So as I start to think about my upcoming research trip, I’ve also begun to wonder whether there’s anything I want to see in the UK during my layover of yet-to-be-determined length. Last time I was in London I did the tourist-thing on the cheap, spending most of my time out-of-doors and taking in the sights that way. Didn’t go in any churches, only went in one museum: you get the idea.
One thing I did get to see in this way is a site I recommend to anyone who might be into stamps, blue plaques, and/or world’s firsts: the spot where the General Letter Office stood from 1653-1666, in which the first postmarks in the world were struck in 1661.
Wanderlust-stricken philatelists might also travel to Malindi, in Kenya, in order to visit the German Postal Museum there. Malindi is, of course, one of a number of East African island destinations. Unlike Mombasa, which outside of Old Town has become quite urban and modern in the last century or so, and Zanzibar, with its tourist-ridden Stone Town, Malindi is supposed to have remained relatively unchanged. Unfortunately, I never made it there, so I can’t confirm or deny it. If I had, I certainly would have visited the museum, although I would have had to do it alone: surprisingly, not everybody is as excited about the history of the German postal service in Africa as I am. So keep that in mind while making your plans.
I did make it to Zanzibar, however, famous for being the home of Queen’s Freddie Mercury. But it just wasn’t the same.
0 Responses to “Travel Tips: London”