1) Driving in the UK is unadvisable if you have no idea where you are going AND you want to stay married.
We spend at least 15 minutes in each place we go driving in circles trying to find the road we are supposed to be on. We don't have a GPS and are trying to navigate with the high level road maps they've given us. Tony is known in our family as "Tony, hang a U-ie McCann". We now need to update it to "Tony keep circling the roundabout McCann" and "Tony pull in, back up, and turn around McCann". All the while, I'm screaming "Stay on the left, watch the curb, you missed the turn, that's a red light, etc," It's like he's forgotten every driving rule he's ever learned in 30 years because he's driving on the left side of the road. Well, that is when he actually is after I've screamed "DRIVE ON THE LEFT" as cars are approaching. At breakfast I did contemplate asking for a barf bag for the road after the eventful trip from the airport to our hotel last night.
2) Practicing my British accent really does help reduce stress in the passenger seat.
The excitement began as soon as we left our hotel this morning. I, in my infinite wisdom, decided that I could do screen shots of more detailed maps to help to get from point A to B while at the hotel each night as I map out our route. That works GREAT... except when you veer off the roads on the map you've screen shot. We make big circles, we make small circles. And with every pass, knots intertwine the muscles in my upper back and neck. I have three maps I'm trying to consult while at the same time trying to match it to reality. And somehow Tony thinks I know the answer to "Where am I supposed to go Machelle?" when the place I told him to go took us in the wrong direction. UGH!!!
So, I finally came up with a solution. I said to heck with caring where we were and started providing running commentary in my best British accent. Since arriving, I've been listening closely. We get audio guides at the places we visit, I hear it on the radio, and of course all the folks around us are talking. I've caught myself thinking in British. I figured this would be a good time to practice. I'm actually quite good according to Tony. Having to think of the pronunciations and listening to Tony laugh at me for being a goofball detangled all the knots. Always making lemonade out of lemons, that's me!
3) When driving in a foreign country, it would be best to understand how they do it.
The obvious difference of driving on the opposite side is actually the simplest. One of the most difficult navigational issues is that they don't use simple words like North, South, East, and West on road signs. They give you the names of the places that the road leads to. So, instead of having M3 South on the road sign, they have M3 Farnborough. It forces you to know which cities are in which direction on that particular road. It requires a split second decision that based on the aforementioned navigational and driving issues we have leads to the circular driving pattern we keep displaying.
On a highway, positionally you're supposed to drive on the far left lane and fast cars drive on the right. It makes perfect sense once you rewire your brain. But when you first get in a car here, you just focus on staying on the left side for obvious reasons. But reversing everything else that goes on takes a little bit of time to get used to. Today we were supposed to turn left and Tony turned on the right turn signal. Poor guy is so focused on trying to keep me from screaming and us from wrecking that he's all discombobulated. I told him this whole thing should be easy for him since he's left handed. He just had that deer in the head lights look.
The other fun part is roundabouts. One, they pop up out of no where when you're barreling down a road. You're nearly forced to come to a complete stop to avoid any cars already circling. And once the coast is clear, it's pedal to the metal and ride that thing like its on rails! Two, it's hell figuring out what lane you're supposed to stay in based on where you want to exit and taking into consideration the cars around you. And finally, they are kinda nice when you screw up because you can just keep circling (on two wheels).
All joking aside, we are having a great time. Yes, there's been a lot of screaming and laughing and horn blaring (they don't much like us foreign, stupid drivers). But today we got to see Stonehenge, a castle ruin from the late 1300s (Hungerford Castle), and drove through Bath. We are staying in a beautiful country cottage (www.guyershouse.com) that we just happened upon, well, if you don't count the circling through the little town before it. It has a beautiful garden area that the birds are chirping as if it's spring.
Tomorrow is yet another day of adventure. There will be some screaming, but hopefully it will be outweighed by laughter. I could always switch to an Asian accent when all else fails.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
Paris day three - Rafa's kingdom
We started the day out with the intentions of spending it at The Louvre. However after about 30 minute of being there, I was entirely ready to leave! It had far too many people and was nearly impossible to navigate through. Besides that, all the artwork had placards in some language other than English. We had gotten an audio tour, but it was as directionally challenged as we were.
The day nearly started out with a riot when Tony tried to stop a group of people from cutting in line in front of us. He told them to go to the back of the line and wait just like the rest of us. It got very confrontational at one point. I could see us sitting in a French prison for eternity.
It turns out that the two women in front of us were "saving a place " for five others. They just kept crowding in. Tony finally gave up and they proceeded to laugh and take pictures and have the time of their life. He continued to brew and glare at them. It was a joyful start and should have been a forewarning of things to come.
Once we got through the security check, we found it was the same super informative place that the rest of Paris is. There was no clear direction to be taken. So we wandered around until we figured out what to do.
