My trip to the UK!!
So, here's the narrative, enjoy!
Well, it started Monday morning, kissing Sunshine, my mother, goodbye and squishing my kitty with a hug. She wasn’t impressed. The trip to JFK was short, thankfully, and off I flew, one short hour to Washington DC. I had about 90 minutes to eat, which I did, just a salad, and checked email with the free wifi, go Regan International Airport! The flight to Atlanta, however, was a little frightening. I was landing so close to my connection, I didn’t think would make it to the next terminal! There was a quick little subway that took me there, and I BOOKED it to the gate. No problem, although the plane was HOT! I thought I’d pass out.
So, on the flight to Manchester International, I decided to watch Harry Potter 6 again, just to brush up on my British. You know, trolley on the train, everyone wearing uniforms, all that. Then “The Time Traveler’s Wife” which was incredible! And then I tried to watch “Inglorious Basterds” which I hear is fabulous. That’s nice, fabulous it may be, but not with my stomach on the plane! So, I started to watch Transformers 2, but didn’t get to finish it.
When we landed, I got in line to “land” and show my passport. My traveling companion, sheltiesong (henceforth called Sheltie), just happened to be in line behind me, filling out her own landing card. We went down to get our luggage and met our third partner in crime, rudenveryginger (henceforth called Ginger). She was just coming off of a 2-day travel to the UK. In order to get a cheap fare, her travel took…I don’t even want to know at this point.
So, there we were, at 9 AM UK time, and none of us having slept for HOURS, we hopped a train, with a TROLLEY like the Hogwarts Express, where I squeed, and we made our way to our hotel. Well done RNVG, because the bed was comfy, the place was clean, and it was right near the high street! We napped a little, then went off to our first big thing, Gareth David-Lloyd in his panto “Cinderella”.
It was opening night for him, and you could tell that they were still working out the major kinks and bugs. But you would never know it, since giggles, gaffs and ad-libs are part of the show. Gareth is letting his hair grow in, and he’s got a healthy amount of weight on him, not deathly skinny for modern television, and he looked wonderful. The young lady who played Cinderella was just gorgeous, with very wide-set eyes that gave her an exotic look. And Gareth, poor thing, had to sing some dumb High School Musical song, but he sounded really good doing it. And they did “The 12 Days of Christmas”…kinda, with a Bra that was meant to hold 3, and 5 toilet rolls…it was a stitch! Let me not forget the classic “It’s behind you” moment while some of the cast sang Ghostbusters. And the wicked step-sisters were both played by men in drag, and one hadn’t bothered to shave his chest, or arms, or shoulders, or back…it was a giggle!
Afterwards, we had a chance to say hello to Gemma, Gareth’s lovely fiancé and her ring is just to die for. She is a gorgeous woman, so lovely and well made, and they look adorable together. He wanted to leave with her, I’m positive, and we let them off to wherever they were off to. We were back to our hotel, and off to dreamland, for the next day: LONDON!
Yes, back on trains, I think that’s the only way to travel, really. I liked it much better. I wish Amtrak was that extensive. Someone I spoke with thought it was archaic, but had it all be electric, for most wasn’t, it’s a lot greener than cars! We arrived a bit late, but not because we wanted to. It just happened that way, and we sped off to our hotel to meet MJ Lee! For the first time in my life, I have never been so shocked at seeing someone. MJ considers herself fat, but she’s a fit little bitty thing, and adorable, and smart, and witty and I fell in love! I wish we were lesbians! Our room was shabby, but it had 3 cool beds. 1 twin that Ginger took, one double right next to it that Sheltie and MJ took, and the third twin, in the corner near the loo, and the window, I took. And it was off this step I kept tripping on! That annoyed me a lot.
We made our way to dinner, another Italian restaurant, the second we’d had in England, but I love Italian, so it was good. Different…but good. We then walked across the street to see “Wicked” at the Apollo Theater! I was in heaven! I had a small bottle of rose champagne, which was £15, which ended up being $24.50, which I never would pay for a glass, but hey, it’s my vacation, right? The show was amazing! I cried at the break and at the ending. Oh, and I forgot to mention the lady who busted in on me while I was trying to pee. Apparently, I jumped the queue, and I’m sorry, when I have to pee, and you just stand there not checking for empty stalls, you snooze, you lose!
Afterward, MJ felt she owed me money, since the tickets and hotel were paid for on my card, but I didn’t even consider asking for any money back…oh, gotta cash Puppeh’s check. Anyway, she bought me the necklace and earrings from Wicked that represent Elphaba. I love them! It's the hat and green crystals, and I almost got the Galinda (that's how she really spelled it) jewelry, but that was pink. And you know how I feel about pink.
