Rocks and Docs

     Upon leaving London we found ourselves quickly in the countryside.  Our first stop this Palm Sunday morning was church, Winchester Cathedral to be exact. This impressive building was the site of the coronation of many English kings including William the Conqueror.  As with all of the cathedrals we have visited, this one housed the graves of prominent local citizens. With due respect to the church leaders and nobles buried there I was anxious to find the resting place of a favorite author. In an unassuming location in the floor was the grave of Jane Austen.

Later her brother had a plaque placed in the wall to acknowledge her literary contributions

    Visiting this enormous Gothic church really works up an appetite so after we saw all  we could from chapel to crypt we went into the town in search of lunch.  As we walked through the cathedral grounds we noticed two things:  gravestones were scattered on the land around the church and people were hanging out next to them. They were picnicking, playing with their kids or just sitting in the sun. It seemed disrespectful at first be we realized that it was more of an acceptance of death as a part of life.

    We continued into town and found a place to sit outside  for lunch. The Slug and Lettuce https://www.slugandlettuce.co.uk/  provided the perfect place to eat and people watch before we continued to explore the town.       

     There was as usual too much to see and not enough time so after only a few hours we moved on to Salisbury and our first actual bed and breakfast accommodation, Avonlea House.​ http://www.avonleahouse.co.uk/.  I can't say enough how friendly John and Jackie were, the room was beautiful and the breakfast was delicious. This is a must stay place for anyone in the area.  Dinner that night was at the Haunch of Venison a very old traditional pub that served….. Venison.  We had a room to ourselves upstairs to enjoy venison stew for me and a venison combo plate for John.

 The next morning we were off to one of England's most famous sites, Stonehenge. The giant stone circle was impressive. But since we prefer our history to be more based on fact than speculation, we didn't spend all day there

    We were anxious to go to the Salisbury Cathedral. Not only is this another impressive church, but it also has one of the 5 surviving copies of the Magna Carta. It is handwritten on lambskin parchment and displayed in a covered area in a special room. We weren't allowed to take pictures but we did get to see it up close. Another special thing about this cathedral; it has the oldest working clock in the world.

Two days was not enough time in this area of England, but the next morning we were off to our next destination.

Left is Right

     Leaving London and public transportation behind brought us to our next challenge,( and by us I mean John). It was time to get our car for the next three months. We took our last ride on the tube early Sunday morning back to Heathrow and the car rental lot.

    Originally, we had booked a manual transmission but caution and wisdom prevailed. We decided driving on the wrong side of the road would be challenging enough so we changed to an automatic. At first the price was 4 times that of the manual, but John persuaded the manager to let us have the car for considerably less than that. We went from a small two doors Fiat to a four door, Vauxhall Astra turbo .

    This was a good decision. Driving in a foreign country is always a challenge, even when you speak the language. We have had the car for over a week now and still have to remember which side of the road to be on. Like the continent, rotaries are commonly used at intersections and like the continent they are often confusing. Sometimes the roads are two lanes but often, especially in the country there is only one. Traffic goes both ways on these. The rule is first car to a wide spot pulls over and lets the other car pass.  The lanes are narrow even in the best areas, so watch those side mirrors!

    Parking is allowed in any direction on either side of the road, even those with barely room for one car to get through. The sidewalk is an option if there is one.  Sometimes you get lucky and find a real parking lot or a field.

    So far we have found very few roads that we would consider to be a highway. When we have the slow lane is to the left, another thing to remember It is getting easier but of course, I'm not the one driving.

London- And All of its Diversions

Miss Lucy Steele, Jane Austen's conniving character in Sense and Sensibility was right. There are so many sides of London that after one week we barely scratched the  surface. Our time was spent as both tourist and resident in an attempt to get the true flavor of this great city.

  Our flat was in a great location; near an underground station, next to Harrods, and a short walk to Hyde Park. Unfortunately, it had no TV or radio, no wifi and promptly a 9 pm construction on the street began and lasted until 4am. But we didn't come to London to sit inside and thankfully the bedroom was away from the street facing window.

   We saw most of the expected things: Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Kensington palace and gardens,the tower of London. But we also did the unexpected. We sat in on the supreme Court as they heard a case and talked to a cabbie during a demonstration against Uber. Shopped in the Borough market and popped on and off the tube during rush hour.

    And we walked. Averaging about 7 miles a day, we walked not only through London but also through history. From the Victoria and Albert museum to Churchill's war bunker, Covent Garden to the Bloody tower. Each day was filled with places and experiences.  So much to see but so much still to be seen. This is a place we will return to.

Crossing the Pond

   And we are off.Our next adventure takes us to Britain for the next three and a half months.  This one begins as all must; at the beginning. Which translates to the airport. LAX to be specific, or rather the shuttle to LAX. Leaving from the Anaheim Hills area meant two things: we were the first ones picked up and we were sitting in the front. Since the shuttle driver apparently had an aversion to soap and water this proximity was less than desirable

  Although our flight was not until five pm  we arrived at eleven am. This was intentional since we wanted to see the final four games and we had a credit card that promised us access to the first class lounges. The first complication arose right away, air New Zealand did not begin bag check-in until 1 and we could not go through security until our bags were checked. Thankfully there was a place to sit and watch games on TV until check in time.

  With only small backpacks we entered the TSA gauntlet. It went fairly smooth,most people were able to follow the simple instructions. I even managed to get a badge sticker from the agent checking passports.

  Misinformation is worse than no information. I don't know who said that but I have almost always found that to be true. We had been told that once our credit card was registered it would get us into the first class lounges. It seems that in reality we need a special card so no free food and comfortable chairs for us. Happily we found a place to split a sandwich and watch some golf and the first half of the Gonzaga/ South Carolina game.

  Boarding the plane was easy, they had two doors available to move people along. We settled into our seats and found a pillow, blanket and headphones. Each seat had a screen and access to current and classic movies for free. I watched LaLa Land, Fantastic Beasts and Casablanca. John saw Lion and Manchester by the Sea. Dinner was acceptable but not exceptional. We tried to sleep but without much success. Sometime around 2am L.A time the cabin lights came on so we could have breakfast. Landing was delayed due to traffic but we were on the ground around 11:30 London time.

   The last obstacles were still to be met; British immigration check which meant an hour standing in line, then baggage claim, walk to the underground station and find our flat. This was accomplished within a few hours but our bodies still on PST had been up for almost 24 hours,(minus catnaps on the plane) We found the entrance to our flat tucked away between a Rolex shop and an L.K.Bennet store about a block up the street from Harrods. Our relief at arriving fizzled away when we realized our place was on the fourth floor, a mere 86 steps up- no elevator.

But it doesn't matter. We are here, in the land of The Bard and the Beatles, Jane Austen and Austin Powers. I am excited to start exploring the land of my ancestors. Well, maybe after a nap.