My frustration level with this process heats up fairly quickly. After nearly 29 years, Tony understands my meltdown barometer pretty well. He's been great this trip in diffusing my tantrums and getting us through.
Tony and I don't wander at all in the same direction or at the same speed. After our initial agreement of finding each other before leaving a room fell through, we decided to break up and meet in a set location at a set time. I liked that plan and tried to get back to figuring out how my virtual audio tour gadget worked.
The building is situated in a ginormous U. We started in the end that was the bottom of the U. In my mind, I was imagining that we would walk down one pathway and it would have stairs to get to the next floor and continue on. That's obviously too logical as I did more back tracking than I did forward tracking somehow.
If you add that frustration in with the fact that there were a bajillion people wandering around with their gazes looking up and bumping into everyone and everything, and you take into consideration what a crowd prude that I am, you'll understand why I was ready to leave. There were tour groups that were over 50 people in number pushing and shoving to try and stay with their group. They swarmed together like bumble bees around a hive. And get in their way, and they'd sting you for sure!
On my first back tracking venture, I was hating the fact that our rendezvous time wasn't for four hours. I was in a near panic state of just trying to get back to the main entrance without getting trampled. I don't know what I thought I was going to do there, but I just wanted OUT!
Fortunately my path crossed with Tony's. He could see the freak out factor in my eyes immediately. He could tell I needed out. But instead of saying let's go, he just agreed to an earlier leaving time. He wanted to meet in 90 minutes. I begged for 30 minutes, but he said I'd be fine. I reluctantly agreed to the new time and went on my merry way.
I pretty much gave up on my audio guide and tried to navigate via the map. It wasn't much more helpful. I continued to wander and managed to see some part of each side of the U. I didn't see every floor, but saw something of each. I thought that was close enough. I did get to see The Mona Lisa. Surely that counts as successfully navigating The Louvre.
I had discovered that I lost my scarf somewhere along the way. That was the last straw. I managed to find the main entrance which was our rendezvous point. I was an hour early, but I had had enough.
I didn't wait more than 10 minutes and Tony showed up. He must have felt my distress call. He didn't see much of anything but was willing to leave. I had talked about seeing Rolland Garros which is the home of the French Open. I had given up on seeing it, but he offered to go there instead of more Louvre torture. I jumped at the offer!
We checked out the map and headed in what we thought the direction was. We got off and started walking. We found some signs that looked like we were on the right track. As we were walking, we went by a stadium. I was getting excited until I saw pictures of soccer players.
We continued on and yet another stadium appeared. This time it was the tennis courts. As we got closer, we saw the stadium that has the names of the winners of each year. Of course we came up on the side that had Rafa on it. I was beyond excited.
We circled the building until we came to an open gate. A guy met us and said it was closed. He wouldn't let us in the museum or any other place. We continued to walk outside hoping we'd catch a glimpse of something. We walked past court one and court two. Again, I've watched countless matches from this venue. It was killing me to be so close, but so far away.
I got to take pictures of some of the outside courts. The red clay looks just like it does on TV. It was amazing to be there. We continued to circle the place and came upon another open gate. This time the guy was nicer and let us at least walk through the area. I snuck a tiny side view of center court. I kept telling myself that this was Rafa's home and he had walked these same paths.
He is the master of all tennis players on clay, that's for sure. To get to see this grand slam sight was an item on my bucket list. Sure, it would have been more special to see him play a match, but I'm convinced it's better watching at home with replays and the mute button when I don't like what I'm hearing.
I told Tony I marked off 50% of the grand slam sights with this one trip. Surely I can get Flushing Meadows accomplished with it being in my home country. Now he just has to take me to Australia.
Paris held some amazing sights for us. It is a beautiful city that I am glad we saw. But I will not be sad to leave it. Being in a country where I don't know the language is intimidating. Add to that the native people are not friendly and it makes for a pretty bad experience. I learned to overlook it and try to stay positive, but it was challenging at times.
We are currently headed back on the train to London. It's about two and a half hours to get there. We have to pick up our other suitcases and get a car at the airport. Once we get that done, were supposed to find a hotel to stay in. It's going to be a long night!
The next leg of our adventure is a driving tour of the entire island. We've had a few unknowns along our journey thus far. I think we'll probably be adding to that list in the next week. I just hope none of the misadventures include a jail visit or long hours of being stranded along the roadside. But with Tony McCann, you never know.
The day nearly started out with a riot when Tony tried to stop a group of people from cutting in line in front of us. He told them to go to the back of the line and wait just like the rest of us. It got very confrontational at one point. I could see us sitting in a French prison for eternity.
It turns out that the two women in front of us were "saving a place " for five others. They just kept crowding in. Tony finally gave up and they proceeded to laugh and take pictures and have the time of their life. He continued to brew and glare at them. It was a joyful start and should have been a forewarning of things to come.
