Yeah, but Waverly means that you have to carry your luggage uphill to anywhere - OK, so I arrived from a seat on the sleeper, and wasn’t in the best of moods…
Burmp!
Further to what I said about Embankment meeting at 1pm, meet by the left hand side exit, those what are coming. Then we’re off to some photography exhibition I think, but i’m still waiting to hear back about that. Then boozing sightseeing will commence. Anybody needs a number to call, my e-mails in my profile.yo.
I need to find out where and when we’re to meet up in Oxford, other than on Sunday with you in a day-glo green shirt. Please e-mail me your phone number so I can call you when I arrive? Pretty please?
In other news, I’m feeling a little crazed here, but the important stuff on this end is taken care of. The cats have a reliable sitter who will also pick up snail mail; the taxis to and from the airport are arranged, and I’m (mostly) packed.
As some of you already know, I’m here safe. The Saturday pub crawl went off very well. I’ve been introduced to Strongbow cider, which is very good. I’m told it’s the drink of choice for football hooligans. I’m not sure what to make of that. garius walked us through an open air book market and I wasn’t able to resist buying a couple of books. They pointed out the London Eye to me; if I have time, I think I’ll try to get a ride on it. This week’s weather forecast makes it sound as if they won’t be shutting it down for the heat. We also went by what’s left of Westminster Palace (I think that’s the name–I know it started with a W), and I found out that that it used to contain a prison known as The Clinker, and that this is where the phrase “getting thrown in the Clink” came from. I think I remember being told that it was the first prison in London.
The last pub we went to was the King George (I think–someone correct me if I got the name wrong!), the oldest pub in London. Apparently, Shakespeare either wrote or tried out many of his plays here. I took many pictures, and expect I’ll have to learn how to create a web page so folks can see them. Won’t happen until after I get home, though, so don’t ask for 'em now! The crawl included garius, paulberserker, bibliovore, sapphiresam (I think that’s her board name), and another Paul who isn’t a board member. I had a great deal of fun, and we laughed a lot.
Sunday I went to Oxford and met up with Steve Wright. garius is quite correct–Steve is a really sweet guy. I liked him a lot, and Oxford was wonderful. We didn’t get around to touring the University itself (my feet gave out!), but we did have a punt ride on the Isis (?) that was wonderfully peaceful. Steve knows his birds, so I got pictures of a moorhen and a coot (what an ODD sound they make) and multiple ducks, geese, and swans. Oh yes, I took pictures of some of the more interesting Oxford sites, as well. I had (again) a wonderful time. Steve, we have to keep in touch.
Yesterday I went to Sutton Hoo. I didn’t get there until afternoon (this is what I get for not checking my rail times and such), so I missed the guided tours. Still, walking around the site was nice, I got some wonderful nature shots, including many flowers that GorillaMan didn’t know the name of (hmmm, is this a guy thing? Steve didn’t know any of the flowers, either), toured the exhibit hall (very nicely set up), and then cabbed back to Woodbridge to meet up with GorillaMan. We wandered around the downtown and the wharf area for a while, and even found a secondhand bookstore that had a good book of nursery rhymes. Not the one I’m looking for, but pretty complete none the less, so I bought it. I’m still looking for the other one, though! We then had a lengthy conversation in a pub (the name of which I’ve forgotten, dang it, as I’ve forgotten the names of too many places I’ve seen), with dinner pretty much in the middle of it. I tried the local cider (GorillaMan had nothing good to say about StrongBow and thought I should try the local) and found it to be pretty vile. So did he, when he tried it. He tells me that somewhere in Cornwall is a local cider that’s the best he’s ever had, and I should look for it while there. Mind you, he can’t remember the name of IT, either. He thinks this has something to do with drinking the whole thing and losing a day or two in the process. I didn’t get back to my room until midnight.
I was pretty tired today, so instead of going to the British Museum, I took a nap and did some little chore type things–washed a few clothes in the sink, got a mobile phone for my stay here (I’ll pass along the number in a bit to whoever wants it), picked up some baby powder (I’ve been chafing. It hurts.) and generally have been catching up with some planning and paper work. For instance, I’ve got a good handle on the train times to get to Dover, tomorrow! And I’ve arranged to send my purchases back to the USA to my friend Trish so I won’t have to shlep them around.
