UK Trip Report So Far....
May 9th, 2013, 02:40 AM
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UK Trip Report So Far....
UK trip report so far... This is the stream of consciousness part--informative part will come later. 
We flew British air from Boston to Heathrow, Tuesday, May7th. We have never changed planes at Heathrow before. I was amazed at how unclear it was and luckily we just followed others who seem to know the procedure. I was thinking that if it was this difficult for us who spoke English it must've been so much worse for anyone who was not a native English speaker. I am sure that our state of not having slept and it being the equivalent of about 2 o'clock in the morning did not help the situation. Those of you who have changed in Heathrow before know that you sit in a huge bullpen kind of waiting area and have to keep checking the board to see what gate your plane will be at. For those of us accustomed to just walking up and proceeding to our gate this was definitely less organized (and again see note of the 2 AM state of mind!)
The 53 minute flight from Heathrow to Edinburgh went very smoothly. I was gob smacked by the fact that they served a full Scottish breakfast to all passengers in that brief time. The flight attendant was so lovely that when I declined the breakfast she tried to cajole me with lesser variations of it. Can you imagine an American flight attendant, pressed for time the way these people would have been, trying to figure out ways to serve people better? Even in my 2 AM state of mind--which was by now more like 4 AM state of mind--I was so appreciative of such unexpected solicitude on the part of an airline employee!
We arrived at our accommodation in Edinburgh, and found that we had to carry our suitcases up three long flights of stairs. Luckily, despite our advanced years and debilitation from no sleep, we are still healthy and capable of such exertion. Also our rule of CARRY-ON ONLY made all the difference in this little unexpected snafu. I should point out it's probably my fault and not the fault of the accommodation. I knew the place was on the third and fourth floors, I just did not pay attention to the fact that there was no elevator.
(I will put all the hotel and restaurant info at the end of this report under separate headings.)
Edinburgh is beautiful and we had good weather for walking around later in the afternoon after having gotten a few hours of desperately needed sleep. The fact that it is staying light right now until almost 10 PM was a definite bonus!!
One funny anecdote is that we were sitting in a pub at a round table, and next to us at the adjacent roundtable were some attractive young Scottish people out for drinks after work. Their conversation with animated and lively. At one point one of them said, quotation marks you could be sick, dying of cancer(!), and my Mum would just tell you to 'Walk it off!' !' "his remark so caught me off guard that I started laughing! He realized I was laughing at what he was saying and looked over at me with a winsome smile--saying esrnestly, "She's lovely! Really, she is! You would love her!" these are the kinds of travel experiences that I just so enjoy!
We flew British air from Boston to Heathrow, Tuesday, May7th. We have never changed planes at Heathrow before. I was amazed at how unclear it was and luckily we just followed others who seem to know the procedure. I was thinking that if it was this difficult for us who spoke English it must've been so much worse for anyone who was not a native English speaker. I am sure that our state of not having slept and it being the equivalent of about 2 o'clock in the morning did not help the situation. Those of you who have changed in Heathrow before know that you sit in a huge bullpen kind of waiting area and have to keep checking the board to see what gate your plane will be at. For those of us accustomed to just walking up and proceeding to our gate this was definitely less organized (and again see note of the 2 AM state of mind!)
The 53 minute flight from Heathrow to Edinburgh went very smoothly. I was gob smacked by the fact that they served a full Scottish breakfast to all passengers in that brief time. The flight attendant was so lovely that when I declined the breakfast she tried to cajole me with lesser variations of it. Can you imagine an American flight attendant, pressed for time the way these people would have been, trying to figure out ways to serve people better? Even in my 2 AM state of mind--which was by now more like 4 AM state of mind--I was so appreciative of such unexpected solicitude on the part of an airline employee!
We arrived at our accommodation in Edinburgh, and found that we had to carry our suitcases up three long flights of stairs. Luckily, despite our advanced years and debilitation from no sleep, we are still healthy and capable of such exertion. Also our rule of CARRY-ON ONLY made all the difference in this little unexpected snafu. I should point out it's probably my fault and not the fault of the accommodation. I knew the place was on the third and fourth floors, I just did not pay attention to the fact that there was no elevator.
(I will put all the hotel and restaurant info at the end of this report under separate headings.)
Edinburgh is beautiful and we had good weather for walking around later in the afternoon after having gotten a few hours of desperately needed sleep. The fact that it is staying light right now until almost 10 PM was a definite bonus!!