Once we got through the security check, we found it was the same super informative place that the rest of Paris is. There was no clear direction to be taken. So we wandered around until we figured out what to do.
My frustration level with this process heats up fairly quickly. After nearly 29 years, Tony understands my meltdown barometer pretty well. He's been great this trip in diffusing my tantrums and getting us through.
Tony and I don't wander at all in the same direction or at the same speed. After our initial agreement of finding each other before leaving a room fell through, we decided to break up and meet in a set location at a set time. I liked that plan and tried to get back to figuring out how my virtual audio tour gadget worked.
The building is situated in a ginormous U. We started in the end that was the bottom of the U. In my mind, I was imagining that we would walk down one pathway and it would have stairs to get to the next floor and continue on. That's obviously too logical as I did more back tracking than I did forward tracking somehow.
If you add that frustration in with the fact that there were a bajillion people wandering around with their gazes looking up and bumping into everyone and everything, and you take into consideration what a crowd prude that I am, you'll understand why I was ready to leave. There were tour groups that were over 50 people in number pushing and shoving to try and stay with their group. They swarmed together like bumble bees around a hive. And get in their way, and they'd sting you for sure!
On my first back tracking venture, I was hating the fact that our rendezvous time wasn't for four hours. I was in a near panic state of just trying to get back to the main entrance without getting trampled. I don't know what I thought I was going to do there, but I just wanted OUT!
Fortunately my path crossed with Tony's. He could see the freak out factor in my eyes immediately. He could tell I needed out. But instead of saying let's go, he just agreed to an earlier leaving time. He wanted to meet in 90 minutes. I begged for 30 minutes, but he said I'd be fine. I reluctantly agreed to the new time and went on my merry way.
I pretty much gave up on my audio guide and tried to navigate via the map. It wasn't much more helpful. I continued to wander and managed to see some part of each side of the U. I didn't see every floor, but saw something of each. I thought that was close enough. I did get to see The Mona Lisa. Surely that counts as successfully navigating The Louvre.
I had discovered that I lost my scarf somewhere along the way. That was the last straw. I managed to find the main entrance which was our rendezvous point. I was an hour early, but I had had enough.
I didn't wait more than 10 minutes and Tony showed up. He must have felt my distress call. He didn't see much of anything but was willing to leave. I had talked about seeing Rolland Garros which is the home of the French Open. I had given up on seeing it, but he offered to go there instead of more Louvre torture. I jumped at the offer!
We checked out the map and headed in what we thought the direction was. We got off and started walking. We found some signs that looked like we were on the right track. As we were walking, we went by a stadium. I was getting excited until I saw pictures of soccer players.
We continued on and yet another stadium appeared. This time it was the tennis courts. As we got closer, we saw the stadium that has the names of the winners of each year. Of course we came up on the side that had Rafa on it. I was beyond excited.
We circled the building until we came to an open gate. A guy met us and said it was closed. He wouldn't let us in the museum or any other place. We continued to walk outside hoping we'd catch a glimpse of something. We walked past court one and court two. Again, I've watched countless matches from this venue. It was killing me to be so close, but so far away.
I got to take pictures of some of the outside courts. The red clay looks just like it does on TV. It was amazing to be there. We continued to circle the place and came upon another open gate. This time the guy was nicer and let us at least walk through the area. I snuck a tiny side view of center court. I kept telling myself that this was Rafa's home and he had walked these same paths.
He is the master of all tennis players on clay, that's for sure. To get to see this grand slam sight was an item on my bucket list. Sure, it would have been more special to see him play a match, but I'm convinced it's better watching at home with replays and the mute button when I don't like what I'm hearing.
I told Tony I marked off 50% of the grand slam sights with this one trip. Surely I can get Flushing Meadows accomplished with it being in my home country. Now he just has to take me to Australia.
Paris held some amazing sights for us. It is a beautiful city that I am glad we saw. But I will not be sad to leave it. Being in a country where I don't know the language is intimidating. Add to that the native people are not friendly and it makes for a pretty bad experience. I learned to overlook it and try to stay positive, but it was challenging at times.
We are currently headed back on the train to London. It's about two and a half hours to get there. We have to pick up our other suitcases and get a car at the airport. Once we get that done, were supposed to find a hotel to stay in. It's going to be a long night!
The next leg of our adventure is a driving tour of the entire island. We've had a few unknowns along our journey thus far. I think we'll probably be adding to that list in the next week. I just hope none of the misadventures include a jail visit or long hours of being stranded along the roadside. But with Tony McCann, you never know.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Paris day two - Overload
Tony didn't want to get up after nearly 14 hours of sleep. But once he did, he was a tourist engine revving to go. Today was a marathon for sure.
We started off by going to The Eiffel Tower. On the way we saw runners in pink. France celebrates breast cancer awareness month, too! I said a prayer for all my breast cancer buddies. Unfortunately they were running around the tower. It made for a frustrating start in trying to get over by it. We finally figured out how to get there and my what a sight!
