Notes from Great Britain, (a.k.a. The Old Sod) Storms not withstanding, Meri and I, once again, are queuing up at Airport Security. A split reason for this trip,.. Meris Birthday gift brings out the inner geek in both of us as we will journey into Wales upon landing, heading for Cardiff, for a tour of the BBC Studios where Doctor Who is filmed, and the full Doctor Who Experience, with visits to lo-cals where the tv show is shot. On the way, a visit to the Beaulieu Motorcar Museum is necessary. I must pay homage to my Three Idiots, I mean Kings, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May of the world renown car show, Top Gear. Little does Britain know, I am The Stig. After that, back to my favourite city, London. Samuel Johnson once said, If youre tired of London, youre tired of life. Truer words have never been spoken. I have flown more miles than I can count, and crossed The Pond more times than I care to remember. However, I treated Meri and I to a proper flight as guests of Sir Richard Branson, on Virgin Atlantic. In a world where flying is a kin to a rectal exam, Sir Richard understands hospitality. Other than NOT being feed to death, all drinks are compliment of Virgin, and you are give a kit to freshen up, booties for kicking off your shoes, and an eye mask for that snooze. Very plush. Dinner having been served, and several cocktails consumed, its lights out as Meri, holding our good luck charm, Seamus the Sheep, has drifted to sleep at 38,000 ft. Time for a kip meself. Good Night from an Airbus A340. We have crossed the terminator from Night to day, and Im enjoying the sunrise at 38,000 ft. The cabin crew is preparing the morning snack, and it gives me a moment to reflect on the upcoming trip. A lot of this will be new for Meri, and yet, some of it familiar. Meri and I have had a few days in London together 2 years ago. It will be good to be back in a country that I have spent so much time in, and great to see family and friends. Soon it will be wheels on the ground, baggage reclaim, passport control, and rental car desk. Then, were for the off! Monday, May 12: The hustle and bustle of immigration at Heathrow went easily, and with usual British aplomb. Taking the small shuttle, headed over to get our rental car. The great folks at Budget saw the size of our suitcases, and gave us a free upgrade on the vehicle. The thought was there, but I busted out laughing when I saw the car. 2013 Peugeot 208 Diesel, in Purple. I know what you are thinking, but I have 1.5 Litres of Diesel powered, oil burning magnificence here! As for the purple, dont you say a damned word. The drive to Sourhampton was uneventful, and a quick stop at Fleet Services on the M3, for coffee, helped shake the jet lag. England has service stops, (fast food. & gas) about every 30 miles on their Motorway network. Great idea! After being properly jazzed by Starbucks Coffee, we headed through the New Forest to Beaulieu Motorcar Museum. The Top Gear exhibit is there, and I was hoping to get a glimpse of... Wait for it... The Stig! Jet Lag is now starting to set in, so its time to head for the little pub we are booked into. The Cricketeers Inn is everything that you can imagine in your mind about a quiet, country pub. The trees hide it from view, and doves play and sing right outside our window. Let your imagination wander, and the picture you conceive will be accurate! Its in a tiny farm village, Easton, 4 miles from Winchester. In Hampshire. Its magnificent. Check Trip Advisor to see this place! Now that we are settled in, time for vitally needed meds, dinner, and several pints of Dry Cider. This is the part of the country that cider comes from, and it is magnificent! Its. 7:30pm, and Meri and I have hit the wall. Jet lag is calling us to sleep. Cheers! And from the The Cricketeers Inn, Good Night. Tuesday, May 13: A turn of the key, and wait for it... Sorry. Gotta wait for the glow plug light to go off, and our little diesel rattles to life. Time to move. Got miles to go before we sleep. Its off to Winchester to see the Cathedral (yes, sing it now) then on to Wales, with our final destination being the City of Cardiff. But first, breakfast with our Landlords for the evening... A proper English Fry: 2 eggs, bacon, grilled mushrooms, grilled tomato, black pudding, white pudding, beans, toast, and a healthy pint of Guinness, for the vitamins of course. The ride to Cardiff was uneventful, except for the £6.40 toll on the bridge going into Wales. No toll on the return to England... Cardiff is a great city with enormous Welsh pride. We experienced this as we explored the city centre, and did the requisite shopping. For Meri, shopping, and hunting a bargain is an Olympic Sport. Returning to our pub for evening meal, and quiz night. Sadly, it was mostly questions on crap like the Eurovision Song Contest, and shite like that. This is why our team was. Team, were in the shit Making American proud, we brought up the rear in points. Licking our wounds, and burying our humiliation, were off to bed. Wednesday, May 14: Up early. Meris Birthday present comes early as we are off to the BBC Studios, quayside in Cardiff, for the Doctor Who Exhibit. To say the least, if you are a fan of Doctor Who, its amazing! Meri was in her glory. After some more sightseeing, it was dinner at Chef Jamie Olivers restaurant. Freshly made gluten free pasta made Meri a happy camper. Thursday: May 15, Travel Day! Leaving Cardiff, and heading to London. Going to make a detour through Bath, and take it to Stonehenge. Wow! Stonehenge. Amazing to see, however, the amount of tourists was incredible. Sadly, it did take a bit away from this. Onward to London. London. The name conjures up so many images. For me, London is a second home. Having spent a LOT of time here, it works. Ive said it before, and Ill say it again. I have people here, both Family and Friends alike. I have a place to lay my head, have a good meal, and a great pint. I know the city, and can be a tourist, or blend in, and disappear. Ive always loved London from my first visit all those years ago. I love action