Sunday, May 30, 2010
A Steel’s slideshow
Along with going to Lincoln, Neill, Linda, Sam and I also took a day trip to Louth, which I described in an earlier post.
They treated Sam and I to a truly superb fish and chips meal at Steel’s restaurant, too.
At Steel’s, the fish and chips cover your entire plate.
As you’ll see in the slideshow, it takes a big appetite to finish a plate.
They treated Sam and I to a truly superb fish and chips meal at Steel’s restaurant, too.
At Steel’s, the fish and chips cover your entire plate.
As you’ll see in the slideshow, it takes a big appetite to finish a plate.
Lincoln slideshow
When Sam and I were staying with Neill and Linda last week, we took a day trip to Lincoln.
We had a great time walking the cobbled streets of the old city and looking at the ancient castle and cathedral.
We had a flat tire on our way out, which is why that picture is first. Sam thought she’d get a couple of action shots.
But the rest of the pictures are us in Lincoln.
Take a look…
We had a great time walking the cobbled streets of the old city and looking at the ancient castle and cathedral.
We had a flat tire on our way out, which is why that picture is first. Sam thought she’d get a couple of action shots.
But the rest of the pictures are us in Lincoln.
Take a look…
Saturday, May 29, 2010
A long time without blogging…
The days keep flying by as Sam and I keep exploring the English Midlands with various friends and family, although I haven’t been keeping up to date on this blog.
I apologize for that.
Since my last post Tuesday Sam and I have spent a few days with Mo and John Macintyre and their humongous home in Goxhill, a small village a few miles outside of Barton.
We packed in a lot of sites—and a significant amount of wedding dress shopping—in those few days, hence the lack of blog post.
Sam and I are going to a wedding in Munster Germany the first week of June, which is why Sam wanted to make sure she had a great dress for the ceremony.
Her best friend Anna is getting married June 5th, so Sam wanted to look her best.
I won’t go into too much detail since I’m not a big “dress shopper,” but it’s safe to say after two half days of shopping and about 50 potential dresses later, Sam found the perfect dress, both for Anna’s wedding next month and my brother Seth’s wedding in November.
Dress shopping wasn’t the only thing we did with Mo and John.
We visited an underwater aquarium in Hull called “The Deep” with Mo on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, we went back to Hull to take in the maritime museum there, as Hull was and still is a major shipping locale in England, and visit William Wilberforce’s house.
Wilberforce was a key player in abolishing slavery in Great Britain.
Britain, through Wilberforce’s persistence, abolished the slave trade in 1807.
In 1833, Great Britain passed the Slavery Abolition Act, outlawing slavery in the country for good.
Wilberforce died in 1833, three days after the Slavery Abolition Act’s passage was assured.
On Thursday, the four of us traveled north to the seaside town of Whitby and the nearby village called Robin Hood’s Bay.
No one could tell me why it was called Robin Hood’s Bay, so we just figured Robin Hood must have vacationed there when making mischief for the Sheriff of Nottingham became too much.
Whitby is home to the looming ruins of Whitby Abbey and a famous church that is quoted in Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.”
Stoker lived near Whitby and used to visit the area often during his life, which is why, a museum worker told me, the town in mentioned in his book.
The worker said in Stoker’s novel, Dracula arrives in Whitby in the form of a dog, changes into his human form in the church graveyard and then is mentioned in Whitby again.
The connection is loose to be sure, but that hasn’t stopped the Whitby Abbey museum from trying to make a pound or two off the mention in the novel.
As the museum worker said: “The connection to Dracula is tenuous, but we sell the book in the gift shop.”
You can’t beat commercialism.
I apologize for that.
Since my last post Tuesday Sam and I have spent a few days with Mo and John Macintyre and their humongous home in Goxhill, a small village a few miles outside of Barton.
We packed in a lot of sites—and a significant amount of wedding dress shopping—in those few days, hence the lack of blog post.
Sam and I are going to a wedding in Munster Germany the first week of June, which is why Sam wanted to make sure she had a great dress for the ceremony.
Her best friend Anna is getting married June 5th, so Sam wanted to look her best.
I won’t go into too much detail since I’m not a big “dress shopper,” but it’s safe to say after two half days of shopping and about 50 potential dresses later, Sam found the perfect dress, both for Anna’s wedding next month and my brother Seth’s wedding in November.
Dress shopping wasn’t the only thing we did with Mo and John.
We visited an underwater aquarium in Hull called “The Deep” with Mo on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, we went back to Hull to take in the maritime museum there, as Hull was and still is a major shipping locale in England, and visit William Wilberforce’s house.
Wilberforce was a key player in abolishing slavery in Great Britain.
Britain, through Wilberforce’s persistence, abolished the slave trade in 1807.
In 1833, Great Britain passed the Slavery Abolition Act, outlawing slavery in the country for good.
