UK TRIP 2022 – PART XII

 May 19, 2022

Belfast to London to L.A.

We slept fitfully worried about what our day of travel would bring. We were awake well before our alarm, so we showered, dressed, and finished packing. All the dirty clothes went into my suitcase, while nearly everything else went into Larry’s. I carried most of the souvenirs and gifts, along with my computer, in my under-seat carry-on. Larry had his usual stuff and his iPad in his backpack.

We joined a large tour group in the dining room for breakfast. Then we returned to our suite to brush our teeth and make a last check before we went downstairs to check out.

Recovered our car keys and loaded the bags. Then one last trip, this time to the Belfast City Airport. Once again, Larry had written down the turn-by turn directions, and these were easy to use.

We followed the signs to the Hertz car return. No one there yet, but fortunately, there were written directions. We left the car and made our way into the terminal. We located the Hertz desk and turned in the key.

Then we tried to check in for our flight, but it was still nearly three hours before the scheduled time, and they didn’t begin check-in until two hours ahead. So, we found a place to sit and wait.

Finally, we got in line to check in. (The flight was showing a fifteen-minute delay from the schedule. Situation normal for flights on this trip.)

While we waited, we decided to check our two rolling bags all the way through to L.A. rather than put them in the overhead storage. This meant we only had to carry our under-seat bags. This turned out to be a good choice.

The actual check-in was easy and relatively quick.

Then we went through the security check with the normal hassles…

Flying is NOT fun anymore.

Just like the other flights we had been on in the UK, the departure board did not list the departure gate until right before it began boarding. So, we sat around and waited for the gate listing.

They announced the gate, but it wasn’t listed on the board. We moved with the crowd toward gate four. Finally, about five minutes later, the gate number finally appeared on the board. Fortunately, it was Gate 4.

Of course, this gate was the farthest from the waiting area.

When we arrived, they told us to have a seat since they weren’t actually ready for us. Half an hour later, they finally called for boarding. We discovered this short flight to London boarded via a stairway rather than a jetway. Once again, we were happy we had decided to check our rolling bags all the way through.

We reached Heathrow an hour later than scheduled. We were originally scheduled for a three-hour layover. But they didn’t have a gate for us.

They finally found one, but we were stuck on the plane for another half hour because the gate we had been assigned was for international flights, and our flight was domestic…

They called for “coaches” (busses) to transport us to the correct terminal where we could get our connecting flight. Of course, there was another very long walk to get to the international terminal, followed by another security check since we were now boarding an international flight.

When we finally reached the departure lounge, we discovered the flight would be delayed. (No surprise.) The gate number had been posted, so we took the connecting train to the “B” gates. It was another long hike to our gate—once again the farthest one.

Of course, when we got there, we were told to have a seat…

The flight was ultimately delayed well over an hour. Finally, they began allowing us to go down to the jetway. Thank God we were allowed to use the jetway this time, although some passengers had to use roll-up stairs. With all the walking, our decision to check our larger bags was supported. (Ours were still pretty small. Several others brought much larger bags onto the plane.)

Once again, Julie had reserved the first row at the back with only two seats on the side. Great place to sit. Just the two of us together.

Again, we watched movies during the flight. We actually saw the same ones at the same time. (Jumanji, Back to the Jungle and Super Intelligent, which we both liked.) Then we each watched different films. I sat through Licorice Pizza, which I HATED. I also watched Can You Ever Forgive Me. Interesting true story. I also started a couple of other films, which I gave up on.

We ate lunch. I gave most of mine to Larry.

Near the end of the flight, we were served another meal. Once again, Larry got a lot of mine.

Because we were near the back of the plane, we were among the last to exit. Then we had the long, long trek to passport control. It certainly went much faster than the last time we were there. We spent about two hours in 2016. This time, the lines moved quickly. We then had another long hike to baggage claim and a bit of a wait for our bags.

Larry called Danny of Angel’s Transport. He was waiting outside the airport for our call. We still had to wait about fifteen minutes for him to reach our location.

Finally, we had our bags loaded and were ready to make our way home.

About halfway there, Larry started sneezing like crazy. Fortunately, I had a pack of tissues in my purse. We both figured his hay fever was acting up. However, by the next day, it had developed into a full-blown cold. [The lady in front of us on the plane coughed quite a bit during the flight. I suspect he caught it from her.] Larry took a Covid test the next morning. It showed negative. So, it was just an ordinary cold.

