Lots of times when we travel, we want to see the largest or so called "world class" cities in a country. They are called world class for a reason; top restaurants, excellent cultural opportunities, lots of hospitality industry to welcome visitors. During our recent trip to Great Britain, we did that, visiting London.  But we also enjoyed our time north of the city in several smaller cities and villages. Touring in some of the smaller towns, we got an opportunity to see how the local folks there live and work (and study, in the case of Oxford and Cambridge!) and we were enjoying dining and entertainment options with the locals, instead of being elbow to elbow with fellow tourists. The downside is that sometimes the public transit or lodging options may be lacking. We were lucky to have a relative to stay with while exploring this area, but with apartment rentals available easily on AirBNB, and Trip Advisor, it's easy enough to find a room almost anywhere these days, making it even easier to experience more remote or suburban areas.

To see our full trip report of our adventures in Cambridge, Oxford, St Ives, and Ely in England...click HERE.

(all photos Kathy Klofft- which means don't expect them to be as good as Jeff's!)