How do I feel about pink? Well, it's nice on other people, but redheads...yeah, no, pink ain't for me. But I love the jewelry she did get me. And I wore it to the next function we had. Both Ginger and I went in together and bought the album of the actor who portrayed Fiero. He was very handsome, Oliver Thompsett. He's got a great voice. We even went around to the stage door to get it signed, but we didn't see him. He must have gone out earlier. But we saw Glinda and Elphaba so we could tell them how wonderful they were and we went back to the hotel.
So, we travel back to Preston the next day, which is outside Manchester where we landed, from London, and we were really tired. When we left the hotel in London, actually Croydon, we went from Victoria station down Buckingham Palace road to the front of the palace, stopping to look in the gift shop for little trinkets. I didn't see anything I really wanted, other than these AWESOME teacups from Queen Victoria's china pattern, but I didn't want to bring them home. I can order them online.
We did, however, see the greatest procession of coaches down BPR and then a procession of men on horseback with helmets and red capes, then another procession of coaches. It was something. We also got photos of the guards in formation, marching and things. It was awesome! Then, the goddam walk back to Victoria station, with the heaviest pack in the world on my back, and we made our way back to Preston, via Coventry.
Here was the first of our bad moments. Sheltie put her backpack up on an overhead rack, and since it wasn't with mine and Ginger's, she forgot to take it down when we got off the train in Coventry. We didn't even realize it until we had gotten out of the cab! Oh, there were issues. We walked to a wonderful hotel, who's name I can't remember, and they let her use the phone to try and track down the pack. Well, Sheltie was so upset. We ended up going to the Dr. Who expo there, and it was pretty neat! I have photos, and the Racnoss freaked me out! But we had a fair bit of fun, and since it was a transport museum, they had Bessie, the Doctor's...fun vehicle. It was kinda cute, tho. Poor Sheltie was in tears by the end, since her passport was in the pack. And she wasn't as much worried about that as her jewelry in the pack.
We decided to try to go back to the station that was the end of the line for the train we were on. Poor Sheltie was still upset since they didn't have the pack the last time she called. Well, as it turns out, someone turned in the pack just 20 minutes before we arrived, and she had her bag back! That was pretty damned awesome!
The first night back, we all stayed in, exhausted, but poor Sheltie slept on the floor, and I didn't like that at all. So, I took a single hotel room by myself and let Sheltie have the bed I slept in and stayed alone. I missed the chaos of staying with my friends, but I needed to repack my suitcase as well. The last night in Preston, we went to see Cinderella again, and it was just as wonderful. Gareth gave the best line evar! The Prince was speaking, and his royal assistant was giggling, the actor totally broke up over something. So Gareth looks over and shouts, "Dandini! Pay attention when I'm soliloquizing!" which turns out in Word 2007 that's a word! Gareth did not make up soliloquizing. J
He was again very gracious afterward in taking photos and signing autographs for everyone. And he took a kissyface picture with me! He's such a darling man, I love him dearly, like a little brother. I should have gone with the girls to drink in the hotel lounge, but I needed a little alone time, which isn't a slam on my company. I'm just like that. So, I went to my room, watched a little telly, checked email and went to bed.
Now, earlier that day, we were going to go to Blackburn to ANOTHER Doctor Who expo, but it turned out it had closed, so we didn't go. But we did stay at the train station to meet up with two of Ginger's friends from Glasgow, and they were two of the greatest chicks I ever met! They wanted to go check into their hotel, so Ginger went with them, and Sheltie and I set off to do a little shopping in Preston. They have a pretty nice high street, decent stores and I got a really nice fountain pen, some toffee and some books, of course. And another journal. There is truly something wrong with me and the amount of journals I purchase.
And of course, I got lost, and Sheltie and I walked way out of our way. Sorry, I'm a dunce! But we did have a nice lunch. I had a jacket potato with beans and cheese. I was really happy with that. That was the last night of our time in Preston, and our last time seeing Gareth. It was a great night.
So, the Scottish Sisters went off to Cardiff, Wales, before us, and we should have gone with them. The directions on the website on when to travel were wrong, and we not only missed our first connection, the info person put us on a train where we missed our second connection! And we had to purchase more tickets, and poor Sheltie paid for them! I felt terrible about that, but what could we do? We were following instructions from what we thought were the authorities, the website to purchase the tickets and the actual railway personnel. We had no clue otherwise.