By the time we got home, it was after ten o’clock the night of the 20th. Since we had put in a nearly twenty-three-hour day, we were more than ready to climb into our own bed. Boy, did it feel good!

Last Thoughts

1.    Traveling isn’t as much fun anymore. Flights are a hassle, and everything takes much longer. Every airport has different rules—the ones in Glasgow surrounding liquids were absurd.

2.    Cars were the bane of our existence on this trip. Almost nothing went right.

3.    Seeing my cousins was worth all the problems. Love them!

4.    We were able to fulfill our promise to take Kathleen’s ashes back to Ireland, and we were glad we were finally able to do it.

5.    Afternoon tea in London was a great treat.

6.    London is a great walking city. We only took the tube once, and that time mostly just so we could say we’d done it.

7.    We probably won’t be making another long trip any time soon. (But then, we say this nearly every time we come home.)

UK TRIP 2022 – PART XI

 May 19, 2022

Hill of Tara

Our room was HOT during the night. I got up a couple of times to try to reset the air conditioner. However, it didn’t work. So, on our way to breakfast, we asked to have it fixed.

Following breakfast, we returned to our room and got ready for the long drive south to the Hill of Tara. We had promised my best friend, Kathleen Murphy Stewart, we would take some of her ashes there several years before she died in 2020.

Larry was stressed even before we left, concerned about the long drive, crossing the border from Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland, and finding the location. Fortunately, we had Rick Steves’s maps to help a bit for this trip.

We stopped by the concierge desk and asked Philip the best way to get there. Jean and Owen had told us we would need euros for the tolls, so she gave us some. (We only had brought pounds, although we actually used few of them—mostly for our laundry.)

We had charted the route on the Rick Steves map, but it wasn’t nearly detailed enough. Once again, Larry had written the turn-by-turn directions. Philip called it up on Google Maps for us on his computer. He tried to print it out, but his printer didn’t work. He made a few notes for us of milestones to look for. Drogheda was key.

Then we finally hit the road.

The border crossing was a non-event. Just a sign along the road: Welcome to the Republic of Ireland.

As usual, the major motorways were fairly easy to follow, but when we got off those, the route became convoluted.

We followed Larry’s written instructions, but we must have made an error because we realized we were headed in the wrong direction. We pulled into a gas station and asked how to get to the Hill of Tara. Bless the clerk! He called up the turn-by-turn instructions on his phone. Then he walked us out to the road and pointed us in the right direction. He let me take a screen shot of the directions, and we were on our way again.

I fully expected we would see signs as we got close. Instead, we traveled down tiny unmarked lanes.

There were no signs at all. We finally drove through a gate into what looked like a farm yard. The only clue we had that we were in the right place was a tour van. (We couldn’t figure out how it maneuvered the very narrow roads.)

This is a major historic and cultural site and tourist attraction, so one would think there would be large signs pointing the way. Uh…no. We remembered the visitors’ center at New Grange with a wide road and direction signs. We had expected much the same at this place.

After a nearly two-hour drive, we’d found it.

The website said the visitors’ center would open on the 19^th, hence our choice of the date. When we got there, however, we discovered it would not open until the 28^th. Oh, well…

We followed the path and finally reached the signs on the site describing the location where Kathleen had asked us to spread some of her ashes. Her widower, Bill, had gotten them to us not long before we left home.

It was cold and blustery, but the view was beautiful. Larry just wanted me to drop them at the bottom, but I thought we should take them to the top. I placed them at the foot of the large standing stone, Lia Fáil. (Her widower later told me it was her favorite spot, so I was happy I had chosen the right place.)

As we walked back to the parking area, I picked a couple of the wildflowers from around the site. I also found two feathers and picked them up. I put them into the small envelope where her ashes had been.

We went into the tiny café for a cup of coffee. I had a lemon slice (a piece of lemon cake) and Larry had a chocolate muffin. He ordered ice cream with his. However, the waitress added ice cream and whipped cream to both of them. I gave Larry the whipped cream and about half of my ice cream. I did eat some as the cake was somewhat dry. But the coffee was delicious and warmed us up.

In the gift shop, I found a few items I wanted, including a t-shirt. Larry liked the design, so he got one, too.

Then we set out on the long journey back to Belfast. This time, we had to follow a “diversion” (detour), which bypassed the toll plaza. It took over an hour and a half each way—a total of more than three hours on the road. But we’d known this before we started out.

