Category Archives: UK

And Now We Are Home

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We began our morning quite leisurely since checkout was at 11:00 and there was no rush to get to the airport. Packing is usually more difficult at the end of the trip, even while we never purchase souvenirs. This time, though, I had no issues at all. I suspect it’s because I had to unpack and pack so many times I knew where everything would fit.

When we checked out we called a car to take us to Paddington Station. Normally we’d just do the tube — the cost would be MUCH less and the time wouldn’t be much more. But with our extra luggage we opted to spend the big bucks.

Well … getting out of our area took quite a bit of time: traffic was rotten. We finally got over the Thames and our driver took us near Buckingham Palace. Who knew there would be a bunch of horses and riders in full regalia going up the street ahead of us?! More delays. Finally they headed straight and we turned a bit.

Only to find they were again in front of us!



We could only laugh.

Eventually we did make it to Paddington, but it took quite a bit longer than the tube and it was, oh, perhaps $50 more! But on a trip like this I suppose that’s a drop in the bucket. (That being written, one drop can make a bucket overflow … right?)

Next up was getting to the Heathrow Express. Again, this was a bit of an extravagant expense. But it was only a 15 minute ride compared to the longer, less costly way to go.

Except there was a delay!

This delay was nothing like the “horse delay” though, and we did get to the airport. From there we walked (and walked) to the United area to check our luggage. Easy peasy.

Next up was security. Being in another country our TSA pre-check doesn’t do much good, but we were able to get through via a speedier lane. Well, I had a good pat down at Frankfurt’s airport, and this time I set off the alarm again. No pat down this time … just had to remove my shoes. And yes, those were the culprits. I wonder if there’s a way to research and find out if a particular brand and/or style of shoe sets off the alarm. It sure would be nice to know. But if I wear these again (doubtful), I’ll just remember to remove them and put them in the tray, even if they say not to bother.

But wait, there’s more! We then had to navigate to the United area where our gate and the lounge were located. Signage made it somewhat easy, but when we got to one spot it said to reach the gates including ours was a mere (okay, they didn’t use the word “mere”) 15 minute walk! I can’t remember in which order we did escalators but there was some up and down and maybe down and up … or something. Clearly there were people who had arrived thinking they could just get to their gate quickly and arrived a wee bit late … lots of running going on! But of course we did make it, with no running, and we entered the rather full, and in need of an update (ripped seats and all) United lounge.



When it was time to get to our gate that was quick ‘n easy. Close to our arrival we were able to line up and get ready to board. The plane was not close to full, so boarding went quickly.

Taking off did not.

While we were ready to take off, the captain said that we were delayed due to other planes ahead of us, making our arrival time a bit later than we had expected, even while we would have arrived early had we been able to take off on time. We settled in, readying ourselves for a 10+ hour flight.


About eight hours into the flight I put the flight map back on: I love seeing where we are. Well, apparently the internet was down (a reason I rarely bother to spend any money on purchasing WiFi — and never on an international flight as it’s tremendously expensive) so while the info was provided (2h 19m to destination) the map showed the UK only and was pointless. Ah … but when I clicked on it it showed us over South Dakota. Hello USA! I guess we really were going to get home.

(United has updated their map and their safety video since the last time we flew. The map is better, I think. The safety video is definitely not (yawn). FYI … because you know you want to know.)

At the start of our flight we were served a rather substantial dinner. Then lights were dimmed and it was clearly time to rest. I’m not sure how airlines determine whose time to use, but I’d much prefer adjusting to the time ahead of me rather than the one I just left. When I get on the plane (or sometimes even right before) I set my watch for the destination time. What can I say? I guess I like to think ahead.

The flight was pretty uneventful, although I did end up with my restless legs and a bit of a stomach issue toward the end: the legs are no surprise, and the stomach was, I think, simply due to eating too darn much!

My sister Carolyn picked us up after we easily breezed through customs (thank you, Global Entry!), and she drove us straight to our house. THANK YOU, Carolyn!

And now we are home. Not unpacked, because of the time, but home. Tomorrow will be a washing, grocery shopping, and house cleaning day, for sure.

Over ‘n out.

Soooo … time to plan the next trip …?!

And Now Our Final Full Day

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The last day is always a bit of an interesting day. We do less most of the time, as I think our brains are busy thinking about the travel day and our bodies really let down because we know we are nearly done.