But there was a very kind train manager who allowed us to go to a different station to get the correct train, and we finally made it to Cardiff, and it was a total joy! We got a cab to our hotel, a very nice room, and we just left our things, I put on a face, and off we went to yet ANOTHER Doctor Who expo. Although, this is a pretty big one in Cardiff, since it's just a short walk from the bay where they film the freakin' thing. Of course, we bought more crap, and then, we went to get some food. There was a little pub in the mall place, the Red Dragon Center, and we sat for some food. Well, I knew I was going to be freezing that night, so I went back to the hotel for my coat, and bought a round of drinks for the ladies as well. And had a Cosmo myself. Then, it was off to the New Theater to see John Barrowman in his panto, Robin Hood!
Oh, there was no way to prepare us for this. John came up on the “invisible lift” from beneath the stage, right in front, to smoke and fireworks! He was wearing the shirt and vest with brown velvet leggings and boots! Oh, did he look amazing! And in great spirits, as well. It was opening night, so it was the first time they had a chance to use the “night jokes.” I’m sure John does a different show from day to night. I’m sure the matinees are geared more towards children, containing less risqué material for the children.
But John didn’t disappoint us. It was £24 for the evening tickets, and I thought that was rather cheap for what we were getting, over 2 hours of well-done theater. The production value was higher than Preston, obviously, but in the true sense of a panto, Preston beat Cardiff by a mile. The skating was nice, a bunch of lifts, but because they were skating on glice, a plastic substitute for real ice, the jumps weren’t possible in the small area. But John skated as well, and we know he’s not the best, especially after falling on that poor girl’s head!
In the end, we went to the stage door to see if we could meet John, since I flew 5k miles to see the guy! But his assistant handed out autographed photos, saying that since it was opening night, he wouldn’t be coming out because his family was there. Hey, his family comes before some weird chick from Queens, even though I swear, I was almost in tears at one point, which surprised me! I felt even worse making the other people in our little group uncomfortable, so I bought the first round at the bar. Only fitting, right? And I got groped!
Get this, so I’m in this pub in Wales, right (I love starting a story like that) and these guys in lederhosen come in. I was like WTF? Well, turns out it’s one guy’s 21st birthday, which isn’t monumental for him, since they can drink at 18 (I think 18, or 16, I forget). Anyway, Ginger wants a photo with them, so of course, I go over and take the photo with her and them, and then I get pulled into a photo! Little do I know, 21-year-old has his hand on my boob, since…you can’t miss them. Well, afterward, I say thanks for the photo, he squeezes them! Like he has rights or something! I was more giggly than angry, actually. I thought it was a riot, and laughed; groped by a 12-year-old. Yeah, anyone under the age of 30 to me is 12.
We left after a drink, since we had a big day the next day. Ginger was trying to get her ticket back to Preston, and I was preparing to go to Cardiff Castle and get my sister’s lovespoon. She desperately wanted one, and I thought it was a cool idea. So, we went to the castle, and we were going to have lunch with the Scottish Sisters before one had to get her bus to Glasgow and I forget where the other one was going to get to. We went to lunch, walking around Cardiff on a Sunday, and in the late morning, early afternoon, it’s pretty buttoned up. I was surprised, since I’m used to Sundays being big shopping days and bustly.
We ate at a lovely place and enjoyed the company and the delicious food, that was just the right amount for a lunch, and not too much. It was sad to say goodbye to the sisters, but they had to travel, and I told them to take off and go, we would take our time going to the castle. I had already shopped and gotten all my Welsh toys, pens, a pin, earrings (of which I’ve already lost one), a scarf of the Roberts family tartan, the family coat of arms, my sister’s lovespoon, my own, a teeny one, a mug, things like that. I got a pin for my suit jacket lapels, since I don’t have a nice pin for that. And I think I really got some nice items.
We toured the castle, which was also a summer and Christmas home to a Scottish nobleman, the Marques of Bute (pronounced boot), and his family. Now, the house itself and décor are around 150 years old, but as we toured them, it didn’t feel as though it was at all old, the way it would in America. There was a tree in the courtyard of the castle and keep, and I figured, it had to be older than the US, to be honest. The Keep, which was separate from the castle home, where the battlements were, had a moat, and was over a thousand years old. It was just incredible to walk up and down the teeny winding steps, knowing that someone my height was an oddity in a man, much less a woman. But it was getting late, and cold, so we bought MORE SHIT at the gift shop, or I did, and we hopped on a bus this time, and went down to the bay. And yeah, while it’s amazing in the daytime, it’s gorgeous at night! The plass is lit with multicolored changing lights, and it was just incredible! I had a lovely time there, and we went to a noodle shop to get dinner, where there was a boy who was going to New York to visit the day after I went home.
