England Journal 2010

8/8/2019 England Journal 2010

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Monday/Tuesday 8/16-17

WOW! Who would have thought that Marina, Malka and I would be heading back to England not

even a year after our last trip!? Thanks Pepe! Thanks Lloyd! Thanks Marina for being manipulative

(yeah you think you have dad wrapped around your pinky!)

We had been anticipating Lloyds visit to New York this summer. He applied for his passport and

waited and waited and we all waited. Time was passing by, the passport seemed lost in limbo and Lloyd

hadnt yet gotten all the plane fare so one day Pepe said: It seems like you are tired of being around

here. Why dont you take the girls to England? After ascertaining that he was serious, I sat down in

front of the computer and spent what appeared to be two SOLID days researching, searching and

booking plane tickets, hotels and day tours. And nowhere we are back in London!

Before leaving New York things were CRAZY/HECTIC. For years the girls wanted to redo their

bedroom so just days before departure we were cleaning out 11 years of accumulated school work and

stuff, plastering, sanding, making a mess, priming (dont ask! Four people in a room painting not

fun!), shopping for paint and linens, breaking a 96 year old radiator valve (not really but it sprung a leak,

I panicked, called the plumber and paid for it!) and then, the day we left we had the skylight in the den

replaced! If ever I needed a vacation, after the last few stressful days, this was it!!!

Our flight was originally to have left at 9:00 p.m. but fortunately we received a call from Delta

letting us know we had an hour and a half delay. That worked out well since David and family came to

town after getting Noah from camp and we were able to spend a few minutes with them prior to

heading to JFK Airport. Check-in at the airport was effortless. The line was LONG and we were at the

end, but those at the back of the queue were told to go to a newly opened counter (which said check-in

for some place in Japan). The girls made me verify our luggage would NOT be going there. Once

through security (where marina freaked when she found her stapler and staples in her school bag which

Malka had taken and made me chuck em in the trash so as not to be thought a terrorist) we went to the

gate and it seemed as if very little time elapsed and we were boarding. To avoid the crush at the gate,we waited until there were very few people left, but I noticed a bunch of them were being told to go to

the side when their passports were scanned. Wouldnt you know. I ended up in that group too. But its

all good and now Im in England.

We actually took off closer to 11:00 than 10:30. I usually fall asleep as we taxi but Marina shook

my arm and said: dont sleep! but I dont really remember taking off. I fell asleep pretty quickly after

that, luckily wasnt awakened for dinner (although I kind of recall the smell) but unfortunately did NOT

sleep the entire journey or much at all. The flight was rather quick. We landed around 10:20 a.m. so the

entire flying time was under six and a half hours. To have slept the whole time would have been ideal

oh well.

Once on the ground we quickly collected our luggage, went through passport control where I

told the agent the purpose of the holiday was to visit the boyfriend (without using air-quotation

marks), took a train transfer to terminal 3, found the bus station and caught a bus for a drive to the city.

The bus took us to Victoria Coach Station which was a short walk from the hotel. We are again staying

at the Park Plaza Victoria, a terrifically situated hotel. Its amazing how familiar the area is to us. At

once we feel at home. Our room wasnt quite ready so we left the luggage at the concierge desk and

walked to get a phone card (Mr. Lloyd had left a message that needed returning) and a nosh.


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Got back to the room, told Lloyd it was okay to catch the train

from Crawley and then we three lay down to catch a nap. Sometime

later, Lloyd arrived and awwwwwwww he brought Marina lovely gold

earrings (hearts naturally) even though she had told him not to buy

something expensive. He got me a box of chocolates (delicious) which

are now locked in our room safe with only Marina knowing the password

so they can be rationed out to me, and he got Malka a bag of wine gums

which are also locked away because, um I like them too!

Malka was still tired so Marina and Lloyd went to sit on a sofa in

the lobby and get reacquainted and Malka slept an extra hour. Jet-lag

gone as much as could be by then, we headed out for a walk.

Getting to a main road, Victoria Street, just down the block, we could see (or I recognized) the

spires of West Minster Abbey

in what appeared to be not

too far away. So we walked,

and walked, and walked some

more. It really didnt seem

far at all and I even

commented that I couldnt

believe how last year we took

a tube to get there! We took

in the sights of Big Ben and then headed towards the

River Thames to rest and look at the London Eye. I was

busy taking

photos and

the love-

birds

continued to

walk further.

Further than

necessary

and as a

consequence, we had to walk more! We eventually headed

in the direction we thought would complete the triangle, but

it was more like a square and now we REALLY had to trek and

I had two tired girls with very achy feet!


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We had a nice dinner at The Giraffe across the street from the hotel. Marina chilled with Lloyd

some more and then we accompanied him back to the station to catch his train home. Now I was so

tired and almost sound asleep before 10:00 when Pepe called. A quick chat and a sound night for me!

Wednesday 8/18

I slept so well and the bright sun, from our large window with a magnificent view, lit up the

room. I got up a little

before 8:00, dressed and

took a walk to get coffee,

milk, juice and

underground day passes.

We were

expecting Lloyd around

10:00, but instead, he

phoned saying he had a

cold and didnt know

whether or not to spendthe day with us. We

decided wed go out for

the morning and return to the hotel around 3:00 by which time hed either be there feeling better, or

leave a message.

First on todays itinerary was a visit to Kensington Palace which has housed many of Englands

princesses (the childhood home of Queen Victoria and the home of Princess Diana until she died). The

palace is undergoing major renovation work (until 2012) but the staterooms were visitable in an

exhibit called the Enchanted Palace. After paying our admission fee, we were handed a booklet which

contained a map of the exhibit rooms that were amixture of the old with modern twists, artwork,

costumes and clues of which seven princesses lived in

this palace. Marina was disappointed she couldnt win

at this game; name the king maybe, but not the

princesses. It was an interesting work of art more

than a palatial visit and ended in the gift shop where

we bought A BOOK (I had said, No books!) about all

the Kings & Queens of this land from the Vikings until

the present time. (Marina better read it!) While

waiting to purchase said book, we did read about KingHenry VIII and how he had a groom of the stool

which provided us a giggle as it relates to Marina and

Malka (but I wont go into details here ) We hung

out in the gardens a little afterwards for a snack, a

reprieve and a LAUGH! I commented that Kensington

Palace was where Queen Victoria first met her

beloved Prince Albert (as in the movie which Marina

and I enjoyed, Young Victoria) Then MALKA chirped in; Isnt a Prince Albert a crotch piercing?

!!!!!!!- thats my shock at my 11 year old daughter. I dont know WHERE she gets these things from and


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how Prince Albert can be associated with THAT. Marina and I were totally nave and unaware but it

turns out Malka was correct (oy-vey) as we later verified.

We strolled around Kensington Park and went to the Prince Albert Memorial which is so much

bigger and more impressive than it looked last year when we flew by it on a tour bus. Around the

memorial are statues representing Europe, India, Africa and America which all had, at times, parts

colonized by England.