Wilberforce died in 1833, three days after the Slavery Abolition Act’s passage was assured.
On Thursday, the four of us traveled north to the seaside town of Whitby and the nearby village called Robin Hood’s Bay.
No one could tell me why it was called Robin Hood’s Bay, so we just figured Robin Hood must have vacationed there when making mischief for the Sheriff of Nottingham became too much.
Whitby is home to the looming ruins of Whitby Abbey and a famous church that is quoted in Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.”
Stoker lived near Whitby and used to visit the area often during his life, which is why, a museum worker told me, the town in mentioned in his book.
The worker said in Stoker’s novel, Dracula arrives in Whitby in the form of a dog, changes into his human form in the church graveyard and then is mentioned in Whitby again.
The connection is loose to be sure, but that hasn’t stopped the Whitby Abbey museum from trying to make a pound or two off the mention in the novel.
As the museum worker said: “The connection to Dracula is tenuous, but we sell the book in the gift shop.”
You can’t beat commercialism.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Pictures...finally
You wouldn't know it by reading the blog posts up to this point, but Sam and I actually did bring a camera with us and have been taking pictures since we've been in England.
It's just taken us a while to download them and figure out how to post them on this blog.
Yes, it's not rocket science and we should have posted pictures earlier. But we've been seeing the sites and enjoying ourselves with Sam's family and friends, not worrying about posting our pictures.
Can you blame us?
Well, at long last, here's a slideshow of London.
More will follow, though I can't say when...
It's just taken us a while to download them and figure out how to post them on this blog.
Yes, it's not rocket science and we should have posted pictures earlier. But we've been seeing the sites and enjoying ourselves with Sam's family and friends, not worrying about posting our pictures.
Can you blame us?
Well, at long last, here's a slideshow of London.
More will follow, though I can't say when...
Monday, May 24, 2010
Lazy days in Barton
Sam and I have been taking it pretty easy in Barton the last few days.
As Sam has recovered from a nasty bug she picked up recently, we've been sleeping in and experiencing the nightlife in Barton.
With Sam in bed early Friday night, I went out with Sandra and Vern's youngest son Ian to a handful of pubs in Barton.
Going out on the town in England isn't much different than going out in the United States.
Since it was Friday night, many of the pubs had DJs with dance music playing, mostly by American artists. In fact, if you glanced into a pub on Friday night in Barton you could have mistaken the pub for any number of bars in the U.S.
There are some differences though.
For one, when you order a beer in England, it will, of course, come in a 20-ounce pint glass. You can't go wrong with the size of the drink that you get in England, especially if you're a fast drinker like me.
With a 20 ounce glass, there's enough beer to steadily enjoy yourself but not too much that the beer is warm by the time you get to the bottom.
The second noticable difference on a Friday night out in England is the dress, or lack thereof, of the local girls.
I'm not sure the word skimpy is in the English vocabulary.
Granted, not all the girls out on the town last Friday were wearing next to nothing. But a vast majority left little to the imagination.
Ian and I stayed out pretty late Friday and we really enjoyed ourselves. We met up with some of his friends, who were more than happy to have a conversation with an American.
The English are a very friendly people that try to make you feel right at home.
I never had my doubts, but it's always nice to feel welcome.
With Sam feeling better on Saturday, she joined me, Ian and his girlfriend Beth, Ian's brother Kirk and his fiancee Tracy and their family friend Luke for a couple of pints after dinner at a local pub, the Wheatsheaf.
The scene that night was much more laid back.
As we found out, Friday night is the big "going out" night in Barton while Saturday is a much more subdued "couples night." That was fine with me as I was still feeling the after effects of a late Friday night.
Sam got to catch up with Ian and Kirk, who she's known since childhood, while I discussed the differences between English and American colleges.
For instance, graduates of English universities don't have to start paying back their student loans until they make a certain amount of money. In the United States, of course, students typically have to start paying off their student loans six months after graduation whether they're employed or not.
Since I'm looking at three years' worth of loans to pay for law school, I'm a little envious of the British way of dealing with student loans.
The highlight on Sunday was going out to dinner at one of the local Indian restaurants. Sam and I both love Indian food and are quite jealous that Barton, a town of about 9,300 people, has three sit-down Indian restaurants and two take-out only places.
You have to drive to Kansas City from St. Joseph to get to the nearest Indian restaurant.
We'd be pretty spoiled if we lived in Barton.
As Sam has recovered from a nasty bug she picked up recently, we've been sleeping in and experiencing the nightlife in Barton.
With Sam in bed early Friday night, I went out with Sandra and Vern's youngest son Ian to a handful of pubs in Barton.
Going out on the town in England isn't much different than going out in the United States.
Since it was Friday night, many of the pubs had DJs with dance music playing, mostly by American artists. In fact, if you glanced into a pub on Friday night in Barton you could have mistaken the pub for any number of bars in the U.S.
