Stratford-Upon-Avon: Days 1-2
I am arrived. At long last.
My drama started day before last, when the airport van was late picking me up for my 6:00PM flight. Turns out the rather dim driver was late arriving and then parked at the service entrance while I waited at the obvious main lobby. Duh. So we crept through rush-hour traffic to the international terminal where it turns out my Virgin Atlantic flight had been cancelled. Technical difficulties they said. I'm thinking maybe the flight wasn't full enough. We pissed off passengers were booked on American Airlines. I luckily got the packed 9:50PM flight out. I got sat (hey, I'm in Britain now) on the aisle (YAY!) in the middle section with a bunch of rowdy college kids. Happily the kids eventually settled down after the flight attendants very quickly fed and put us to bed. I'm serious; they turned down the lights less than 2 hours after taking off. To my delight, my seatmate wanted to chatter elsewhere, and I shared her old seat with a girl who was on her other side. The middle section is always cold, but mummified in blankets, I managed to nap for about 3 hours.
We arrived at London Heathrow at 11:15AM. I keep forgetting that American terminals have nothing on looooong walks in Healthrow. I zipped through customs (no lines!). My bag showed up (because I packed a tote?) and customs ignored me. My carribean drug courier profiled face was seriously eyeballed but they leaped on a poor man who looked Middle Eastern with four enormous bags. So then it was the Tube to Marylebone Station (with thankfully one change) where I just missed the train to Stratford. Two cold hours later (forgot about the british aversion to heat and outer wear) I was on the 3:00PM train. I do love Brit Rail. The trains are so clean, quiet and fast. The 2 1/2 hour trip was speedy since I kept passing out. Adelphi Guest House, the victorian B&B was kinda Down the Road Apiece, but I arrived safely finally at about 5:30PM. The room is COLD but clean and a bit small for three people. There is a four poster double bed, a single bed, a sink and teensy shower. I've talked to Ellen, the owner. When Steph and Elsa arrive, she will discuss more options with us. Jet lagged to hell, I dined at Vitner's, an upscale place in town centre. (Trina, I had braised lamb shank with mashed potatoes, veggie medley, riesling and bailey's cheesecake. It was all good). Amazingly, I found my way back to the B&B in the dark. The room has this strange thing going on: the room itself is cold. The comforter is nice but too hot. So the rest of the evening was watching the telly, passing out, sweating to death, drying out, shivering, rinse and repeat. I feverishly dreamed of naked DT, vicious comforters and unsuccessfully trying to get the room light to turn on. Hmm.
This morning, I eyeballed the tiny shower inexplicably in the corner of the room that wouldn't fit one arse cheek and opted for the regular bathroom down the hall. It is newish and shower accomodated my whole body. Breakfast was in the lovely front parlor where I dined on smoked salmon with scrambled eggs, OJ, Earl Grey tea and wheat toast. At my table was fellow American whovian and LJer who was on her way to a Torchwood convention in Northhampton. She saw DT in LLL last night and raved about him. She was sad she couldn't get tickets to Hamlet but her heart belonged to John Barrowman who will be at the Torchwood con. Hee. Such a small world. Ellen went on how the RSC and DT had boosted business like crazy and how she desperately wanted him to come back. Also the blogger of Flickr Philosophy (she of the Summer of David Tennant) had just stayed at the B&B for 10 days. And I know for a fact the fan club from D-T.com is here. Oh, BTW, the owners have three dogs, a bichon frise, a yorkie, and cute reddish pom mix named Suki! I got some needed puppy therapy.
Right now I'm in a cyber cafe blogging. Steph is due in about 1/2 to 1 1/2 hours. She's driving up, jet lagged, poor dear. I do hope she doesn't fall asleep and snore tonight during LLL tonight. But then again, I will be able to say "hey Steph, remember when you fell asleep and snored and DT pointed at you and laughed and you missed the whole thing?" Hee.