We continued our

walk down Exhibition Roadwhere a number of

museums can be found (we

made a quick stop at the

free Victoria and Albert

Museum) and passed by a very entertaining street performer. We got there as he was lying on a bed of

nails. He then asked for a volunteer to stand on him while sandwiched between two boards of nails.

There was a silence and hesitancy among the spectators, and finally a man came forth. The performer

said he was hoping for a child instead (Malka couldve enjoyed that.) After that stunt he contorted and

dislocated his body to fit through a tennis racket. I couldnt bear to watch the popping shoulders and

instead took a picture of the girls looking; Malka in wonder, Marina with face partially buried in hersisters shoulder. I turned around in time to see him squeeze his butt through the racket and of that I

did take an amusing photo.


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We caught the tube back to Victoria and got back to the room a bit before 3:00. Marina was

excited when she didnt see the message light flashing on the phone, but I saw a typed note from the

front desk lying on the floor by the door informing us that Lloyd wouldnt be joining us today. Marina

was sad and disappointed, and tired, maybe overwhelmed, jet-lagged and experiencing cramps. She

spoke to Lloyd on the phone during which time he googled and confirmed that a Prince Albert (or P.A.)

was, indeed, as Malka had said. And then Marina pulled herself together and we headed out with

Westminster Hall/ Houses of Parliament as our destination.

Entering the train station where we catch the tube, we realized we should get advanced train

tickets for our Sunday trip to Bath. Last night when we were at the station, I had enquired at the

information desk and was told there were some tickets available for outgoing to bath which would

cost 22 pound for the three of us and for the return 44 pound. Try to figure out that price difference if

you dare! The man said I should get the tickets fast as theyd sell quickly, but the advance ticket window

was already closed at 9:00 p.m. Now, here we are at 3:45 the following day and the cheap tkts. for

SUNDAY and TUESDAY are gone! The most affordable option was to buy a family rail pass (good for a

year, well HAVE TO come back!) and then discounted tickets. That, plus tickets to and from Lloyds

town of Crawley for next Wednesday amounted to 88 pound. Rail travel here is NOT cheap!

We were now ready to head out of the station into the underground but Marina had a craving

for the mozzarella sticks that McDonalds sells. Another detour. We finally make it to the Houses of

Parliament about 5:00. Last year we didnt visit them because we had heard they were not open to the

public. THIS year I looked in a tour book and saw it is open until 7:00 in the summer. WRONG!!! Its

NEVER open until seven and todays hours were 1:15-4:30. Maybe well make it back tomorrow or next

week (or next year!) We then took the tube to Leicester Square in the heart of the Theatre District. I

had wanted to get discount tickets for a show and had been unsuccessful obtaining Buy one adult get

kids price at the theaters. I was told I had to do it through phoning Ticket Master but finally gave up

out of frustration. Like Times Square, Leicester Square has price ticket booths but by the time we got

there only four shows remained, none of which we wanted to see. Oh well, another plan bust!

It was a lovely evening

and the sun was finally shining

for more than a second at a

time, so we started sauntering

(Malkas choice word) towards

Trafalgar Square which was

bustling with people.


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Realizing we werent too far from the hotel (yes we were but I knew the way and it was such a

nice evening for a stroll) we continued our walk which took us through our second lovely park of the

day, St. James Park which leads to

Buckingham Palace. We had a fun

time people-watching, duck

watching, Coot watching (adorable

black birds with white caps and

beaks) and feeding some geese(not Canadian) Cinnabun cereal.

Malka wanted to take a goose

home because they were cuter

than the ones who mess up our

parks and fields and because one

goose looked at her

with puppy-dog eyes.

Back in the hotel

at 7:30, a phone call to

Lloyd and a quick shut-

eye for Marina and at

9:00 we went back to

the Giraffe for a light

meal. Its already 11:15

and I had planned for

10:00 lights-out as

tomorrow is going to be a packed day if all goes well and the three of us need our rest.

Thursday 8/19

Today had the promise of a great day but was foreshadowed when Marina awoke at 4:20 a.m.

with really bad cramps. After getting her medicine and sitting up with her a bit we tucked ourselves in

bed together. She soon fell asleep but Malkas allergy sniffles were keeping me awake. I eventually

drifted off and was jolted by the 7:30 wakeup call (Marina had WANTED to get up early hence the call

but I let her sleep a little longer).

Our plan was to go back to Leicester Square as soon as Lloyd arrived but when he called saying

hed be a bit late Malka and I walked down the street to see if we could get day tickets for Billy Elliott

(the theatre was literally down the block). Those were not available, but we were able to purchase

restricted view seats which, from the description given, sounded like box seats with free-standingchairs. The man said wed have to lean on the rail to see. Malka whined that she didnt want to lean,

and I told her it was all part of the experience. Well see how that goes in an hours time when the show

begins.

Lloyd showed up a bit before 11:00 and off we headed to Greenwich which is far east of the city

center. We had to change trains numerous times and ended up on a driverless train that went above

ground through the London dock area (and its quays and canals). This area was very new and built with

impressive high-rise apartment buildings and offices. It was quite a contrast to the old city of Greenwich.


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We ambled down some old streets and came

upon the market, established in 1700, with new goods

as well as vintage, antiques and junk. Malka quickly

zoomed in on a stall selling ugly dolls and bought one

for a friend. We also quickly lost Lloyd and Marina.

After going round and round the stalls numerous

times, we found them sitting comfortably cuddled on an

outside bench of a pub. They too purchased uglydolls and, in fact, were given a free one which they

gave to Malka.

By now Marina was looking peaked but we had

our touring cut out for us even though she wasnt cut

out for it. After collecting a map from the visitors

center we went to the Old Royal Naval College. The Baroque buildings were built by Sir Christopher

Wren over 300 years ago as the Greenwich Hospital, home for veteran sailors on the site of Henry VIII

and Elizabeth Is birthplace (we would have loved to see that palace that is no more). The current

buildings were transformed, in 1873, to a naval college and in 1997 the site was opened to the public

and other buildings in the complex are now used by the University of Greenwich as well as Trinity

College of Music (we heard and saw, through open windows, various musicians practicing).

We entered the impressive

Painted Hall which once served as a

dining hall with beautiful frescos. Malka

was awed by them and asked me to ask

if she could take photos. She also

listened attentively as I read the long

description provided to us. Marina a

Lloyd sat down to read as well, only

they didnt get up again until much

later. Apparently, Marina was

beginning to feel not right. With time

we moved on to the chapel an

adjoining building with a spectacularly

carved ceiling, marble floor representing in look and size the rope on an anchor and other nautical

touches that would have brought comfort o the pensioners

hundreds of years ago.


