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Jkm
Member
07-10-2002
| Friday, February 10, 2006 - 6:18 am
Well -- found out that at least my bank -- the Visa debit cards only work in the US. Due to some fee/law or something - they work in the US only -- so they added me to dh account - but don't know if card will get here in time......
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Jkm
Member
07-10-2002
| Friday, February 10, 2006 - 1:24 pm
Another dumb question - our group was talking and since we get in really late - but around dinner time for our time zone -- is anything open at the airport or london to eat in the wee hours?
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Yesitsme
Member
08-24-2004
| Friday, February 10, 2006 - 2:44 pm
I'm sure you will have no problems finding food at any hour there. Not sure what airport you are flying into, but they all have websites where you can generally find that sort of information (even what is at the terminal/gate you are flying into.) Just do a google search. Most international flights I have been on serve a meal, or at least a heavy snack, before you get off the plane, so you may be OK.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Friday, February 10, 2006 - 3:52 pm
Ditto what Yesitsme said, you probably won't arrive hungry. The international flights do a pretty good job of keeping you fed. But yes, you will find food places open, certainly in the airport and probably near where you are staying.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Sunday, March 05, 2006 - 11:37 pm
When my Mickey Mouse Seiko got humidity logged a couple years ago while in Cyprus, Bigdog had an extra watch with him. It was one of those big, indestructible, clunky, black plastic ones, cheap, waterproof, easy to read, with an indiglo night light and a leather and fabric velcro band. I have a wrist about the diameter of a chair leg, and it looked ridiculous, but after a while it grew on me and eventually became kind of chic. So when I got back home and got the Seiko working again, I continued to wear the clunky watch. Clunky watch recently became annoying as it was getting caught on tight long sleeves because it was so big. I tried to go back to the Mickey Mouse watch I had worn for fifteen years, but by now I can't get along without the night light. So I went to a non-Walmart discount store and looked at petite-clunky women's watches with indiglo night lights. Bought one that isn't too bad looking and started examining it once I got home. It has three, count 'em THREE alarms, all with different tones, and of course it is a stop watch. It has two time zones, so when I travel I can have Time1 set to home time and Time2 set to wherever I am travelling. I am next going to China, so I immediately set the second time zone to Beijing/Shanghai time, and I have had it that way for a couple weeks. I know which button to press to see the second time zone. I was just thinking tonight, that it is going to be a bit of a nuisance having to press a button to see the time while I am in China, so maybe I better see if I can re-set the two zones so that while I am in China, the primary time showing is local time. I wanted to see if I could remember how to do it without taking along the instruction booklet. So I was messing with a couple buttons, and all of a sudden the time got stuck on the second time zone!!! Instead of pressing the button to briefly see the other time zone, I can hold in the button, and the second time zone now becomes my primary. Is that COOL or what??? Okay, I am easily thrilled, but I really am thrilled with my little Timex el cheapo but okay looking dual time zone watch. I can always take along the Mickey Mouse if I need a dress watch. 
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Monday, March 06, 2006 - 2:57 am
Just discovered this thread. Great idea and wonderful tips. Cool on the watch, Juju! I am amused thinking of how lit-up your eyes must have been discovering all that, but what a great tip! Ditto what Maris said about ordering vegetarian meals. I found the airlines feed you like crazy. Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, the food is typically carb-heavy, and after eating it you feel terribly uncomfortable--and that feeling gets worse as time goes by. Sitting for hours in cramped seats is pure hell. I remember that, on the way home from Heathrow, I contemplated just lying flat in the aisle for awhile. If you are in a plane with two aisles (as we were), that flight home can be especially torturous. Having less in your tummy makes the flight a little more bearable. And ditto what Buttercup said about taking a sleep mask in your carryon. I have a pretty pink one, but I actually use a wide black, fleecy-like ski headband instead because it blocks every bit of light. Never thought of earplugs, but a good idea, too. This is pretty standard, but break in whatever shoes you are wearing/taking in advance, especially if you expect to be walking a bit. Get a care-free haircut before your trip. You will be glad you did. For Britain: Take one of those small umbrellas that fold up and can fit in a purse--a jacket pocket. They weigh almost nothing and are good to have in case of downpours.
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Monday, March 06, 2006 - 5:50 am
For Maris: The subway system (The Tube) is easy to use.
My Loupup and my Momma, rest her soul. We started out in London going to watch the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace.
However, they only do it on certain days. You must ask ahead which days of the week they do that. There are tours of the palace on certain days, too. I loved our talking tour of St Paul's Cathedral--which, in 1940, withstood a fire bomb raid that destroyed a large part of London. It is both beautiful and fascinating--holds tombs of kings, queens, Lord Nelson and Winston Churchill.
I've been to Stonehenge--in the middle of the day. It was beautiful--with sheep in the fields across the way. I think a late afternoon/early evening dusky time would be magical.
My favorite place in my whole trip to London was our visit to Bath (where we went directly to after Stonehenge). I'd go to Bath again in a minute. Not only do you see the Roman Baths--walking in and out of all the incredibly magnificent marble swimming pool-like baths that remain, but the entire little town of Bath is a site to behold. Everything is built from the same distinctive stone. It is incredible. Plus it is the only place I ever had a good meal (the restaurant connected with the baths is called The Pump House) in England.
This is double-exposed, but you get the idea. That's my Ed and my Momma--kinda off to the left. We did go to see a very funny play (called The Reduced Shakespeare Company--the complete (abridged) works of William Shakespeare at the Criterion Theatre (in Picadilly Circus)--we were with a group from our hotel. I ordered fish and chips at the restaurant where the group was booked--close to the theatre. The dinner absolutely wonderful! I loved it! That was the only dinner I liked during our week's stay.
Yup, that's me! Oh, and we discovered that most pubs serve beer warm (that is, not refrigerated). I had heard that, but had forgotten and was shocked! My mother and I went shopping in a pricey neighborhood in London--Jermyn Street as I as looking for a tie (Rowley's was the shop) for my dh (which he has never worn, btw)--and we stopped in at a wonderful pub for lunch. I ordered a caesar salad---and what the waiter brought was a bowl of lettuce with some bottled dressing poured over it. I was aghast--and shocked. I couldn't even eat it. Based on that (admittedly limited) one occasion, I wouldn't recommend ordering a salad. We had high tea at a fancy hotel after our tour of the Tower of London. That was fun, but wayyyyyyy too much food! It was a riot, though. The Tower of London (the guards were very witty and funny) takes quite a while, but is well worth it. That's where many, including Anne Boleyn, lost their heads. (There are a number of buildings on the grounds, each housing something different--one filled with the crown jewels, another full of suits of armor, etc.) Whatever you do, get a picture of yourself in or outside a London cab. Here are ours!
 