I’m also thinking of asking the B&B I’m at if I can extend a day or two (if they haven’t booked someone else in), because I think I’d like a little more time in London. Lucky for me I’m reasonably flexible in my schedule. Meurglys, I do expect to be in Edinburgh for June 5-7, so our meet up on the 6th shouldn’t be a problem.
I may start looking at the job boards for the UK. So far, I really, really like it here, and everyone I’ve met has been so nice. Although that may have to wait until after I get home and start putting the kitties through the process so they don’t have to go through quarantine, and that will take 6 months minimum. And shipping all my books . . . . hmmmm. Well, I’ll see. I’ve a lot of country to cover, first.
Thanks to all the UK Dopers who have so far made my trip a wonderful memory.
Good to hear thet you got here OK, and have been well taken care of by the sound of it. Welcome to the UK, and have fun! 
Hi if you still want to get to Aberystwyth I’m here until the 5th of June (I’m leaving on the fifth, so the fourth would be fine).
I don’t Gasp of horror have a National Library card, but I can show you around the town, although to be honest it’s not that big that you’re going to get lost.
If you can make it down here, let me know. My email addy’s in my profile.
Firstly, my apologies for missing the walkabout on Saturday; a combination of disorganisation and procrastination meant that I missed the meeting at Embankment and didn’t have a contact number at hand.
That said, the pedant in me insists on amending a few of the names in your report:
Winchester Palace, not Westminster Palace. The Palace of Westminster is the Houses of Parliament. Winchester Palace (or what little is left of it) was the residence of the Bishop of Winchester, who held sway over that area south of London Bridge.
The Clink, not “The Clinker”.
The George, not “The King George”.
Nevertheless, it’s a good walk and I’d recommend it to anyone visiting London.
If you’re arriving in Edinburgh on the 5th, it’s probably better just to drop by my work - I’m working until 18.00, although I’m usually on the premises for another 1/2 hour… that way, we can figure how early we each should get up on Sunday morning (eek!) to meet up.
If that’s not easy, give me a phone at work.
Morgyn diplomatically doesn’t mention that, not only did I walk her off her feet (I had a blister by the end of the day, and I’m used to walking …), I also managed to get lost somewhere between the High and Broad Street. I’m so good as a guide …
Still, it was a nice day. Next time, we can do the colleges and the Ashmolean Museum! Lots of nice cobbled streets to walk on yet 
Glad you enjoyed the walkabout Morgyn even though I arrived late and missed the cultural elements. In fact I think the George was the second-to-last pub we visited as we went to the one across the road where SciFiSam’s girlfriend joined us before the curry house. You appear to have forgotten the prescence of bonzer who was, of cousrse, forced to come alone this time.
Paul
[QUOTE=Gyrate]
Firstly, my apologies for missing the walkabout on Saturday; a combination of disorganisation and procrastination meant that I missed the meeting at Embankment and didn’t have a contact number at hand.
That said, the pedant in me insists on amending a few of the names in your report:
Winchester Palace, not Westminster Palace. The Palace of Westminster is the Houses of Parliament. Winchester Palace (or what little is left of it) was the residence of the Bishop of Winchester, who held sway over that area south of London Bridge.
The Clink, not “The Clinker”.
The George, not “The King George”.
[QUOTE]
rueful look I knew I was going to get some of those names wrong. Thanks for the corrections–I’ll need to note them in my diary.
And now I know who you are! And you’re right, I forgot bonzer, not that I knew his board name.
To be honest, I completely lost track of how many pubs we went into, and who joined us where/when and who left where/when. Except Sam, I remember her joining us at this little open air market on the South Bank.
National Library Card?
And your e-mail may be in your profile, but you seem to have chosen to keep it hidden. With luck I’ll be checking in again well before I get to Wales, so send contact info to me, ok? My e-mail is in my profile. And you can see it, too!
Ack didn’t know it was hidden, sorry. I’ve emailed you anyway. 
Just bumping this to ask if anyone knows how Morgyn’s getting on?
Met her on Saturday 5th June and had a couple of drinks with a few friends; my SO and I showed her round bits of Edinburgh on Sunday morning & afternoon - left her at a Internet cafe so she could check her mail, etc.
