FUN-travel: The Cotswold’s, England

May 28, 2017 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: The Cotswold’s, England 

Broadway Tower

  • Arrive to unheard of heat wave this time of year in Britain…

…balmy 70’s…more like spectacular summer weather!

  • Train to Moreton-in-Marsh…

..taxi to Lower Slaughter.

  • All we can say is…

…”all villages are just…

…picture post card…

…pretty cute!

FUN-fact – Broadway Tower on Broadway Hill (imagine that!) the Highest Little Castle in the Cotswolds, was  built as a folly by Lady Coventry in 1798–99, who wondered whether a beacon on this hill could be seen from her house in Worcester — about 22 miles away — and indeed, as it turned out the beacon could be seen clearly.

Not So FUN-fact – Having band width issues and can’t get my pictures! So will post as I get them.

  • Beer always helps band width problems!

Slaughters Country Inn

 

 

 

FUN-travel: London, UK to Home, Sweet, Home!

February 19, 2015 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: London, UK to Home, Sweet, Home! 

Day 56 – Tuesday, August 26 – London, England to HOME! – full on clouds – high 50’s

What I LIKE

  • 8:00 – Costa coffee in terminal (need some exercise)
  • Leisurely packing up
  • 12:00 – check out
  • *12:20 – arrive British Airways T5
  • 12:30 – check in
  • 12:35 – breeze thru security – no lines – a 1st for sure!
  • ** – no hassle except Chris forgot to take his laptop out
5 London, UK 2014

Tower Bridge, London

  • 12:45 – BA biz lounge very nice selection of food
  • – hot buffet w/soup and salad bar
  • – wine bar has 4 each red & whites
  • 2:15 – head to B gates via train
  • 2:30 – arrive
  • 2:45 – board plane
  • 3:35 – TAKES OFF ON TIME!
Margeriedal, Greenland 15

The Bridge on Le Boreal

What I DON’T LIKE

  • *can’t check in until3 hrs before flight
  • **BIG mistake! – now he has to go thru full pat down/sweep for bomb detection

FUN-fact – Captain Garcia was lots of FUN and let us come to the bridge anytime.

More FF – We got out of Reykjavik and London just before the Bardarbunga volcano erupted!

Margeriedal, Greenland 13

Our Zodiacs

 Trip Recap – Travel is very personal!

  •  I have 2 Travel Motto’s
  • – I want to be surprised and not PO’d
  • – It’s 5 o’clock somewhere and I want to be somewhere by 5 o’clock

The more I spend the pickier I get

I should never to ask for or be denied anything when it is billed as all inclusive – and on our A&K cruise (which is by far one of the priciest we’ve been on) we experienced being told they were out of sparkling water (but my fridge had some) – being out of red wine the 2nd day – not having a wine opener at the bar twice (I went to my room and got mine) it’s good to be resourceful!

Northern Lights (1)

Northern Lights

Lessons Learned

  • Size matters when it comes to a room or cabin. I now check to see how big they are prior to making reservations. Be aware that cruise ships add the outside balcony to room size. Most of the time all the rooms are the same size just on different decks. The lower cabins tend to be less expensive and have less movement/rocking if the water is rough.
  • It’s better to be a really good 4 star than a mediocre 5 star.
  • I wouldn’t do a massage on a Russian Riverboat or anywhere else in Russia unless it was at the 4 Seasons. But then I would never pay for a room that expensive, so it would never happen!
1 Bardarbunga Volcano, Iceland  2014

Bardarbunga Volcano

 

FUN-travel: London, UK – Full Day

February 17, 2015 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: London, UK – Full Day 

Day 55 – Monday, August 25 – London, England – Full Day – steady rain – high 50’s

3 London, UK 2014

What I LIKE

  • 7:45 – Chris brings Costa coffee from terminal
  • 9:30 – ready for big adventure
  • *– got tickets on Heathrow express train & Underground pass
  • 10:00 – depart
  • 10:20 – arrive main station (takes 70 mins on cheaper one)

9 London, UK 2014

  • **10:45 – nice man helps direct us to easiest train
  • 10:55 – on train & easy to read/well marked directions
  • ***11:10 – arrive Tower Hill station for Tower of London
  • 11:30 – Starbuck’s break w/egg sandwich
  • 12:20 – finally find pizza place!

