and installed
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
First Day in London!
Hi BLOG, Jack/John here. On Tuesday, June 14th. Dirk and Laurie went to London leaving John Van Dyke and me alone to travel to MOE alone. On June 15th, Tuesday John and I were transported to the airport to travel (alone) to MOE.
Oh, MOE is Merry Old England. While waiting in the Phoenix airport, I tripped over a bag in front of me that I didn't see, fell, and injured my right hand. My thin skin peeled back and bled all over the place. I went in the washroom, and after putting cold water on it, I went to the counter and they called the paramedics. 15 minutes later, they arrived and bandaged it up with a whole roll of gauze as it was still bleeding.
After a 8 hour + some minutes we arrived at Heathrow, London. We wandered through the terminal, Customs, got our luggage and proceeded to meander to the Tube. Finding the correct line, Picadilly we rode to Russell Square where we were told to disembark and walk a prescribed route to a Royal Hotel where John had a room reserved (by his Mother). Of course, all this time we were carrying our 3 weeks supply of luggage, up and down stairs, caught up in mobs of impatient people in a hurry to get wherever.
Lo and behold, Laurie was there in the lobby to meet us. Soon Dirk and Jenika arrived and there all 5 us were in the lobby of the Hotel that after all the trouble of us getting there had no reservation for us. The date of the reservation was for the following day and we could not get a room for that night! So, off we all went to Sydenham, a southern neighborhood of London where fortunately we had a reservation in a flat that started on that day.
Off all 5 of us now went via a tube train, a railroad ride (or 2 as by this time I was really kind of 'out of it') and YEAH got to our flat which was great. We have 3 bedrooms, 2 Loos, 2 showers and a fullly equipped kitchen and is very nice. Jenika put antibiotic gel on my injury after I unwrapped my hand, and rewrapped it.
We were all bushed but did not want to sleep until at least 9 PM local time as England is 8 hours ahead of Phoenix time and we wanted to get acclimated to the new time in just one day. It worked. We slept well, got up at a decent hour and got through the next day, Wednesday OK.
Oh, MOE is Merry Old England. While waiting in the Phoenix airport, I tripped over a bag in front of me that I didn't see, fell, and injured my right hand. My thin skin peeled back and bled all over the place. I went in the washroom, and after putting cold water on it, I went to the counter and they called the paramedics. 15 minutes later, they arrived and bandaged it up with a whole roll of gauze as it was still bleeding.
After a 8 hour + some minutes we arrived at Heathrow, London. We wandered through the terminal, Customs, got our luggage and proceeded to meander to the Tube. Finding the correct line, Picadilly we rode to Russell Square where we were told to disembark and walk a prescribed route to a Royal Hotel where John had a room reserved (by his Mother). Of course, all this time we were carrying our 3 weeks supply of luggage, up and down stairs, caught up in mobs of impatient people in a hurry to get wherever.
Lo and behold, Laurie was there in the lobby to meet us. Soon Dirk and Jenika arrived and there all 5 us were in the lobby of the Hotel that after all the trouble of us getting there had no reservation for us. The date of the reservation was for the following day and we could not get a room for that night! So, off we all went to Sydenham, a southern neighborhood of London where fortunately we had a reservation in a flat that started on that day.
Off all 5 of us now went via a tube train, a railroad ride (or 2 as by this time I was really kind of 'out of it') and YEAH got to our flat which was great. We have 3 bedrooms, 2 Loos, 2 showers and a fullly equipped kitchen and is very nice. Jenika put antibiotic gel on my injury after I unwrapped my hand, and rewrapped it.
We were all bushed but did not want to sleep until at least 9 PM local time as England is 8 hours ahead of Phoenix time and we wanted to get acclimated to the new time in just one day. It worked. We slept well, got up at a decent hour and got through the next day, Wednesday OK.
Day 2 England
Dirk, Laurie, Jenika and John all went off to sightsee in London, leaving me alone. Why? Because I wanted to have a day of rest. So around noon, I went for a walk and then took a bus to the center of London. Via a double decker bus. And, I rode in the front seat at the upper level! A ride I've wanted to take for at least 70 years. What a ride it was, an hour and 45 minutes on narrow roads, squeezing through heavy traffic along miles and miles with row houses on both sides of the road. London must have a high density of people per square mile.
When we passed the Thames, it took me 2 more stops to get off as I had to negotiate the steep narrow stairs from the upper deck. But now I was right in the center of London and just walking along, I found Trafalgar Square and had a good time walking around. There were a lot of people, sightseers, school kids and locals.
Being hungry, I found a sidewalk Cafe and had fish and chips and a bottle of water. Had a treat watching the stream of people going by - all seeming to be in a hurry. An older couple with a 20 something daughter stopped right by my table and the older lady took off one of her shoes which was evidently giving her pain. The daughter came to her and fished her wallet out of her purse and sifted through her paper money and pulled out a band aid which her Mom promptly put on the offending foot and then replacing her offending shoe, they took off at a rapid pace.
It was getting late, about 5 PM and I had the only key to our flat. I thought that the sightseerers would come back to our flat and be locked out and worry about where is Dad? So I found a train station and with some difficulty getting directions because my pronunciation of Sydenham was not recognisable by my would be advisor. But after awhile and me spelling it, got on the right train. I had to change trains and went throiugh the same routine to get to the right connection.
Arrived safe and sound and quite tired at 6:30 but ahead of the rest of our party. Aside from watching the news, working a Sudoku, having another little bite to eat, thus ended the day.
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