There are some differences though.
For one, when you order a beer in England, it will, of course, come in a 20-ounce pint glass. You can't go wrong with the size of the drink that you get in England, especially if you're a fast drinker like me.
With a 20 ounce glass, there's enough beer to steadily enjoy yourself but not too much that the beer is warm by the time you get to the bottom.
The second noticable difference on a Friday night out in England is the dress, or lack thereof, of the local girls.
I'm not sure the word skimpy is in the English vocabulary.
Granted, not all the girls out on the town last Friday were wearing next to nothing. But a vast majority left little to the imagination.
Ian and I stayed out pretty late Friday and we really enjoyed ourselves. We met up with some of his friends, who were more than happy to have a conversation with an American.
The English are a very friendly people that try to make you feel right at home.
I never had my doubts, but it's always nice to feel welcome.
With Sam feeling better on Saturday, she joined me, Ian and his girlfriend Beth, Ian's brother Kirk and his fiancee Tracy and their family friend Luke for a couple of pints after dinner at a local pub, the Wheatsheaf.
The scene that night was much more laid back.
As we found out, Friday night is the big "going out" night in Barton while Saturday is a much more subdued "couples night." That was fine with me as I was still feeling the after effects of a late Friday night.
Sam got to catch up with Ian and Kirk, who she's known since childhood, while I discussed the differences between English and American colleges.
For instance, graduates of English universities don't have to start paying back their student loans until they make a certain amount of money. In the United States, of course, students typically have to start paying off their student loans six months after graduation whether they're employed or not.
Since I'm looking at three years' worth of loans to pay for law school, I'm a little envious of the British way of dealing with student loans.
The highlight on Sunday was going out to dinner at one of the local Indian restaurants. Sam and I both love Indian food and are quite jealous that Barton, a town of about 9,300 people, has three sit-down Indian restaurants and two take-out only places.
You have to drive to Kansas City from St. Joseph to get to the nearest Indian restaurant.
We'd be pretty spoiled if we lived in Barton.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Markets and castles
For Wednesday's trek, Sam and I headed to the small village of Louth with Neil and Linda.
Louth is a market town of about 16,000 that lies south of Waltham where Neil and Linda live. The name Louth is derived from an ancient word meaning loud because year's ago the River Lud that flows through the city was quite noisy.
The river must have been raging centuries ago because today the River is no more than a small, gently flowing stream.
Since we arrived on a Wednesday, we were lucky enough to experience a market day.
Vendors were camped in the middle of the town square selling a variety of items, from clothes to produce to used books and magazines.
We browsed for a while and didn't buy anything except for two pieces of homemade cake, one white and pink and another Belgian chocolate.
Examining wares in markets and shops is a different experience in England than it is in the United States.
In England, vendors don't try to sell you anything or ask you what you're looking for. They simply sit back and smile.
If Sam and I had been at the farmer's market in Idaho Falls or anywhere else in the U.S., many vendors would have definitely asked if they could help.
In England, I think, vendors are more than willing to do the same. The main difference is the potential buyer has to make the first move.
It's interesting to note the little quirks of each culture.
After we finished at the market, we bought some sandwiches and headed for the local park, called Hubbard's Hills, for a picnic.
The park is called Hubbard's Hills because long ago, a glacier cut a small valley (or what Southern Missourians might call a holler) where the River Lud flows today. On either side of the river are steep, wooded ridges that, at their peak, stand about 125 feet overlooking the stream and parts of Louth.
Visitors to the park can climb the 54 steeps to get on top of the ridge and can traverse a shaded path.
It was a nice walk and the end of a great day in Louth.
Louth is a market town of about 16,000 that lies south of Waltham where Neil and Linda live. The name Louth is derived from an ancient word meaning loud because year's ago the River Lud that flows through the city was quite noisy.
The river must have been raging centuries ago because today the River is no more than a small, gently flowing stream.
Since we arrived on a Wednesday, we were lucky enough to experience a market day.
Vendors were camped in the middle of the town square selling a variety of items, from clothes to produce to used books and magazines.
We browsed for a while and didn't buy anything except for two pieces of homemade cake, one white and pink and another Belgian chocolate.
Examining wares in markets and shops is a different experience in England than it is in the United States.
In England, vendors don't try to sell you anything or ask you what you're looking for. They simply sit back and smile.
If Sam and I had been at the farmer's market in Idaho Falls or anywhere else in the U.S., many vendors would have definitely asked if they could help.
In England, I think, vendors are more than willing to do the same. The main difference is the potential buyer has to make the first move.
It's interesting to note the little quirks of each culture.
After we finished at the market, we bought some sandwiches and headed for the local park, called Hubbard's Hills, for a picnic.
