05.27.09
Finally – The England Trip Document
Posted as is, as written. Enjoy.
Saturday, the flight and arrival.
The flight thankfully was uneventful. It was actually really nice not to have to get on a second plane for once. We had more difficulty finding out where the parents were than we did flying here. Mum and Dad had come straight from France so the car was full of their stuff. Add that to our 2 big cases and we ended up with suitcases on the seats in between Nicole and Mum and a squished trunk full of stuff. The drive to Hemingford was uneventful, I think we both slept at least part of the way and the rest of the time was spent laughing at the weird road signs.
By the time we got to the house it was mid afternoon and a trip to the local shop, the nearest supermarket coupled with our unpacking etc ate up the rest of the day. The weather was terrible when we arrived, it was cool and rainy, although everyone swore that the day before it had been unbearably hot and the scorched grass around the towns seemed to support that claim.
We spent the rest of the night talking and watching some TV, eating dinner and looking around the house. It is a lot bigger than we imagined and very quaint. The lane running up to the house is tiny with mere inches to spare on each side of the car. We went to bed at our regular times and slept pretty much through the night.
Sunday, Cambridge for sightseeing
We got up later than we would at home, although I woke up at 430am our time which worked out well as 930am here. We had breakfast (cereal for me, porridge for Nicole) and got ready for our first day trip to Cambridge. I took a lot of photos that represent where we went, most of the University Colleges, King’s College Church and the Cam (the river). We stopped for lunch at a place called The Chop House and discovered that it is one of a trio of related restaurants, the Cock Pub in Hemingford Grey and The Boathouse in Ely (pronounced eelie). The food itself was very good, and although the waiter managed to get Nicole’s salad wrong everyone was happy with what they had.
Restaurant Review
The Chop House, Cambridge.
4 people, lunchtime on a Sunday in August.
The place itself is very nice, a few tables upstairs in a glass encased main floor, a couple of tables spilling out onto the street but the majority of the eating area is down a very narrow staircase underground. The feeling was not claustrophobic in the least, but rather a cool earthy charm with adequate lighting and ventilation. We were given some very tasty bread chunks and some butter to pass the time and although I felt as though the bread was fresh, later I witnessed a waitress taking frozen loaves up the stairs. Of course, they could have been frozen that day, what do I know. The bottom line was that they tasted fresh. The main courses were brought fairly quickly and were presented very nicely. I had the beef sausage, onion mash and mushroom sauce, all of which were available in different flavours and variations. The sausage was obviously freshly home made and contained only the best cuts of meat. The mash was a little lacking in taste but was made up for by the sauce which was truly outstanding. Overall the dish rated about a 75 which is pretty good. The dish I had was £14 which was very reasonable considering the place and time. I don’t think I would consider it good value in Canada if it were $32 in fact I think I would have been very disappointed however the cost of food here is so different that it is hard to compare the two.
Quality 8/10
Service 8/10
Value 6/10
Sunday Continued..
We left the restaurant and continued our walk through Cambridge. The architecture is truly wonderful and even if you are not an architectural follower you would be hard pressed not to be impressed by the ornate structures and beautiful finishes of the buildings. As a contrast we went through a new mall type structure where I was told I was not allowed to take pictures because “it is copyrighted”. The burly woman who told me this was not able to explain exactly what it was that was copyrighted however she was insistent that whatever it was, I was not allowed to take pictures of it. So we continued on, eventually purchasing post cards, failing to find an FM transmitter for Dad’s iPod and scoring some wonderful candy at Thornton’s. We got back to the “Hop On Hop Off” stop and took the bus back to the parking lot where we had left the car.
Home, dinner and a little TV including highlights of the Turkish Grand Prix and it was bed time.
Monday – Still Tired
Today turned out to be a quiet day after we ran/jogged this morning we had breakfast and set off for St Ives. I had assumed that it would be a few minutes in the car where in fact we could have spit and hit the bridge going into St Ives. It was market day which made the small town square bustle with people. The old architecture was disguised with vendors hanging their cheap tshirts and pick and mix bags of candy and fruits from their stalls, quietly praying that the rain would hold off. We shopped for a short while and ended up at the Golden Lion for lunch. The fish and chips that I had were enormous however brought back with stark reality the memory of many places that cook fish and chips with the skin still on the fish. Ya, gross. The general consensus was that the food was of good quality and the place had a friendly and casual atmosphere. Once we finished we worked our way back to the car via the far end of the town, a whole 50 yards return trip! The afternoon was spent napping on the couch, I am guessing we are both far more tired than we realize even at this point.