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Out of the college campus we turned left and walked a block to the Trafalgar Tavern

overlooking the River Thames. Charles Dickens wrote about this historic tavern but I didnt see much to

write home about! Down the way (across the water) is the 02, originally called the Millennium Dome,

an ugly 23,000 seat arena and entertainment complex that we always see in the credits of EastEnders.

So, I took a picture with that in the distance and Lord Nelson up close.

At this point

Marina was really

dragging but we

pushed on across the

street to where lay

the National Maritime

Museum (the largest

of its kind in the world

but we didnt enter as

the theme didnt

interest us), the

Queens House,

summer villa of

Queen Henrietta

Maria, wife of Charles

I built in 1638 and now an art museum (didnt enter there either) and beyond these buildings the

beautiful Greenwich Park into which Henry VIII introduced deer for hunting. Up a VERY steep hill, with

flocks of tourists climbing is the Royal Observatory.

Now Marina REALLY looked as if shed pass out but

she pushed

forward and

made it tothe top but

wasnt able

to enjoy the

time there

although she

is smiling in

photos (but

with teary

eyes behind

Lloydssunglasses).

First on the

must-see list

was a bathroom for her so we totally by-passed the actual

observatory which we never made it back to. The Royal

Observatory is the home of Greenwich Mean Time (by which all

time is set??? Dont quite understand that) and the famous Prime

Meridian of the world which divides the Earth into two


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hemispheres. Malka and I did enter the apartment of the Royal

Astronomer who, in the 1700s, lived meagerly in four small

rooms and wasnt even compensated enough for the cost of his

tools and telescopes. There was also a museum of time which

we flew through (like time flies) because it was both technical

and crowded.

The majority of tourists, like us, probably make the climb

up that hill to stride the meridian line at 0 degrees longitude

which we did (minus Malka who as you can see from the

photos Im attaching - is somewhat camera shy.)

We then trekked back down the hill bypassing the

museum of astronomy and the planetarium. We eventually made it back to the hotel through a bunch

of train changes, walking (impressive underground high-end mall in the Docklands) and bathroom

breaks for my eldest. Arriving at Victoria, I handed the kids the hotel card and I separated from them to

pick up food for all.

Back in the room, Marina lay down and I insisted she closed her eyes and actually sleep. She and

Lloyd dozed, I wrote in my journal and Malka began a new book. Rest time was limited as we had a 7:30

curtain to catch down the road at the Victoria Palace Theatre. Luckily Marina woke up energized and in

a much brighter mood.


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We said farewell to boyfriend in the street outside the

station and arrived at the theatre about ten minutes before

show time. The theatre experience here is a bit different than

back home; starting with the fact no usher showed us to our

seat, there was no Playbill (unless you purchase a program),

and the amount of people in the audience who were eating and

making noise!!!! One thing I DIDNT miss, and which didnt

distract me, were the cell phones so many New Yorkers sneakout during a performance. Our restricted view seats were,

indeed, restricted. They werent actually box seats but rather

five seats placed behind a heavy wood railing. From my seat I

truly had to LEAN forward, even stand at times and lean, and

still I missed a side of the stage (not much happened there

usually). The girls sat to my left and their view was better.

There were, however, two proper seats empty right near us, so

during intermission Marina and Malka moved and were able to

enjoy the play even more. Then I took Malkas seat which was

vastly better than mine had been.

The play was very fun, moving and enjoyable; a definite good choice for the girls, especially

Malka as shes close in age to the main character, Billy who was 12. There was also another character,

Michael, who was simply adorable; a perfect friend for Malka if hed be real. I had seen the film so I

knew the story but the girls had no trouble following it. I have to admit the accents, very strong

Northern English, were at times challenging. The play started at 7:30 so I thought wed be out by 10-

10:15 but we didnt get back to the room until 10:45! We were tired but happy the day ended so much

better than it had been mid-way through!

Friday 8/20

I had put in for a 7:00 wake-up call but was already up (the sun seems brightest in the early

morning) before that. We were to be ready and in the lobby by 8:15 to be picked up by Evan and Evans

tours, which we were, but they were late. A nice coach bus collected us and once at the station we

waited amongst 100s of tourists to be sorted into various busses heading to different parts of the

country.

Our tour guide was Leslie and our driver, Pat. Fortunately, our bus was NOT full and I placed the

girls midway back with the emergency exit below and in front of them, so they had a large,

uninterrupted view out the window. I sat alone behind them. After putting on our seatbelts, which is a

legal requirement on coaches here, we wound our way out of London as Leslie gave us a runningnarrative on buildings and parts of the city we had not previously seen. We then drove through

Greenwich, which now is familiar to us, and headed south-east out of the city towards Kent which,

according to our guide, is the garden of England. Actually it says that in my tour book too and the

name is derived from the Tudor times when orchards and hop fields abounded (and still abound).


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It was a BRILLIANT day for

travelling and sightseeing. This year we

packed more appropriately for the English

summer than last year when we brought

tank tops and shorts, so weve been

comfortable as the weather (for the first

three days) has been breezy, partly cloudy

and in the upper 60s. Today the sun isfull out and its about 87 degrees (thats

what the bus is registering now as we are

leaving Leeds Castle heading towards

Dover.)

Leeds Castle is said to be one of the prettiest castles in

England. It was built in A.D. 857 on two rocky out-crops in

the middle of a river by William the Conqueror. King Edward

the First later dammed the river make a lake and gave the

castle to his wife Eleanor of Castile. From that time until the

reign of Henry VIII it was truly a ladies castle as the

subsequent kinds handed it over to their wives and this is

where children were raised and ladies entertained one

another. Henry converted the castle into a royal palace. In

the years that followed, the ownership was turned over to

various noblemen who found favor with the current kings.

The last private owner, Lady Boullie, a member of the wealthy

Whitney family of the U.S., bought the castle in disrepair,

fixed part up to resemble its original medieval appearance,

and lived in a more modern section until she died in the

1970s. Her daughter lived there until 2002 when she died,

but the family established a trust and the castle is now open to the public.

After touring the inside, we took a nice stroll around the rolling green surroundings, shot some

touristy look at me in front of a castle pictures and got back on the bus for the drive to Dover, Britains

historic gateway to the Continent and famed for its white cliffs.


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Dover was a mere 15 minute stop for us

but the day was beautiful and we ran across the

road to the rocky beach where we collected some

stones and enjoyed the wind in our hair. The

famous cliffs are white from chalk and contain

secret war-time tunnels. They were originally

excavated to house cannons in case needed

against an invasion by Napoleon, and were morerecently used during the Battle of Britain

(anniversary 96 years ago today.) Rising nearly

120 meters (400 feet) above the port is Dover

Castle built in the 12th

century, and put back into

active use during WW II. We didnt get to visit but

you can see the castle behind us in the photos.