The park is called Hubbard's Hills because long ago, a glacier cut a small valley (or what Southern Missourians might call a holler) where the River Lud flows today. On either side of the river are steep, wooded ridges that, at their peak, stand about 125 feet overlooking the stream and parts of Louth.
Visitors to the park can climb the 54 steeps to get on top of the ridge and can traverse a shaded path.
It was a nice walk and the end of a great day in Louth.
we're still here...
Time really does fly when you're having fun.
Sam and I have been just going, going, going everyday that I haven't had time to update the blog in a while. I can't believe it's Friday afternoon already and I haven't written anything since Tuesday.
We've done a lot in the past few days, which I how to recap in separate posts later on.
We're now in Barton staying with Sandra and Vern, Sam's mother's good friends. We had another day trip planned today, but Sam fell ill. So while she's been sleeping adn recovering, Sandra, Vern and I went to a local nature preserve to do some bird watching.
It was a good day to go out because we saw a deer run across along a field and down a road, something Sandra and Vern have never experienced before and they've go to the nature preserve about once a week.
After the hourlong walk, we came back to their house, had a cold drink and some lunch and then lazed around, hoping Sam might start feeling better.
She appears to be feeling a bit better, but she won't be staying up late tonight.
I, on the other hand, am going out to some local pubs with Sandra and Vern's youngest son, Ian, to get a taste of how the English handle a Friday night out.
It should be a great time.
Sam and I have been just going, going, going everyday that I haven't had time to update the blog in a while. I can't believe it's Friday afternoon already and I haven't written anything since Tuesday.
We've done a lot in the past few days, which I how to recap in separate posts later on.
We're now in Barton staying with Sandra and Vern, Sam's mother's good friends. We had another day trip planned today, but Sam fell ill. So while she's been sleeping adn recovering, Sandra, Vern and I went to a local nature preserve to do some bird watching.
It was a good day to go out because we saw a deer run across along a field and down a road, something Sandra and Vern have never experienced before and they've go to the nature preserve about once a week.
After the hourlong walk, we came back to their house, had a cold drink and some lunch and then lazed around, hoping Sam might start feeling better.
She appears to be feeling a bit better, but she won't be staying up late tonight.
I, on the other hand, am going out to some local pubs with Sandra and Vern's youngest son, Ian, to get a taste of how the English handle a Friday night out.
It should be a great time.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
A Crossland switcheroo
We've swapped one uncle's house for another in the English midlands.
Today we packed up a couple of bags and headed to Sam's uncle Neil's house in Waltham, a small village just on the outskirts of the season town of Cleethorpes. Neil, his wife Linda and his two kids, 13-year-old Chantelle and nine-year-old Mitchell live in a beautiful home about a 20-minute drive from Paul and Bernie's house in Caistor.
Along with playing golf with Paul on Sunday, he and Bernie took Sam and I to York for a day out on Saturday.
We walked passed the Yorkminster, a huge, triple-towered cathedral that is the largest in northern Europe and also has the deepest sounding bell in all of Europe.
The sheer size of the building was impressive and I'm sure the inside is equally dramatic, although I can't say for sure because there was a wedding happening while we were there.
Next to the cathedral in the center of York is a pedestrian-only area with dozens of small shops and pubs.
We walked along a street called "the shambles," which is where butchers used to hang and sell their fresh-cut pork. The buildings along that road were even built with an outward tilt so that the meat would be kept in the shade and out of the rain.
The almost look like they're going to fall over.
We also took a 50-minute tour on a bus throughout the city to learn about York's history and how it was a Roman stronghold long ago.
We had a great time.
After Neil and Linda picked us up at about 11:20 a.m. Tuesday, we drove to Cleethorpes to take a walk on the beach and see some of the small shops in the seaside town.
Since is was a little cold and rainy, we went back to Neil and Linda's house to have barbeque.
Before that, though, we walked down to The Tilted Barrel pub to have a couple of pints before their kids got home from school.
Neil and I had pints of Guiness, served extra cold of course, my first in England.
You can't beat a Guiness before a barbeque.
Today we packed up a couple of bags and headed to Sam's uncle Neil's house in Waltham, a small village just on the outskirts of the season town of Cleethorpes. Neil, his wife Linda and his two kids, 13-year-old Chantelle and nine-year-old Mitchell live in a beautiful home about a 20-minute drive from Paul and Bernie's house in Caistor.
Along with playing golf with Paul on Sunday, he and Bernie took Sam and I to York for a day out on Saturday.
We walked passed the Yorkminster, a huge, triple-towered cathedral that is the largest in northern Europe and also has the deepest sounding bell in all of Europe.
The sheer size of the building was impressive and I'm sure the inside is equally dramatic, although I can't say for sure because there was a wedding happening while we were there.
Next to the cathedral in the center of York is a pedestrian-only area with dozens of small shops and pubs.