For our evening entertainment we went to the pictures and saw Mamma Mia. I have to say that it was a simply wonderful picture. I guess it was so close to my heart because of the many hours I used to sit in the front room at 124 listening to 45’s on the stereo with huge headphones on. I remember vividly buying the new Abba single whenever it came out and I know that somewhere at home in Canada there is a box of 45’s somewhere packed with singles sporting the orange Abba labels. Everyone really enjoyed themselves, it was certainly a movie I would recommend without hesitation.
Tuesday – The rainy day that would never end…
Well, that was a nightmare! We were supposed to go to Warwick Castle, potter around and have some lunch and come home. I guess we knew it wasn’t going to go according to plan when the rain started and refused to stop no matter how far we drove. The turnoff from the motorway was a bone of contention, apparently the signs are not the best route to the castle! It was still pouring as we tried to find a parking spot among the thousands of cars, both lots that were relatively close to the castle were full so we ended up parking in a field in Coventry and walking 400 miles to the Castle! We had a very nice lunch at a small café just outside the town gate of the Castle called the Thomas Oken Tea Rooms. The cream tea, with scone and clotted cream with jam was wonderful and the pasty that I had (cheese and onion) was very tasty. Mum and Dad enjoyed their food too in fact our only complaint was relatively slow service. That and the fact that when we asked for more water for the tea we had to remind the young waitress that she needed to take the pot with her!
So, on to the castle. The rain had slowed a little however I had stupidly chosen to wear Crocs and I already had a chunk taken out of the top of my foot by the edge of the rubber upper. I was not the only one who had made inadvisable footwear choices with Mum wearing flip floppy type shoes that would prove no match for the rain. The Castle itself is magnificent, especially for Nicole who has not seen very many castles. The place is laid out efficiently, the modern parts are hidden from the old bits and the walkthrough is quite logically laid out. Unfortunately once we emerged from the walkthrough it was teeming with rain. We wandered over to the joust which was interesting from a distance and then Nicole and Dad went up the mound that the old castle was originally built on. From there our decision making became questionable as we decided it would be a good idea to go up the ramparts. Mum very cleverly decided not to go and sent a gimpy back surgery victim and a recent heart bypass slash hip replacement victim up a spiral staircase no wider than, well, me. The steps were slick with the rain, it took about 10 minutes to get up and by the time we made it out to the top of the keep, although very nice view-wise we were all pretty much bagged. However, the woman at the start had told us we could come down through the main gate so we skipped the EXIT sign half way down the tower of death and opted to go along to the gate. Little did we know that we would be required to go back up into the gate, down the other side and then up another torturously cramped staircase to the top of the next tower and then down again. It felt like my legs were on fire by the time we finished. We met up with Mum and headed out for the pilgrimage of the car. Again, it was teeming with rain as we walked back towards the field where the car was parked. Eventually we found a small spot of dry where the three of us hung out and waited for Dad to –very kindly- get the car. We then sat still, and I mean absolutely still, in traffic waiting about half an hour to go maybe 150 yards. This was one occasion that the British penchant for roundabouts did not make any sense at all. Had there been a cloverleaf junction the whole nightmare could have been avoided. I drifted off into a damp and cold nap state once we cleared the jam. Apparently, however, the drama did not end there. As I awoke from a short nap I found us driving along a back road, the gas gauge hovering at zero and the stark realization that we had no cell phone, we were going to be late for dinner and maybe run out of gas. We eventually found gas station, however it is the only gas station in England without a working toilet and no phone. Bingo!!!. We proceeded along to the Rec Centre where our bladder and dinner issues were resolved and back onto the motorway home.