Driving further along, we eventually arrived

at the walled city of Canterbury, the ecclesiastical

capital of England. Half of our group was hoarded

into a restaurant for a meal, and the other half,

ourselves included, followed Leslie to the well

known Canterbury Cathedral, the mother church

of Anglican Christianity, were we picked up our entrance tickets

and began sightseeing (after Marinas requisite WC stop). The

Cathedral has foundations dating from A.D. 597. The earliest

remaining part is they crypt built in 1100. The true story of the

building lays with the history of Henry II and his one-time friend,Thomas a Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, who was slain by

four knights of Henry II in the cathedral in 1170. Becket later

became a saint and this site is a destination for Pilgrimages. You

can ask Marina, she can tell you the historical story.

The tour book states, and I agree, that the exterior of the

cathedral is more impressive than the interior. You enter thought

the Christ Church gate (16th

century) and see the intricate 235

foot bell tower (built 1505) which, against todays bright blue sky

was very striking. The inside of the cathedrals was just eh. Imust be jaded by all the spectacular churches, cathedrals, etc.

that Ive seen over the years.

We were getting hungry and wandered through some

ancient streets where Malka had another smoothie (this time

mango, banana and peanut butter) and then we ate a lunch of

Greek and Caesar salads at Caf Cultura. Marinas back has been

achy since arriving in England (whos 50 years old???!!!) and

didnt want to walk much. But we still had 45 minutes before we


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had to board the bus and there was no way Malka and I were going to stay put. We leisurely made our

way through the streets and found an open-air market

were we bought, of all things, a huge Spanish flag.

Before boarding the bus back to London, Leslie

totally freaked Malka out (you can ask her if you want).

The trip back lasted an hour and a half, during which

time I slept most of the way. We got back to the hotel

and 5:45 and tonight, HOPEFULLY, will be the first

relaxing night. Its now 7:15 and were off to dinner (the

Giraffe again) and since Im all caught up with my

journal, I might even get to read tonight!

Saturday 8/21

I woke up to a grey day today but did manage to do so before the wake-up call came. We were

picked up late at the hotel but boarded the Evan Evans bus no problem at all, getting the same seats as

yesterday. Todays guide was Phil who was very informative, light in humor, young, dapper and a pipe

smoker. Malka was happy because she said he looks like Leonardo Dicaprio and WASNT Leslie! Thedrive to Blenheim (pronounced Blenm) Palace was about an hour and a half. Unfortunately, once there

we only had another hour and a half to see

as much as possible. I visited Blenheim 30

years ago and I still recall it to be

absolutely amazing. But I also knew that

with so little time allotted us we couldnt

take it all in. We opted to skip the interior

of the palace and focus our attention on

the gardens. Saving a bunch of money, we purchased

tickets for the gardens only. I had read about the

hedge maze that is the 2nd

largest in the world. We

had a lot of fun last year at the smaller Hampton

Court maze, and so we began our time at Blenheimamongst the bushes. We had to take a mini-train to

reach the maze that was quite a distance from the

palace and then it took us about 20-25 minutes to

make our way out of the evergreens, Malka

complaining it was making her stressed most of the

way through. It WAS loads of fun and a wee bit

stressful because we DID have very limited time and

had to make sure we caught the little train back and it


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only ran every half hour. We had no problem doing so and Malka thought it adorable how the mini

engine train took a little rail next to us and recoupled in front. She was also relieved that there was no

third rail! (It was like an amusement park ride for G-ds sake!)

We had a maximum of 30 minutes

left so we headed through the massive

gates and courtyards of the palace to the

gardens out back. There was so much to

see and so little time that we never got to

the rambling

paths around

the 1000 acre

property and

Malka was

freaking out

that wed miss

our bus.

Listening to

the other

tourists as they

boarded the bus, huffing and puffing from having to rush back, we heard

that they too lamented not having enough time.

Just a brief history of the Palace since I did take some exterior

photos: the building is in the Baroque style and is currently the

home of the 11th

Duke of Marlborough. It was built for the first Duke as a gift from Queen Anne. He was

a great military figure in Europe and defeated the forces of Louis XIV when fighting on the Danube near

a village named Blenheim. It is also the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.

All buckled up on the coach, our next stop was the town of Burford in the Cotswolds. The name

Cotswolds comes from the word cot = enclosure for sheep and wolds = rolling hills. This area of England

was known for its wool (not any more). These towns and villages are all built and maintained in a

traditional style with Cotswold stone (a light yellow color). Its not like in Great Neck where once there

were tasteful neighborhoods of Tudor and Victorian homes, and now its a hodge- podge mess with very

few of the older more aesthetic houses remaining. Here everything is beautifully maintained and

pleasing to the eye and MUST be built to fit.

Burford, established over 1000 years ago, basically consisted of one street lined with buildings

dating from 1300-1600s. The NEWEST addition was the primary school built in 1877. We had apleasant meal at the Golden Pheasant Hotel which concluded with the richest, darkest, smoothest

chocolate ice cream Ive ever had! Actually the girls ate it but I had a taste; hmmmmmm. Their lips

were black afterwards as if they had been eating brownie batter. After the meal we took a quick peruse

to St. John the Baptist Church which was started in 1174 and completed 300 years later.

Leaving Burford through narrow winding streets (major streets not old ones) a truck got too

close to us and clipped the large right side mirror and kept on driving. Our driver was PISSED as he

walked back up the road to collect the shattered mirror. Luckily the bus had a small right mirror as well.


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Keep in mind this is the equivalent of our left mirror (since they drive on the opposite side) so its rather

important!

Our next stop was a very lovely town

called Bourton on-the-Water. It had a very

shallow (maybe 4 deep) fast moving and

freezing river spanned by low bridges. Again,

the place was beautifully kept and real estate

is mint here. The streets were filled with

craft, antique, gift shops, and tea houses. It

has obviously become a tourist destination

but many locals were also enjoying a sit by

the water, a walk, a rest on a bench or even

wetting their feet and wading in the water.

We spent an hour here and then went to our last stop, Bibury (pronounced Bi-bry).

In 1380, as this was sheep country, little gabled cottages were built on the banks of the tiny ColnRiver for local weavers. In the 1600s these

structures were converted to residences. They

are on Arlington Row and are the most

photographed buildings in the Cotswolds.

They are protected by the National

Trust but actually are current-day

dwellings. Marina had seen pictures

of Bibury in books even before we

planned this vacation and had wanted

to see the village (street) for herself.


16/2916

Her wish came true. Unfortunately we only had 15 minutes there but that gave us ample time to see

the famous street but no time to visit St. Marys Parish Church which actually contains a Viking tomb! I

dont know why the tour guide teases and entices us with great things to see but doesnt allow us the

few minutes to see them!

Today was a calm but rewarding experience as we were taken 86 miles outside of London. We

enjoyed weather comfortable enough for short sleeves, an occasional glimpse of sun, and the

opportunity to get to know the countryside and history that one cant get from staying in London or a

big city all the time. We completed the day with a yummy dinner at Giraffe again. We tried something

else new every day a new menu item and they are all so good!