19 London, UK 2014

FUN-food – Pizza Express – Toscana w/chili/fennel sausage, caprese salad, 2 sodas = $30

  • 1:00 – line much shorter (but still long) – see courtyard where Anne was beheaded17 London, UK 2014
  • – (along w/Catherine, Henry VIII’s 5th wife) – see Crown Jewels (line only takes 20 mins)
  • – walk through several buildings
  • 3:15 – ready to be dry – head to station
  • 3:45 – train from Paddington
  • 4:15 – back to hotel for nap
  • 7:30 – dinner @ Sofitel – Caesar salad, Thai green curry w/chicken – Drostdy 2013 South African Merlot = $120
  • 11:30 – night night

 What I DON’T LIKE

  •  *costs $143
  • **10:45 – our stop is under construction
  • – have to walk out to get Green line – light rain
  • ***huge line waiting to get in – it’s a Bank Holiday!

FUN-fact – the Tower of London is a medieval Palace that was built in 1078.

More FF – The ravens of the Tower of London are a group of captive common ravens which live there. The group comprises at least seven individuals. The presence of the ravens is traditionally believed to protect the Crown and the Tower; a superstition holds that “If the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it.”

11 London, UK 2014

FUN-travel: Reykjavik, Iceland to London, UK

February 17, 2015 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Reykjavik, Iceland to London, UK 

Day 54 – Sunday, August 24 – Reykjavik, Iceland to London, England – full on clouds – high 50’s

DSC00160

Ittoqqortoormitt, Greenland

What I LIKE

  •  8:15 – wake up
  • 8:45 – get up to more good hot espresso
  • – nice lazy morning
  • 11:00 – check out of apt – leave bags in office
  • 11:15 – walk for brunch
  • *11:25 – arrive Le Bistro
  • 11:40 – order 2 cappuccinos classic burger & grilled veggie plate
  • **12:45 – Kaffir – get take away quiche – saved $50 by doing this option
  • 1:00 – shuttle to train station on time
  • 1:15 – airport bus on time – starts sprinking
  • 2:00 – arrive airport – very efficient check in
  • – more than a dozen people to check bags
  • – 2 helpers get luggage tags from self service kiosk
  • – NO BAGGAGE NAZIS!
  • *** – security live very fast & efficient too!
  • 2:30 – tax refund counter – more efficiency at its finest!
  • – only 4 people waiting for credit card refund
  • – cash line is 2 rows long snaking thru the airport
  • – don’t even ask to see my items
30 Ittoqqortoormitt, Greenland  2014

Ittoqqortoormitt, Greenland

  • ****Duty free wine – more Viña Maipo wines –
  • Gran Devoción 2010 – syrah/petite syrah – 90 pts Wine Advocate & Vitrol Carmenere
  • 2:50 – lunch – 2 tandori wraps to go
  • # flight takes off on time – only 2.5 hrs long
  • 7:50 – arrive early
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The Norther Lights We Slept Through

  • Breeze thru customs
  • Luggage already on belt
  • Get directions to Terminal 5 – FREE express train runs every 15 minutes
  • 9:00 – arrive Sofitel Hotelin Terminal 5
  • Don’t have to deal w/taxi & schlepping bags – this is a transit hotel
  • Get upgraded to King bed! YEAH
  • ##12:30 – night night
2 Bardarbunga Volcano, Iceland  2014

Bardarbunga Volcano Eruption We Missed Too!

