An American in London Day 7: Let’s take a train day trip outside of the city!

[@binneystreet]

Normally I hate the “American in UK” travelogues as they are all the same…but I have watched all of your episodes and they just make one feel happy because somehow your joy of all your experiences transmits to the viewer through the screen. I even enjoy all your “we got lost because of me” bits.. You’re a natural! Happy travels! 🙂

[@ArizonaKC]

@@binneystreet thank you so much! This means a lot to me. ❤️ I want to give an accurate portrayal of what my experiences were wherever I go. I’m so happy you enjoyed watching mine!

[@allankirk1128]

Lovely vlog,i live in the centre ❤

[@ArizonaKC]

Very nice! Lovely! ❤️

[@MaxwellMoore-d1u]

I'm Really Pleased you Shoowed both Sides of Oxford .Brilliant.

[@PeterPaul175]

What a lovely lady. I am so pleased she is finding her roots in the old country.

[@ArizonaKC]

Aww thank you! ❤️

[@AliceB-ov6iv]

Beautiful videos and enjoying London and Oxford with you. Just back from our trip to London and marveled at all the architecture and history. We did the exact same thing with the train as you. It was very moving to see your reaction to the actual churches that your relatives were married in. I only wish I had some info to go on as I have roots in England, Wales and Ireland. Love to go back again! Thanks for your videos!!

[@ArizonaKC]

I am so glad you enjoyed the videos! I am back in the States but still have a few more videos to make from my time in London. I loved every moment spent there. The architecture and history…. WOW! I am hoping to learn more about my genealogy as it’s truly fascinating. I hope you can delve into yours as well. ❤️

[@michaelwhite8031]

Oxford, the haunt of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Beautiful place.

[@itsonlyme4265]

So pleased you enjoyed my home city!

[@ArizonaKC]

Loved it! It’s beautiful!

[@michael7286]

The Historic Medieval City of York may be of an interest to you for another time. Thanks for sharing this latest video and looking forward watching the next one. Sorry the food wasn't good in Oxford.

[@ArizonaKC]

I’m sure had we gone to a real restaurant it would’ve been perfect. ❤️

[@ArizonaKC]

Also I would love to visit York. ❤️

[@griswald7156]

@@ArizonaKC I prefer hull and Beverley to york..as they’re not touristy.,,but when you’re here for such a short time .. the little places go to the back of the queue..don’t they? They do though don’t they? But the obscure places would welcome you more..try one and dispute with me?

[@mangoking787]

Towards the end of this video. You looked very sleepy. Good Night love.

[@mangoking787]

Thank you love. I got your message. I just replied to it. Thank you so much. You are a darling.

[@mangoking787]

Hello Kim, I have just come home after helping my sister. Nice to hear from you. I will wait for my son's call. Then I will go outside. In the olden days. People took pride in whatever they did. Not today. I have always told my kids. Never bye an apartment. Recently I saw a multi-storey building on the News, where the clients have paid for their apartments. But cannot move in because of all the cracks on the floors and walls, and nobody is taking responsibility for the problems.

[@ArizonaKC]

Ah I’m so sorry.

[@RonSeymour1]

If you are not really used to it, long days and a lot of walking are exhausting.

[@ArizonaKC]

For the last 6 months it has been over 100 degrees Fahrenheit where I live in Arizona so I haven’t done much walking in awhile. (I own a treadmill but I digress. 😄) I am so out of shape. And very much feeling my age.

[@geoffpoole483]

In the interests of balance you ned to visit Cambridge. When you get there, walk from the railway station to a junction where you'll see a war memorial. Cross the road and you'll find the University Botanical Gardens. Well worth a visit. Cambridge is a city that's wonderful for just wandering around. Kettle's Yard is worth a look. About 20 miles from Cambridge is Ely, with a magnificent cathedral and a museum in Oliver Cromwell's former home. In the 19th century it was a pub owned by one of my ancestors, who emigrated to the USA in the late 1860s and eventually settled in Virginia.