We rode the elevators up to the first landing after a relatively short stand in line for tickets. But then we had to wait in line to get to the next level. Hurry up and wait. But we saw some amazing views. On the way down we accidentally got off the elevator at the restaurant level. We had a few stairs to traverse to get down. I guess it just made it a full experience to have to walk some of the way.
We next went on a Seine River cruise. I had bought a package that included the bus tour, the river cruise, and a night bus tour. They hadn't given us a brochure so we were relatively operating in the dark. Again we got lucky and found where we needed to be. The direction Gods have most surely been in our favor so far.
We went to Notre Dame next. I've been in more churches in the last week than I've been in for years! I did have the thought today that lightning just might strike with me crossing their thresholds. It is another amazing sight both inside and out.
We got dinner and tried to find the bus tour for our night trip. That one proved to be a little more difficult to find, so we just went to a location that we knew we could catch it. It just required catching a train and a little walk. We're getting good at this subway kinda life.
The weather has been nearly perfect on my trip thus far. Today was a bit chilly, but no rain. I had rain last Friday, but that's it. I brought the right clothes, hats, scarves, gloves, and shoes. Now if I could just drum up another body to get me through this next week. The aches and pains of walking miles and standing in lines is catching up with me. I'm having a great time, but I wouldn't turn down some quality, horizontal, hot tub soaking time.
Tonight when we were riding high above the traffic on our double decker bus, it reminded me yet again of how happy I am we haven't had to drive in this mess. In the intersections, there are no lines on the roads to keep you in place. The cars simply go in whatever direction they want.
Horns are blaring, people are throwing their hands up at each other, and at one point it looked like bumper cars with cars stuck between each other going in all directions. It's difficult to explain but just imagine 100 cars in an intersection going in all directions. They do have traffic lights, but no one obeys them. Chaos doesn't touch it. But somehow they all manage to get where they need to be.
They have the adorable little "fold em up and stick them in your pocket cars", too. Those little things zip in and out everywhere. Oh, and then there are the mopeds. Those things are CRAZY!!! We saw one that didn't fare so well yesterday. The driver was taken off in an ambulance.
And that's the other thing. Sirens are on non stop. I told Tony with the way they drive, it's no wonder! Too many noises, people, cars, etc. at times I long for the quiet of my little cabin in the woods. Soon. I keep reminding myself that a girl has to get out every once in a while.
We started off by going to The Eiffel Tower. On the way we saw runners in pink. France celebrates breast cancer awareness month, too! I said a prayer for all my breast cancer buddies. Unfortunately they were running around the tower. It made for a frustrating start in trying to get over by it. We finally figured out how to get there and my what a sight!
We rode the elevators up to the first landing after a relatively short stand in line for tickets. But then we had to wait in line to get to the next level. Hurry up and wait. But we saw some amazing views. On the way down we accidentally got off the elevator at the restaurant level. We had a few stairs to traverse to get down. I guess it just made it a full experience to have to walk some of the way.
We next went on a Seine River cruise. I had bought a package that included the bus tour, the river cruise, and a night bus tour. They hadn't given us a brochure so we were relatively operating in the dark. Again we got lucky and found where we needed to be. The direction Gods have most surely been in our favor so far.
We went to Notre Dame next. I've been in more churches in the last week than I've been in for years! I did have the thought today that lightning just might strike with me crossing their thresholds. It is another amazing sight both inside and out.
We got dinner and tried to find the bus tour for our night trip. That one proved to be a little more difficult to find, so we just went to a location that we knew we could catch it. It just required catching a train and a little walk. We're getting good at this subway kinda life.
The weather has been nearly perfect on my trip thus far. Today was a bit chilly, but no rain. I had rain last Friday, but that's it. I brought the right clothes, hats, scarves, gloves, and shoes. Now if I could just drum up another body to get me through this next week. The aches and pains of walking miles and standing in lines is catching up with me. I'm having a great time, but I wouldn't turn down some quality, horizontal, hot tub soaking time.
Tonight when we were riding high above the traffic on our double decker bus, it reminded me yet again of how happy I am we haven't had to drive in this mess. In the intersections, there are no lines on the roads to keep you in place. The cars simply go in whatever direction they want.
Horns are blaring, people are throwing their hands up at each other, and at one point it looked like bumper cars with cars stuck between each other going in all directions. It's difficult to explain but just imagine 100 cars in an intersection going in all directions. They do have traffic lights, but no one obeys them. Chaos doesn't touch it. But somehow they all manage to get where they need to be.
They have the adorable little "fold em up and stick them in your pocket cars", too. Those little things zip in and out everywhere. Oh, and then there are the mopeds. Those things are CRAZY!!! We saw one that didn't fare so well yesterday. The driver was taken off in an ambulance.