 What I DON’T LIKE

  • *only have high bar stool seats w/no backs – wait for table
  • – breakfast is over at 11:30 & now only offer
  • huge brunch plates w/fruit, yogurt, breads – too much food!
  • 12:00 – told they’re out of buns & running to store
  • 12:30 – still no food
  • 12:40 – walk out! Starving!
  • **ordered chicken & got veggie
Monacobreen, Svalbard, Norway 2014 12

Monacobreen, Svalbard, Norway

  • ***very sensitive as my jewelry goes off and I hardly have any
  • ****charge $2 for a plastic bag & didn’t tell us
  • # no jetway – have to schlep on bus to plane
  • Arrive Terminal 1 & need to get to Terminal 5
  • Pretty sterile hotel – no view to outside
  • – window looks across to another room window
  • ## had to move clock ahead
Monacobreen, Svalbard, Norway 2014 16

Monacobreen

FUN-fact – Reykjavik is the most northern capital in the world and Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe.

More FF – They sell a product called Skyr which is pretty good. Like strained yogurt and it has been a part of their cuisine for over a 1000 years.

More FF – When NASA was looking for a place on Earth that most resembled the moon’s surface, they found it in Iceland.

3 Bardarbunga Volcano, Iceland  2014

More Eruptions

 

FUN-travel: UK – London – Stonehenge – Salisbury

November 10, 2011 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: UK – London – Stonehenge – Salisbury 

Day 33 – Sunday, October 16 – London, Heathrow Airport – Hilton Hotel

Downtown Salisbury

  • Arrive Heathrow 4:30 (get our hour back)
  • Go through customs – get bags – Duty Free wine (2 bottles for 12 lbs) – figure out train to Terminal 4 – 10 minute walk
  • Arrive Airport Hilton 6:00 & get 2 free drinks! but that’s it (we really miss being spoiled in Concierge level & all the “extras” since Chris retired) – pre-paid, non-refundable rate (8 months ago) 119 lbs w/taxes 144 lbs per night (rack rate 400 lbs) internet is extra!
  • Check w/Concierge on how to get to Stonehenge – sounds too complicated – go back to Terminal 4 to both TI & National Express Bus Station – no help whatsoever! can’t believe this is so complicated
  • Come back & recheck w/Concierge – come up w/3 options – take 6:30 am bus (that’s not even an option) – hire driver for 200 lbs (that’s not an option either, too expensive) – or rent a car maybe – 100 lbs (includes fuel)

FUN-food Dinner – Hilton Deli/Coffee Shop – Burger w/fries ordered med rare & told only well done (after questioning manager he said he’d ask chef to cook less & if not happy would get me something else) was good served med – Greek type salad & 2 pints – 45 lbs

CFFO (Control Freak, Freak Out!) – gave UK & Europe road atlas’s to Mary since we weren’t driving anymore!

Day 34 – Monday, October 17 – London to Stonehenge & Salisbury

Stonehenge

  • 7:00 wake up – go down for coffee – 4.20 lbs for small cup! (that’s over $6.00) 5 lbs for large cup – get that, take to room & share
  • 7:30 see first sunrise on trip!
  • 9:00 bus to Terminal 5 to check Stonehenge bus options – not going to work!
  • Pick up phones for car rentals – Avis 125 lbs for automatic, diesel w/GPS – EuropeCar 110 lbs – no one else answers – walk out to pick up area & Enterprise bus is sitting there – ask driver cost of car he says “60 or 70 lbs” – We’re on it!