We walked along a street called "the shambles," which is where butchers used to hang and sell their fresh-cut pork. The buildings along that road were even built with an outward tilt so that the meat would be kept in the shade and out of the rain.
The almost look like they're going to fall over.
We also took a 50-minute tour on a bus throughout the city to learn about York's history and how it was a Roman stronghold long ago.
We had a great time.
After Neil and Linda picked us up at about 11:20 a.m. Tuesday, we drove to Cleethorpes to take a walk on the beach and see some of the small shops in the seaside town.
Since is was a little cold and rainy, we went back to Neil and Linda's house to have barbeque.
Before that, though, we walked down to The Tilted Barrel pub to have a couple of pints before their kids got home from school.
Neil and I had pints of Guiness, served extra cold of course, my first in England.
You can't beat a Guiness before a barbeque.
At least there was a birdie…
Sam and I played our first rounds of golf in England on Sunday afternoon.
We borrowed two sets of clubs and went with Paul to play at his home course, Elsham Golf Club.
The course was great, although my play was not.
Granted, I was playing with borrowed clubs, but an opening 47 didn’t feel that great, especially since I said I was between a 7 and a 10 handicap.
A front nine 47 is more like a 22 handicap.
It took a while to get used to my set and the way my shots were coming off the clubfaces. I normally play a push draw with my set at home, so it’s no wonder that most of my shots stayed right of my target since that’s where I was aiming.
I hadn’t made a par by the seventh hole, although I had just blasted a 330 yard drive.
The seventh is a short, 300-yard par 4 with out of bounds on the right. I hit my drive off the heel a bit but straight down the middle to about 40 yards out.
The green on the seventh has a severe false front which slopes back down the hill. I managed to place my approach shot just over the crest of the slope, about 15 feet away from the hole.
I sank the mostly straight putt for a birdie, my first and hopefully not last overseas.
We could only get in about 13 holes before it started to get dark, but the seventh was the best hole that day for me.
I’d write about the others, but it’s much more fun to talk about making a birdie than describing how I struggled to make bogeys, double bogeys and even a 9 on the other holes.
Sam, who’s just starting to get her swing down, played well for her first round in England and had a lot of shots of which to be proud.
We can’t wait to play again.
We borrowed two sets of clubs and went with Paul to play at his home course, Elsham Golf Club.
The course was great, although my play was not.
Granted, I was playing with borrowed clubs, but an opening 47 didn’t feel that great, especially since I said I was between a 7 and a 10 handicap.
A front nine 47 is more like a 22 handicap.
It took a while to get used to my set and the way my shots were coming off the clubfaces. I normally play a push draw with my set at home, so it’s no wonder that most of my shots stayed right of my target since that’s where I was aiming.
I hadn’t made a par by the seventh hole, although I had just blasted a 330 yard drive.
The seventh is a short, 300-yard par 4 with out of bounds on the right. I hit my drive off the heel a bit but straight down the middle to about 40 yards out.
The green on the seventh has a severe false front which slopes back down the hill. I managed to place my approach shot just over the crest of the slope, about 15 feet away from the hole.
I sank the mostly straight putt for a birdie, my first and hopefully not last overseas.
We could only get in about 13 holes before it started to get dark, but the seventh was the best hole that day for me.
I’d write about the others, but it’s much more fun to talk about making a birdie than describing how I struggled to make bogeys, double bogeys and even a 9 on the other holes.
Sam, who’s just starting to get her swing down, played well for her first round in England and had a lot of shots of which to be proud.
We can’t wait to play again.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Now for real England
Sorry for no posts the last couple of days, but Sam and I have been quite busy with her aunt and uncle, Paul and Bernie Crossland.
We arrived at the Barnetby train station Friday at about 3:30 p.m. and received a warm welcome from Sam’s other uncle Neil.
Neil drove us to Paul’s house in Caistor, which is about 20 minutes from the train station.
We passed the gently rolling hills and well kept hedges on the way.
The countryside is beautiful, especially the yellow mustard fields that dot the landscape.
Upon arriving at Paul and Bernie’s we had cake and tea with Bernie while waiting for Paul to get home from the golf course.
That night we had Indian “take away,” the English phrase for take out, and talked about our time in London and our upcoming trip to continental Europe.
After having a wonderful dinner — better than any Indian food we’ve had in the United States — we took a little walk around Caistor.
Caistor is now a village of a few thousand people, but it used to be a Roman outpost.
The Romans camped here because of the natural springs that exist around the village. In fact, one such spring is found in Paul and Bernie’s “garden,” or back yard.
Sam and I thoroughly enjoyed London but were glad to be out of the hustle and bustle of the international city of 7.5 million.
As Paul has told us, London is a wonderful city but real England is found in the small villages outside the city. Life, as expected, is much more laid back in Caistor and it’s easy to see why the locals love it.