Sunday 8/22

I slept a little later than the other days but was up by 7:00 observing rain through the window.

Luckily that has since passed. I had to have the hotel engineer come unlock our safe because we were

checking out today and Malka, in trying to help open the safe (remember- hidden chocolate- I didnt

know the code) messed up the code and I needed to retrieve our passports, extra money, train tickets

and more importantly the sweets that were locked up before leaving London for Bath.

We secured our two larger suitcases with the concierge for the two nights well be out of London,

paid the 16.50 pound phone bill and trekked off to the tube to get to Paddington Station. The Circle Line

wasnt running today and we had to make multiple underground transfers to get to the Paddington

National Rail Station. We had left with plenty of time, 40 minutes, but because of the tube delays we

arrived at Paddington at 10:00:39 for a train scheduled to depart at 10:00. SHIT!!!! Fortune was on our

side (can you see me wiping the sweat from my brow now?) and there was a delay on our outbound

train. We boarded from platform #9, found our RESERVED seats (Coach C 57, 58, 59) and pulled out at

10:15. The trip was uneventful and we pulled into the Bath station at 11:45. The walk from there to the

center of town consisted of one straight road and 10 minutes, and the hotel lay fewer than 5 minutes

past there (once we got our bearings)

Our room wasnt ready yet so we left the one small suitcase we carried at the reception desk and

went back to the city center to walk about, find something to eat and take photos (of Lions). This

summer there are 100 painted lion statues throughout Bath (in 2008 it was pigs). Every time we see one

we stop for the photo op. It keeps us moving.

Bath is simply BEAUTIFUL (I

spent a great deal of time here in

the summer of 78) and the day

began warm and sunny. The city

was packed with tourists and thestreets lined with shop after shop

(not touristy), caf after caf, all

in wonderfully maintained

buildings. There are over 5000

listed buildings of golden stone

forming crescents, squares and

terraces. It is a rather hilly city

but easy to walk around.


17/2917

Bath was known to the Romans as Aquae Sulis because they found hot mineral springs. They

believed the water to be spiritual as well as therapeutic and built a complex of baths and temples which

flourished between the 1st

and 5th

centuries. Much later, in 1702, Queen Anne made the 115 mile trek

from London to the curative waters which began a fad that was to make Bath the most celebrated spa in

England. The 18th

century architects John Wood Sr. & Jr. designed a city of stone from nearby hills,

creating the most harmoniously laid

out city in England which lays on the

bend of the River Avon. Our expensivehotel room has a beautiful view

overlooking the water.

We ambled through the streets

looking for an eating establishment

that would suit the three of us.

Marina, although shes been eating

very well and trying new foods, is still

picky and traditional English fare, aside

from fried fish, doesnt appeal to her.

We found Binks, a HUGE place with a

massive menu and enjoyed a filling

lunch (fish n chips for Marina) that concluded with a complimentary Ben & Jerrys ice cream for Malka.

We saw two street performers (one who kept freaking me out forcing me to turn away even though he

was more of a clown than a daredevil) and contemplated going to see the Roman Baths until I realized

that the Baths were open until 10:00 p.m. when theyd be lit by torch-light and the tour-bus-loads of

foreigners would be gone. One of the guides at the Baths assured me it would be best to come back at

night.

We walked back to the hotel following the River, passing through a small mall/shopping center

next door, and found that, at 2:20, our room was indeed ready. I had tried to make Bath reservations on

line back home but had been totally unsuccessful as I couldnt find a single room which could

accommodate three people. I actually had to phone various hotels and book directly. We are staying at

the Hilton Bath City, a fairly large establishment. We have the family deluxe suite (listed for 236

pounds a night YIKES but I hope we are paying the AAA rate of $161). There is a large sitting room

with sleep sofa, a big flat screen TV on the wall (for some reason Marina is the only one of us who can

figure out how to turn on the TVs) and a very ample bedroom with 2 beds, desk, big club chair

overlooking the river view and another TV. While only Marina could figure out the TV, none of us could

figure out the toilet (same flush handle as normal) and we had to call house-keeping Some foreign girl

came up (all hotel workers seem foreign) pushed the handle andwe felt stupid! We rested in the room

for about an hour and then began our tourist business in earnest.

We began with the Fashion Museum and Assembly Rooms housed in an 18th

century building.

The Assembly rooms played host to dances, recitals, tea parties and card games back in the day. There

were 3 large rooms; the Octagon Room, the Ballroom, and the Tea Room. A card rooms was added in

1777. There was an interactive computer with the rooms history and drawings and photos from the

past. Downstairs was the Fashion Museum which contains one of the best collections of costumes in

Europe. A GREAT audio tour took us through major fashions beginning in the 1600s. There was a room

where we could try on boned corsets and crinolines and another room for primary school kids to try on


18/2918

old childrens clothes (could you tell Marina is NOT a primary school-aged child?) We had fun lacing and

buckling ourselves in very heavy and uncomfortable undergarments. In the museum there was also a

separate exhibit; The

Diana Dresses, that

included ten dresses

that belonged to the

Princess Diana (Lady Di),

each housed in a show-case, many with older,

historical costumes that

brought the dresses to

life. The narrative was

excellent. At the conclusion there was a

montage of videos showing Diana

wearing these pieces. There were also note cards with a silhouette of a woman and guests (us) were

encouraged to look back at the showcases and draw onto the figure our favorite dress with markers

provided. We each picked a different one; Malka, a light, airy green polka dotted long strapless dress

that Diana wore when she was 18, Marina; a lovely blue off the shoulder one that was worn to the

ballet. I liked that one best too but I chose to draw a cute short black number that Diana wore in her

final years when she was no longer princess and didnt need to dress along the lines of royal protocol.

Considering Marina had wanted to skip this part of the museum, we spent a LONG time there and really

appreciated it. Our drawings are now on a bulletin board in the exhibit. We left the museum around

5:20 the man had to unlock the door for us as the museum was already closed.

Down the street and around the corner and up a little hill we reached The Circus, the

masterpiece of John Wood the Elder which shows how a row of town houses could look palatial placed


19/2919

in a circle. In the center rise up humongous Sycamore trees that dwarf all around. It is in The Circus that

I spent so many days and nights at

the Bernards B&B back in the

summer of 78.

We continued up the road

until we reached the Royal

Crescent, an elegant half-moon row

of town houses in front of which is

situated a lovely expanse of grass

where we sat for a while. It was

beginning to get grey and overcast,

Marina was beginning to get

hungry, and so we began the walk

downhill towards the city center.

We found ourselves in the Queens

Square (with a gated park) that contained 4 lions inside , three outside, which necessitated two walks

around to photograph all, and in the center was an obelisk built in 1767.

Following a road down, we came to Abbey Square where the Royal Baths and the Abbey are.