    Salisbury Cathedral

  • Get to Enterprise & you’d think we are the King & Queen of California! Never have we ever been so welcomed and helped – service was off the charts 10 ++++ – our new car rental company for sure! 65 lbs – mid size, diesel, automatic
  • Depart 10:15 w/Garmin (programmed American English – Jack) to Stonehenge (73 miles) & return – I am the backup ” American English – Jill”
  • Arrive 11:30 – Stonehenge (meaning hanging stones) was up for  one of  the New 7 Wonders of the World – as old as Pyramids (5000 yrs) – older than the Acropolis & Colosseum – stone circle “built by giants” is different from others in England – has cross-pieces spanning the vertical monoliths & the only one with smooth, uniform stones – each one designed to calculate the movement of the sun, moon & stars – monoliths were built out of sandstone & weigh about 35 tons, came from 20 miles away – shorter “bluestones” came from  Wales – 240 miles away – question is, “How did they get there? And why didn’t they use the stones that were nearby?”
  • Ask bus driver in parking lot how far Bath is – he says, “Have you been to Salisbury? I’d go there. It’s really cute & close.”
  • Depart 12:30 for Salisbury (8 miles)
  • Arrive & Park 1:00 – really cute Medieval town

FUN Candy Store

FUN-food Lunch – Patisserie Valerie – Tricolore Salad – tomato, mozzarella, avocado, olives, balsamic pesto – Ciabatta sandwich w/same ingredients as salad – 2 cappuccinos –  24 lbs

  • Walk thru town
  • Salisbury Cathedral – built 1220 – England’s tallest spire @ 404 ft  &- took only 38 years to build  Cathedral Green – enormous area surrounding cathedral is largest in England

    Local Talent

  • Window shopping
  • Depart Salisbury 3:45 – American English Jack works wonders!
  • Arrive Heathrow 5:15 – need gas & saved again by Jack!

FUN-food Dinner – need a snack so order soup – the worst! tasteless, watered down – 8.5 lbs

FF (FUN-facts) – Had a lovely last day in Salisbury – even got Chris to feed the meter for 3 hrs! Major breakthrough!

Day 35 – Tuesday, October 18 – London to HOME! non-stop – full on sun w/light wispy clouds

  • Depart hotel 10:30 – arrive Terminal 10:45
  • 1st stop – Costa Coffee
  • FUN-food Breakfast – scone w/classic cornish clotted cream, strawberry jam & 2 coffees – 5.50 lbs (clearly cheaper to eat in airport)
  • 12:05 – check in for 3:05 flight
  • Duty free for Jameson you can’t buy in US
  • 1:00 – British Airways Lounge – never seen such a spread of food anywhere in world (or booze either)

FUN-Food Snacks – Cold Food Bar w/green salad, pasta salad, & bean salad, meats & cheeses – Hot Food Bar w/pasta, marinara, rice, beef stew, chili, Indian spiced chicken, vegetable curry

Belgium Beers

  • 2:20 – catch transit to Terminal 5 B concourse
  • 3:05 take off on time

FUN-food Lunch– smoked salmon & trout roulade w/radish & fennel watercress salad – fresh seasonal salad w/vinaigrette – Chicken Kiev w/tomato & artichoke sauce, parsnip chips & creamed spinach – chilled main course salad of grilled king prawn w/Thai noodles & cashews – wine choices Chateau Dasvin-Bel-Air 2009, Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux, France – Medalla Real Carmenere Gran Reserva 2008, Colchagua Valley, Chile

Belgium Waffles

FF – we have never taken the insurance option & never wrecked (let alone scratched) a rental car in all the years we have rented them for business & pleasure in the US

Trip Recap

Travel is very personal. So why did we take this trip at this time? Chris got the book “WHERE To Go WHEN” and said to me, “Honey, we can go to the Arctic Circle to see the Polar Bears or we can go to Galway Bay for the Oyster Festival.” Well that took about 3 seconds to answer! Galway sounded like the most FUN – and it was! Every time we take a trip we think about what we liked and disliked to help us plan better the next time. We also want to take the most physically challenging trips now rather than later. This trip had way too much driving! I think mixing cruising with land tours is ideal for us. Also, we like warm weather so we have decided the only cold weather trips we are willing to takeare to the North & South Poles. When it comes to buying travel  books – we LOVE Rick Steve’s!

FF – have renewed faith in GPS & am receptive to thinking about getting software for our Garmin for next Europe trip (don’t really ever want to drive again!) but you still need a road atlas!

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