He wanted to know, of all places, where Hooters was. How silly! But I told him, and then told him more things to see and do. I hope he’s enjoying the cold! Then, we started back to the hotel, and of course, I’m the LAST person to lead the group, since I got Sheltie and I so magnificently lost in Preston, a teeny town. I was bound to get us killed in Cardiff! And I know, Ginger, you were right, you had the correct direction, I’m so sorry! We ended up at the St. David’s hotel & spa, where John used to live, and they called us a cab back to the hotel, because poor Ginger was still not well from her accident, and was totally freezing. I didn’t blame her, I was kinda cold myself.
We all began packing for the next day, since it was our last night there. It was a quiet, somber night. Poor Sheltie had a 6AM flight, and needed to be at the airport super early. So, I don’t think she slept at all. Then Ginger had to go at 7:15 AM for her bus. I hugged Sheltie goodbye before I settled off to sleep, and Ginger went to bed not too late after that. I heard the door slam, and why that door always slammed we still can’t fathom. Then, my alarm went off, and I hugged Ginger tight, and she was gone. I was the only one left. My flight wasn’t until 11:50 AM, so there started my adventure.
I showered and dressed quickly, dried my hair and packed my bags up so they were ready to go. It was only 8:07 AM, so I ventured down to the bay again. The sun was just coming up, after I went to the cashpoint to get my cab fare to the airport. If Roald Dahl Plass was pretty at night, it was even better at sunrise. I got photos of the Millennium Centre again, and the Torchwood water tower, and I stuck my hand in the water the night before. And the Christmas tree there, and the plass itself. Then I went to the Ianto Shrine where I snapped daylight photos of everything. Then I went in search of the mermaid…at Mermaid Quay. Yes, I was led to believe there’s a statue of a mermaid at the quay, in addition to the little family with the doggie, and the circle thing, and the prow of the ship in the face of a lamenting man, otherwise known as the Face of Bow. (Bow not Boe…heh!) But alaos, no mermaid. I walked back in the cold morning to the hotel, got my bags, checked out and went to the airport. This starts another adventure!
First, the window for KLM wasn’t open yet. I was freaking out, since I had to check in for my flights! Well, they didn’t open too much later and I checked in, chose my seats, and went up to the gate. I got a book and some breakfast, then went through security to wait for the plane to start boarding. Well…this was fun for me! I found a Ty Beanie Baby of the Welsh red dragon, and I named him Fiero! Yes, after the one from Wicked, but for a dragon, Fiero is a perfect name.
Then I sat to wait, not too long. Here’s the problem: Cardiff International Airport doesn’t have a jetway…so I had to walk onto the tarmac and up the stairs, the way the Beatles got off the plane at Idlewild/JFK back in the day! It was kinda fun in a retro sort of way. The plane ride to Amsterdam was only an hour, like a flight to DC or Boston. Then, the wait at THAT airport for my next flight. Of course, I shopped for trinkets and magnets and a pen and journal. Of course. And then the REALLY long walk to the next gate. Well, Schiphol airport has these small, cool as hell, FREE carts for your things. So, heavy laptop bag on the bottom, purse in front, off I went to find my gate. Then, I sat to read. And then, before I knew it, through the next security check, just before you get on the plane, which is cool as hell, and then on the plane.
I felt bad for my seatmates, really. The daughter was airsick and hated the food. It was penne with gorgonzola cream sauce with spinach in it, and I thought that for airline food, it was pretty good. She was ill, and I made the flight attendant bring her ginger ale and a stomach lozenge. She fell asleep and all was well. Until her mother couldn’t sit in the seat any longer, and needed to get up and disturb me…but hey, she was very nice about it. I helped her write down the places she wanted to see in NYC, and helped her with her landing paperwork, and then, I went through immigration, with a laugh from the officer there since I didn’t have my famous red lipstick on, and then Customs was a DARLING and let me through without searching my bags, even though it was all in my checked luggage (on purpose!) and I got in the cab, went home, ate my dinner (my mother made me my favorite pasta dish, love her), snuggled my cat and went to sleep!
Pretty much, that was the trip in total. I know I’m forgetting some things, but they were minor, and if I can’t remember only a week later, I’ll never remember them! I had a wonderful time, and as I walked through my own neighborhood the very next day…I wondered why I was there and when I could get back to the UK again!
If you get the chance…GO!
