Trip report, May 30
May. 30th, 2006 06:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elizillaI can't get to my email so I'm updating my LJ to let you all know I am OK. (6/20/06 - Note that I wrote this particular entry that day, but I am editing things, putting in details and pictures for the original entries, and new backdated entries for the days I was offline.)
I've made it to England. My flight left Detroit at 6:10pm on Monday, and landed in London a little before 7am on Tuesday. One of the neat things about the flight was that as the sun set, it was pretty clear, and I could see all of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton from my window, it was like looking at a map. At Heathrow, they had us disembark the plane and walk down a ladder to the tarmac, and then get on a shuttle bus. I have never done that before, only seen it on TV when movie stars and politicians do it, so it seemed glamorous. The shuttle took us to a building where we had to go up, around, down, and out another door where we got on another shuttle bus. There were many escalators and moving sidewalks, none of which were working. It was dim and gloomy and reminded me of a loading dock or a service entrance. The second shuttle bus went through a maze of little driveways and roads, and fetched up at another terminal, with more ups and downs and rounds and rounds. Had to wait in a half dozen lines just to get through this building, all the customs and border stuff. Then at the gate, they put us on another shuttle bus and drove us out to the plane, and another open air stair to get into the plane to Manchester.
There's a five hour time difference, and by the time I landed in Manchester it was around 10am local time. My luggage came right out and was easy to find. My host, S, and three of his children were waiting for me. Arthur (age 8), Elizabeth (age 6), and Frank (age 4) are the children's names. There's also a ten year old, Edward. They are lively and noisy but cheerful and good natured. As I write this they keep bursting in; they all want to hang out with me, but they don't want to share me, so the minute one of them comes in, another will follow, and they start competing for attention, getting ever louder. I keep shooing them out (with full support from their dad) and they take this as gracefully as small children can. I'm sure they'll burst in again soon, after all it's been five or ten minutes and when you're that age, it's an eternity!
After we left the airport, we went to lunch at very old building that houses a small museum and sells antiques. The oldest part was built in the 1300s, and there's a room where a priest was executed. It would be interesting to get the rest of that tale but I failed to do so. The place is called Samlesbury Hall.
We also visited a Hein Gericke dealer.
Once we got to the house, I unpacked my suitcases into the hard cases, and everything fits just fine with room to spare. We hooked up the power supply for my tank bag. I handed out presents: plastic motorcycles for the children and t-shirts for the adults. The motorcycles seem to be a hit and the t-shirts look like they will fit.
We all went out for Indian food. The restaurant was within walking distance of his house, and had terrific food.
I've made it to England. My flight left Detroit at 6:10pm on Monday, and landed in London a little before 7am on Tuesday. One of the neat things about the flight was that as the sun set, it was pretty clear, and I could see all of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton from my window, it was like looking at a map. At Heathrow, they had us disembark the plane and walk down a ladder to the tarmac, and then get on a shuttle bus. I have never done that before, only seen it on TV when movie stars and politicians do it, so it seemed glamorous. The shuttle took us to a building where we had to go up, around, down, and out another door where we got on another shuttle bus. There were many escalators and moving sidewalks, none of which were working. It was dim and gloomy and reminded me of a loading dock or a service entrance. The second shuttle bus went through a maze of little driveways and roads, and fetched up at another terminal, with more ups and downs and rounds and rounds. Had to wait in a half dozen lines just to get through this building, all the customs and border stuff. Then at the gate, they put us on another shuttle bus and drove us out to the plane, and another open air stair to get into the plane to Manchester.
There's a five hour time difference, and by the time I landed in Manchester it was around 10am local time. My luggage came right out and was easy to find. My host, S, and three of his children were waiting for me. Arthur (age 8), Elizabeth (age 6), and Frank (age 4) are the children's names. There's also a ten year old, Edward. They are lively and noisy but cheerful and good natured. As I write this they keep bursting in; they all want to hang out with me, but they don't want to share me, so the minute one of them comes in, another will follow, and they start competing for attention, getting ever louder. I keep shooing them out (with full support from their dad) and they take this as gracefully as small children can. I'm sure they'll burst in again soon, after all it's been five or ten minutes and when you're that age, it's an eternity!
After we left the airport, we went to lunch at very old building that houses a small museum and sells antiques. The oldest part was built in the 1300s, and there's a room where a priest was executed. It would be interesting to get the rest of that tale but I failed to do so. The place is called Samlesbury Hall.
We also visited a Hein Gericke dealer.
Once we got to the house, I unpacked my suitcases into the hard cases, and everything fits just fine with room to spare. We hooked up the power supply for my tank bag. I handed out presents: plastic motorcycles for the children and t-shirts for the adults. The motorcycles seem to be a hit and the t-shirts look like they will fit.
We all went out for Indian food. The restaurant was within walking distance of his house, and had terrific food.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Take lots of pictures!
Date: 2006-05-30 06:10 pm (UTC)Re: You continue to be my hero
Date: 2006-05-30 10:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-30 10:11 pm (UTC)Er... power supply for your tank bag?
no subject
Date: 2006-05-31 11:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-31 08:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-01 05:53 pm (UTC)What the heck is all that stuff?
no subject
Date: 2006-06-01 09:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-01 09:46 pm (UTC)Have fun and be safe!
no subject
Date: 2006-06-27 02:42 am (UTC)You're lucky. You had a bike to ride. I was stuck catching a bus to Bournemouth. :-(