As is always the case, it was breakfast first, and then after getting ready, heading to the tube. It was Jubilee to Westminster this morning. We then walked over to Westminster Abbey: there were no (expensive) tours today since it’s Sunday, but there was Matins scheduled at 10:00 so we opted for that. Worship services are always free, and it was nice to worship on a Sunday in London! This time we were wiser than we were in York, got there early, and had lovely seats where we could see and hear better. It was all quite beautiful.

The formality of the service is, of course, not what I experience at home. I really miss a bit of formality so I enjoyed it. This was not a service with a sermon, but it was music, scripture, and prayer. I was moved.

No photography was allowed in the service, understandably, and it did make me realize we should someday pay the whopping amount they charge if we really want to see the entire building. I was ogling the markers for various famous musicians as we walked in and a guide came and clearly wanted us to move on.

On the way out people did pull out cameras, so I felt comfortable taking a few shots outside of the actual church.


From the church we ambled a bit, checking out some nearby spots.

After that we headed toward Trafalgar Square. When we were here the first time we met up at the Square with Greg and Jan and from there we walked to a nearby pub. Dan thought he could locate it and he did! All I remembered was that we got to go down two flights of stairs which I loved — it felt so private.

It hadn’t yet opened, so we continued our walk toward Trafalgar.

There was a huge area fenced off. Hm. And why might that be? Baseball. The Phillies & Mets are here to play, wouldn’t you know? So this was some sort of spot where they had a huge screen and I could hear someone talking and music playing. We weren’t interested in going in, so we continued to walk.

Eventually it was time to get back to “our” pub. It just opened, and the person opening it told us to go on up to the main floor. Ah well. We didn’t opt to ask if we could go down, being the shy retiring sort of folks we are. Today is Sunday so the menu was different … it’s roast time. Dan had chicken and I had some sort of plant-based nut roast. It was all quite tasty. (I think the roasted potatoes won the day, though!)



More time to walk, and we were on Fleet Street. You know what that means!

Okay … it doesn’t really mean “The Amicable Society of Lazy Ballerinas”. (I looked it up: it’s a wine bar.)

But this …

We headed to St. Paul’s.

I wasn’t interesting in paying £22.50 per senior to go in, nor was Dan, so we just wandered around it a bit and then went to the Millennium bridge, which took us toward our hotel. A quick climb up some stairs later and we were back.

On the Millennium Bridge.

Eventually it was time to head to Holy Trinity Church. Greg (one of my brothers, for those of you who don’t know) had mentioned that Gesualdo Six would be singing there and I was so glad he did!

The church is in Chelsea. Some restaurants were quite posh, and clearly the area is that way as well.


We found a more affordable place to dine, and then we headed around the corner to the church for the concert.

First a choir from Birmingham, Alabama sang, then Gesualdo Six joined them for one song, and then the Six sang an absolutely exquisite half. For both the choir and GSix I had to pull a tissue out. There is simply nothing like the human voice, and the music hit me in the way I love. If you ever have a chance to hear the Gesualdo Six I highly recommend that you do!


Finally it was another train “home” where I’m writing this and we will spend our last night. Our flight tomorrow doesn’t leave until 4:15 PM, but we will take our time packing, and head over to the airport which is a bit of a distance. But hey, the flight home is only three hours! We arrive at 7-something PM. Yep, I’m still funny as can be. Or not.

Some views from the Blackfriar’s Bridge: we crossed this bridge a number of times.

So this is it. End of vacation. Maybe I’ll post when we get home (if I have a brain left), and I’d like to post some thoughts on what I’d do differently next time. Having the Great Glen Way walk added to this trip did make it difficult to pack lightly, though. I’d love to see if there would be a way to do that despite doing a walk. (And honestly I think I’d see if these less expensive trekking poles we bought would make it through in carryon. If they took them away I’d just sigh and deal.)

Posting these blog entries has been cumbersome and I need to find a better way to upload photos, but that will wait for another day. For now it’s close to slumber time, and then let the packing begin!

Ciao!

Happy Friday in London

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Not a lot to write about or post today, really.

Breakfast. Check.

Tube to Embankment. Check.

Walk to the British National Museum. Check.

Meet up with Brandon again. Check.