in every way. Chicago may be home, but London is right there as home... I am so happy as to be back with loved ones. As Meri and I are tired, its off to bed early to celebrate her Birthday tomorrow! Friday: May 16, Meris Birthday: This was a Meri day. One errand to run, so we were up early to run our rental car back across London to Heathrow for return. Time to say goodbye to our little, diesel, purple Peugeot. Hated the color, but loved the fuel economy. Would be a great car back home... especially with my commute! Traffic wasnt too terrible for London, and it only took 90 min to get there. We had the car returned by 9:45, and with a quick shuttle bus ride, we grabbed The Tube for a ride to the Knightsbridge stop to begin Meri s Birthday at the world famous Harrods Dept. Store. Meris plan, start at the top, and work down, floor by floor, until we ended in their amazing Food Hall. The tech section was incredible with a UHD tv/monitor (120) at £24,995, or $41,700. Meri fell for the Stieff bears in the toy department, and of course, I loved the Lego section. Meri, and Seamus the sheep enjoyed High Tea in the Tea Room, as I drooled over the luggage section, already planning another trip! We wandered down to the Food Hall where amazing chocolate and tea as were purchased. Following that, we enjoyed a lunch of various salmon bits from a sampler platter, outstanding caviar, and I washed this down with ice cold, amazing Russian Vodka. Vashe Zdorovie! By the time all was said and done, time to head back. A couple of changes on the Tube, a 10 min walk, and we are back with family, carrying our treasures from Harrods. Happy Birthday My Love! Saturday, May 17: Bus Ride to London Bridge Station as the train is down for weekend maintenance. Not an auspicious start, but we can adapt. Transfer to the Tube at London Bridge, and exit at Baker Street. A visit to that most famous of London addresses is in order. Deerstalker Hat, Pipe, Violin, check. Lets go. More hype than substance, The Sherlock Holmes Museum was a quick diversion from the dilemma at hand... THE FA CUP FINALS! Arsenal vs. Hull. Pubs are packed, streets are filled with jersey wearing supporters, and throngs of traffic heading for Wembley Stadium. Lets get the Hell out of here! Quick stop at Yo! Sushi! for lunch, and its off to home to be with family. Dinner in the Local tonight! Sunday, May 18: Family. The most important reason to be here! Nuff said. Busy day tomorrow! Monday, May 19: Everybody is headed uptown. Weve booked tickets for all on the London Eye, the most popular attraction in London! This is an immense Ferris wheel that has capsules that hold up to 15 people, and are the size of a small bus. The wheel makes a continuous revolution, which takes about 30 min. For someone like me, terrified of heights, this is a HUGE challenge! However, I did not embarrass my wife and family too much by curling up in the fetal position, and rocking back and forth, mumbling that I was in my happy place. After that, lunch in St. James Place, at The Two Chairmen. This is a Taylor Walker Pub, and endorsed by Marco Pierre White. Those of you that are fans of Anthony Bourdain, will recognize the pub from his show, The Layover London Episode. After a great meal, we started working our way through the masses, during evening rush, toward home. A great day had by all. Tuesday, May 20: We start off by taking the Overground to London Bridge, and a visit to Borough Market. The food stalls are amazing, and the smells of the various venders are making us crazy! However, just one lunch can be in order, Wright Brothers Oyster House for oysters, mussels, salmon, and Russian Vodka. Yum! Visits to Covent Garden to visit the craft stalls, and various sights in the area. However, this is not the highlight of this day. Meri and I are fond of ghost tours, and the like. Tuesday night brought a tour of Londons rougher East Side, Whitechapel, and the locations of the subsequent horrific happenings of 126 years ago, also known as Jack The Ripper. May sound macabre, but the history that our guide presented, along with the various theories on who he was, and why was totally fascinating! Getting home late, we crashed right away. Got a busy last day uptown for our anniversary. Wednesday, May 21: Its our anniversary! On our last day in London. Some last minute sightseeing has is crossing town on The Tube. A last minute change of plans has us at Kings Cross Train/Underground Station. For you fans of Harry Potter, you know what this means! Meri and I found Platform 9 3/4, and were off for Hogwarts! London Transport has taken part of the set of the Harry Potter movies, and put it in Kings Cross Station. Great photo-op, with a mandatory visit to the Harry Potter shop there. Jamie Olivers Union Jacks Restaurant for lunch, with Bloody Mary Mussels is a must! After a great day, and a couple of last minute souvenirs, its home to the family. Thursday, May 22: Family Day, with some catching up, and a last meal together. Its great to get away, and great to get home, but I will miss my family even more. Early to bed, as 5am comes early! Train/Tube ride to Heathrow, then off to Chicago, and home. Friday, May 23: The hustle and bustle of any International terminal at any airport is the same around the world. Frantic travelers moving, fighting overpacked luggage, shopping for kitsch in Duty Free, exchanging of money at outrageous rates, P.A. Systems making mumbled announcements, and the airport bars charging stupid prices for a beer. The bar is where I sit, contemplating the past 2 weeks. What can I say except to my family, I love each and every one of you. To London, youll always be special to me. The life, the vibe, and the energy you give, and create just captures me. Ive left £5 with Jerry at The Capitol. Buy one on me! Dont forget to save a seat for me, and keep a pint ready. Ill be back soon. Just time for one more pint Richard Winchester, Humble Traveler, Heathrow International Airport Terminal 3 London, England
Posted on: Fri, 23 May 2014 07:42:19 +0000
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