I'm disabling comments because I'm going to post this without an f-lock so people who don't have LJs can read it, but I don't want random anonymous comments from tossers! If you love me, you have my email to make comments. :)
Well, it started Monday morning, kissing Sunshine, my mother, goodbye and squishing my kitty with a hug. She wasn’t impressed. The trip to JFK was short, thankfully, and off I flew, one short hour to Washington DC. I had about 90 minutes to eat, which I did, just a salad, and checked email with the free wifi, go Regan International Airport! The flight to Atlanta, however, was a little frightening. I was landing so close to my connection, I didn’t think would make it to the next terminal! There was a quick little subway that took me there, and I BOOKED it to the gate. No problem, although the plane was HOT! I thought I’d pass out.
So, on the flight to Manchester International, I decided to watch Harry Potter 6 again, just to brush up on my British. You know, trolley on the train, everyone wearing uniforms, all that. Then “The Time Traveler’s Wife” which was incredible! And then I tried to watch “Inglorious Basterds” which I hear is fabulous. That’s nice, fabulous it may be, but not with my stomach on the plane! So, I started to watch Transformers 2, but didn’t get to finish it.
When we landed, I got in line to “land” and show my passport. My traveling companion, sheltiesong (henceforth called Sheltie), just happened to be in line behind me, filling out her own landing card. We went down to get our luggage and met our third partner in crime, rudenveryginger (henceforth called Ginger). She was just coming off of a 2-day travel to the UK. In order to get a cheap fare, her travel took…I don’t even want to know at this point.
So, there we were, at 9 AM UK time, and none of us having slept for HOURS, we hopped a train, with a TROLLEY like the Hogwarts Express, where I squeed, and we made our way to our hotel. Well done RNVG, because the bed was comfy, the place was clean, and it was right near the high street! We napped a little, then went off to our first big thing, Gareth David-Lloyd in his panto “Cinderella”.
It was opening night for him, and you could tell that they were still working out the major kinks and bugs. But you would never know it, since giggles, gaffs and ad-libs are part of the show. Gareth is letting his hair grow in, and he’s got a healthy amount of weight on him, not deathly skinny for modern television, and he looked wonderful. The young lady who played Cinderella was just gorgeous, with very wide-set eyes that gave her an exotic look. And Gareth, poor thing, had to sing some dumb High School Musical song, but he sounded really good doing it. And they did “The 12 Days of Christmas”…kinda, with a Bra that was meant to hold 3, and 5 toilet rolls…it was a stitch! Let me not forget the classic “It’s behind you” moment while some of the cast sang Ghostbusters. And the wicked step-sisters were both played by men in drag, and one hadn’t bothered to shave his chest, or arms, or shoulders, or back…it was a giggle!
Afterwards, we had a chance to say hello to Gemma, Gareth’s lovely fiancé and her ring is just to die for. She is a gorgeous woman, so lovely and well made, and they look adorable together. He wanted to leave with her, I’m positive, and we let them off to wherever they were off to. We were back to our hotel, and off to dreamland, for the next day: LONDON!
Yes, back on trains, I think that’s the only way to travel, really. I liked it much better. I wish Amtrak was that extensive. Someone I spoke with thought it was archaic, but had it all be electric, for most wasn’t, it’s a lot greener than cars! We arrived a bit late, but not because we wanted to. It just happened that way, and we sped off to our hotel to meet MJ Lee! For the first time in my life, I have never been so shocked at seeing someone. MJ considers herself fat, but she’s a fit little bitty thing, and adorable, and smart, and witty and I fell in love! I wish we were lesbians! Our room was shabby, but it had 3 cool beds. 1 twin that Ginger took, one double right next to it that Sheltie and MJ took, and the third twin, in the corner near the loo, and the window, I took. And it was off this step I kept tripping on! That annoyed me a lot.
We made our way to dinner, another Italian restaurant, the second we’d had in England, but I love Italian, so it was good. Different…but good. We then walked across the street to see “Wicked” at the Apollo Theater! I was in heaven! I had a small bottle of rose champagne, which was £15, which ended up being $24.50, which I never would pay for a glass, but hey, it’s my vacation, right? The show was amazing! I cried at the break and at the ending. Oh, and I forgot to mention the lady who busted in on me while I was trying to pee. Apparently, I jumped the queue, and I’m sorry, when I have to pee, and you just stand there not checking for empty stalls, you snooze, you lose!
Afterward, MJ felt she owed me money, since the tickets and hotel were paid for on my card, but I didn’t even consider asking for any money back…oh, gotta cash Puppeh’s check. Anyway, she bought me the necklace and earrings from Wicked that represent Elphaba. I love them! It's the hat and green crystals, and I almost got the Galinda (that's how she really spelled it) jewelry, but that was pink. And you know how I feel about pink.