Stand in line for eons. Check.

Go through security where they didn’t confiscate my cookies (whew!). Check.

But these days I don’t really take photos at museums, so we wandered, we ate lunch (where I did take this one photo)

… and we wandered more. The museum is so much about antiquities (obtained, I am guessing, in less that admirable ways sometimes). I confess I’m more of a painting person, but there really is something about seeing things that are so amazingly ancient.

From there we walked to a close, very old, pub. Also turned out to be incredibly noisy due to one group of guys. Go figure. I must say I’m enjoying the 1/2 pints I get, and all with lower alcohol content. The smaller beer works for me: I so frequently can’t even finish the pints!


We decided to head back to our hotel for a bit of a late night, nearly 5:00 siesta.

Brandon contacted us some time later, saying he was just across Blackfriars bridge so we walked back over to meet up and have dinner at the pub. We had a great time. It’s our last meet up with him and I’ll miss him a ton.

After dinner it was back to our place — and hey, the elevator was working! Earlier today it said it was out of order … I’m glad it’s fixed because I’d have hated to lug our stuff down stairs on Monday when we head home.

Tomorrow we are taking a short train ride to another town. We have to set our alarms, in fact, because we are going to have to get things done earlier to make the train.

Night!

A Brief Post … I’m Tired

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There isn’t a ton to report for today, but I’ll quickly write so I don’t forget.

We began slowly, since checkout wasn’t until 11 and our train was scheduled for 12:02. But eventually the cab arrived, and we headed to the lounge at the station. We were there rather early (typical of us), and just hung out, watching and listening to a D-Day memorial program.

From there it was to the train and into our comfortable seats. I confess I mostly slept this time. Just one shot from a moving train. Thrilling, I’m sure.



And then we arrived at Kings X station in London! I always enjoy coming back to London, and this time it’s special because Brandon is here. We easily figured out how to get from Kings X to our hotel across the Thames, and settled in for a bit.

We are at The Mad Hatter Hotel. Maybe you can see evidence of that?

When we finally went out we just randomly walked in what someone here thought was the direction of The Tate Modern. Um … wrong! We reached The Eye, and then turned around and headed the other way.


At that point Brandon texted to say we could meet up, so we went to our hotel and met with him there, eating dinner in the pub connected to this place. It’s so great to see him! Last year we met up with Meghan and Jameson. This year it’s Brandon (missing Lia, though). It’s fabulous when your kids travel and then even want to spend time with you!


Now we are back in our room and it’s definitely time for some rest.

Tomorrow we spend the day with Brandon — he will direct things so we don’t have to think. I like that. I think. (<— see what I did there? How funny can I be? Um. Maybe don’t answer that.)

G’night!

Our (Wet) Day in York

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We had hoped — or at least I did! — that we left wet weather behind when we left Scotland, but today proved us (me?) wrong.

We spend a bit of time in our room: Dan had the coffee they provided and I splurged and had the cocoa. Sometimes one just has to do that, right?

Then it was out and about again. We ended up on a street very clearly tied to Harry Potter. We also had tea coffee and scones with clotted cream. Sorry, UK, we just aren’t much for tea although I occasionally give it a go.

A questionable structure.

I had mentioned the tiny alleyways to Dan, called Snickelways. We found a few, and that worked for us (there are a ton and we certainly didn’t need to find them all).

Here is an example of the Snickelway.

We then searched for the city wall. Hm. Found it, could barely walk it because it was closed shortly after we began, due to safety reasons. Ah well. At least we saw it!

This is out of order … but you don’t know that and it hardly matters, right?

With the rain we headed to an indoor restaurant for lunch. Nothing remarkable. Nothing bad. Just a small meal and a lemonade. (Hm. Lemonade in the rain? Well, it worked fine.)

At some point (maybe right after lunch) we went back to our room. I was tired and just needed a rest. Dan patiently put up with me!

From there it was a glass of something (wine for me, beer for Dan) in the lounge of our place, and finally we headed to evensong at York Minster.

WELL SHOOT!

By the time we arrived we were told we had to sit in the next room (sorry, I don’t know the terms for these places!). We stuck around, but I could barely follow what they were singing. So that was a disappointment. I guess I should have researched. But it was great to see the church — it’s quite a place! We weren’t allowed to take photos, though.