When we got back to our room, we discovered that nothing had been done about the air conditioning. We tried again to get it to work, but after waiting about half an hour, it was still HOT (nearly 80 degrees Fahrenheit). I called down to the desk and asked them to fix it.

They sent someone up to the room. He tried several times to get the programming to set, but he was as unsuccessful as I had been. He called down, and they said they would send up someone from maintenance.

We took the time to sort out our clothes for our return trip home, reorganize the suitcases, and get everything prepared for our flight.

After waiting for over an hour with no response, Larry went down to the desk to ask them to change our room.

He returned with the keys to the Moselle suite! WOW! This was gorgeous!

Only one night, but the accommodations were fabulous.

We didn’t spend long there, but we could get used to it!

UK TRIP 2022 – PART X

 May 18, 2022

Coleraine to Belfast

We slept very well in one the most comfortable beds we’d had since we arrived in the UK. It was firm and cozy. We took our time showering and dressing.

Gary had a morning meeting, so we had agreed to eat about ten-thirty. Gary had told his mum he wanted her to make a real Ulster Fry for breakfast. He bragged about how hers was the best, so we were anxious to taste everything.

Once again, Jean had everything under control and refused all offers of help. So, we joined Owen in the snug.

I decided to plug in my computer and call up my Ancestry tree so I could show Gary how it worked when he arrived.

Jean called us to the table and poured tea. Their friend, Harold, often joins them for breakfast. Jean had asked him to join us.

Just as we sat down, Gary arrived.

Soon the table groaned with an amazing variety of foods.

Everything was delicious. Yep, my second cousin (once removed) is a terrific cook!

After breakfast, I showed Gary how the Ancestry tree worked and sent him the login information. He was very interested and said he would add the information for his family.

Gary had to leave, so we returned to the table. Jean brought out a bunch of documents, and I added this information to the tree. Larry photographed the documents themselves. I intended to add them when we got back home.

We took another drive down through the town of Castlerock where they pointed out the location of their guest house, now an apartment block. Then we drove to see the Mussenden Temple and the shore. So many picturesque spots!

When we got back, it was time for us to return to Belfast. We loaded our bags into the car and then exchanged lots of hugs.

Owen told us how to get back to the motorway. The return trip was much easier and faster than the trip there. By now, Larry had figured out how to get from the motorway to the hotel, despite all the one-way streets.

We checked back into the Europa. Once again, we were upgraded to the executive level.

It was dinner time, so we decided to return to the Piano Lounge for a light repast. Have I mentioned I liked this place?

I had the same salad I had ordered before. Larry had a sandwich. Good food again. Such a relaxing spot.

We returned to our room to do some writing and prepare for our long drive to the Hill of Tara the next day.

UK TRIP 2022 – PART IX

 May 16, 2022

Belfast

When we checked in, we were informed that we had been upgraded to the executive level—to a beautiful room on the tenth floor. We had a real king-size bed! [The most comfortable bed we had experienced so far.]

When we had arrived, Philip welcomed us to the “most bombed hotel in the UK.” During “The Troubles,” the Europa was bombed thirty-three times. No damage to the interior, but the front was frequently covered with plywood to conceal shattered windows.

This was a beautiful facility. Without fail, everyone on the staff was kind, pleasant, and most willing to assist us. They were obviously understaffed, but they managed well, including with the large groups we observed coming and going while there.

The breakfast buffet at the Europa was similar to the offerings at the Jury’s Inn in Glasgow.

After breakfast, we went to our room where I wrote some blog posts and washed some underwear.

Later on, we decided to go down to the Piano Lounge for something to eat. I loved this place! Larry ordered an open-face salmon sandwich, and I had a chicken Caesar salad—the best salad I have had in the UK. We enjoyed our meal and took our time eating while appreciating the view out the window.

Back in the room, we packed everything we wouldn’t need in the morning. I continued writing, and Larry looked at Google Maps for directions on how to get to Coleraine, where we would spend the next day and night with my cousin, Jean, and her husband, Owen. Then, he wrote the turn-by-turn directions. He also showed me the map and had me follow the directions so I would know the route since he would be driving.

We watched a little TV until it was time for sleep.

Mary 17, 2022

Belfast to Coleraine

After breakfast, we finished packing and prepared to drive to Coleraine to see Jean and Owen. Jean is my second cousin once removed. [Our great-grandfathers were brothers.] We saw them when we were last in Ireland. Our visit was the highlight of our first trip, so I really looked forward to seeing them again.