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Monday, March 06, 2006 - 6:00 am
Oops. Wanted to show you a pic with my Momma and one of the famous Beefeaters, who guard the Tower of London and are its official guides. The last pic is of Tower Bridge. Near it is the hotel where we had high tea. Lots of very nice shops near it, too.

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Maris
Member
03-28-2002
| Monday, March 06, 2006 - 7:02 am
Thanks for posting the pics Herck, getting me excited.
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Monday, March 06, 2006 - 11:53 am
HP, THANKS so much for sharing the wonderful stories and pix. BTW, you are so pretty! Your momma was a lovely lady! Your daughter is a cutie and your dh is quite handsome. All in all, a fabulous family. I have never been across the pond, and I am living through everyone elses adventures... my dream is to go on a cruise and to travel, especially to France and England. And of course Italy to see where my dh grew up. And Holland, cuz they were awesome to my people during the WWII... And I'd love to stop by, give the Dutch my tourist dollars, and simply hug a stranger on the street and babble thank you, thank you! LOL.
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Monday, March 06, 2006 - 1:27 pm
Oh, good. Glad you enjoyed them, Maris and Mame. I am so glad I have these pictures! (What good memories I have of that week--followed by a week in Paris, where Lauren was spending a semester.) What I would make sure to do if I went back would be to go up in the London Eye at night. (It was under construction when we went.)
Nearby is:

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Kitt
Member
09-06-2000
| Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 12:35 am
Herkle, glad you had such an eventful trip! Looks like you had reasonably good weather too. Nobody really has ceasar salads in England, it's just not common, so they probably had to scramble round and find anything that would do for you. Ranch dressing is practically unheard of. The trick when travelling, in my opinion, is to not have something you are familiar with, but have something that's common in the country you're in and sounds like it would suit your tastes. If you try something from "home" you'll often be disappointed. Did you go up to the top of St Paul's? I went there last year for the first time since I went there on a school trip. If you're lucky enough to get a bright day it has such wonderful views. The steps near the top are a little scary though. Thanks for sharing your photos.
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 9:21 am
Hi, Kitt! You are absolutely right about the food. Btw, breakfasts there were super. So, other than fish and chips, what do you recommend for lunches and dinners? I can only think of things like Yorkshire Pudding, Shepherd's Pie, etc. No, I didn't know I could go to the top of St. Paul's! That sounds great! Hope I have the opportunity to go back sometime. I absolutely loved my time there and would give anything to go back. Glad you enjoyed the photos. It was really nice to reminisce over those days--a happy time with my mother. Hey, I just peeked at your profile and noticed you have an Animal Farm name! Yay! (Another cat, though. Drats!) Anyway, I will add you to the list today. And you live in CA I see. Am I right, that you are from Britain? Did you live in London before you came to the states?
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Kitt
Member
09-06-2000
| Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 11:55 am
Hey Herkle, yes I'm a Brit, and a catlover . On the food, the dishes you mention are more like pub food. Almost a beer and fill-your-face food. (Although I've had some of my best meals from the more interesting pub menus.) What Britain has is an great variety of what I guess you could call Anglicised immigrant cuisine (as opposed to Americanised Immigrant cuisine). For example the Italian restaurants have excellent delicate Italian dishes, but if you went to an Italian expecting the "family-dining" American experience you'd be disappointed. The SoHo area of London has great regional cuisine (regional to the world, not the UK), if I had to eat out in London that's where I'd go, particularly for any sort of Asian cuisine. For lunch I'd recommend going to a pub known for food and having a Ploughman's (a salad with bread, cheese, ploughman's pickle) and for dinner wandering the restaurant districts for the International cuisine of your taste. I mostly lived about 60 miles outside London. Which in British terms is actually about two hours outside the city . I'm glad you got to spend a nice holiday with your mum, I'm sure she treasured it too.
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Yesitsme
Member
08-24-2004
| Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 6:05 pm
Herck! I love the pictures. Brought back some great memories. I love the Changing of the Guard. So beautiful And the salad story... I lol. On one of my trips there I was dying for a salad for several days and couldn't find one. We finally went to this place for lunch and they had salad on the menu. I ordered it and just sat back and anticipated. When it got there, it was brown and yellow iceberg lettuce soaked in this dressing that looked like mayonnaise and mustard mixed up. I couldn't eat any of it. The others with me just laughed. My mom is Welsh and growing up I thought I was related to the royal family. Every time it was their birthday my mom would say "It's Prince Andrew's birthday today" or "Princess Anne's birthday is tomorrow." Surely I am really related to them or she wouldn't have been so aware, don't you think? (Though when I got older I wanted to marry Prince Andrew. And I still have a chance!)
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