From there it was dinner time and we had a light dinner (pasta) nearby.

Then back to our place again, having passed by another building that was rather questionable … how does it stay standing, I wonder?!

Just a very short hop from our room to this view …

And “home” … for one more night.

The next five nights are elsewhere, and I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to blog with photos each night. Time will tell.

For now … nighty-night!

Hello England!

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We hung out at our Edinburgh hotel for a time since our train didn’t leave until 1:00, but eventually it was time to call a taxi, since we had to check out by 11:00.

Goodbye Edinburgh!

Then we had the joy of navigating the train station. It’s a large one, and the first thing we needed to find was the lounge. It took us a while, but we did manage to get there. From there we went to track 9. That meant taking a lift up, and another down. We got into our first class seats, and could then relax. And eat. Food came with the tickets.


The train ride itself was just fine, but both of us are pretty tired at the moment so we mostly closed our eyes. Not sleeping … but trying to in any case.


And then we arrived in our next spot … York! We caught a taxi to our lodging …

No, not where we are staying … just a place on the way there.

… and while the room is tiny I’m happy to say it is a vast improvement over the Edinburgh place. Expedia gets some bad marks for what they touted as a decent place to stay. The smell of mildew really came through once the stuff they spray to try and hide it dissipated. The toilet didn’t always flush well. Twice there was no hot water for showers. And it was just generally in very poor condition. (I know, I know, first world problems and I should just deal!)

But now we are at Middletons Hotel, and while our room is “cozy” (that means tiny), it is just fine and we are here for two nights of cozy comfort.

The gardens at our hotel are lovely.

After settling in we did a bit of laundry, and then we went out to investigate the area.

This is down “our” street. The buildings look more contemporary. When I saw a sign on one, though, it said, “Built to the Glory of God, 1899”. Hmm.)

The bathroom … well … sometimes I have to take photos in the bathroom. This restaurant called for them!

Now we are back in our room, and both of us are unusually weary this evening. I’m hoping it means a good night’s sleep!

Ta ta!

Friday, May 17

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What a lazy start to our day! I woke up a number of times in the early morning — it gets light here very early — but since Dan continued to sleep I’d roll over (in our tiny bed — I’m not used to that, as we have a huge California king bed at home) and fall back asleep. Finally I woke again, looked over, and Dan was reading. Oops … I slept until 9AM! After the little breakfast this place provides (we can pick and choose from oatmeal in a cup, “croissants” that aren’t anything like real croissants, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, orange juice and more … but all prefab stuff), and after our showers, it was time to figure out what to do before our 3:00 whisky tour at the Oban distillery.

Side Note: I’m actually not usually much of a whisky drinker, but when in Rome, or at least Oban …

When we headed out the door our first destination was all about coffee. No surprise there, right? We located a place, ordered our cappuccinos, and sat outside in the lovely sun. It was not too hot, and just a really pleasant spot.

Next up was making our way to McCaig’s Tower & Battery Hill. The walk (and stairs) were just lovely and my back behaved! We spent time up on the hill, taking photos and just relaxing. Oban is sure a beautiful place! I was sorry I neglected to bring my macro lens up the hill with me: flowers are abundant here at the moment. Ah well … maybe I’ll remember in Fort William if we head out on walks there.

Lunch was next on the agenda. We wandered. In our typical fashion we had to investigate a number of places before settling on a spot. I had a smaller lunch: after yesterday the salmon pate seemed to be a good option. Yesterday’s food was just far too much, and my stomach is suggesting I go a bit lighter!

From there we went to the Oban Distillery for a tour and tasting.

What a fun time! The young man who led our tour was great … and hey, even with a deaf ear I could understand him easily, as he spoke so nice and clearly. We took the tour and on the way sampled three whiskies. Only small amounts of each, mind you We now, for the first time in eons, will have a souvenir to bring home: we were given one of the glasses they served a whisky in. Normally we aren’t souvenir buyers. With our small bags and lack of space we just don’t go there. But for little Oban whisky glasses … well, we will just have to find spots for them!

We dropped by Cuan Mor, where we want to have dinner (recommended by my boss Robert Massey at Symphony San Jose), but they don’t take reservations, so we just have to return and wait for a spot to open. That’s fine — it’s not like we are under any time constraints!