Around the corner is a Burger King so we popped in for burgers for the girls to satisfy their hunger until

we have a proper dinner. The town was now quieting down and when we entered the Roman Baths, it

was a totally different experience than earlier in the day. We picked up our audio guides and began

making our way through these ancient ruins. I visited this attraction 32 years ago, and since that time,

the baths were further excavated and the exhibit of archeological finds has been made much more

modern, accessible and interactive. Still, one of the most impressive sites is one that I photographed

back in 78, and again now, of the scalding water (96 degrees) pouring from an overflow drain of rock,

red-stained from minerals, with steam rising up. We must have spent at least an hour and a half

wandering, listening to some of the audio (it

would take hours to hear it all), marveling at

this ancient engineering feat and admiring it all

as night and drizzle fell, illuminated by torches.

When we left the

When we left the baths the city was all but

desolate; the tour busses had long since departed, the

locals tucked in at home. The stone streets glistened

with raindrops and we still needed to find a place to

dine (although, truthfully, I wasnt at all hungry).

During the day the city was teeming with every kind of

bar, caf, tea shop, restaurant and baguette eatery.

Now, around 8:30, most were closed. We stumbled


20/2920

upon a nice Turkish restaurant where Marina enjoyed lamb chops & rice (ate 3 of the 4 and all the rice),

Malka savored a chicken kebab & rice and I had a delicious vegetable stew. The cute elderly waiter gave

us complimentary fruit for dessert, offered us an umbrella to walk home with (it was raining heavier but

we just had a short way to go) and seemed almost embarrassed that we left a small tip. We rushed

home in the rain, the only people out and about, and so ended our first full day in Bath.

Monday 8/23

It poured last night. We slept right through it as I actually had the room curtains drawn shut

since we were in absolutely no rush to get up today. I slept until a little before 8, turned on the news

and thats when I heard that parts of Bath actually experienced flooding! The sun was shining when I

pulled the drapes but all day it played hide and seek with us and it was very windy at times as well.

Marina took a shower and no sooner had she gotten out then the hotel fire alarm let out a PIERCING

sound. It turned out, luckily, to be a false alarm but it took a while for our ears to recover.

Todays game-plan was to be out of the room by 10:00. As soon as we had walked out the hotel

doors a young homeless man with dreads and a dog politely asked for money. Malka has a thing for

hobos and since there are many around and I had but one coin, I gave him 50p. We didnt have an

itinerary to follow today but headed towards the center, the square between the Abbey and the Baths,to have breakfast. At Pret-A-Manger we picked up coffee, hot chocolate (extra milk added cause last

year Malka burned her mouth on this franchises cocoa), a cheese and tomato croissant for Marina and

a regular one for Malka (who already had pop tarts in our room). We sat on a bench, enjoying our food

and the atmosphere. Once this was done, we entered a few shops looking for nothing in particular, and

buying nothing either, and then we went to the Pultney Bridge which, like the Ponte Vecchio of

Florence, has shops on top. From the water one side of the bridge is really attractive and made of stone,

while the backside looks like wood sheds were crazy-glued on the faade. I imagine that since the city

was built in the 1700s the bridge was as well, but the stuck-on sheds date from Victorian times

(according to our boat tour guide more on the boat ride later.)

We went down some stone steps in the bridge to

a river-walk along the far side of the Avon across from

the town center and we took a stroll through

intermittent sprinkles. Up to another bridge we went

and then bought tickets for the verdant and brightly

flowered parade garden on this side of the river. I must


21/2921

say, the flowers that adorn the city are so full, luscious and colorful whether they are in hanging baskets

from light posts, flower boxes or parks. I guess being in a good, damp and partially cloudy climate is

better for the impatiens than the scorching dry N.Y. summer weve had this year. Anyway, we walked

around and sat in the garden. We came across a little cemetery which the kids first thought was a

childrens burial site but on closer examination of the tomb stones with names like Tim, Lou-Lou, Bozy

and adjectives like small dark, furry and references to our boy and our little pal we realized it was a

pet cemetery. We stayed in the park for about 45 minutes and then

went to the glassblowing store across the street because we wantedto see the 12:15 demo. Only problem was, the demo was NOT at the

store but rather quite a bit up the road past our hotel. So that was

postponed until later in the day.

We then

went to the Bath

Sweet Shop where

candy is sold by the

piece, bought some

cavity-inducing treats and sat in a square

watching/listening to a street performer sing. It was

now approaching 1:00 and we THOUGHT there would

be a 1:30 organ recital next door at the Abbey so we

entered thinking to have a look around first. I gave an

optional donation and both little girls were handed a

kids

quiz

and shiny Bath Abbey pencils to help them enjoy the

Abbey experience. Bath Abbey, founded in 1499, is built

on the site of a much larger Norman cathedral. Thesoaring vaulted ceiling has a beautiful fan design. The

girls made their way around the building filling in all the

quizs answers, some with the assistance of sweet elderly

volunteer stewards. During our visit there was a Bible

reading and a fair amount of people actually sat to listen.

Quiz completed, a man took it from the girls,

congratulated them on answering all questions correctly,

and presented them with their prizes.. colored rulers

saying God loves me and a picture of the Abbey.

It was now a little past 1:30 and I didnt hear the

organ playing so I inquired of the same nice man and he

informed me that there was no recital today. Oh well..

well try for tomorrow. During our time indoors, the

skies opened up outside so we exited to much cooler

temperatures and wet streets. We decided to stop at

the hotel before attending the 2:15 glassblowing

demonstration but passing a supermarket first, we went

in for some snacks, fresh mozzarella and a roll for


22/2922

Marina. We went to our room, prepared some food and for some reason I kept thinking the demo was

at 2:30. Marina asked what time the TV said and I told her 2:21 and she screamed that we were already

late! We went up the road at a quick clip arriving 10 minutes late for the beginning of the

demonstration but getting 50% shaved off the entrance price. I paid an additional fee for Marina

because she wanted to try blowing

glass which she did. (Doesnt she

look great in the photo!?) They let

the guest blowers blow as much aspossible so that when her bubble

actually burst, the glass was as thin,

flexible and harmless as cellophane.

Marina received a certificate and

token blue glass glob for having the

experience.

Now it was a little past 3:00

and the weather looked fine so we

decided to go back to the riverbank

for the cruise. The boat left the weir at 3:20 and the wind quickly whipped up. We went at a slow

pace up the River Avon which is NOT the same Avon as in Stratford-Upon. It turns out that the word

Avon means running water and there are SEVEN Avons in England! The water certainly was running

today thanks to last nights storm. We went about 2 miles upriver before turning around at another

weir that was built in the 1300s. From the wind and rain of yesterday many (some large) branches of

the willows and chestnut trees

lining the banks were flowing

in the current and in one

instance our boat had to

gently push a huge limb to theside. The water looked muddy

and unattractive (again, from

the downpour) but we did

learn that in a British system

of rating water on a scale of A-

G with A the top grade, this

Avon rated a B making it

both swimmable and

drinkable. Id pass! By the

way, NO river in England hasan A mark. By the cruises

end we were substantially chilled and Marina wanted to eat. We came up to street level, crossed the

bridge, walked into the mall and situated ourselves in a restaurant called California Kitchen. Both girls

enjoyed a kids meal complete with ice cream, drink AND a lollipop and I decided to try a stuffed jacket

potato that appears on most every menu. Filled from my chicken,-cheese and onion- stuffed spud, and

wiping chocolate ice cream from their mouths, the girls and I walked up the block to our room to catch

up on our journals and clean out my tote bag. The girls have long-since finished writing and I guess this

is it for me for now as well.