How do I feel about pink? Well, it's nice on other people, but redheads...yeah, no, pink ain't for me. But I love the jewelry she did get me. And I wore it to the next function we had. Both Ginger and I went in together and bought the album of the actor who portrayed Fiero. He was very handsome, Oliver Thompsett. He's got a great voice. We even went around to the stage door to get it signed, but we didn't see him. He must have gone out earlier. But we saw Glinda and Elphaba so we could tell them how wonderful they were and we went back to the hotel.
So, we travel back to Preston the next day, which is outside Manchester where we landed, from London, and we were really tired. When we left the hotel in London, actually Croydon, we went from Victoria station down Buckingham Palace road to the front of the palace, stopping to look in the gift shop for little trinkets. I didn't see anything I really wanted, other than these AWESOME teacups from Queen Victoria's china pattern, but I didn't want to bring them home. I can order them online.
We did, however, see the greatest procession of coaches down BPR and then a procession of men on horseback with helmets and red capes, then another procession of coaches. It was something. We also got photos of the guards in formation, marching and things. It was awesome! Then, the goddam walk back to Victoria station, with the heaviest pack in the world on my back, and we made our way back to Preston, via Coventry.
Here was the first of our bad moments. Sheltie put her backpack up on an overhead rack, and since it wasn't with mine and Ginger's, she forgot to take it down when we got off the train in Coventry. We didn't even realize it until we had gotten out of the cab! Oh, there were issues. We walked to a wonderful hotel, who's name I can't remember, and they let her use the phone to try and track down the pack. Well, Sheltie was so upset. We ended up going to the Dr. Who expo there, and it was pretty neat! I have photos, and the Racnoss freaked me out! But we had a fair bit of fun, and since it was a transport museum, they had Bessie, the Doctor's...fun vehicle. It was kinda cute, tho. Poor Sheltie was in tears by the end, since her passport was in the pack. And she wasn't as much worried about that as her jewelry in the pack.
We decided to try to go back to the station that was the end of the line for the train we were on. Poor Sheltie was still upset since they didn't have the pack the last time she called. Well, as it turns out, someone turned in the pack just 20 minutes before we arrived, and she had her bag back! That was pretty damned awesome!
The first night back, we all stayed in, exhausted, but poor Sheltie slept on the floor, and I didn't like that at all. So, I took a single hotel room by myself and let Sheltie have the bed I slept in and stayed alone. I missed the chaos of staying with my friends, but I needed to repack my suitcase as well. The last night in Preston, we went to see Cinderella again, and it was just as wonderful. Gareth gave the best line evar! The Prince was speaking, and his royal assistant was giggling, the actor totally broke up over something. So Gareth looks over and shouts, "Dandini! Pay attention when I'm soliloquizing!" which turns out in Word 2007 that's a word! Gareth did not make up soliloquizing. J
He was again very gracious afterward in taking photos and signing autographs for everyone. And he took a kissyface picture with me! He's such a darling man, I love him dearly, like a little brother. I should have gone with the girls to drink in the hotel lounge, but I needed a little alone time, which isn't a slam on my company. I'm just like that. So, I went to my room, watched a little telly, checked email and went to bed.
Now, earlier that day, we were going to go to Blackburn to ANOTHER Doctor Who expo, but it turned out it had closed, so we didn't go. But we did stay at the train station to meet up with two of Ginger's friends from Glasgow, and they were two of the greatest chicks I ever met! They wanted to go check into their hotel, so Ginger went with them, and Sheltie and I set off to do a little shopping in Preston. They have a pretty nice high street, decent stores and I got a really nice fountain pen, some toffee and some books, of course. And another journal. There is truly something wrong with me and the amount of journals I purchase.
And of course, I got lost, and Sheltie and I walked way out of our way. Sorry, I'm a dunce! But we did have a nice lunch. I had a jacket potato with beans and cheese. I was really happy with that. That was the last night of our time in Preston, and our last time seeing Gareth. It was a great night.
So, the Scottish Sisters went off to Cardiff, Wales, before us, and we should have gone with them. The directions on the website on when to travel were wrong, and we not only missed our first connection, the info person put us on a train where we missed our second connection! And we had to purchase more tickets, and poor Sheltie paid for them! I felt terrible about that, but what could we do? We were following instructions from what we thought were the authorities, the website to purchase the tickets and the actual railway personnel. We had no clue otherwise.