And that's the other thing. Sirens are on non stop. I told Tony with the way they drive, it's no wonder! Too many noises, people, cars, etc. at times I long for the quiet of my little cabin in the woods. Soon. I keep reminding myself that a girl has to get out every once in a while.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Paris day one - Eye Opener
We rose super early to make our way to the train station. Of course the tube route we had planned fell through with some sort of construction going on. Fortunately, we navigated around it easily enough. We made it in plenty of time. Crossing that border is LOTS easier than the American one.
As soon as we got into the lounge area, the fun began. Everything was announced in both English and French. It occurred to me that maybe we should have learned at least a few words in French. Americans are considered ignorant because the large majority of us speak only one language.
Not long after we started on the train, they switched from speaking English first then French to French first. I thought it would happen once we got into France, but we hadn't gone far. It was fun trying to pick out words to make sense of what they were saying. But I was grateful for the English translation!
We had to come to a complete stop at one point out in the middle of no where. Some sort of technical difficulty, but we never got a full explanation. We thought we were still in England and admired the countryside.
I slept for a bit at first. I'm not sure what happened, but I finally woke up and could not get back to sleep. The clock kept ticking and we never went underground (aka under the channel). Before we knew it, we were in Paris. So much for my reservations about being in a train under water. We're not sure when it happened on the trip, but obviously it's painless enough to complete.
After four days in London, I had gotten used to the level of rudeness. I think it's just what comes with living in a city that size and all the people. People are very matter of fact and don't waste any time on pleasantries. But I did find that when I did greet someone on an elevator or on the tube, they were nice enough. I can't say the same for Paris.
The train station where we came in was very confusing. Every word is about 20 letters long and none of it makes any sense. We asked for some help and got blank stares. I've heard of this experience from quite a lot of people before we came over. There is definitely no love lost between the French and foreigners that don't know their language, especially Americans.
There is truly an irony about their snobbishness toward the English speaking tourists. At lunch a woman from yet another country, I have no idea which, didn't know French. She went back and forth with quite a few wait staff. Finally, the hostess switched to English and they conversed more easily. I guess that makes us the lowest common denominator in one sense, but at the same time unites us all.
We stopped in a shop and bought a city map. We found the street our hotel is on and tried to match it up to the subway routes. However, there was no "You are here" red dots on the train station map. The tension was mounting.
We eventually got some directions from one person that put us on our way. The subway here is like everywhere else. It's a tangle of spaghetti and you just jump in head first trying to find the line you need. We got very lucky in our first attempt.
The next challenge was once we stuck our heads above ground. The streets here are CONFUSING to say the least. It's not an intersection with four corners, but eight. Following a street straight across presents a significant challenge. But again, we made our way easier than we probably should have. I guess it was just dumb luck.
We got to our hotel and settled in. I got online and ordered bus tour tickets. Getting them printed was entertaining, but we managed that, too. It was back to the subway line to make our way to the Arc De Triomphe. We popped out of the ground and there it was. And there too were the people. And cars. And honking motorists. It was a ZOO!!
We got lunch and jumped on the tour bus. We rode around in mini circles for about two and a half hours. I must have taken five hundred pictures. The architecture here is so extravagant. And it goes on forever. Every building is at least five stories high and it is all so symmetrical. And all of the streets are laid out so views of major attractions compliment each other. There was obviously a major type A person involved in laying out the city. My anal retentive side picked up on it immediately.
We pooped out after the bus tour and came back to the room. Tony hasn't been feeling well since he returned two weeks ago. I'm not sure how you go to a doctor in Europe, but he needs to. I think it's just a cold, but it's lingered so long. Some antibiotics might help. But being a tourist has doubly worn him out. He fell asleep before 7:30 and is still snoring. I'll let him sleep all night and then tomorrow, we're off to more adventures. We might be country bumpkins from the sticks of the US, but we fend for ourselves pretty dang well!
As soon as we got into the lounge area, the fun began. Everything was announced in both English and French. It occurred to me that maybe we should have learned at least a few words in French. Americans are considered ignorant because the large majority of us speak only one language.
Not long after we started on the train, they switched from speaking English first then French to French first. I thought it would happen once we got into France, but we hadn't gone far. It was fun trying to pick out words to make sense of what they were saying. But I was grateful for the English translation!
We had to come to a complete stop at one point out in the middle of no where. Some sort of technical difficulty, but we never got a full explanation. We thought we were still in England and admired the countryside.
I slept for a bit at first. I'm not sure what happened, but I finally woke up and could not get back to sleep. The clock kept ticking and we never went underground (aka under the channel). Before we knew it, we were in Paris. So much for my reservations about being in a train under water. We're not sure when it happened on the trip, but obviously it's painless enough to complete.
After four days in London, I had gotten used to the level of rudeness. I think it's just what comes with living in a city that size and all the people. People are very matter of fact and don't waste any time on pleasantries. But I did find that when I did greet someone on an elevator or on the tube, they were nice enough. I can't say the same for Paris.