She was aiming to head for Inverness on either Tuesday or Wednesday morning, I think…
AFAIK, she should be back home by now…
Indeed, I am back home, safe and sound, although I was within inches of changing my mind about getting on the plane–not helped by the fact that I didn’t know that Heathrow’s departure area is 2 parted and that I was supposed to go to the second part pretty much as soon as I’d checked in. The Virgin Air guy I asked just told me to hang around and watch the screens, and I thought I was in the right spot! As it was, I hung around in the front half of the departure terminal, eating a late lunch and looking at the screens to find out which gate I was supposed to go to. At about 7 pm, half of them had a gate number and the other half said “please wait” and, being a ditherer, I waited longer just in case the screens with the gate number were wrong. Then the half with a gate number said “boarding”!! So I rushed my way over and made it to the plane.
I’m (slowly) typing up reports of my trip, but so far I’m putting them in my LJ and I’ve really only done the first day so far. They’re locked to friends, so let me know if you have an account and want to read it. (Note that accounts on LJ are free and now open to everyone–no invite code needed.) I’ll try to write things up faster, but 30 days is a lot of ground to cover. I can cross-post the reports here after I finish or send them on to people if they’re actually curious.
The photos (over 800!!) have been uploaded to Ofoto . The link takes you to the first album (UK Walkabout - London), and clicking on “Return to Albums” will show you all the others. There are LOTS of pictures of flowers and trees–the flowers 'cause they were pretty and I want to know what they are, and the trees because of interesting shapes or coloration or something. I haven’t provided captions yet because I just finished uploading them (25 at a time) late this afternoon.
They were more or less uploaded in chronological order. Ofoto displays albums in reverse order by default, and the default can’t be changed. You also have to be a member, but again, it’s free. If you like the pictures enough, you can even order yourself a copy!
I’d like to thank all the UK Dopers who made my trip such a real pleasure. You’re all amazingly sweet people, and I was sorry not to have more time with each of you. On the other hand, I also had more alchohol during that one month than I’ve probably had in the last 2 years put together. Y’all may be a bad influence on me.
Amazingly enough, I spent a month in the UK, and except for one true rainstorm (that happened while I was sleeping so I didn’t care) and a few sprinkles, I did not encounter rain AT ALL the whole time, even though there were some gloomy days. Must be a record of some sort in there.
TruePicses tells me, to my sorrow, that Strongbow is sold in the USA. And, Meurglys, do you remember the name of that hot drink I had at the former church turned restaurant? Something like a Hot Cow? I think I might like to recreate that at some point. I remember hot (steamed?) milk and Bailey’s …
Also, Steve Wright, do you remember that bird we couldn’t identify? I saw its twin in Cornwall! Several people I described it to suggested “magpie”, but I’m pretty sure you’d recognize a magpie, right? Keep your camera with you and try and get a picture of it, would you? “Crow-sized with a white wing and a black bar on the wing” is not descriptive enough for anyone, and I honestly don’t remember the head, beak, or tail shapes. Those wings were just so spectacular in flight. And, damn it, I didn’t find another place on the whole island that had lemonade as good as it was in the cafe we went to. I want their recipe! No, really, I do.
You can’t get lost in Oxford, you told me so yourself! I thought of it as a divesionary exploration, myself. Also, I didn’t get any blisters–I think you took such good care of me you forgot to look after yourself.
=====
He did, too. He let me hang onto his arm so he didn’t outpace me, let me lean against him when I was exhausted, watched me eat pancakes I hadn’t meant to order, and took me punting on the Isis. That day is one of the best memories I have.
Meurglys, do you remember the name of that hot drink I had at the former church turned restaurant? Something like a Hot Cow? I think I might like to recreate that at some point. I remember hot (steamed?) milk and Bailey’s …
It was a Hot Irish Cow! And you remembered correctly; it was just steamed milk & Bailey’s…
Glad you enjoyed your trip.
My memory of the bird is more than a little vague … it’s just possible it might have been an oystercatcher … maybe? (They breed inland, during the summer, though they’re normally coastal birds … )
My memory may be completely faulty, though.