Just before our first visit, she had been awarded the MBE (Member of the British Empire), which she proudly showed off to everyone in our group. When we arrived this time, we discovered that it 2017, she had been named the High Sherriff of Londonderry. This is a one-year appointment. My cousin is a bit of a local celebrity!

We followed Larry’s directions, except we missed one turn. We found our way and got back on the route. However, we thought we had driven too far. I decided to call Jean to get more precise directions.

She laughed. “Just keep coming, and I’ll come out and wave to you.”

Sure enough, about two blocks later, we saw her on the porch waving.

We were so glad to get there. Jean and Owen were as much fun as we remembered.

We settled into the “snug,” the cozy sitting room with a great view of the bay, and caught up. And we laughed and laughed. Jean is a hoot, and she kept us in stitches.

After a chat, she showed us to our room—a lovely homey one with its own attached bath. Jean ran a guest house for many years not far away in Castlerock. When they built this house, she designed it much like the guest house with several guest rooms with en suite baths. Our room was lovely with another comfortable queen-size bed.

We gave her a copy of Dominic Drive because I thought she might be interested in our childhood story.

After a while, she suggested we take a tour of the area.

She and Owen showed us the little two-room cottage where her mother and father settled when they left Scotland. No electricity or indoor plumbing, just a bedroom and kitchen. (Jean’s mother was Scottish, and her father was Irish. Jean was born in Scotland, but the family moved to Ireland when she was six.) [This is a painting in Jean’s home of the cottage. It is now just a storage building.]

We saw all the places where the family had lived during her childhood and the schools she’d attended. The weather held as we drove from place to place. In fact, the only time we had any real rain on the whole trip was coming home from dinner with Amanda. The next day in Beith, it drizzled, but we didn’t need our umbrellas.

We drove down to Castlerock. As we took the path to the viewpoint, a light drizzle began. Larry got some photos, and then we headed back to the car.

We drove back to the house. It was raining lightly as we got out of the car, but we just ran into the house between the drops.

We had wanted to take them to dinner, but Jean insisted on cooking so we could spend more time together. She disappeared into the kitchen from time to time, but she didn’t want any help.

Her elder son, Gary, lives nearby, so he was going to join us. I am a friend of her younger son, Stuart, on Facebook. He lives in New Zealand, so Facebook is great for staying in touch.

Stuart Caulfield

Gary isn’t on social media, so I didn’t know much about him. But that was about to change.

Jean and Gary

When he arrived, we introduced ourselves. Owen poured wine for the others and offered me nonalcoholic elderflower tonic water. Delicious.

Finally, our meal was ready. Jean had fixed a lovely salad served with delicious bread, including her homemade Guinness bread. She followed with a stir fry and rice. She is a great cook, with the experience of all her years of cooking for her guests in her guest house.

Gary proved to have his mother’s sense of humor. He kept us laughing, and I liked him a lot. His friend, Monica, arrived while we were eating. She’d been delayed, but she finally made it. I liked her as well.

Gary and Monica

Dinner was delightful with lots of laughter.

We retired to the snug and talked some more. I told them about my Ancestry tree and said I would give them access to add details for their family.

Gary left but said he’d be back in the morning. We continued to chat until after eleven. It stayed light for so long, I didn’t realize how late it was.

We said good-night and went to bed.

UK TRIP 2022 – PART III

May 8, 2022

London

Larry had brought me a lovely Mother’s Day card and gave it to me when we woke up. Very thoughtful.

Since we were meeting Christine Jenkins and her husband, Guy, for lunch, we decided to do a repeat of the lighter breakfast of the day before. Delicious once again, and just enough.

We had arranged to meet them at Colbert in Chelsey at one o’clock. Chris had sent us the menu, and I was thrilled. This place was an authentic French restaurant. (She had me at “French”!) It reminded us of a favorite spot across the river from Notre Dame in Paris.

We decided to walk from the hotel. It took about thirty minutes, quite a pleasant jaunt on a Sunday. We arrived about fifteen minutes early since we had allowed extra time. We found a spot to sit on the steps of the building next door. (Several others were already there. It appeared to be a common meeting location.)

At one o’clock, we gave the hostess Christine’s name, and we were seated. They arrived about fifteen minutes later, but we already had secured a table.

What a delight to see Chris again. We have known her since she was in high school. After she graduated, she went to Spain to study, and we replaced her doing contemporary worship music at the church. (Chris—or CJ as she is known professionally—is a terrific jazz singer.) We continued to lead worship for fifteen or more years. Larry played rhythm guitar, and I sang.