After our walk around Caistor we stopped into the only local pub, the White Hat, for a couple of pints.
Two Americans in Caistor is pretty big news, especially since Paul and Bernie’s sister in law had relatives from Canada visiting this week as well.
A local Irish gentleman paused to say hello to Paul and Bernie in the pub and mentioned he’d just met some Canadians a few minutes earlier.
Paul laughed a bit, glanced at Sam and me and told him that here were a couple Americans visiting, too.
The Irish man smiled wryly and said in typical British humor: “Oh, it must be an invasion then isn’t it.”
We arrived at the Barnetby train station Friday at about 3:30 p.m. and received a warm welcome from Sam’s other uncle Neil.
Neil drove us to Paul’s house in Caistor, which is about 20 minutes from the train station.
We passed the gently rolling hills and well kept hedges on the way.
The countryside is beautiful, especially the yellow mustard fields that dot the landscape.
Upon arriving at Paul and Bernie’s we had cake and tea with Bernie while waiting for Paul to get home from the golf course.
That night we had Indian “take away,” the English phrase for take out, and talked about our time in London and our upcoming trip to continental Europe.
After having a wonderful dinner — better than any Indian food we’ve had in the United States — we took a little walk around Caistor.
Caistor is now a village of a few thousand people, but it used to be a Roman outpost.
The Romans camped here because of the natural springs that exist around the village. In fact, one such spring is found in Paul and Bernie’s “garden,” or back yard.
Sam and I thoroughly enjoyed London but were glad to be out of the hustle and bustle of the international city of 7.5 million.
As Paul has told us, London is a wonderful city but real England is found in the small villages outside the city. Life, as expected, is much more laid back in Caistor and it’s easy to see why the locals love it.
After our walk around Caistor we stopped into the only local pub, the White Hat, for a couple of pints.
Two Americans in Caistor is pretty big news, especially since Paul and Bernie’s sister in law had relatives from Canada visiting this week as well.
A local Irish gentleman paused to say hello to Paul and Bernie in the pub and mentioned he’d just met some Canadians a few minutes earlier.
Paul laughed a bit, glanced at Sam and me and told him that here were a couple Americans visiting, too.
The Irish man smiled wryly and said in typical British humor: “Oh, it must be an invasion then isn’t it.”
Take your time
We’ve finished our stint in London and are now headed north on a train to Sam’s uncle’s house in Caistor, a small village in Northeast England near Hull.
On Thursday and Friday we saw some top London sites — Stonehenge, the British Museum, Westminster, Tower of London and did a Jack the Ripper walk.
Of all the sites we visited, Stonehenge was the only one that we felt we had enough time to see.
Because of the bus tour we booked, we were allotted an hour and a half to see the mysterious stones.
It was more than enough time to take the full audio tour and listen to a few extra tidbits of commentary available. We were finished with our tour in an hour and were ready to head back to London early, although the cold wind and driving rain probably had a lot to do with that.
At every other site, we saw a great deal and took in a lot of information but felt we could have spent at least a couple more hours at each site.
There’s so much to see in the British Museum, Westminster and at the Tower of London that it’s almost overwhelming.
If I have any advice to future travelers visiting London is take your time when visiting museums and realize you can’t see everything.
I’d meant to post this while on the train to our next stop, but wasn’t finished by the time we had to get off.
The English don’t mess around when it comes to train stops. If your stop is next, you have to get your luggage ready at least five minutes before the train comes to a stop and be prepared to get off once the doors come open.
The passengers leaving get off quickly and the people getting on barely have enough time to set their bags down before the train starts moving again.
It’s a very efficient system and really drives home the packing light mantra espoused by so many authors of travel books.
We’ll definitely heed their advice when we go to mainland Europe the first of June.
On Thursday and Friday we saw some top London sites — Stonehenge, the British Museum, Westminster, Tower of London and did a Jack the Ripper walk.
Of all the sites we visited, Stonehenge was the only one that we felt we had enough time to see.
Because of the bus tour we booked, we were allotted an hour and a half to see the mysterious stones.
It was more than enough time to take the full audio tour and listen to a few extra tidbits of commentary available. We were finished with our tour in an hour and were ready to head back to London early, although the cold wind and driving rain probably had a lot to do with that.
At every other site, we saw a great deal and took in a lot of information but felt we could have spent at least a couple more hours at each site.
There’s so much to see in the British Museum, Westminster and at the Tower of London that it’s almost overwhelming.
If I have any advice to future travelers visiting London is take your time when visiting museums and realize you can’t see everything.
I’d meant to post this while on the train to our next stop, but wasn’t finished by the time we had to get off.
The English don’t mess around when it comes to train stops. If your stop is next, you have to get your luggage ready at least five minutes before the train comes to a stop and be prepared to get off once the doors come open.
The passengers leaving get off quickly and the people getting on barely have enough time to set their bags down before the train starts moving again.