[@ArizonaKC]

I’m already thinking about my next trip… and Cambridge will be on it! 😊

[@steve_b_uk1227]

@@ArizonaKCthat’s not far from me 👍😉☺️

[@claregale9011]

Hi , hope you enjoyed Oxford beautiful place love the architecture 😊

[@ArizonaKC]

There is something beautiful to see in all directions. ❤️

[@kristinlueb5606]

The garden was beautiful!

[@ArizonaKC]

Sooo gorgeous! ❤️

[@magloyd4907]

Love your videos. You are so charming. 😊😊

[@ArizonaKC]

Awww I would give you a hug right now if I could for saying that. 💕

[@junecaffyn357]

Well done al that walking you did, I jut felt tired watching you walking everywhere LOL, you did great! If you come to West Sussex I would love to invite you to an afternoon tea!

[@ArizonaKC]

I would enjoy that very much! ❤️

[@BarryHockley-r9x]

Great video 👍 I'm always intrigued at these videos of my hometown. I really hope you all enjoyed yourselves. If you ever make it back to Oxford check out another wonderful secret we have, Headington "the shark in the roof" i kid you not 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@ArizonaKC]

We had a wonderful time!

[@ArizonaKC]

@@BarryHockley-r9x I just googled Headington. Wow!

[@BarryHockley-r9x]

@ArizonaKC it's not far from the city and the shark in the roof is a unique attraction but usually forgotten due to so much else around it. I'm so pleased you saw it and had a wonderful time ♥️

[@ArizonaKC]

@BarryHockley-r9x I didn’t get to see it in person. I did a search on the internet to see what I had missed. I am planning a trip back to the UK for summertime and I may put that in the itinerary. Thank you for showing me! ❤️

[@BarryHockley-r9x]

@@ArizonaKC you're very welcome and I hope you next visit is just as enjoyable ♥️

[@andrewtongue7084]

I know Oxford intimately - St. John's College in St. Giles' (Centre of the City on the Eastern aspect) was my Alma Mater, where I studied Medicine (on a Scholarship - I come from very humble beginnings); & obtained my first degree - First Class Honours - Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery (MBBS). I unashamedly show my bias for this city, but I do recommend that the next time visiting the UK, you'll travel East, to Cambridge University; these two city centres of learning often refer to their opposite number as, 'The Other Place' - a centuries old rivalry that stretches back to the late twelfth century; it is also commemorated annually in the Boat Race, set on the River Thames between Putney Bridge & Chiswick Bridge. The main reason I refer to Cambridge being that the colleges there were formed from a body of Oxford University Students - early Thirteenth century, due to rioting in Oxford itself; in effect, the two are 'cousins' of a sort. I am so pleased you enjoyed this varsity town.

[@ArizonaKC]

@@andrewtongue7084 such an intriguing story! Thank you for sharing. “Why can’t we all get along” dates back to the 13th century it appears. I am making a list of all the places I would like to see and Cambridge is on that list.

[@andrewtongue7084]

My goodness, you're up early, KC - it has to be half past five in the morning there ? My College at Oxford has a 'Sister' College in Cambridge - the Sidney Sussex College (formed in the closing decade of the Sixteenth Century), & is approximately forty years younger than St. John's, Oxford. Perhaps I should mention, I was at Oxford a shade under forty years ago - societal attitudes have altered considerably since then, & in that respect, I do not belong to the politically correct world - respect for the opposite sex was largely a given (at least in the house I grew up in) - there was no need for definition that the subsequent generations appear to cleave to now. I wish you a fine day ahead ! Best, Andrew 🙂

[@ArizonaKC]

@ yes, I have been awake since 4:00 as my dogs needed to go outside. Once I’m up I have a difficult time going back to sleep (which then means I’m dozing off on the sofa around 8:00 pm. 😄)

[@andrewtongue7084]

I too am an early riser, KC - tho' I do tend to "doze off" at around 22.00hrs - pets notwithstanding 😄

[@vaudevillian7]

The further north you get the colder it gets (all of the UK is further north than Winnipeg, it’s only the Gulf Stream that stops us from being more like the Arctic Circle country we almost are). Usually gets rainier the further west you go too. Highly recommend getting further north in the Peak District and Yorkshire - York is a great historic city too. If you get the train from London to York stop off in Newark on the way, it’s a great little historic market town. And 25 minutes by train from there as a diversion is Lincoln which is a hidden gem - especially the Cathedral and the Steep Hill area

[@ArizonaKC]

@@vaudevillian7 so happy you shared this info with me. Thank you! It sounds wonderful.