The train station where we came in was very confusing. Every word is about 20 letters long and none of it makes any sense. We asked for some help and got blank stares. I've heard of this experience from quite a lot of people before we came over. There is definitely no love lost between the French and foreigners that don't know their language, especially Americans.
There is truly an irony about their snobbishness toward the English speaking tourists. At lunch a woman from yet another country, I have no idea which, didn't know French. She went back and forth with quite a few wait staff. Finally, the hostess switched to English and they conversed more easily. I guess that makes us the lowest common denominator in one sense, but at the same time unites us all.
We stopped in a shop and bought a city map. We found the street our hotel is on and tried to match it up to the subway routes. However, there was no "You are here" red dots on the train station map. The tension was mounting.
We eventually got some directions from one person that put us on our way. The subway here is like everywhere else. It's a tangle of spaghetti and you just jump in head first trying to find the line you need. We got very lucky in our first attempt.
The next challenge was once we stuck our heads above ground. The streets here are CONFUSING to say the least. It's not an intersection with four corners, but eight. Following a street straight across presents a significant challenge. But again, we made our way easier than we probably should have. I guess it was just dumb luck.
We got to our hotel and settled in. I got online and ordered bus tour tickets. Getting them printed was entertaining, but we managed that, too. It was back to the subway line to make our way to the Arc De Triomphe. We popped out of the ground and there it was. And there too were the people. And cars. And honking motorists. It was a ZOO!!
We got lunch and jumped on the tour bus. We rode around in mini circles for about two and a half hours. I must have taken five hundred pictures. The architecture here is so extravagant. And it goes on forever. Every building is at least five stories high and it is all so symmetrical. And all of the streets are laid out so views of major attractions compliment each other. There was obviously a major type A person involved in laying out the city. My anal retentive side picked up on it immediately.
We pooped out after the bus tour and came back to the room. Tony hasn't been feeling well since he returned two weeks ago. I'm not sure how you go to a doctor in Europe, but he needs to. I think it's just a cold, but it's lingered so long. Some antibiotics might help. But being a tourist has doubly worn him out. He fell asleep before 7:30 and is still snoring. I'll let him sleep all night and then tomorrow, we're off to more adventures. We might be country bumpkins from the sticks of the US, but we fend for ourselves pretty dang well!
Friday, October 11, 2013
London Day 4 - Proficient
Today I traversed the tube lines fairly well. I only got on one train heading in the wrong direction. It was easy enough to fix by hopping off at the next stop. I even figured out how to add money to my card so I could go outside of my purchased zones. While I might be getting the hang of this stuff, I definitely don't want to stay!! The city life is NOT for me!!
I saw Buckingham Palace today at one of the worst possible times. It was changing of the guard time. They are only doing it every other day right now, so that made for mass hysteria by onlookers. I got there about 5 minutes before it was to start. People were shoving and being entirely rude. I made a bee line for the closest exit. I did get back away from them and managed to get a few pictures of the grounds.
I then got to see the Royal Mews. Like me, I'm sure you have no idea what that is. It's the Queen's horse stable. I got to see some amazing carriages today. The coronation carriage is all gold. UNBELIEVABLE!!
I then made my way over to Kensington Palace. And no, I didn't get to see Georgie Porgie! It's not the most grand building on the outside, but the grounds are beautiful. I can understand why Diana, and now her son, wanted to live there. The 30 or so rooms that we got to see ranged from extraordinarily beautiful and ornate to just ho hum. It was quite the experience to see.
My final place to visit was one of my favorite. I've seen this place on TV for YEARS!! Wimbledon!! It was quite a tube ride out and a mile walk one way, but so worth it. I missed the last full tour, but I was able to see the museum and center court. I'm sure it was the glass enclosure that I was in, but center court wasn't as big as I had imagined it in my mind. Maybe I'm just so used to the gigantic stadiums that we have in the US for sporting events. But it was definitely hallowed ground for me. I didn't cry, but I was close!!
It was finally time to head back to the hotel and hopefully rest for the evening. But Tony had different plans. We're to head out to Paris in the morning and he wanted to do a dry run to the train station we'll be taking and drop off our extra luggage. It's yet again a late night. But maybe I can sleep on the trip to France tomorrow. I don't like the idea of being under water on a train.
I've managed to survive the tortures of non stop sight seeing up to this point. I have been going ever since I landed basically. Let's see if I survive Paris!
I saw Buckingham Palace today at one of the worst possible times. It was changing of the guard time. They are only doing it every other day right now, so that made for mass hysteria by onlookers. I got there about 5 minutes before it was to start. People were shoving and being entirely rude. I made a bee line for the closest exit. I did get back away from them and managed to get a few pictures of the grounds.