Not to be ones to leave any time unused, we got changed and headed out to the Axe and Compass for dinner and quiz night with Stuart and Carol Prosser. The pub was quaint, a very typical English countryside pub with excellent food. Carol and Stuart were very funny and wonderful company, I recall meeting them one prior time and was glad to spend time with them again. The food was very good, in fact up until the dessert, everything was wonderful. However, as the quiz started we ordered dessert and the whole Karmic effect of the day came sharply into focus. Let me just say that the Sticky Toffee Pudding at the Axe and Compass in Hemingford Abbots is one of the top 10 things I have ever put in my mouth. Seriously, it was that good! Maybe it was the day, maybe it was the soaking skin and the freezing feet. Maybe it was the effect of the dark clouds and the misery of the weather but whatever it was, it all disappeared in the golden creamy spoonful of chocolate delight that seemed to light up the room like Jesus on a spoon! It certainly made the whole day worthwhile and while we came dead last in the quiz (not by far) it was irrelevant when compared to the spongy magnificence of the world’s best foodstuff discovered in a tiny pub in the middle of England.
Wednesday – It’s now flooding!
Sat in a car most of the day travelling to “The North” arriving in York in the pouring rain in the late afternoon with only enough time to walk around my old neighbourhood and then get back in the car to go to Loch Fyne Fish Restaurant where the prawns that I had could have been cleaned better but the STP was lighter and just as tasty as the Axe and Compass however the lack of flavour length means that the A and C still reigns as the king of STP.
Thursday – Finally the Sun!
Took 385 pictures today, that should cover what we did! Went out for dinner at the Fox and Roman with Martin and Noreen, DAL, Stuart and Jo Roberts. The food was abhorrent but it was a real treat to see the gang and to spend some time with people who I haven’t seen in so long. The debate about the location of the Off License rages on since the Fox now seems to occupy the previous location. My fish was burnt, Nicole and Dad got chicken Ceasar salads without any Chicken! The day in York was fantastic, we went everywhere!
Friday – York to Newcastle
Went out for a run this morning around the knavesmire and up the old sledging hill by the side of the old Chase Hotel which is now called something else. In the car and a long drive up to Newcastle leaving quite late. We went to the Minster in the morning and to the Dormouse pub for lunch with Pat (no Adam), Gill and Brian and Margaret (Alan’s widow).
Arrived in a place called Haltwhistle at the Centre of Britain hotel. The hotel was a surprise, quite modern rooms and spacious to boot. Went to the Golden Dragon Hotel for dinner after visiting Wydon Burn Cottage. It is quite cute, a little different than I had imagined, I think maybe bigger than I imagined. The cats are cute, Magpie is too shy to see but Chico is definitely confident in his cuteness.
Saturday – Newcastle, Me-ro cen-ah, Valencia
The Metrocentre was basically Scarborough Town Centre so no big whoop there. Dad gave us a phone because we took the train into Gateshead. Unfortunately after I answered it the first time it turned off when I put it in its pouch. Once I turned it on, it required an unlock code to work so it rang all morning without us being able to answer it. Mum and Dad were calling to tell us not to be at MandS at 1230 because the match was postponed to 5pm. Unfortunately, being unable to answer the phone and with Fiona’s number being unlisted we spent 45 minutes in the rain outside M&S waiting to be picked up. The game was spectacular, not full, but certainly a great sense of what a Prem League game would be. The Italian we wnet to for dinner was full of cougars at a hen party in other words was overrun by sad old hags in bunny ears (La Toscana). Food was average, the risotto was undercooked and underseasoned. We tried their version of STP and athough it was probably the best so far it was disqualified for cheating since the taste of Golden Syrup was overwhelming. The cake was really good, just the right consistency and degree of soak from the sauce.
We had bought some cold medication with a LOT of ephedrine so we were both pretty cranky by the end of the day. I also blew up my battery charger by plugging it into the plug in the hotel room. Nicole bought me another one from Sainsbury’s this morning.
Sunday – Newcastle to Keswick via Hadrian’s Wall
More rain and the drive to the Lakes was relatively uneventful. We had lunch in a small pub in Upper something, where they had actually fininshed lunch but were able to scratch up a plate or four for us. IT was a large traditional pork lunch with Yorkies and we also had another STP. This was not, I think, home made cake but the toffee sauce was outstanding. Again, it does not take top spot due to the slightly datey taste of the cake and the obvious fact that it was pre-made. The taste profile of the sauce however which was very thick and goopy was spectacular. We spent a few minutes wandering through Keswick main square and walking down to the lake. My batteries ran out in the camera so pictures were not as often as usual.