[@vaudevillian7]

@@ArizonaKCyou’re very welcome, thanks for sharing your great trip with us

[@ArizonaKC]

@vaudevillian7 it has been my pleasure. ❤️

[@xandra7986]

Love how you ended the video with “London suits me” I’m a Londoner and absolutely love my city. Really enjoyed your video on Oxford though. I’ve never been. I’m so looking forward to your next one in St John’s Wood. I hope you went to Paul McCartney’s house which is just around the corner from Abbey Road.

[@ArizonaKC]

I am learning so much from everyone and the next time I go to London I will ask questions before I go somewhere. I went to the recording studio but had no idea Paul McCartney’s house was around the corner. I probably walked right past it as we did walk around the corner and down the street.

[@xandra7986]

@ it’s on Cavendish Avenue, about 8 minutes walk. There’s usually tourists outside getting photos so I doubt you walked down that street. It’s only a house I suppose but he’s practically royalty! Haha.

[@ArizonaKC]

@xandra7986 Paul McCartney owns a home in Tucson, Arizona (where I live), too. I’ve never been there nor do I actually know where it is in Tucson but people still talk about it. He has a street named after him in Arizona, too. I wish I had seen his house in London. That street name sounds familiar but I didn’t notice a crowd surrounding a house the way I did with the zebra crossing.

[@xandra7986]

@@ArizonaKC that’s where Linda died. They decided to take a holiday and go to their home in Arizona. but sadly she suddenly took a turn for the worst. It was in Arizona where she first picked up a camera and went to a photographic class which of course led to her coming to London and meeting Paul. Maybe that’s where she wanted to pass. She was cremated there and then she was brought back here to their family farm in Sussex where she was scattered.

[@ArizonaKC]

@xandra7986 🥲🥲🥲

[@bwilson5401]

Ooooh! That pie shop looked good.Shouldve held out for that, or street market food.Or tried a UK Kfc(which is definitely better than the US ones.) With the exception of Kentucky I spose.

[@john_smith1471]

Interesting video, yes central London is often warmer, being in a valley it seems to have a micro climate.

[@highpath4776]

Early morning commute to Oxford to me , up to Victoria in half hour run to Buckingham Palace Road then off for 100mins on what became the Oxford Tube coach, drop off just before the city and cross to the Cowley Road bus stop and the bus out toward Blackbird Leys (fun) Stay in Oxford for the week and generally completely miss all the sights of the area - got my bike out from work and went to a lot of Oxford Villages instead. Pre Morse etc times on the telly , evenings out to places like Abingdon too. Morning weekday travel was from the far side of Oxford down the hill, sometimes on bike, sometimes the Swindon bus toward the bus station, walk through the high street (the castle in use as govt facility still then) and back to work. Fridays more leisurely trip back to London, sometimes taking the Heathrow coach service and out at Heathrow Bus Station - change for a local bus or picc line back to SW London, no lizzie line then either. Sometimes stayed over in Oxford and off to Bristol or Birmingham. Spent time with a student group on Thurs evenings and some sundays. Only really visited Oxford twice since then, found the Market and north oxford area and Witney, but also did work in Kidlington a few years later needing a car to move my equipment by then

[@ArizonaKC]

@@highpath4776 did you ever sleep?! Wow! What a busy schedule! Are you in London now?

[@highpath4776]

@@ArizonaKC that was 35 years ago, for six months. ( 2 weeks in oxford with weekends back in London ) In London a present after working/ living in Manchester, Yorkshirre/Cardiff,Bimingham and South Essex,

[@bwilson5401]

Addendum...You should of gone to the Eagle & Child pub.The hangout of the Inklings.C S Lewis & Tolkien being part of that group. But it looked like you had a lovely time.

[@hb-fb4gr]

Th eEagle and Child has been closed for a long time, now.