I then got to see the Royal Mews. Like me, I'm sure you have no idea what that is. It's the Queen's horse stable. I got to see some amazing carriages today. The coronation carriage is all gold. UNBELIEVABLE!!
I then made my way over to Kensington Palace. And no, I didn't get to see Georgie Porgie! It's not the most grand building on the outside, but the grounds are beautiful. I can understand why Diana, and now her son, wanted to live there. The 30 or so rooms that we got to see ranged from extraordinarily beautiful and ornate to just ho hum. It was quite the experience to see.
My final place to visit was one of my favorite. I've seen this place on TV for YEARS!! Wimbledon!! It was quite a tube ride out and a mile walk one way, but so worth it. I missed the last full tour, but I was able to see the museum and center court. I'm sure it was the glass enclosure that I was in, but center court wasn't as big as I had imagined it in my mind. Maybe I'm just so used to the gigantic stadiums that we have in the US for sporting events. But it was definitely hallowed ground for me. I didn't cry, but I was close!!
It was finally time to head back to the hotel and hopefully rest for the evening. But Tony had different plans. We're to head out to Paris in the morning and he wanted to do a dry run to the train station we'll be taking and drop off our extra luggage. It's yet again a late night. But maybe I can sleep on the trip to France tomorrow. I don't like the idea of being under water on a train.
I've managed to survive the tortures of non stop sight seeing up to this point. I have been going ever since I landed basically. Let's see if I survive Paris!
Thursday, October 10, 2013
London Day three - Zombified
Today I saw The Globe, The Tower Bridge, The Tower of London, and All Hollows Church. I also walked 3+ miles I'd say. I think since I've been here, I've probably walked a half marathon. My feet feel like bloody pulps. What I wouldn't give for a hot tub soak on the back porch of my little cabin in the woods at this point.
My brain (and entire body for that matter) is in overload. I've taken in so many sights and information placards that I don't remember which end is up. Today at about 3:30 p.m. I reached "tilt" mode. I found a Starbucks and sat. I debated on what there was left to see versus sitting. Sitting won. I was a little concerned about getting back to the hotel. I just didn't have anything left in the tank to motivate me to get moving.
I somehow managed to traverse the multiple tube lines to get back. I came in and passed out. Tony ended up having to work late. It was a blessing! I got a couple hour nap and refueled. We went to dinner and roamed around a bit making plans for our weekend in Paris. I know I was there with him, but much of it is a blur. The nap helped, but I'm in a major deficit. Maybe tonight will do the trick.
Tomorrow is Buckingham and Kensington Palaces. I also want to figure out how to get to Wimbledon. Traversing the tube lines takes good concentration. They are a tangle of spider webs that go in all directions. But you have to include in the mix the hordes of people that are buzzing around you at all times. Luckily I've avoided them at rush hour. I can only imagine the level of chaos then!
London is the other city that never sleeps. The similarities between London and New York are endless. The streets are full of honking cars and people. The simple act of crossing the street can cost you your life. For one, the traffic is moving in opposite direction as the US. Fortunately at every cross walk, they have written on the pavement which way you're to look. And the traffic lights go from green, yellow, to red versus red, yellow, green. I still haven't figured out the logic behind it. But I can tell you I don't cross a busy street unless there are other people there telling me when it's safe to cross.
I've been here three days and that's pretty much my limit in a place away from home. I think I could go home today and feel like I've experienced Europe. But we leave for Paris Saturday morning. I know I'll be grateful for all these experiences when it's said and done. But right now I feel like I'm trying to swallow the entire watermelon. There is just so much to see and do.
Sleep will be much welcomed again tonight. I hope I can muster the strength needed to see the sights planned tomorrow. Being a zombie is no fun!
My brain (and entire body for that matter) is in overload. I've taken in so many sights and information placards that I don't remember which end is up. Today at about 3:30 p.m. I reached "tilt" mode. I found a Starbucks and sat. I debated on what there was left to see versus sitting. Sitting won. I was a little concerned about getting back to the hotel. I just didn't have anything left in the tank to motivate me to get moving.
I somehow managed to traverse the multiple tube lines to get back. I came in and passed out. Tony ended up having to work late. It was a blessing! I got a couple hour nap and refueled. We went to dinner and roamed around a bit making plans for our weekend in Paris. I know I was there with him, but much of it is a blur. The nap helped, but I'm in a major deficit. Maybe tonight will do the trick.
Tomorrow is Buckingham and Kensington Palaces. I also want to figure out how to get to Wimbledon. Traversing the tube lines takes good concentration. They are a tangle of spider webs that go in all directions. But you have to include in the mix the hordes of people that are buzzing around you at all times. Luckily I've avoided them at rush hour. I can only imagine the level of chaos then!
London is the other city that never sleeps. The similarities between London and New York are endless. The streets are full of honking cars and people. The simple act of crossing the street can cost you your life. For one, the traffic is moving in opposite direction as the US. Fortunately at every cross walk, they have written on the pavement which way you're to look. And the traffic lights go from green, yellow, to red versus red, yellow, green. I still haven't figured out the logic behind it. But I can tell you I don't cross a busy street unless there are other people there telling me when it's safe to cross.
