearly you will see some improvement in the weather that you find in the UK. Bring suitable clothing for rainy and windy weather and remember that July can be one of the wettest months. With luck you won't come home and report, as one Spanish student recently did, that:"It only rained once during my 2 week stay in England, but this was on the first day it never stopped...

Myth Number Three "The English Are Cold And Unfriendly."

Yes, you will notice a contrast between the English man that you meet in the city centre at 8.30 hrs on Monday morning and the one that you will meet on the High Street after 11 o'clock at night. Clearly, the first will be rushing to get to work on time and will not be in the best of spirits now the weekend is over. However, the latter will be in a totally different mood and will probably greet you like you were his long lost loving brother! Alcohol will play a large part in this warm and friendly sociable contrasting attitude. (See next myth below for more details).It does take time to get a British person to relax and open up at the first meeting, but once they get over their initisal shyness, they will become your friend for life.

Myth Number Four "The British always drink too much."

Well, yes, OK. Let's be honest here. It is absolutely true that most British people, unlike most of the French, Italian and Spanish population, drink alcohol with the specific objective of getting drunk. The resulting happy and loud behaviour is seen as "having fun" and "just having a good time". However, there is still a line and anyone who crosses this will most certainly be told so by the rest of the group. It is not viewed as strange or seen as shameful for women to drink to excess, whereas in Southern European cultures women drinking alcohol is very much seen as taboo. Expressions used by the British to indicate that they feel that they may have drunk more than the recommended daily maximum, include phrases such as:

(Said the morning after) "I think I had one too many last night!"

or

(Said during a drinking session) "This is going down very nicely indeed"

or

(Said after rolling off a garden chair on to the beautifully mown grass during a family barbecue) "Oops!I think I'd better slow down a bit."

or

After vomiting on to the floor of the last bus home at midnight) "Hey! Sorry about that. I must have had a bad pint."

Beware. Don't try and drink as much as your British friends and avoid the last bus home at midnight!

Myth Number Five "The British are so polite and respectful."

Yes? Do you really think so? If in doubt, give it a try by pushing your way tot eh front of a British queue. Any queue! You'll soon discover that queue jumpers are considered by the British public as being much more offensive and evil than mass murderers. Also, driving through the rush hour traffic is hardly a "Gentleman's Club". There might be much waving, smiling and nodding as people generously allow others into the traffic flow, but you try pushing your way in, Italian style, and you will quickly learn a lot of rather unpleasant English hand gestures...

But most of all, come to Britain ready to experience a nation more than happy to laugh at itself. Like everyone else in the world, we English are curious about life in other countries and various cultural differences. If you can be prepared for that, and are happy to see the funny side of your own national habits, you'll fit in just fine and have a wonderful time! What's more, the British will immediately warm to you and welcome you into their lives and immediate circle of friends. But, just remember: never, ever even think about pushing into a queue. It doesn't matter how old or sick you might be, this just isn't cricket!

Peter Hayes has lived as an Englishman abroad in both Italy and France. Now,he helps lots of foreign students and executives to improve their English language skills as Director of inlingua Manchester. Why not visit his website to benefit from all the free resources to help you to improve your English language? => inlingua-manchester.co.uk

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6 Famous Cities in England

London, the capital city of the UK With the rise of capitalism in British after the 16th century, London has expanded rapidly. In 1500, the population in London was less than 50 000, but in 1600, the population increased to 20 million, what's more, in 1700 it increased to 70 million. From 18th century, London has become the world's largest financial and trade center. In 1900, its population was 200 million.

Birmingham, the second largest city in Britain Birmingham and the Hatton Garden in London are the two jewelry producing cities. Jewelry industry in Birmingham can be traced back to the 12th century. The length of canals in Birmingham added up is longer than Venice's. In 18th century, the canal used to transport goods and materials. Today, old warehouses at the Canal Zone have gone, replaced by office buildings, bars, cafes and nightclubs.

Bristol, the largest city in southwest England As the largest city in southwest England, Bristol is the second city appeared at British Isles. Besides, it has the largest traditional buildings, the oldest port in the UK. All in all, it is a legendary city with the most historical relics.

Leeds, the city where never recession Leeds is a vibrant, resource-rich city. The successful development on economy is closely related to the artistic atmosphere, a variety of sporting activities, magnificent cultural landscape. There are new theaters, shopping malls, hotels and museum of art in the city, along with traditional style of pubs, cafes shops.

Manchester, ranking No.2 on population in the UK Manchester is the birthplace of cotton textile industry. 200 years ago, the world's first large modern cotton textile industry appeared at here, which opened a prelude of the Industrial Revolution. With the cotton industry, Manchester has emerged as the pioneer of a new generation of large industrial cities.

Nottingham, the second largest trading centers in Britain Nottingham is famous as its tourism industry. In the north of the city, it is the famous Peak District National Park. There are many attractions around the city such as Shakespeare's hometown, the ancient castle of Warwick, Cambridge and Oxford and the Roman ruins. The attractions in city include Nottingham Castle, Museum, museum of Art, American Adventure, Wolaton Manor Park Robin Hood Museum and the beautiful countryside.

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Shopping Destinations in Leeds

Leeds is located in the metropolitan area of West Yorkshire, England. This area is very well known for it's shopping district as well as it's beautiful architectural designs. Besides London, Leeds is one of the largest areas for legal, financial and business services. It is also one of the fastest growing cities in the UK with an approximate current population of 770,800.

Many people still use London for their shopping needs but it can be very crowded and unbelievably busy, especially during the holiday season. Leeds is less crowded and has just as much of a selection of stores that can make the whole family happy. Haute couture and well known brands can be found in practically any store located in Leeds.

A great store for vintage fashion lovers is Pop Boutique. Pop boutique has trendy, cute and fashionable clothing for a decent price. If you are into vintage fashion then Pop Boutique is definitely a place you need to check out. Karen Miller is also a popular store in the Leeds shopping district. Karen Miller is a very well known fashion designer and her stores always carry the latest runway styles and seems to be very popular with women in the UK.

Ted Baker is another store worth checking out in Leeds. Ted Baker has youthful, fun and colorful clothing for both men and women and is also one of the most popular designers in the UK. If you are looking for a classy smelling perfume or bath and body product then you must check out Rose & Co. Not only does Rose & Co carry some great scents but the interior of the store is just marvelous and even just visiting the store to check out the inside is well worth it.

If you are more of the flea market type and are always looking for a great bargain then the best place for you is Leeds Kirgate Market which borders the main shopping district area in Leeds. Kirgate Market is the largest undercover market in the country and holds over 800 booths for your shopping needs. You can find basically anything under the sun at Leeds Kirgate Market, from exotic foods to designer fashions to novelty gifts.

Not only is Leeds great for shopping but it's also one of the most non pretentiousness areas. The people are very friendly and there is always something to do or an activity to keep you occupied. You can get almost anywhere by foot in Leeds and enjoy the beautiful sights, architecture and simply have a great shopping experience.

Find great leeds apertments at ONE-UK. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Simpson