Monday – In The Lakes
Large breakfast, watched the Olympics for a couple of hours before Nicole woke up which has become my morning ritual this week. The Cumbrian sausage was outstanding for breakfast. The weather is rain again and slated to continue. Drive to Geoff and Jean’s and had dinner in.
Tuesday
Blackpool, mall, pants, fish and chips dinner at G and J
Wednesday
4 h drive to Hemingford dinner at Stuart and Carol, massive house
Thursday
Axe and Compass for lunch, train to London, very sore, Russel hotel, walked to Oxford street to see what was around. Dinner was street meat.
Friday
Got up early and left the hotel to do the hop on hop off thing on the Original Bus Tour. Got off at Harrods and spent 2 hours looking at stuff we could never afford including a $250,000 Breitling watch! Had coffee at the Krispy Kreme but only had one donut since they wanted $40 for 2 dozen donuts! Left and hopped back on the bus to head for Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square. Unfortunately, there was a huge TV screen in front of the column and the lions were fenced off so that the crowd could watch the Olympics. The tour was really very well done, some of the buses had live commentators, some had recorded tapes but in all they were very informational and did pass all the placed on our list. We ended up criss crossing our path a few times in order to get back to our hotel but the day was very enjoyable, although long and tiring. The weather was excellent, we both ended up with red faces after being on the open top buses all day. Apparently it is supposed to rain tomorrow afternoon so we will go to stomp and stay dry.
Garfunkels
I had chicken wings that were not crispy, although not listed as such. The taste was reasonable, a little timid but the wings had plenty of meat and were served very hot. I also had the sausage and mash which although not as good as the Cambridge Chop House, was still very flavourful and the mash was smooth and well made. The gravy was well mixed with the onions and the flavour again was pronounced and pleasant. No dessert for us today, we had enough with our 2 course lunch special and for 8.95 was very reasonable. In the evening we got back to the hotel for a nap and ended up staying in and sleeping.
Saturday
Spent a lot of the day underground. We bought tube tickets so we cold zip around town and look at stuff. We went to Bond street and Oxford street to look at the shops, Selfridges was huge which was unexpected. We had lunch at the Hog and Pound which was garbage, fish and chips that were tasteless and small I didn’t even feel like I had eaten afterwards. We went to the Natural History Museam that was a little disappointing because they have separated the dinosaurs out from the rest of the exhibition and you have to line up to get in. The rest of it was a little Science Centre-ish. I guess most of these places are the same when it comes down to it. We went to STOMP in the afternoon which was amazing, the theatre was really small but the performance was really entertaining. I was expecting more of a dance element but it was really well done. After we went back to the hotel for a nap and then went back to the café we had coffee at before the show in Leicester Square and had some great pizza. We then walked to Piccadilly Circus to see the lights (very disappointing) and then back to the hotel for a shower Big Brother and sleep ready for our big travel day tomorrow. It was the Premier League opening day however for some reason the Liverpool and Sunderland game was late starting so the only thing I got was a 0-0 update. They had better have won, I mean a loss to a shit team on opening day with their new and improved team would not be acceptable!
Sunday
Up at 7 to watch the Olympics which I have done very day for the last 9 days since the games started. It is weird here, beign closer to China the games are on during the early morning rather than late at night which it must be in Canada. We are planning to go out to breakfast, come back and pack, leave at around 11 to head home. Went to Dean’s Brasserie for breakfast and all I can say is don’t go to Dean’s Brasserie fro breakfast. It was cheap, I can say that, and I did have enough to eat but the eggs were just disgusting, the service was non existant and the organization was more than lacking. We went back to the hotel and packed our stuff and finally started out on our long trek home. The trip was relatively uneventful, mostly because we were packed in the middle 2 seats of a 4 seat wide jumbo on the way home. That will teach us to leave our check in until the airport! Remember, check in 24 hours before ONLINE!!!!
We had a small meal at the airport in the same little café that we had been in during our stopover last year. This time, we did not almost faint at the prices having been acclimatized over the last few weeks. We caught a cab from Pearson, but we were already an hour late due to a small aircraft that was flying around above Heathrow, apparently lost! Home at last, Lightning was playing the “I’m so hungry I can hardly meow properly” game but once again all was right in the world. I can’t tell you how smart we were to take Monday off work. I can’t imagine having to go into work after getting home at 8pm!