I've been here three days and that's pretty much my limit in a place away from home. I think I could go home today and feel like I've experienced Europe. But we leave for Paris Saturday morning. I know I'll be grateful for all these experiences when it's said and done. But right now I feel like I'm trying to swallow the entire watermelon. There is just so much to see and do.
Sleep will be much welcomed again tonight. I hope I can muster the strength needed to see the sights planned tomorrow. Being a zombie is no fun!
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
London Day One and Two
I've been on a long hiatus with Tony being home. But forgive me while I use this space as sort of a journal to keep up with what has gone on while I'm here.
Day one - October 8th
I finished up my massage training, submitted my recertification, and set sail for the airport. I was a good girl and got there three hours in advance. It made for a long wait, but it was better than rushing and stressing about being on time.
The first flight to DC went by quickly and uneventful. I had to be the luckiest person on the plane to London though. Both of the seats beside me were empty. That meant I could lay down to sleep. However, after a man attempted to sit on me about half way through the flight, I couldn't get back to sleep. Not a good thing!
Being the fiercely independent ox that I am, I wouldn't let Tony meet me at the airport. I figured that if I was going to have to figure out how to get around while he was at work, I might as well start sooner rather than later. I made it to the hotel without a single problem amazingly enough.
He came home at lunch to see me. I then made my way into town to get a bus tour ticket. I got on it and roamed the streets of London. I wore out two camera batteries and the one on my phone taking pictures. This place is amazing.
I finally gave out and decided to come to the hotel. I took an ever so brief nap and Tony was here. He decided I had to see London at night. We must have walked 3 miles. I was exhausted and begged to come back. He finally greed to it. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.
Day Two - October 9th
If it was a bus that hit me yesterday, it must have been a tornado today! I have walked to the point of my feet feeling bruised. I've only used my London Pass three times seeing St. Paul's Cathedral (yes, I walked up to the highest point of the dome, and then back down for a total of 1056 steps), Westminster Abbey, and The London Bridge Experience (which was supposed to be scary but was a total waste of time). The churches were amazing. I definitely could not describe them to do any sort of justice. Unbelievable is the first adjective that comes to mind.
I usually am a good navigator and can read a map without any problem. But I have gotten turned around in this city every time I'm out. Today I walked about two miles out of the way because I thought I was going in the right direction. I never even realized it. Tony pointed it out to me when I got back. I'm glad I didn't know else I probably would have sat in the street and cried I was that tired.
I've seen so many beautiful sights. Tomorrow is yet another day packed with seeing things (and walking!). I hope my body can keep up. I should have done some training before I came. Hindsight is always 20-20.
Day one - October 8th
I finished up my massage training, submitted my recertification, and set sail for the airport. I was a good girl and got there three hours in advance. It made for a long wait, but it was better than rushing and stressing about being on time.
The first flight to DC went by quickly and uneventful. I had to be the luckiest person on the plane to London though. Both of the seats beside me were empty. That meant I could lay down to sleep. However, after a man attempted to sit on me about half way through the flight, I couldn't get back to sleep. Not a good thing!
Being the fiercely independent ox that I am, I wouldn't let Tony meet me at the airport. I figured that if I was going to have to figure out how to get around while he was at work, I might as well start sooner rather than later. I made it to the hotel without a single problem amazingly enough.
He came home at lunch to see me. I then made my way into town to get a bus tour ticket. I got on it and roamed the streets of London. I wore out two camera batteries and the one on my phone taking pictures. This place is amazing.
I finally gave out and decided to come to the hotel. I took an ever so brief nap and Tony was here. He decided I had to see London at night. We must have walked 3 miles. I was exhausted and begged to come back. He finally greed to it. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.
Day Two - October 9th
If it was a bus that hit me yesterday, it must have been a tornado today! I have walked to the point of my feet feeling bruised. I've only used my London Pass three times seeing St. Paul's Cathedral (yes, I walked up to the highest point of the dome, and then back down for a total of 1056 steps), Westminster Abbey, and The London Bridge Experience (which was supposed to be scary but was a total waste of time). The churches were amazing. I definitely could not describe them to do any sort of justice. Unbelievable is the first adjective that comes to mind.
I usually am a good navigator and can read a map without any problem. But I have gotten turned around in this city every time I'm out. Today I walked about two miles out of the way because I thought I was going in the right direction. I never even realized it. Tony pointed it out to me when I got back. I'm glad I didn't know else I probably would have sat in the street and cried I was that tired.
I've seen so many beautiful sights. Tomorrow is yet another day packed with seeing things (and walking!). I hope my body can keep up. I should have done some training before I came. Hindsight is always 20-20.
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