But there was a very kind train manager who allowed us to go to a different station to get the correct train, and we finally made it to Cardiff, and it was a total joy! We got a cab to our hotel, a very nice room, and we just left our things, I put on a face, and off we went to yet ANOTHER Doctor Who expo. Although, this is a pretty big one in Cardiff, since it's just a short walk from the bay where they film the freakin' thing. Of course, we bought more crap, and then, we went to get some food. There was a little pub in the mall place, the Red Dragon Center, and we sat for some food. Well, I knew I was going to be freezing that night, so I went back to the hotel for my coat, and bought a round of drinks for the ladies as well. And had a Cosmo myself. Then, it was off to the New Theater to see John Barrowman in his panto, Robin Hood!
Oh, there was no way to prepare us for this. John came up on the “invisible lift” from beneath the stage, right in front, to smoke and fireworks! He was wearing the shirt and vest with brown velvet leggings and boots! Oh, did he look amazing! And in great spirits, as well. It was opening night, so it was the first time they had a chance to use the “night jokes.” I’m sure John does a different show from day to night. I’m sure the matinees are geared more towards children, containing less risqué material for the children.
But John didn’t disappoint us. It was £24 for the evening tickets, and I thought that was rather cheap for what we were getting, over 2 hours of well-done theater. The production value was higher than Preston, obviously, but in the true sense of a panto, Preston beat Cardiff by a mile. The skating was nice, a bunch of lifts, but because they were skating on glice, a plastic substitute for real ice, the jumps weren’t possible in the small area. But John skated as well, and we know he’s not the best, especially after falling on that poor girl’s head!
In the end, we went to the stage door to see if we could meet John, since I flew 5k miles to see the guy! But his assistant handed out autographed photos, saying that since it was opening night, he wouldn’t be coming out because his family was there. Hey, his family comes before some weird chick from Queens, even though I swear, I was almost in tears at one point, which surprised me! I felt even worse making the other people in our little group uncomfortable, so I bought the first round at the bar. Only fitting, right? And I got groped!
Get this, so I’m in this pub in Wales, right (I love starting a story like that) and these guys in lederhosen come in. I was like WTF? Well, turns out it’s one guy’s 21st birthday, which isn’t monumental for him, since they can drink at 18 (I think 18, or 16, I forget). Anyway, Ginger wants a photo with them, so of course, I go over and take the photo with her and them, and then I get pulled into a photo! Little do I know, 21-year-old has his hand on my boob, since…you can’t miss them. Well, afterward, I say thanks for the photo, he squeezes them! Like he has rights or something! I was more giggly than angry, actually. I thought it was a riot, and laughed; groped by a 12-year-old. Yeah, anyone under the age of 30 to me is 12.
We left after a drink, since we had a big day the next day. Ginger was trying to get her ticket back to Preston, and I was preparing to go to Cardiff Castle and get my sister’s lovespoon. She desperately wanted one, and I thought it was a cool idea. So, we went to the castle, and we were going to have lunch with the Scottish Sisters before one had to get her bus to Glasgow and I forget where the other one was going to get to. We went to lunch, walking around Cardiff on a Sunday, and in the late morning, early afternoon, it’s pretty buttoned up. I was surprised, since I’m used to Sundays being big shopping days and bustly.
We ate at a lovely place and enjoyed the company and the delicious food, that was just the right amount for a lunch, and not too much. It was sad to say goodbye to the sisters, but they had to travel, and I told them to take off and go, we would take our time going to the castle. I had already shopped and gotten all my Welsh toys, pens, a pin, earrings (of which I’ve already lost one), a scarf of the Roberts family tartan, the family coat of arms, my sister’s lovespoon, my own, a teeny one, a mug, things like that. I got a pin for my suit jacket lapels, since I don’t have a nice pin for that. And I think I really got some nice items.
We toured the castle, which was also a summer and Christmas home to a Scottish nobleman, the Marques of Bute (pronounced boot), and his family. Now, the house itself and décor are around 150 years old, but as we toured them, it didn’t feel as though it was at all old, the way it would in America. There was a tree in the courtyard of the castle and keep, and I figured, it had to be older than the US, to be honest. The Keep, which was separate from the castle home, where the battlements were, had a moat, and was over a thousand years old. It was just incredible to walk up and down the teeny winding steps, knowing that someone my height was an oddity in a man, much less a woman. But it was getting late, and cold, so we bought MORE SHIT at the gift shop, or I did, and we hopped on a bus this time, and went down to the bay. And yeah, while it’s amazing in the daytime, it’s gorgeous at night! The plass is lit with multicolored changing lights, and it was just incredible! I had a lovely time there, and we went to a noodle shop to get dinner, where there was a boy who was going to New York to visit the day after I went home.