23/2923

Okay, its 9:00 now and we just got in from a 50 minute circle around town. I have a pamphlet

listing 100+ shops and looking through it for what MIGHT be interesting I marked a map and off we

went. Of course I knew the stores would be closed at this hour, but it gave us an idea of where things

were and if they looked worth revisiting in the morning. It was brisk outside, few people were out, but

the Abbey bells were ringing from 8:00 until we returned. We stopped by an ice cream shop for a scoop

of rich chocolate ice cream for the girls (second serving today) and now we are back in the room. Im

enjoying a cup of coffee, watching TV with Malka as Marina talks with Lloyd. Tomorrow we pack up and

check out, but we have our morning planned here before returning to London. Hope it goes well.

Tuesday 8/24

I didnt sleep so well last night as there was a knock on the door (no one there) at 3:20. In the

morning the bill was on the floor but would they have knocked in the middle of the night??? Aside from

that, and the fickle and uncooperative weather, everything went EXACTLY as planned today. It was

brilliantly sunny first thing and really raining the next. We actually took the umbrellas out of the

suitcase and used them for the first time.

We packed up and checked out of the hotel around 9:15, leaving the suitcase there for the day.

We began our walk a few blocks to the center and the sky opened up. We ducked into Guildhall Market,which we had passed, unbeknownst to us, numerous times EVERY day and which actually contained

some places we had checked off to go shopping; one being Funtastik, a gag/costume stall. Dont ask

why, but Malka has wanted a fake mustache for some time. I checked this place out on line from NY and

saw that they had mustaches and so we made the purchase. (aside: its now October 1st

and as Im

typing this journal, the mustache is STILL sitting on my kitchen counter never even having made it to

Malkas room!). Where shell wear it???? The shop also had a full box of fake turds (so as not to use a

worse word) that looked SO disgustingly real. Marina and Malka wanted to get one for Marcus but I

vetoed that idea. Sorry Marcus in case that was on the top of your must have/wish list. From there

we went to the Abbey to catch the 10:00 tower tour. The sun was out and the sky a beautiful blue. The

first leg of the vertical journey consisted of 120 steps up a very tight and windy tower. I couldnt evenget half my foot on the stair and I wondered what I had gotten us into as the climb was exhausting. At

the 120 step level we stopped and walked outside along the roof, towards the clock tower, taking in a

beautiful vista in the bright

sun. We then ducked low

into a tiny door and entered

the bell ringing room. We

saw the Victorian mechanism

that still rings the bells to this

day although it is now

automated and not

dependent on weights that

had to be pulled weekly like a

grandfather clock. We also

saw the eight ropes that ring

the bells manually on

Sundays and for the long

practice Monday nights. That

answered my question as to


24/2924

why the bells pealed so long last night when we walked around. There was also another machine like a

giant pegged music box which used to play hymns and tunes with the bells, but that is now replaced

with an electromagnetic box. We (tourists) were then split into two groups and the girls and I followed

a nice young college student guide through another mini-door into an area above the fanned ceiling of

the abbey. We saw where the ceiling vaulted and where the columns supported it and we could look

down through a peep hole to the floor hundreds of feet below. (see the photo looking UP at the hole).

We were then escorted through ANOTHER

small door (even Marina had to duck) and

along a gang-plank-like walkway to the back of

the clock. There we learned that whereas

now it is illuminated nightly by fluorescent

lights, back in the day it was someones job to

sit in this cramped room, 120 stairs, up for

twelve hour shifts manning lanterns. What a

boring and claustrophobic job that

would be! The church clock was

extremely important to the

people of Bath because only the

rich could afford to have clocks in

their homes. Those of more

modest means paid their taxes

and depended on this councilclock to tell them the time. (Oh

the things one learns on a tour!)

With this part of the visit

complete, we had to climb

another, even tighter, staircase to

the actual bell tower. Luckily it

wasnt as many stairs up. There

are currently 8 bells. Originally

there were 6 but they weremelted down and two more were

added from the metal. The

frames are all the original wood

ones even though modern

hammers have been added for

when the bells are rung mechanically. Marina even got to pull a little rope to activate a hammer. While

we were being given the history and such, we could hear the wind absolutely HOWLING and feel the

spray of rain coming in through the towers vents. Unfortunately, this corresponded to the time when

we had to make our final ascent of a few stairs to the roof top of the tower. It was really windy and wet


25/2925

and we didnt last too long there. I did get some soggy photos

through the moisture-filled air and then we descended the 212

stairs. My legs were trembling by the bottom, but I was rewarded

with a bookmark saying I climbed up the 212 steps of BATH ABBEY

tower and down again. It should have said I climbed up and down

and didnt have a heart attack!

By the time we exited the Abbey, wouldnt you know, the rain had ceased and the sky was blue

again! WHAT???? British weather humbug! We made a quick stop at the restrooms across the square

at the Baths to clean our hands which helped us along the stone staircase of the tower (Marina even

said she crawled partially up!) One great thing

about England, especially Bath, is the number of

plentiful free public toilets! Hands clean, we

went back to Guildhall market to eat at a diner-

like snack place called Time Out. How English can

the girls get? Marina had an American hot dog

and Malka had a bagel with cream cheese. I, on

the other hand, had a scone with clotted cream.

Weve been hearing about clotted cream since

our Cotswolds trip and it really is as good as its

reputation; rich, rich, rich!

After lunch we did a little shopping,

bought a cute sweater for Marina, who was chilled, at a store where so much only cost 10 pound. Malka

got all pissy because Marina always gets stuff and she doesnt and yaddah-yaddah- yaddah the bitch fest

began between the two of them and lasted a good part of the day! We walked back to the Abbey

AGAIN for a 1:10 organ recital which was projected (the organist) on screens all throughout the building.

I have no understanding of the three keyboards, foot keyboard and all the buttons that can be pushed

and pulled on the instrument but it was impressive even if I didnt care much for the musical selections

(see program most pieces were too contemporary for my taste)


26/2926

It was now nearing 2:00 so we headed up town, up the hill to the Royal Crescent which we

visited two days ago during an overcast evening. It was much more photogenic this time. We paid

eleven pound entrance fee to No.1 Royal Crescent. The pounds are flying out of my wallet (would be

nice if the other pounds flew off my body as fast) and I actually made my second bank withdrawal today

having exhausted nearly 500 pound already! Okay, back to Number 1. There are thirty houses on the

Crescent only 6 of which remain complete; they which must be huge. The others have been divided

into flats. No.1, the smallest

of them all, has beenredecorated and furnished by

the Bath Preservation Trust to

look as it might have towards

the end of the 19th

century

aristocratic Georgian times.

