England – Northtrotter

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Times visited: Second home country
Cities visited: London, Cambridge, Norwich, Ipswich, Liverpool, Royal Tunbridge Wells and Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Villages visited: Watton, Thetford, Amesbury, Windsor, Bury St. Edmunds, Lavenham, Finchingfield, Mildenhall, Brandon, Swaffham, Attleborough, Wroxham, Great Yarmouth, Hunstanton, Cromer, Ambleside, Grasmere and Carham
UNESCO sites visited: 7/35 (UK)

England is my second home. My mum is English, and I grew up bilingual – speaking both English and Danish at home. Though I’ve never lived in England, it has always felt like a part of me.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been to England. At just three months old, it was the first country I ever travelled to. Throughout my childhood, we visited regularly to see my mum’s side of the family, and during my teenage years, I spent each summer there with my grandmother and younger brother.

Despite all those visits, I’ve actually spent very little time being a tourist in England. Once, around the age of 13, I went on a day trip to Stonehenge with family friends. Another time, in 2015, I finally visited London for the first time. In the summer of 2018, I spent three lovely days visiting a friend in the charming Royal Tunbridge Wells. In early 2024, I made a brief half-day stop in Newcastle-upon-Tyne while travelling overland from Scotland to Denmark. And in November 2024, I set off on a road trip from Denmark to Scotland and back again, stopping in Norfolk to visit family along the way. I also made a detour to the Lake District – a place I’d longed to see ever since hearing Taylor Swift’s song “the lakes.” It was magical hiking the hills above Ambleside while listening to the song that had inspired the visit. On my way home, I explored the tiny village of Carham, tucked away in a little corner of England that’s nearly swallowed by Scotland.

The vast majority of my time in England has been spent in Norfolk, a region that holds a special place in my heart. It’s where my mum grew up, and I’ve always loved going back to reconnect with that part of my heritage. I have so many fond memories – summer days in Great Yarmouth, riverside walks in Thetford, mountain biking through Thetford Forest, and spotting historic flint houses in sleepy, picturesque villages.