After college, Chris moved to London, where she still lives. Whenever she came to California to visit her mother, we tried to get her to sing in church with us. Sometimes, she agreed to do so. Chris’s mother remains a close friend.

When we moved to Japan, we led worship again for most of the time we were there. And it all started with Chris.

We had only met Guy once before a few years ago at the get-together after the death of Chris’s father. Because of the event, we did not spend much time with him. Now we got to know him a bit better. What a lovely man.

Their choice of restaurant was brilliant. I had an omelet, and Larry chose Eggs Royale, a variation on eggs Benedict, but with salmon. Both were delicious. Guy and Chris chose items from the prix fixe menu: starters and a fish entrée. Larry finished his meal with crème brûlée. I got one bite, and he finished it off.

On each of our trips to France, we did taste tests of this delightful treat. The one he chose compared favorably to our favorites: creamy, rich, and smooth.

We enjoyed the long, relaxed meal with delightful conversation and shared memories. This was a perfect way to spend Mother’s Day.

After lunch, we walked back to our hotel. The weather had been nearly perfect our entire time there. We kept being told it was unusual for this time of year. Once again, we brought the sunshine!

We needed a cold drink, so we went into the New York Bar again. It had become a favorite place. Once again, Frank took care of us. Along with our cold diet cokes, we were served a bowl of green olives and tiny whole grain crackers. Of course, I didn’t try either, but Larry managed to eat everything.

Before returning to our room, we stopped at the desk and made reservations for Afternoon Tea. Each day of our stay, we had watched a particular young lady going back to the kitchen and emerging with racks filled with plates loaded with the most beautiful pastries. In addition, she had taken plates of finger sandwiches to the tables in the tea room. It didn’t feel right to leave England without experiencing a real English tea.

After our long walks to and from the restaurant, we were tired, so we lay down to read, rest, and watch a bit of TV before turning in for the night.

May 9, 2022

We spent the morning exploring the area around the hotel. I was looking for a couple of small art prints for our guest powder room. I have artwork from many places we have visited through the years. The hunt proved to be a challenge. While going in and out of the local shops, Larry found a t-shirt and hat he wanted. I bought one more postcard in addition to the three I had purchased at the Tower gift shop. The store also had postage, so I got enough stamps to mail all four.

Still no small artwork.

The clerk in one of the shops suggested going to the Queen’s Gallery gift shop at the palace. Their current exhibition is of Japanese art. Having spent nearly three years there, we weren’t too interested in seeing more. But we went into the gift shop. After a thorough search, we didn’t find anything to work. We talked to the very helpful young lady in the shop and explained what we were looking for.

She suggested checking at Harrods. (We never got there.)

We stopped at the Palace Gift Shop and purchased a couple of gift items for our friend, Pat, who is a lifelong anglophile. We made arrangements for our items to be shipped directly to her home.

As we walked back to the hotel, we passed a shop we had seen before. I had noticed some placemats with drawings of London scenes on a rack outside. They were exactly what I wanted, but the placemats were too large. As we passed this time, Larry moved the rack and discovered smaller versions. Absolutely perfect, and two for one pound. The price was right. Success! [I need to get them matted and framed to put into our travel powder room.]

Back at the hotel, we prepared for our Royal Afternoon Tea.

What a delight.

The young lady we had noticed earlier was our waitress. We discovered her name was Petra. Of course, as usual, I began a conversation with her. I found out she was from Hungary. I had noticed many eastern Europeans seem to be employed in the hotels and restaurants. Another of the young ladies in the breakfast room was from Romania.

First, we were given our choice of several teas. I chose the Ruben’s tea because when in Rome… Larry picked the same one. He mentioned Earl Gray, his favorite, but I reminded him we had it at home, and he could find it everywhere.

The tea was light with a slight honey undertone. Lovely and refreshing.

Next, we received a plate of tea sandwiches. As usual, several of them contained items I don’t eat, so Larry got mine as well as his own. He didn’t eat all of mine in order to save room for the sweet pastries.

And they were worth waiting for! When we’d booked our reservation, we were told we would receive enough food to take extras with us for later. And we did.

The experience more than fulfilled our expectations.

Afterward, we returned to our room and read, wrote, and relaxed. Later in the evening, we made tea and coffee and finished our delicious pastries. I felt as though I was on a sugar high since I had eaten very little in months. However, it was worth it for the experience.