One funny anecdote is that we were sitting in a pub at a round table, and next to us at the adjacent roundtable were some attractive young Scottish people out for drinks after work. Their conversation with animated and lively. At one point one of them said, quotation marks you could be sick, dying of cancer(!), and my Mum would just tell you to 'Walk it off!' !' "his remark so caught me off guard that I started laughing! He realized I was laughing at what he was saying and looked over at me with a winsome smile--saying esrnestly, "She's lovely! Really, she is! You would love her!" these are the kinds of travel experiences that I just so enjoy!
May 9th, 2013, 03:04 AM
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Great start!
It's very common at airports in Europe that the gate isnt made known until they are ready to commence boarding - you almost always have to wait in a holding area (with lots of shops to tempt you to part with your money) and watch the screens to find out what gate has been assigned. Quite different than North America where your boarding pass has the gate printed on it, even the night before when you check in!
Looking forward to hearing more about your trip!
It's very common at airports in Europe that the gate isnt made known until they are ready to commence boarding - you almost always have to wait in a holding area (with lots of shops to tempt you to part with your money) and watch the screens to find out what gate has been assigned. Quite different than North America where your boarding pass has the gate printed on it, even the night before when you check in!
Looking forward to hearing more about your trip!
May 9th, 2013, 03:11 AM
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Thanks!
One note I just wanted to add before we go off for our trekking for the day.. the housekeeping crew came in to do a quick room clean. Three attractive young people two young men and young woman. In so many ways they reminded me of the young people we were sitting next to at the Scottish pub. I could not help but be struck by the inequity of these young Polish people having to do migrant labor in another country, as compared to the young people we saw in their suits and office where enjoying a drink after work.
One note I just wanted to add before we go off for our trekking for the day.. the housekeeping crew came in to do a quick room clean. Three attractive young people two young men and young woman. In so many ways they reminded me of the young people we were sitting next to at the Scottish pub. I could not help but be struck by the inequity of these young Polish people having to do migrant labor in another country, as compared to the young people we saw in their suits and office where enjoying a drink after work.
May 9th, 2013, 12:36 PM
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I like your report thus far.
Check back on those Polish kids in a few years, cleaning hotel rooms was how my son's Polish partner started out. She now has a university degree, manages a large fitness centre in London and speaks better English than many native-speakers.
Check back on those Polish kids in a few years, cleaning hotel rooms was how my son's Polish partner started out. She now has a university degree, manages a large fitness centre in London and speaks better English than many native-speakers.
May 9th, 2013, 01:26 PM
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Report, cont;
We are here b/c of a meeting DH has. After Brkfst, he went to the meeting for a while.
In the early afternoon we walked a bit and then boarded the hop-on, hop- off bus. This was a good way to take a break from all the walking and to get an overview of the whole city. Later we took a walk down to the Scotland St. neighborhood of the Alexander McCall Smith novels.
I never was a "I need to see all the sights" kind of person and I have finally rubbed off on DH. We now both like to absorb the "feel" of wherever we are, and thus, we spend much time strolling the streets. That said, the narrative of the very Scottish woman on the tour bus was both informative and entertaining! (I recommend it and will include the info in the details portion at the end of the Edinburgh section.)
A stop at a cute pub where we had one of the best soups ever--mushroom tarragon that was thickened w/cauliflower, featuring tiny chunks of mushroom that were positively meatish in texture, was the finale of that long walk.
Then a chunk of time at Waterstones, including a stroll thru an open-air market area topped off the daytime activities.
A superb dinner, w/details to follow later.
We are here b/c of a meeting DH has. After Brkfst, he went to the meeting for a while.
In the early afternoon we walked a bit and then boarded the hop-on, hop- off bus. This was a good way to take a break from all the walking and to get an overview of the whole city. Later we took a walk down to the Scotland St. neighborhood of the Alexander McCall Smith novels.
I never was a "I need to see all the sights" kind of person and I have finally rubbed off on DH. We now both like to absorb the "feel" of wherever we are, and thus, we spend much time strolling the streets. That said, the narrative of the very Scottish woman on the tour bus was both informative and entertaining! (I recommend it and will include the info in the details portion at the end of the Edinburgh section.)
A stop at a cute pub where we had one of the best soups ever--mushroom tarragon that was thickened w/cauliflower, featuring tiny chunks of mushroom that were positively meatish in texture, was the finale of that long walk.
Then a chunk of time at Waterstones, including a stroll thru an open-air market area topped off the daytime activities.
A superb dinner, w/details to follow later.