And then it was back to our room, where I could write up some of this blog entry, and then rest a bit. I could also look out the window … it is so doggone lovely here!

We might have rested a bit, too. You decide.


Dinner was enjoyed at Cuan Mor … they said it would be a 30 minute wait but in reality it was only 15. A yummy dinner — AND dessert! — were enjoyed. When I get home I’ll sign up for a weight loss program. (HAH … as if I ever do that!)

The sunset at 9:10 was gorgeous! I’m so glad we are where we are, as I can see it from our window, while Dan, great photographer that he is, went outside to shoot it.

Tomorrow we leave lovely Oban and head to Fort William. We are going the long way, via train. The bus would have been 1 1/2 hours, while the trains (we switch in Crianlarich) total almost 4 hours, but I had written to a travel group and was encouraged to take the train. I was told we are in for some great views. I do hope this was the right choice!

Hello, UK!

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After our long sit in the Frankfurt lounge, we headed to Glasgow via Lufthansa. Easy flight. More food.


We went through customs. I managed to do the wrong thing on the scanner — I think I scanned the wrong page of my passport! — and had to see a person instead. He asked me where I came from. I said California. Heh. Then he said, “No, where did you just fly in from?” Oh. Right. Frankfurt! Old Brain!

From there it was collection luggage time. I think our bags were maybe the 2nd and 3rd out! Dan didn’t recognize his but thankfully I said, “But isn’t that yours?” and he quickly went after it.

Our hotel (Holiday Inn) is directly across the street from the airport. As in about a three minute walk, max. So we are now in our room and we will see how we sleep tonight. It does feel like it’s night to me, although not quite 11:55, as the clock says. We have, um, quite the view … of a parking garage!

Tomorrow onward to Oban!

But first … lunch!

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After my dear sister (thanks, Carolyn!) drove us to the airport we went to check our luggage. There was no wait at all. It it so odd at this point to say goodbye to luggage, since I’m so used to carryon only. I think the rule about trekking poles is dumb, and I am betting we could have gotten through with them, but were we willing to take that chance? No way!

We got through security in what felt like seconds, so that, too was a breeze. There is barely anyone here!

Then it was time for the Polaris Lounge. (Yes. We are doing the Polaris lay-flat seats on the plane, which means we get in to the Polaris Lounge. We are spoiled. I’m okay with that.) We headed to the dining room and had a lovely, small meal. It was just delightful. And quiet. Very, very quiet.

Small bites first, and then our main. I
promise you we won’t complain!
(Yes, that’s my poem for today.)

Now we are sitting in the lounge, having coffee and dessert. Oh what a rough life. You might weep a bit for us.

Or not.

Next up … Frankfurt. We have close to a 7 hour layover before we have a 2 hour flight to Glasgow.

I’m still not quite realizing this is happening!

Oh My … The Time!

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When I work on these trips they seem so far away, and time moves at a slow pace.

Until.

Now? I just can’t believe how soon we leave, and I’m going over checklists (both written and in my head), trying to get things done that need doing. Of course I’ll probably forget something, but I’m hopeful the most important tasks get done. I simply must make time for those.

Today it was tidy up the kitchen. Wouldn’t you know as I was doing that the sink clogged?! But better now than when our house sitters are here. In addition, it reminded me to put the sink plunger under the sink in case they need it. I always keep toilet plungers handy, but I forget about the sink since we never (hah … never say never!) have issues there.

I also cleaned up the outside of the house … so many webs that have collected dust. I will NOT get the windows done, though. I simply can’t do them at this point. Dan set up the patio furniture, and I’ll be cleaning up the patio so it’s not a mess: it’s actually nice to sit out there for dinner when things are neatened up.

Some things, of course, have to wait until Tuesday morning after we get dressed: washing linens, changing the bed, all that jazz. I also want to completely clear out my closet (it’s already almost empty) and I did empty some drawers earlier this week, so the sitters have at least one closet in which to hang things, and a few drawers to put clothes in. I just don’t like asking them to live out of suitcases when they are here for nearly a month.

So prep is going on, and of course I’m quite excited. Oh, and my back is improving. It’s not 100%, but I’ll get there.

This very well may be my last post before we start the trip. We’ll see.

Anyway … tick tick tick … that clock is getting mighty noisy!