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2020 through my eyes

4/1/2021

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2020

What a strange year 2020 has been, but no matter how weird things have gotten, the one bit of stability that I am keeping is my annual look back at the trips I've taken and articles I have written, as I do every year.

​You can read my end of year review for 2019 here.
You can read my end of year review for 2018 here.
You can read my end of year review for 2017 here.
You can read my end of year review for 2016 here.

For obvious reasons, trips abroad this year were limited, although I did make it out to Nigeria, Kenya, Serbia and France earlier this year when the virus was limited largely in China. When lockdown was lifted, it was a chance to explore my own backyard, so I took trips to the different Royal Parks in London, as well as a first visit to the White Cliffs of Dover. I spent a considerable bit longer around the Midlands, doing a charity climb to Snowden, as well as exploring Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon.

As always, you can click any of the blue links to read in depth reviews of each location.

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Stratford-Upon-Avon, UK

21/12/2020

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Summary

Airport Rating n/a
Reception of locals *****
Cost: ££££
  • An old market town located in the English Midlands with a history dating back over a millennia 
  • Birthplace and home of famous playwright William Shakespeare
  • One of the most popular British tourist destinations outside of London
  • No issues as a Sikh visiting the town
  • Main sights: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Shakespeare Museums, Stratford Butterly Farm, historic town, Anne Hathaway's Cottage

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5 things I loved about Brittany

7/12/2020

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5 years ago, the thought of visiting a quiet village in a region where brown people are a rarity wasn't something that I'd have wanted to do. But, as I get older, the moments away from packed beaches and big cities are actually quite nice. 

I've written a post on Brittany (which you can read here), and a detailed post on Ploumanac'h, the most beautiful village in the region (which you can read here). I've tried to take the best of both articles and cover my favourite things in this article. I haven't included Mont Saint-Michel (because technically it's in Normandy) but you can read about it in my detailed Brittany article linked to above. Here are 5 things I loved about Brittany.

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Birmingham, UK

26/10/2020

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Summary

Airport Rating N/A
Reception of locals *****
Cost: ££££
  • The UK's second city, Birmingham is second only to London in terms of population and economic size
  • The nearby 'Black Country' is the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, and in the 19th century, Birmingham was known as the workshop of the world
  • It has one of the largest Panjabi populations outside of Panjab, including one of the largest Nagar Kirtans (Handsworth), as well as being seen as the home of western bhangra music
  • Main sights: Library of Birmingham, Victoria Square, Birmingham Canals, Bullring, Mailbox, The Rep, Grand Central, Colmore Row, Jewellery Quarter, Villa Park, Birmingham Town Hall

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Singhs climb Snowdon

5/10/2020

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Summary

Airport Rating N/A
Reception of locals ***
Cost: £
  • Climbed Snowdon to raise money for the Sikh Soup Kitchen
  • Took the Llanberis Path, one of the longer but easier paths to the summit
  • Four hours to climb and return with amazing views at the top
  • Places visited: Snowdon, Llanberis Path

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Paris (again), France

14/9/2020

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Summary

Airport Rating ** (Channel tunnel via car)
Reception of locals ****
Cost: £££££
  • Fourth visit to Paris so explored areas a little further out of the city
  • The more I visit this city, the more I've begun to enjoy and appreciate it
  • Still expensive, but the further out from the centre you go, the more safer it feels as a brown person (it gets more ethnically diverse)
  • Places visited: Palace of Versailles, Eiffel Tower, Saint Chapelle, Coulee Verte Rene-Dumont, Bastille, Gurdwara Singh Sabha Bobigny, 

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Brittany, France

24/8/2020

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Summary

Airport Rating n/a
Reception of locals ***
Cost: £££
  • Home of the Breton people and one of the six recognised Celtic nations
  • More agricultural and less industrialised than most parts of Western Europe, with a greater cultural homogeneity than larger French cities
  • No troubles travelling around as a Sikh, but don't expect to see any other Sikhs or even broader South Asians
  • Places visited: Mont St. Michel, Ploumanac'h, Perros-Guirec, Guingamp, Rennes, Laval, Lannion, Bourbriac, Pont-Melvez

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Ploumanac'h, France

10/8/2020

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Summary

Airport Rating ** (ferry)
Reception of locals ****
Cost: ££££
  • Coastal village in Brittany, voted the village most preferred by the French
  • Stunning landscapes, with one of the most spectacular coastlines I've ever seen
  • Don't expect to see any Sikhs out here, or even South Asians more broadly
  • Car stopped for security search, asked to open bonnet
  • Main sights: the Pink Granite Coast, Ploumanac'h Lighthouse, Port of Ploumanac'h

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The Royal Parks of London

27/7/2020

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Summary

The pandemic has allowed me to explore places closer to home. It's easy to forget that I live in a city that ranks the second most popular in the world for international visitors and so I've spent this spring and summer walking around and exploring new parts of the city.

From my travels around the world, I've realised that London is a relatively 'green' city and that's largely thanks to the eight Royal Parks of London, as well as some of the non-royal ones (a Royal Park is one originally owned by the monarchy and is now preserved as an open access public park). In this article I review each park in order of size, from smallest to largest - with a ranking of my favourites at the end.

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White Cliffs of Dover

22/6/2020

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Summary

Airport Rating n/a
Reception of locals n/a
Cost: £
  • Closest point to the European mainland and a short drive from London
  • Tourism is one of the two major sources of income for the town (the port being the other)
  • Parking costs £5 but there aren't any entry costs - take food and drink with you
  • Main sights: White Cliffs, Dover Castle, South Foreland Lighthouse

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    British Sikh, born in the Midlands, based in London, travelling the world seeing new cultures.

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  • ...and everything in it
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