It’s a very efficient system and really drives home the packing light mantra espoused by so many authors of travel books.
We’ll definitely heed their advice when we go to mainland Europe the first of June.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
London…the American way
Typical British names and buildings are everywhere around London, of course, but a large amount of American staples exist as well.
As Sam and I walk down what we’d call the main thoroughfares to take in the city, here’s what we pass.
Burger King…McDonald’s…KFC…TGI Friday’s…Subway…and finally, Starbucks.
Honestly, we’re a bit disappointed.
Maybe we should be proud as we walk by the symbols of American capitalism, which are like fingers enclosing their grip on another culture thousands of miles away from North America.
But we’re not.
Probably the saddest thing about the influx of American fast-food joints on London city streets is that the British seem to love them.
The restaurants are almost always full and people seem to be enjoying themselves.
Who can begrudge them for eating a cheap double whopper. But aren't these fast-food chains taking the place of homegrown eateries created and staffed by local Londoners?
In America, sometimes you have to struggle to find a good mom and pop shop to eat. Hopefully that won’t be the case in London in the future.
Simple prices might be the draw to go to these places.
After two days in London, we’re definitely aware of how expensive a big city can be.
A burger meal with fries for 2.99 starts to sound appealing when you’ve just spent 84 pounds—or about 120 bucks American—to see the Tower of London and book a half-day trip to Stonehenge.
As Sam and I walk down what we’d call the main thoroughfares to take in the city, here’s what we pass.
Burger King…McDonald’s…KFC…TGI Friday’s…Subway…and finally, Starbucks.
Honestly, we’re a bit disappointed.
Maybe we should be proud as we walk by the symbols of American capitalism, which are like fingers enclosing their grip on another culture thousands of miles away from North America.
But we’re not.
Probably the saddest thing about the influx of American fast-food joints on London city streets is that the British seem to love them.
The restaurants are almost always full and people seem to be enjoying themselves.
Who can begrudge them for eating a cheap double whopper. But aren't these fast-food chains taking the place of homegrown eateries created and staffed by local Londoners?
In America, sometimes you have to struggle to find a good mom and pop shop to eat. Hopefully that won’t be the case in London in the future.
Simple prices might be the draw to go to these places.
After two days in London, we’re definitely aware of how expensive a big city can be.
A burger meal with fries for 2.99 starts to sound appealing when you’ve just spent 84 pounds—or about 120 bucks American—to see the Tower of London and book a half-day trip to Stonehenge.
So much for deadlines
It only took one day of vacation to miss my self-imposed deadline of at least one blog post a day.
The hotel we’re staying in is having work done and doesn’t have wireless. If you could see our drab, somewhat run-down hotel room you’d understand why. The only place for free Internet access is in the sister hotel’s lobby, which is where Sam and I are sitting now.
It’s much nicer than where we are at, but with most of the hotels in the King’s Cross area full, at least we have a place to stay and store our bags.
The hotel we’re staying in is having work done and doesn’t have wireless. If you could see our drab, somewhat run-down hotel room you’d understand why. The only place for free Internet access is in the sister hotel’s lobby, which is where Sam and I are sitting now.
It’s much nicer than where we are at, but with most of the hotels in the King’s Cross area full, at least we have a place to stay and store our bags.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
We're here
You definitely know you’re in England the minute you get on the underground. After we landed at London’s Heathrow Airport at about 12:30 GMT, flew through customs and retrieved our backpacks and one extra bag, we took the elevator down to get on the tube.
To get to the King’s Cross area where we are staying, you take the Piccadilly Line. On the tube the automated constantly lets passenger know which direction they are heading by calling out the last stop of the train.
The last stop on the Piccadilly Line heading east away from Heathrow?
Cockfosters.
What a classic English name that deserves a laugh.
Since our train ride took about an hour from the airport to King’s Cross station, we had quite a few.
At King’s Cross, we walked down a few side streets to find a place to stay for the next three nights.
For some reason, most of the budget hotels had no vacancies because of an influx of American and Canadian travelers. The many hotel managers we spoke with couldn’t explain and we have no idea why. (If you might have a guess, comment at the end of this post.)
We ended up finding a room for tonight easy enough, but have to switch to another hotel down the street for the next two nights. Our rooms are running 70 pounds a night, including breakfast.
Not terrible.
But I’m sure glad I’ve found some cheaper places to stay throughout our journey and that we’ve got free lodging with Sam’s family in May after we leave London.
After dropping our luggage off in our room and sending family a “we made it safe and sound” e-mail, we decided to take a walk around and headed down Euston Road looking for a bite to eat, being close to dinnertime.
We settled on Fuller’s Pub and had a pretty traditional dinner. Sam had bangers and mash and I had fish and chips, complemented by a half-pint and pint of Carlsberg beer.
