What I did and saw: M Shed- The M Shed museum is free to enter (although a donation is suggested). It is a very nice museum that explores the history of the area. Many of the displays are also very thought provoking and touch on things such as gender and race issues. There is also a place at the M Shed available to rent for special events. Clifton Observatory- The Clifton Observatory offers beautiful views of the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge, and of the city of Bristol. Construction of the bridge was started in 1831 and completed in 1864. The impressive bridge connects the two sides of the Avon Gorge. Brunel Swivel Bridge and SS Great Britain- Like the Clifton Suspension Bridge, both the Brunel Swivel Bridge and the SS Great Britain were designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. All three of these, including many other things designed by Brunel, were significant engineering developments for the time period. The Swivel Bridge is free to walk by, but the SS Great Britain has a £16.50 (although you can see the outside of the both and museum for free. Banksy Street Art- Bristol is believed to be the hometown of the famous but clandestine street artist Bansky. There are a handful of Banksy pieces around Bristol as well as some street art done by others. Many of the pieces are very impressive and thought provoking. Giant Gromit Sculptures- Wallace and Gromit is a famous British claymation series. There were a variety of different decorated “Gromits” (the dog character from the show) throughout Bristol while I was there. Many of the Gromits are decorated by a variety of famous artists and well known celebrities. The statues are done to raise awareness and money for a children’s hospital. St. Nicholas Market- The St. Nick Market has a variety of interesting shops. While I was there I visited the Hot Sauce Emporium and got some amazing dark chocolate with ghost pepper and ginger beer. What I ate and drank: Full Court Press- Bristol is a very good coffee town with many options, and Full Court Press is one of the best. They offer excellent craft coffee and a small food menu. Playground Coffee House- Playground Coffee House is one of my favorite places in Bristol. They serve excellent coffee and have a small food and drink menu. They also have some seats with swings and a wide variety of board games to play. It’s a great place to spend a few hours hanging out. Small Bar- Small Bar features and extensive craft beer menu. They also have a very cool, relaxing space in their upstairs area. The Corination Tap- The CoriTap is a very good cider spot. I recommend trying the Exhibition cider that is procured exclusively for the CoriTap. The Porticullis- The Porticullis is a nice place to grab a drink and chill with friends. Like many other places in Bristol, they also offer board games to play. Boston Tea Party- Boston Tea Party has a few locations in the Bristol area. They have a very good breakfast menu and serve very good coffee. Also, trust their avocado coffee, it is definitely worth a try. It may sound a bit strange, but it tastes delicious. Bento Boss- Bento Boss is a nice sushi and Pan Asian restaurant. To get more bang for your buck I would recommend getting one of the Bento boxes. They are very tasty and offer a variety of things in just one order. Coffee + Beer- Most of the coffee at Coffee + Beer was set out in unsealed containers so I decided not to get any (especially considering the plethora of good coffee options in Bristol), but they did have a very nice selection of craft beer (mostly in bottles). Franco Manca Sourdough Pizza- Franco Manca has a variety of different quality pizza options at good prices. Where I stayed and how I got around:
I stayed with friends in Bristol. Bristol is a pleasantly walkable city, and once in Bristol I walked to get around. My favorite thing: Bristol has an abundance of good options for craft coffee and beer. Also, I really liked having board games available at many places. My least favorite thing: The weather in Bristol was fairly pleasant while I was there, but it can be rough for much of the year. Also, accommodation prices can be very expensive. For next time: Next time in Bristol I would like to explore more if the waterfront area near the M Shed, and I would also like to try out some of the speakeasies in Bristol. Also, I would like to check out the walled city walk around the old city.
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What I did and saw: Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery- The Birmingham Musuem and Art Gallery has a lot to offer and is free to enter (although a donation is suggested). The musuem contains displays and artifacts from Birmingham, the United Kingdom, and from all over the world. I could have easily spent a day (or more) there. Library of Birmingham- The Library of Birmingham has a very extensive collections of books, but it is a nice place to visit even if you aren’t interested in checking out a book. There is a “secret garden” that gives nice views of Birmingham. There is also a small Shakespeare musuem on the top floor. Peace Gardens- The Peace Gardens memorialize all those that have died in armed conflict around the world. The leaders of the G8 summit each planted trees in the garden. It is a very nice place to walk around, and it is free to enter. Where I ate and drank: Wayland’s Yard- Wayland’s yard is an excellent breakfast spot. They have a nice variety of good, healthy options. They also serve excellent coffee and even have a sampler with coffee made four different ways. Jekyll and Hyde- Jekyll and Hyde is a gin bar with a cool, eclectic Alice in Wonderland themed back patio. In addition to gin they also offer beers and a wide variety of other cocktails. The Wolf- The Wolf has an excellent craft beer selection in a chill space (the one I had there was the best one I’ve had in Birmingham). They serve a small food menu and have board games available for use. Shogun Cube- Shogun Cube is a nice Asian restaurant in the beautiful Canal Wharf area. In addition to some standard restaurant offerings, they also have hibachi tables and an all-you-can-eat rotating sushi bar. Quarter Horse Coffee Roasters- Quarter Horse is an excellent coffee spot in Birmingham. They offer a few good food options as well as some other drink options, but coffee is their specialty and they do it well. Quarter Horse is where I had my best cup of coffee in Brum. They also had a few books on coffee I was able to browse through while I was there. The Victoria- The Victoria is a very cool spot that had a nice laid back vibe when I was there. They offer a variety of well made, well priced cocktails as well as a variety of quality craft beers. Bacchus- Bacchus is a very cool bar and restaurant set in an old bank vault. There are various sculptures and frescos around the place as well as bookshelves and a fireplace in the dining area. They offer a full food menu, cocktails, and some craft beers. Urban Emporium Jewelry Quarter- Urban Emporium is a great place to get breakfast. They offer very good coffee and a nice variety of breakfast options. Where I stayed and how I got around:
