Sitting in Heathrow waiting for my delayed flight to New York - a good time to think back on the best and worst of my week in England, me thinks.The Good:
- Lunch with Pete and Jo - yea, blogs!
- Julie Andrews book-signing at Waterstones/Oxford Street
- The pubs
- Tea-making accoutrements in hotel and conference rooms (forget those stinky coffee-makers in US hotels - ugh!)
- Cadbury chocolate
- Fish and chips
- New friends, new contacts
- Heathrow Express into Paddington
- Midlands train to Derbyshire + a really nice rail worker who let me slide on peak-time fare and brought me a cuppa tea, to boot!
- Gorgeous autumn weather + first frost
The Bad:
- Losing Jean and Aubrey (temporarily, I trust)
- Ibis Hotel/Heathrow - depressing flourescent lighting, futon beds, limited wireless access
- Hotels that only give you one towel and one pillow
- Prices - yeowee! Everything's twice as expensive here, even considering the dollar/pound rate.
- Most of the institutional food I had to eat (but isn't institutional food the same all over?)
- Air travel - tiring, inconsistent, mega-hassle, and - alas, necessary
- Did I mention the Ibis/Heathrow?
God-willing, I should be back in New York by mid-afternoon, just in time to do a little laundry and head straight to bed, since I have to get up at 3:30am to board a 5am bus to Washington with my co-workers. Tomorrow's the big day - the Investiture of the first woman Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church at the National Cathedral. I'll be tired, but the event is too historic to miss.
Ah - we're about to board. Yea!
5 comments:
Seems most of your "goods" revolved around eating, drinking, anbd making merry with good friends. You have your priorities straight!
Looking forward to hearing you are safely back on native soil...
Air travel....always the ugly part. Your "good" list is wonderful....you packed a lot in Mary. As far as the bad....let's hope that's somewhat revised when you get back home; which by the way, you probably already are...I hope.
y'know, the more I read about the 'blog' lunch, the greener I get (with jealousy not nausea!). Please let me know WELL in advance next time you're floating across the pond, Mary, so that I can cancel any holiday booked in good time.
PS: Did you know.....Julie Andrews is a Walton on Thames girl?
Winston - hm, now that you mention it, yes, the "good" does revolve around food and friends. And yes, I think those are straight priorities!
Joy - made it home safe and sound, but I turn around tomorrow and fly off to Nashville for a couple of days. I'm so pooped!
Chris - I'll try to do better next time and give more warning. Yes, I know Julie Andrews was from Walton. In fact, I knew her mother Barbara years ago when I spent time there working in the local pub. But this was the first time I met Julie herself.
I can add a dozen more things, but I think they belong in the category where you end up when you live here instead of just visiting ;)
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