It hit the spot.
We both probably could have gone to sleep after that, but fought fatigue and went to check out Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and St. James Park and Piccadilly Circus.
We spent a good two hours strolling down streets and taking a few pictures.
Hopefully that jaunt will get us closer to being on the right sleeping pattern.
We'll see
To get to the King’s Cross area where we are staying, you take the Piccadilly Line. On the tube the automated constantly lets passenger know which direction they are heading by calling out the last stop of the train.
The last stop on the Piccadilly Line heading east away from Heathrow?
Cockfosters.
What a classic English name that deserves a laugh.
Since our train ride took about an hour from the airport to King’s Cross station, we had quite a few.
At King’s Cross, we walked down a few side streets to find a place to stay for the next three nights.
For some reason, most of the budget hotels had no vacancies because of an influx of American and Canadian travelers. The many hotel managers we spoke with couldn’t explain and we have no idea why. (If you might have a guess, comment at the end of this post.)
We ended up finding a room for tonight easy enough, but have to switch to another hotel down the street for the next two nights. Our rooms are running 70 pounds a night, including breakfast.
Not terrible.
But I’m sure glad I’ve found some cheaper places to stay throughout our journey and that we’ve got free lodging with Sam’s family in May after we leave London.
After dropping our luggage off in our room and sending family a “we made it safe and sound” e-mail, we decided to take a walk around and headed down Euston Road looking for a bite to eat, being close to dinnertime.
We settled on Fuller’s Pub and had a pretty traditional dinner. Sam had bangers and mash and I had fish and chips, complemented by a half-pint and pint of Carlsberg beer.
It hit the spot.
We both probably could have gone to sleep after that, but fought fatigue and went to check out Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and St. James Park and Piccadilly Circus.
We spent a good two hours strolling down streets and taking a few pictures.
Hopefully that jaunt will get us closer to being on the right sleeping pattern.
We'll see
Monday, May 10, 2010
First class…we wish
Here’s a random thought from Sam as we wait to board the plane to Minneapolis.
“These are trips when we wish we could be able to fly first class.”
Oh, here's another one.
"There better not be any crying babies on this thing."
“These are trips when we wish we could be able to fly first class.”
Oh, here's another one.
"There better not be any crying babies on this thing."
A nervous excitement
We probably couldn't have picked a better day to leave the United States.
Rain has been coming down in sheets all morning as Sam and I have finished packing and tying up all the loose ends that come with going on vacation for nearly three months. Disconnect our cell phones (e-mail us if you want to reach us), transfer enough money into our accounts, make copies of all pertinent documents — passports, driver's licenses, hostel/hotel reservations — what a hassle...
But, better to do it now for free at home than regret not doing it later.
Along with the pouring rain outside, our thoughts also are on the erupting volcano in Iceland, whose I probably can't say and definitely can't spell. Our flight leaves Kansas City for Minneapolis at 7 p.m. and then we head off for London at about 10 p.m.
As of this blog post, flights are still arriving in London just fine, although planes are being routed around Greenland to avoid the massive cloud of volcanic ash. Hopefully London remains open the rest of today and tomorrow.
We don't care how the pilots get us there, as long as we arrive relatively on time and safe.
Once we arrive in London, we're staying at a to be determined bed and breakfast in the Kings Cross until Friday, May 14. We plan to see Stonehenge and hit the top tourist spots in London before riding the rails north to stay with Sam's family the rest of May.
We'll update later with our full schedule of our trip, the impetus behind this journey and maybe even some pre-flight pictures with us our backpacks.
That is, if Sam ever finishes packing...
Rain has been coming down in sheets all morning as Sam and I have finished packing and tying up all the loose ends that come with going on vacation for nearly three months. Disconnect our cell phones (e-mail us if you want to reach us), transfer enough money into our accounts, make copies of all pertinent documents — passports, driver's licenses, hostel/hotel reservations — what a hassle...
But, better to do it now for free at home than regret not doing it later.
Along with the pouring rain outside, our thoughts also are on the erupting volcano in Iceland, whose I probably can't say and definitely can't spell. Our flight leaves Kansas City for Minneapolis at 7 p.m. and then we head off for London at about 10 p.m.
As of this blog post, flights are still arriving in London just fine, although planes are being routed around Greenland to avoid the massive cloud of volcanic ash. Hopefully London remains open the rest of today and tomorrow.
We don't care how the pilots get us there, as long as we arrive relatively on time and safe.
Once we arrive in London, we're staying at a to be determined bed and breakfast in the Kings Cross until Friday, May 14. We plan to see Stonehenge and hit the top tourist spots in London before riding the rails north to stay with Sam's family the rest of May.
We'll update later with our full schedule of our trip, the impetus behind this journey and maybe even some pre-flight pictures with us our backpacks.
That is, if Sam ever finishes packing...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