I stayed with friends in the Birmingham area. I was just a tram ride away from Birmingham, and I walked to get around once I was downtown. My favorite thing: There were some good food and drink options in the city, but my favorite thing was the fact that the museums (and massive and beautiful public library) are free to enter. My least favorite thing: There was a significant amount of construction going on while I was there, but that could prove beneficial in the future. Also, while the weather was good during my time there, it is often cold and rainy in the area. For next time: Next time in Birmingham I would like to try more of the food and drink there, including some Indian food. It also might be interesting to visit the Back to Backs, The Old Crown, and the Custard Factory. What I did: Sea of Galilee- Although it is called a “sea,” the Sea of Galilee is actually a freshwater lake. At 686 feet below sea level, it is the lowest freshwater lake on the planet. The Sea of Galilee area is where Jesus grew up and where many of the events recorded in the gospels took place. I was able to go out on a boat on the Sea of Galilee, and I got to explore much of the surrounding area. The Church of the Annunciation- The Church of the Annunciation commemorates the announcement the angel Gabriel made to the Virgin Mary at the site in which the Roman Catholic Church beloved it took place. It is a beautiful building with a variety of mosaics in the courtyard and inside the building itself. There are also historical artifacts contained on the site. St. Gabriel’s Church- While the Roman Catholics believe Gabriel appeared to Mary at her home, the Greek Orthodox Church believes he appeared to her at the local water spring. St. Gabriel’s Church is located at the spring, and the water source is still running inside the building. Old Market- There is a nice market in Nazareth that sells a variety of different things. It is definitely worth waking through and checking out. Mount of Beatitudes- The famous “Beatitudes” speech Jesus gave on a hillside on the coast of the Sea of Galilee is commemorated by a Roman Catholic Church building. The hillside is shaped in such a way that the speaker’s voice is naturally amplified. The hillside also has some picturesque views of the Sea of Galilee and the surrounding area. Nazareth Village- Nazareth Village is an area in Nazareth set up to resemble what life was like in that area in the first century. It is a very interesting glance back in time. What I ate and drank: Tishreen- Tishreen has very good, local food for decent prices. It was a nice place to have dinner with new friends. Where I stayed and how I got around:
I stayed at the Fauzi Azar Inn, which is part of the Abraham Hostels chain. It is set in a renovated mansion that is over 200 years old. It is a highly rated hostel and a great place to stay in Galilee. I arrived and departed from Nazareth on the Abraham Hostel shuttle, which took me from one of their hostels to the another because I booked two nights or more at each one. While in Nazareth I walked (and even hitchhiked) everywhere I went. My favorite thing: The best part of being in Nazareth and the surrounding area was seeing where Jesus grew up. Also, the Sea of Galilee is a beautiful body of water. Additionally, the area is not too overrun with tourists the way that many other cities with historical significance are. My least favorite thing: There is not too much to dislike about Nazareth. It may not have all the offerings of some other major Mediterranean cities, but I think that just adds to its charm. However, to visit Nazareth you will most likely need to fly into Tel Aviv and take a bus or car to Nazareth rather than flying there directly. For next time: Next time in Nazareth I would like to try more of the local food. Also I would like to walk the “gospel trail” from end to end. TEFL stand for “Teaching English as a Foreign Language.” It can be a great way to see the world.
How I got into it: After getting bit by the travel bug and exploring my travel options, I decided to teach English as a foreign language. My first step was researching TEFL schools. The International TEFL Academy seemed to be the best fit for me. As I was already teaching at a school in the States, I decided to do ITA’s hybrid course, where I would do online coursework and document some of the work I was already doing at my school. After completing the course I wanted to move to Europe and began explore job opportunities there. I wanted to be somewhere relatively warm that I could use as a travel base to see other places in Europe, and, after speaking with an ITA advisor, Spain seemed to be the best choice. I had opportunities to work with some organizations in Madrid and in Extremadura, but I chose to work with the Conversation Assistant Programme for Schools (CAPS), as they could place me in a beach town within an hour train of Barcelona. What I did: I had 25 scheduled teaching hours throughout each weak. I worked with ages five through eighteen, and saw each student for one hour per week. The class sizes were in the mid twenty’s. Depending on what was appropriate, I would either co-teach the entire class with the local English teacher, teach half the class by myself, or teach small groups of students. I would also do some one on one lessons. Where I lived: I lived with host families during my first year teaching English as a foreign language. I would eat breakfast and dinner with the host family, and lunch at school. Some TEFL companies offer housing, some give a stipend so you can find your own housing, and others set you up with host families. I would recommend staying with a host family (if possible) for a first year TEFL teacher as it provides an authentically local experience. My favorite thing: My favorite thing about teaching English as a foreign language is the opportunity to travel and experience new cultures and meet amazing people along the way. It is also very rewarding to see my students improving their English language levels. My least favorite thing: My least favorite thing about teaching English as a foreign language is the logistical part. Paperwork and visa applications can be very time consuming and stressful. You have to meticulously make sure everything is submitted in the correct format and at the correct time, and you need to practice patience once everything has been submitted. Who is TEFL right for? If you like helping people, teaching, working with kids, experiencing new cultures, and traveling— then teaching English as a foreign language might be a good fit for you. |
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