[@AndyKing1963]

Oxford is great, but I prefer Cambridge myself (again about 50 minutes from London)

[@ArizonaKC]

I am hoping to visit Cambridge on my next trip.

[@alex-E7WHU]

Me too, I found Cambridge to be nicer than Oxford.

[@AndyKing1963]

@@ArizonaKC I’d also recommend a day trip to St Albans (a historic Cathedral city with Roman remains) again only a short train ride from central London

[@john_smith1471]

I’m glad your train ride was nice and fast, platform numbers are often not shown until a few minutes before departure, it is usual for departure boards to have the very end destination as a header, with calling-at stations listed below, some stations also have an A to Z departures board which is very useful at large unfamiliar stations.

[@ArizonaKC]

I was worried when I couldn’t find Oxford on the departure board. Luckily I had a kind attendant who took pity on me and was extremely helpful.

[@highpath4776]

Of course in Oxford you are still connected to London - by the Thames

[@cyrildhy8993]

Surprise you said the train seats were comfortable. Those Japanese seats are rock hard, try them for 8 hours. The trains the IET replaced were more comfortable.

[@ArizonaKC]

I will take them any day over the seats on domestic flights in the States. (I’ve never ridden a train here but airline seats are horrid.)

[@alanmorris9425]

I believe the Hitachi train seats are designed and supplied by Spanish company Compin-Fainsa

[@gagada124]

Food portions are smaller than the US and much healthier for you. Your portions are larger because of the chemicals used to bulk up the food. So, really not bigger.

[@ArizonaKC]

Unfortunately that is true. American food is processed and extremely unhealthy. Even the fresh vegetables from the grocery are most likely gmo.

[@griswald7156]

I like Wendys chips…and Southampton…..you should go to Harwich…it’s very lovely where the pilgrim guys set sail…you need a hire car though…

[@carolfranklyn-wi8lp]

Hard work being a tourist 😂😂. Enjoy tomorrow

[@ArizonaKC]

It is! 🤣 I walked more in the 8 days I was there than I believe I have all year. This old lady can’t handle it! 😄

[@carolfranklyn-wi8lp]

@ also, hope you can get a refund on your Amazon rain jacket. You were so lucky with the weather

[@ArizonaKC]

@@carolfranklyn-wi8lp I could not have asked for better weather. I thought about getting a refund but I like it so much I thought I would keep it. My eldest daughter lives near Portland, Oregon and it rains often there so maybe I’ll get a chance to use it. 😊

[@lyndoncmp5751]

I haven't been to Oxford for over 20 years so this was nice. Shame you couldn't get food at the pub. I've never even heard of Popeyes chain food. Mind you, I never get fast food/takeaways so I wouldn't have . Better to do lots and get tired than do nothing and be bored .😊

[@ArizonaKC]

I completely agree! And at the end of each day I was exhausted. I have arthritis and walked more than 60 miles over the 8 days we were there (which is a lot for me!).

[@lyndoncmp5751]

@@ArizonaKC Thats a lot of miles for somebody not used to it. Best to ease yourself into it, but I read that you didn't have the opportunity due to the Arizona heat. You should have got a skateboard in London and made your kids tow you around. 😝

[@ArizonaKC]

I LOVE that idea! Haha! My son brought up that I need some “healeys” like he had when he was a kid. They are shoes but have wheels that pop out. I’m not sure how those would have been on cobblestones…. 🤔😄

[@lyndoncmp5751]

​@@ArizonaKCHa yes the cobblestones would be a problem with healeys 😅. Especially if you have a headache 😮

[@ArizonaKC]

@lyndoncmp5751 😄

[@oldman1734]

Very narrow windows. Thats where we get the word “loophole”.

[@robertlewis4216]

Refreshing absence of Inspector Morsery

[@MaxwellMoore-d1u]

English Lack of Spice. Or American added Chemicals and Artificial Colours.?

[@ArizonaKC]

@@MaxwellMoore-d1u oh I know Americans add a lot of nasty stuff. Popeyes wasn’t bad. It just didn’t taste like what I was used to in a chain type of restaurant.