May 12th, 2013, 09:28 AM
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Trip report continued
Thanks to the urging of posters here, we decided to take a tour into the Scottish countryside. We chose the one day tour that went to Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle, and Loch Katrina, driving through very small towns on the way. At the Loch Lomand stop, there was some sort of race just beginning. In conjunction w/it was a bake sale. A young woman told me the proceeds were for charity and the goodies were homemade. There was shortbread that was commercial and I asked if she had any homemade. She thought for a bit and said, "oh yeah, my mum made some, I think it's in the car." She ran over to the car, searched around and called out, "I found it" I gave her a generous donation and we were rewarded w/wonderful homemade shortbread made by someone's Scottish mum!! DH took a pic of her and me together. It is so great to have lovely, unexpected connections with the local people! We then made our way to Aberfoyle where we stopped for lunch before proceeding to Loch Katrina.
After lunch, on the winding road thru the Queen Elizabethl Forest Park, DH's phone rang with a European number. Thinking it was a European contact from the meeting he had been at he did not answer the call, especially since we were in a small minivan with other passengers. As we arrived at Loch Katrina and were walking into the coffee shop, the driver called out to my husband by name. He said that his office had called telling him that my husband's wallet was back at the rstrnt in Aberfoyle!! We were scheduled to be at that stop for 45 minutes and the driver offered to go back and get it. What a kind soul! This was above and beyond. I was so relieved that tho did not inconvenience the other passengers! The driver managed to get back 5 min. ahead of our scheduled departure.
The next major stop was Stirling Castle is where Mary Queen of Scots spent her childhood and it boasts spectacular views of the surrounding countryside!
After returning to Edinburgh, we had a casual dinner at a lively spot that our tour driver had said that he and his wife like. We were probably the oldest people there, but it was a very comfortable spot.
Thanks to the urging of posters here, we decided to take a tour into the Scottish countryside. We chose the one day tour that went to Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle, and Loch Katrina, driving through very small towns on the way. At the Loch Lomand stop, there was some sort of race just beginning. In conjunction w/it was a bake sale. A young woman told me the proceeds were for charity and the goodies were homemade. There was shortbread that was commercial and I asked if she had any homemade. She thought for a bit and said, "oh yeah, my mum made some, I think it's in the car." She ran over to the car, searched around and called out, "I found it" I gave her a generous donation and we were rewarded w/wonderful homemade shortbread made by someone's Scottish mum!! DH took a pic of her and me together. It is so great to have lovely, unexpected connections with the local people! We then made our way to Aberfoyle where we stopped for lunch before proceeding to Loch Katrina.
After lunch, on the winding road thru the Queen Elizabethl Forest Park, DH's phone rang with a European number. Thinking it was a European contact from the meeting he had been at he did not answer the call, especially since we were in a small minivan with other passengers. As we arrived at Loch Katrina and were walking into the coffee shop, the driver called out to my husband by name. He said that his office had called telling him that my husband's wallet was back at the rstrnt in Aberfoyle!! We were scheduled to be at that stop for 45 minutes and the driver offered to go back and get it. What a kind soul! This was above and beyond. I was so relieved that tho did not inconvenience the other passengers! The driver managed to get back 5 min. ahead of our scheduled departure.
The next major stop was Stirling Castle is where Mary Queen of Scots spent her childhood and it boasts spectacular views of the surrounding countryside!
After returning to Edinburgh, we had a casual dinner at a lively spot that our tour driver had said that he and his wife like. We were probably the oldest people there, but it was a very comfortable spot.
May 12th, 2013, 09:32 AM
#10
" I could not help but be struck by the inequity of these young Polish people having to do migrant labor in another country, as compared to the young people we saw in their suits and office where enjoying a drink after work."
It is a very open society and as another said they need a step to get the next step etc, I recently ran a call centre with Czech workers with Masters within 6 months they were supervising.
It is a very open society and as another said they need a step to get the next step etc, I recently ran a call centre with Czech workers with Masters within 6 months they were supervising.
May 12th, 2013, 01:31 PM
#15
" I could not help but be struck by the inequity of these young Polish people having to do migrant labor in another country, as compared to the young people we saw in their suits and office where enjoying a drink after work."
What about the inequity of the migrant labor in the US? At least the Poles are probably legal.
I think that not posting the gate numbers ahead of tme is a security measure.
What about the inequity of the migrant labor in the US? At least the Poles are probably legal.
I think that not posting the gate numbers ahead of tme is a security measure.
May 12th, 2013, 01:52 PM
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Last day in Edinburgh:
We got a late start. Our first stop was the the national Museum of Scotland in the old town a few blocks from the Grass Market. DH loved all of the prehistory, Roman artifacts, and details of early Scottish life. We were there about an hour and a half and then strolled over to the Grass Market. So much of the older parts of Edinburgh, that is to say the Old Town is beyond lively with tourists and many shops catering to tourists. I enjoy walking there but I am glad that we ended up staying at a place in the New Town.
