ancestralvoices

Day 24 DEPARTURE

Day 24 was really Day 25(day 1, which I didn't write about, was our departure from home). So, not only did I screw up some dates in this trip report(around Day 18) but I should also have called it our 23 day journey through England flanked by 2 boring days of flight.

Anyway, got a cab, took us to Heathrow, got on the plane, arrived in Atlanta, went through customs, got on a plane, arrived in Cincinnati, got my car at the airport, and began driving on the wrong side of the road! I had gotten so used to the left that it took some adjustment to return to the right. Arrived at my house at 1 am and slept 10 hours.


This vacation was like a dream for me. I enjoyed everything, even the things that I didn't like!

Here is a rundown of my opinion of places visited.

LONDON--will visit again
RYE--loved it. Will return and explore more of Sussex.
BEACHY HEAD/SOUTH DOWNS--loved it. Want to return and explore more.
BATH--our favorite city we visited. Will definitely return.
COTSWOLDS--my favorite destination in England so far. This was my 3rd time visiting and I will return again and again. Need to finally explore the South Cotswolds.
MALVERNS--probably won't return.
SHREWSBURY--liked it very much.
SHROPSHIRE HILLS--enjoyed very much.
LLANDUDNO--did not enjoy visiting this town.
BEDDGELERT--didn't like very much.
CONWY--didn't enjoy it at all
HAWKSHEAD--loved it
NORTH LAKE DISTRICT--loved it
YORKSHIRE DALES--loved it and will return again someday
ROBIN HOOD'S BAY--Joey's favorite village/town. We loved it.
YORK--liked it very much

You will see that there are places that we liked or even loved(some people hate using that word in this context---I don't) but I didn't say that we would return. This is because there are so many other places in England that I want to see.

Thanks to all the readers who stayed with this long report until the very end. Thanks for your patience, forgiving nature of my mistakes, educating me on enema bags/hot water bottles, correcting my errors, and enlightening and educating me with your opinions on so many subjects. What a terrific site this is. I wish I could give advice to the many travelers who visit Cincinnati(just kidding) but no one seems to visit here. Let me know if you are ever in the area, though, as I know this city very well.

I can, however, give advice on much of The Netherlands(as Annhig now knows) and parts of Belgium--so will be on the lookout.

Happy Traveling!

AV(Kip)

flanneruk

"No one says Dareby."

Dareby=Dirby. At least in my dialect (inabilty to differentiate between "er" sounds is the infallible marker of a Scouser)

In Louisville, they pronounce their faux Derby they way they do in Derby. Not the way (English) southern softies pronounce the real Derby.

ancestralvoices

flanner--I have an Indian friend who was born and raised in Derby(Derbyshire) and he always pronounces it as Darby. Like Darcy from Pride and Prejudice.

How do the british pronounce New Orleans? Do they give orleans 2 or 3 syllables?

flanneruk

When speaking to each other: each of the four syllables is clearly differentiated. Nyoo Orleeans.

When parodying Americans: the whole name is turned into the Slavic monosyllable Nawlns, with a glottal stop between the L and N. Some strive for the asyllabic Nlns, with a double glottal stop. But that's generally held to be overdoing it.

PatrickLondon

It probably depends on where they've last heard an American say it (on TV or in a film). So they might try to say New AwLEENS, or New AWlins or even NAWlins. Or if sensible, they might ask first how you - as an American - would like it said. Gets conversation going, anyway.

If you do come back, and you want to see a War Museum, then the "real" one is indeed the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth (which is free). Little boys of all ages will appreciate the planes and tanks, but there are some very thoughtful and imaginative discussions of particular events and experiences of both World Wars (with a special Holocaust section) and conflict since.

annhig

annhig---You can inform your Truro crowd that a highly critical musician(myself) had nothing but praise for the evensong service at York Minster---however---I seem to remember that the choir itself was a guest choir that particular evening---would a visiting choir have been under the direction of your former organist as well?>>

well now i come to think of it, Truro cathedral has visiting choirs in the summer whilst the boys are on their hols, so probably York does too. It turns out that Robert Sharpe, our previous organist of whom I spoke, [or wrote, rather] has been at York for 3 years, according to his website - how time flies]. but the choir that you heard, if a visiting one, would have been directed and conducted by their own conductor, not Robert.

you can imagine how refreshing it was to encounter debates over pronunciations of towns and the legendary "scone/cream/jam controversy"!>>

I am so lucky that i settled in Cornwall, not Devon, because i always put the jam on first, which is the cornish way. IMHO this is sensible as it allows one firstly to get an even amount of jam in the scone, and more importantly, to pile even more clotted cream on top!

regarding pronunciation of place names, there are a few in Cornwall that are controversial, only insofar as tourists get them wrong, eg

Illogan = illUgun,

Praa [sands] = Pray sands

Redruth = [re]Druth

there are probably more.

as for New Orleans? I would probably say "New Orleans!"

loved your report, AV, please come back so you can write another one!

irishface

Ancestral, I really enjoyed your report. Makes me really want to get back to England! Thanks for sharing!

I am so sorry that you had a sad homecoming with no Coda to greet you. I am glad that he did not die alone or unloved and hope your happy memories will comfort you in the days to come.

ancestralvoices

THanks, Irish. Joey just told me he's going to post day 1 of our journey any minute. Not sure what that will be like--reading the same trip through someone else's eyes. Anyway, if anyone is interested--it will be there.

Maudie

Hi again, is Joey posting on this thread or on a new one?

irishface

Looking forward to hearing the rest of the story by Joey!

janisj

Joey's TR is here:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...tralvoices.cfm