[@MaxwellMoore-d1u]

@ArizonaKC Well I think you've just answered my question. But I'm sure they could have Chucked all the Shit you Crraved .in a sealed bucket 🪣👈

[@StuartHanson-fo7iw]

That came across snooty, nobody spends more in each other’s countries than 🇬🇧🇺🇸 So don’t be sarcastic to a lovely lady, plus they live as long as we do so it’s probably a load of shit in reality 👍🇬🇧

[@drzander3378]

6:32 You weren’t walking towards Oxford University at that point any more than when you left the station. The building on your left (screen right) earlier in the video was the Saïd Business School which is part of the University. Later, when you were at Oxford Prison/Castle, you were opposite Nuffield College, also part of the University. Tourists are often surprised or disappointed to learn that there isn’t a central campus. The University consists of buildings and walled colleges distributed throughout the city.

[@ArizonaKC]

Oh! I learned something new! Thank you! We cut through on the left side to what I thought was the campus. It’s such a beautiful city. (Would it be considered a city? A town?)

[@drzander3378]

Oxford is a city. City status used to be conferred by virtue of having a cathedral or university, but that changed in 1889 when Birmingham became a city despite having neither at the time. City status is decided by the government acting on the monarch’s behalf.

[@BillBeynon-oo1pr]

The university is all over the city,not just one area .

[@ib9rt]

Making notes as we go along... 🙂 It's just "Paddington station", no need to say "train station". The presence of trains is assumed. Also Hereford is pronounced "He-re-ford". (Edit: saw the blooper at the end 🙂 )

[@ArizonaKC]

Thank you for letting me know! I appreciate it. Here in the States we pronounce it her-ferd. (Well, at least I do. I may be pronouncing that wrong, too! 😂)

[@griswald7156]

I think you were playing John Lennon on that Zebra…

[@frankspears4597]

Go to the gift shop next to Abbey Road studios

[@ArizonaKC]

Oh yes! We did! My son got his dad a t-shirt.

[@ElunedLaine]

Everywhere in the UK is usually cooler than London

[@ArizonaKC]

@@ElunedLaine I didn’t know that. I was so cold that day!

[@mangoking787]

Good Morning Kim, I am glad you had a good time. The old buildings blew my mind. Can you imagine buildings that were built in 1071 and still standing. I will answer your email tonight. I have a very busy week, and it is going to be quite hot. LOVE.

[@hb-fb4gr]

The main castle was built in 1070 but the tower is thought to date from Saxon time which makes it the only surviving Saxon military building in the country. There is a Saxon church tower at St Michael at the Northgate.

[@ib9rt]

I wonder why the Popeyes chicken wasn't flavorful? I guess food doesn't travel well far from its home. I've heard other people say that food in the UK can often lack seasoning. Sorry you were disappointed.

[@ArizonaKC]

@@ib9rt I have enjoyed everything I have eaten on my trip except for Popeyes. It was fine. There wasn’t anything wrong with it other than it being bland. But that was the only thing that wasn’t that great. I have enjoyed the food otherwise very much.

[@BeckyPoleninja]

Well it is what we call " junk food" here in the UK lol​@ArizonaKC

[@ArizonaKC]

Definitely not real food! Lol

[@citywise8773]

Popeyes is fairly new to the UK I think…I have only noticed them recently and the food looks pretty grim fast food frankly! Unfortunately the Turf Tavern is a a dreadful tourist trap of an Oxford pub so while it’s a shame they’d sold out of things you didn’t miss a great experience but there are LOTS of great independent restaurants and cafes (including in the covered market) which would have been a lot better than Popeyes

[@ArizonaKC]

@@citywise8773 oh I agree! My kids wanted to try a chain of some sort to compare the difference and it ended up being Popeyes. I had found a beautiful garden bistro with a lovely menu but that’s where we went instead. Oh well.

[@sureshsky647]

hi

[@ArizonaKC]

Hi 😊

[@skipper409]

Hereford = ‘hair-ee-fud”

[@lyndoncmp5751]

They have hairy fuds there? 😝

[@ArizonaKC]

I completely messed up that word! 😃 In the States we say her-ferd.