The rain had started up again and we ducked into a wonderfully warm pub in the Grass Market. Another great bowl of soup, this time straight mushroom. I think they are really serious about their soups here!
Upon leaving, the rain had stopped, and we strolled up the street that took us to Victoria Street. This has a very interesting raised arcade section of the street, that we remembered from that great PBS series Case Histories, which are based on stories by Kate Atkinson a Scottish writer. It was so great to happen upon something that you had been hoping to see!
Speaking of happening upon something by surprise--in the Scottish museum I heard some beautiful harp music in one of the displays. It is some kind of very old harp of which there are only three left in existence. Somehow a replica was made and the music from that replica was playing in that exhibit. I was so sure that they would be selling CDs in the gift shop. Not only did they not have any, but the very friendly gift shop employee told me I had been the first person to ever even inquire about them! However she also was as helpful as all of the wonderful Scottish people that we having encountered. She explained to me in great detail where I might find this particular music store that would sell such a CD--if they in fact existed! Her details were such that I knew I would never locate the place, and she gave me a detailed list of turns, streets, cross streets... I did not have the heart to tell her I was completely lost! But just as with so many things on this trip serendipity intervened. On our walk back to the hotel we passed the shop! The affable shop owner knew exactly what kind of music I was referring to, and found it immediately. He, himself, a real music enthusiast was also an accomplished bagpiper.
The cabdrivers, the music store proprietor, waiters,waitresses and bartenders, the tour guide, people we have met like the young woman at the bake sale--the Scottish people have been a delight!
Our last dinner here tonight was another delicious meal.
In my next post I will provide the names of the place we stayed the pubs we frequented and the restaurants we ate at as well as addresses. For the purposes of being able to search the forum I think I will make that a separate thread, so that anyone who searches Edinburgh restaurants will be able to find it. Tomorrow we will leave for the lake district in England.
We got a late start. Our first stop was the the national Museum of Scotland in the old town a few blocks from the Grass Market. DH loved all of the prehistory, Roman artifacts, and details of early Scottish life. We were there about an hour and a half and then strolled over to the Grass Market. So much of the older parts of Edinburgh, that is to say the Old Town is beyond lively with tourists and many shops catering to tourists. I enjoy walking there but I am glad that we ended up staying at a place in the New Town.
The rain had started up again and we ducked into a wonderfully warm pub in the Grass Market. Another great bowl of soup, this time straight mushroom. I think they are really serious about their soups here!
Upon leaving, the rain had stopped, and we strolled up the street that took us to Victoria Street. This has a very interesting raised arcade section of the street, that we remembered from that great PBS series Case Histories, which are based on stories by Kate Atkinson a Scottish writer. It was so great to happen upon something that you had been hoping to see!
Speaking of happening upon something by surprise--in the Scottish museum I heard some beautiful harp music in one of the displays. It is some kind of very old harp of which there are only three left in existence. Somehow a replica was made and the music from that replica was playing in that exhibit. I was so sure that they would be selling CDs in the gift shop. Not only did they not have any, but the very friendly gift shop employee told me I had been the first person to ever even inquire about them! However she also was as helpful as all of the wonderful Scottish people that we having encountered. She explained to me in great detail where I might find this particular music store that would sell such a CD--if they in fact existed! Her details were such that I knew I would never locate the place, and she gave me a detailed list of turns, streets, cross streets... I did not have the heart to tell her I was completely lost! But just as with so many things on this trip serendipity intervened. On our walk back to the hotel we passed the shop! The affable shop owner knew exactly what kind of music I was referring to, and found it immediately. He, himself, a real music enthusiast was also an accomplished bagpiper.
The cabdrivers, the music store proprietor, waiters,waitresses and bartenders, the tour guide, people we have met like the young woman at the bake sale--the Scottish people have been a delight!
Our last dinner here tonight was another delicious meal.
In my next post I will provide the names of the place we stayed the pubs we frequented and the restaurants we ate at as well as addresses. For the purposes of being able to search the forum I think I will make that a separate thread, so that anyone who searches Edinburgh restaurants will be able to find it. Tomorrow we will leave for the lake district in England.
May 12th, 2013, 02:41 PM
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There was an advert on the television tonight for "Case Histories," couldn't tell whether it was for new episodes (I hope) or a repeat.
Enjoy the Lake District. If interested, Blackwell House in Bowness-on-Windemere is a beautiful arts and crafts house right on the lake.
Enjoy the Lake District. If interested, Blackwell House in Bowness-on-Windemere is a beautiful arts and crafts house right on the lake.