Times a'paying. Time to scarper. Will post more tomorrow.
My drama started day before last, when the airport van was late picking me up for my 6:00PM flight. Turns out the rather dim driver was late arriving and then parked at the service entrance while I waited at the obvious main lobby. Duh. So we crept through rush-hour traffic to the international terminal where it turns out my Virgin Atlantic flight had been cancelled. Technical difficulties they said. I'm thinking maybe the flight wasn't full enough. We pissed off passengers were booked on American Airlines. I luckily got the packed 9:50PM flight out. I got sat (hey, I'm in Britain now) on the aisle (YAY!) in the middle section with a bunch of rowdy college kids. Happily the kids eventually settled down after the flight attendants very quickly fed and put us to bed. I'm serious; they turned down the lights less than 2 hours after taking off. To my delight, my seatmate wanted to chatter elsewhere, and I shared her old seat with a girl who was on her other side. The middle section is always cold, but mummified in blankets, I managed to nap for about 3 hours.
We arrived at London Heathrow at 11:15AM. I keep forgetting that American terminals have nothing on looooong walks in Healthrow. I zipped through customs (no lines!). My bag showed up (because I packed a tote?) and customs ignored me. My carribean drug courier profiled face was seriously eyeballed but they leaped on a poor man who looked Middle Eastern with four enormous bags. So then it was the Tube to Marylebone Station (with thankfully one change) where I just missed the train to Stratford. Two cold hours later (forgot about the british aversion to heat and outer wear) I was on the 3:00PM train. I do love Brit Rail. The trains are so clean, quiet and fast. The 2 1/2 hour trip was speedy since I kept passing out. Adelphi Guest House, the victorian B&B was kinda Down the Road Apiece, but I arrived safely finally at about 5:30PM. The room is COLD but clean and a bit small for three people. There is a four poster double bed, a single bed, a sink and teensy shower. I've talked to Ellen, the owner. When Steph and Elsa arrive, she will discuss more options with us. Jet lagged to hell, I dined at Vitner's, an upscale place in town centre. (Trina, I had braised lamb shank with mashed potatoes, veggie medley, riesling and bailey's cheesecake. It was all good). Amazingly, I found my way back to the B&B in the dark. The room has this strange thing going on: the room itself is cold. The comforter is nice but too hot. So the rest of the evening was watching the telly, passing out, sweating to death, drying out, shivering, rinse and repeat. I feverishly dreamed of naked DT, vicious comforters and unsuccessfully trying to get the room light to turn on. Hmm.
This morning, I eyeballed the tiny shower inexplicably in the corner of the room that wouldn't fit one arse cheek and opted for the regular bathroom down the hall. It is newish and shower accomodated my whole body. Breakfast was in the lovely front parlor where I dined on smoked salmon with scrambled eggs, OJ, Earl Grey tea and wheat toast. At my table was fellow American whovian and LJer who was on her way to a Torchwood convention in Northhampton. She saw DT in LLL last night and raved about him. She was sad she couldn't get tickets to Hamlet but her heart belonged to John Barrowman who will be at the Torchwood con. Hee. Such a small world. Ellen went on how the RSC and DT had boosted business like crazy and how she desperately wanted him to come back. Also the blogger of Flickr Philosophy (she of the Summer of David Tennant) had just stayed at the B&B for 10 days. And I know for a fact the fan club from D-T.com is here. Oh, BTW, the owners have three dogs, a bichon frise, a yorkie, and cute reddish pom mix named Suki! I got some needed puppy therapy.
Right now I'm in a cyber cafe blogging. Steph is due in about 1/2 to 1 1/2 hours. She's driving up, jet lagged, poor dear. I do hope she doesn't fall asleep and snore tonight during LLL tonight. But then again, I will be able to say "hey Steph, remember when you fell asleep and snored and DT pointed at you and laughed and you missed the whole thing?" Hee.
Times a'paying. Time to scarper. Will post more tomorrow.