There were 5 rooms to view,

each with an informational

sheet to read and with an

eager volunteer to answer

questions. I learned that high

season in Bath was from September to

May when fashionable people of great

wealth came to partake of the spa

waters, socialize, gamble and party the

night away down the block at the

Assembly Rooms which we visited the

other day. The Crescent was owned by

5 entrepreneurs who rented out the

buildings fully furnished to other rich

people and made a small fortune doing

so.

From there we high-tailed back down towards the hotel where we fetched our bag. It was now

a little past 3:00 and our train to London was at 4:13. I knew we didnt need so much time to get to the

station, especially now that we knew our way and the city, but we actually got there really early. As luck

would have it there was a 3:43 train so we didnt have to rush nor wait. The train ride was simple

enough, depositing us back at Paddington Station before 5:15. A quick tube ride (without switching

trains) and we were back to the familiar surrounds of the Victoria Plaza. We checked into the hotel in a

handicapped room complete with stall shower with a seat, and then crossed the street to the familiar

Giraffe for an early dinner. Sadly, itll be the last meal there. We went back to the hotel to collect the

two suitcases we had left with the concierge; I purchased Buckingham Palace tickets for the morning

(another 36.50 pound gone) and up to the room we went to settle in for the night.


27/2927

Wednesday 8/25

We slept well and happily awoke to partially sunny skies (rain is forecast for later today). We

showered and promptly left the room around 9:00. We took the short walk to Buckingham Palace.

There we traded our paid for vouchers for entrance tickets, waited a few minutes and were admitted

at 9:45. We had to pass thorough security equal to that at the airport, then pick up our audio guide and

from there thoroughly appreciated the hour and twenty minutes we spent amongst opulence and

phenomenal examples of architecture. Unfortunately, NO PHOTOS WERE ALLOWED inside. This was

unfortunate because to describe what we saw in words is impossible and also unfortunate because I had

to carry a heavy camera and two umbrellas the entire time! The tour was very thorough covering

history, art, dcor and costumes and it wasnt overly crowded. We opted not to buy the official souvenir

booklet so for anyone interested best to Google!

We exited through the Palace Gardens out

back (the only photo I have of the outing) and walked

about mile to the street and probably another

mile back to the hotel. Malka finally bought (if she

pays me back) the scarf shes been pestering me for.

(Now that Im typing this and shes sitting next to me I

just read this to her she obviously has NOT paid me-

but she says; its alright, its a present! cheeky girl!)

We intended to make a real quick

stop at the hotel to collect what we needed

for the afternoon in Three Bridges, Lloyds

town. Our room was being cleaned so we

had to wait about 10 minutes and the dark

cloud started circling over Marinas head

she was anxious to see Lloyd. Once out ofthe hotel we made our way around 3

eateries to pick up a snack/lunch: Croissant

for Malka at one, mozzarella sticks from

McDonalds for Marina, and a cheese, cucumber, tomato baguette for me at the third stop. All this, plus

looking for a pay phone to tell Lloyd when wed be arriving caused us to miss our 12:32 train. Uh-oh..

now that cloud over Marina BURST!! No big deal for me and Malka. So we wait another 20 minutes for

the next train. Marina didnt see it that way and stormed ahead of us at the station being in a right old

mood! We finally caught the 1:02 train and about 42 minutes later arrived at Three Bridges. Lloyd was

there waiting at the platform and said he had been for twenty minutes. It must have seemed an eternal


28/2928

wait (oh these love-struck teens) because Marie, his mom, who was waiting in the car, said it had only

been five minutes!

The weather was dreadful all afternoon. We drove straight to their house where we stayed until

we went to dinner around 5-something-oclock. Lloyds parents are absolutely lovely and fun with great

senses of humor. I had met Marie last year but met Lloyds dad, Lee, for the first time today and

immediately felt at home. Even Malka was far from shy! Lloyd and Marina spent most of the day

upstairs and with time three of his friends came over. The Paines have 2 dogs, Ruby and Holly who has

OCD with the ball and didnt cease to bother us all afternoon. Malka had fun with her and was a good

sport. They had wanted to take us down to Brighton (the beach) but obviously the weather was

uncooperative. They offered to take us to the mall and Malka had wanted to go shopping, but we were

enjoying the conversation and decided to stay put at home. After a while, Lloyds sister Laura, her

husband Mike and baby Ava arrived. When meal time approached, we went to a lovely pub for a nice

family meal. The atmosphere, company, talk and food were more than pleasant. We really enjoyed

ourselves.

Back home for dessert of a lovely chocolate cake and more entertainment by Ava who was

getting punch-drunk-over-tired the conversation never lulled. Lees mom (Nan) came over for a visit

and we felt like one big family. Eventually I went upstairs to phone Pepe; Happy 25th

anniversary to us!

I also attempted to print out our boarding passes but my many attempts failed and I was getting

frustrated with the computer and didnt even try to read my e-mails. Honestly, being away from the

technology for 10 days has been NICE! Lee had to leave for work a bit before 9:00 and I think we were

all getting somewhat tired. The lovebirds were also getting melancholy and mushy.

Marie took us back to the train station where we caught the 9:33 train back to London (almost

there now as I write this) and so our day, and our holiday are coming to an end.


29/29

Thursday 8/26

It is 9:10 a.m. We are basically packed but have a long time to go before checking out, making

our way to Heathrow Airport and then waiting for our flight. Its going to be a drag of a daysigh.

Were excepting Lloyd sometime real soon. Hes planning on spending extra money on a rush

hour train ticket to be able to have more time with Marina. Can we say; awwwwwwww? Oh, its now

9:15 and hes here!!!! I guess Ill pack this journal away now as I dont expect anything worthy of writing

to happen between now and our planes departure and I hope well get off without a hitch.

Its been a really nice holiday despite some hormonal outbursts from the girls. It is incredible

how much we have managed to pack into 9 days (10 if wed count today but since we are not doing

anything). And even though we did two full day trips, three days in Bath and saw new sights in London

there is still so much more of the country to discover.

We ARE expecting Lloyd to make a U.S. appearance sometime this coming year and we will need

to visit Spain soon, so I dont know when well be seeing England again. Who knows maybe Ill surprise

myself (and the girls) and book another last minute impulse vacation? But in the meantime I have over

300 photos and many memories to look back on. Happy travels!!!

Somewhere over the rainbow: A view from our window minus the flying couple, but, the rainbow was real (or part of it at least)

England Journal 2010

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