He wanted to know, of all places, where Hooters was. How silly! But I told him, and then told him more things to see and do. I hope he’s enjoying the cold! Then, we started back to the hotel, and of course, I’m the LAST person to lead the group, since I got Sheltie and I so magnificently lost in Preston, a teeny town. I was bound to get us killed in Cardiff! And I know, Ginger, you were right, you had the correct direction, I’m so sorry! We ended up at the St. David’s hotel & spa, where John used to live, and they called us a cab back to the hotel, because poor Ginger was still not well from her accident, and was totally freezing. I didn’t blame her, I was kinda cold myself.
We all began packing for the next day, since it was our last night there. It was a quiet, somber night. Poor Sheltie had a 6AM flight, and needed to be at the airport super early. So, I don’t think she slept at all. Then Ginger had to go at 7:15 AM for her bus. I hugged Sheltie goodbye before I settled off to sleep, and Ginger went to bed not too late after that. I heard the door slam, and why that door always slammed we still can’t fathom. Then, my alarm went off, and I hugged Ginger tight, and she was gone. I was the only one left. My flight wasn’t until 11:50 AM, so there started my adventure.
I showered and dressed quickly, dried my hair and packed my bags up so they were ready to go. It was only 8:07 AM, so I ventured down to the bay again. The sun was just coming up, after I went to the cashpoint to get my cab fare to the airport. If Roald Dahl Plass was pretty at night, it was even better at sunrise. I got photos of the Millennium Centre again, and the Torchwood water tower, and I stuck my hand in the water the night before. And the Christmas tree there, and the plass itself. Then I went to the Ianto Shrine where I snapped daylight photos of everything. Then I went in search of the mermaid…at Mermaid Quay. Yes, I was led to believe there’s a statue of a mermaid at the quay, in addition to the little family with the doggie, and the circle thing, and the prow of the ship in the face of a lamenting man, otherwise known as the Face of Bow. (Bow not Boe…heh!) But alaos, no mermaid. I walked back in the cold morning to the hotel, got my bags, checked out and went to the airport. This starts another adventure!
First, the window for KLM wasn’t open yet. I was freaking out, since I had to check in for my flights! Well, they didn’t open too much later and I checked in, chose my seats, and went up to the gate. I got a book and some breakfast, then went through security to wait for the plane to start boarding. Well…this was fun for me! I found a Ty Beanie Baby of the Welsh red dragon, and I named him Fiero! Yes, after the one from Wicked, but for a dragon, Fiero is a perfect name.
Then I sat to wait, not too long. Here’s the problem: Cardiff International Airport doesn’t have a jetway…so I had to walk onto the tarmac and up the stairs, the way the Beatles got off the plane at Idlewild/JFK back in the day! It was kinda fun in a retro sort of way. The plane ride to Amsterdam was only an hour, like a flight to DC or Boston. Then, the wait at THAT airport for my next flight. Of course, I shopped for trinkets and magnets and a pen and journal. Of course. And then the REALLY long walk to the next gate. Well, Schiphol airport has these small, cool as hell, FREE carts for your things. So, heavy laptop bag on the bottom, purse in front, off I went to find my gate. Then, I sat to read. And then, before I knew it, through the next security check, just before you get on the plane, which is cool as hell, and then on the plane.
I felt bad for my seatmates, really. The daughter was airsick and hated the food. It was penne with gorgonzola cream sauce with spinach in it, and I thought that for airline food, it was pretty good. She was ill, and I made the flight attendant bring her ginger ale and a stomach lozenge. She fell asleep and all was well. Until her mother couldn’t sit in the seat any longer, and needed to get up and disturb me…but hey, she was very nice about it. I helped her write down the places she wanted to see in NYC, and helped her with her landing paperwork, and then, I went through immigration, with a laugh from the officer there since I didn’t have my famous red lipstick on, and then Customs was a DARLING and let me through without searching my bags, even though it was all in my checked luggage (on purpose!) and I got in the cab, went home, ate my dinner (my mother made me my favorite pasta dish, love her), snuggled my cat and went to sleep!
Pretty much, that was the trip in total. I know I’m forgetting some things, but they were minor, and if I can’t remember only a week later, I’ll never remember them! I had a wonderful time, and as I walked through my own neighborhood the very next day…I wondered why I was there and when I could get back to the UK again!
If you get the chance…GO!
I'm disabling comments because I'm going to post this without an f-lock so people who don't have LJs can read it, but I don't want random anonymous comments from tossers! If you love me, you have my email to make comments. :)