Wednesday 9 November 2011

the holiday

It all started with an email, to attend a wedding in London.
That got me all excited about a trip to the UK and this time I was determined to go do some tourist things and not just visit with relatives.
I planned in advance,  our tickets (the son accompanied me on this jaunt), we got exceptional deals on our national carrier with a direct flight.  planned our accommodation and booked it, planned my daily itinerary to the last detail and planned my gift buying carefully so that I could be well packed and set a couple of days before we flew off.  If you know me well enough, you would know I do sometimes let things wait till the last minute then rush around frantically trying to get everything done.  this time I was determined it would be different.
oh how the best laid plans always go awry!
We were to leave on Wednesday the 26th and on Sunday 23rd  I began to feel a bad twinge in my back and I thought to myself that I should rest on Sunday and just watch  the rugby world cup final and the MotoGP (the Sepang race was called off  due to the tragic death of one of the riders - see earlier post)
Monday morning came and I couldn't move, I couldn't even get out of bed to go pee.  I was in so much pain, it was excruciating.  I was flying 13 hours to London in 2 days!!  I couldn't even get out of bed to go see a doc, and thank goodness the son managed to go get some medication for me and a hot water bottle ( my new favourite thing).  I still had to change money, pack, wash the bathrooms, buy cat food, get my inhaler (spare one) what was that about doing it different and plan better??

By the time Wednesday morning rolled around I was mobile enough to get to the airport and on the flight fully drugged and medicated of course!  I am a morning person, I like to get things done in the morning, and this includes getting on a flight.  The son however is quite the opposite, he had moaned about the time of the flight and he did go on about some concert he was attending the night before.....Next time I will listen better so that at 6.50am I won't be yelling and cursing at the son to get up as we had to be at the airport at 7.30am.

We managed to get there on time and thank goodness the flight wasn't full.  As flights go, a direct 13 hour flight isnt so bad as long as there are enough movies to occupy your time and if you get enough to eat.   Airlines seem to have cut their budgets for meals and they have stopped feeding passengers!  I for one am not happy cos I like airline food!  Yes I do.  I like opening the cover and wondering if that unappealing  food can actually taste good!  Call me strange!!
So after 5 movies that I don't remember and way too little food, we arrived in London.
For the first time my sister wasnt picking us up from the airport and it felt strange, very strange, and we hadnt arranged a mini cab either.  I had poured over the map of the underground and trains to see the best way to get from Heathrow to central London.  Taxi!!

It is something I will not repeat.  it was a pleasant enough experience, just that at the end of the journey I felt like I was being robbed!!

The wedding was over, and the son went to stay with his friend while my sister and I headed north to Warrington ( to visit the cousin) and then on to Edinburgh.  With my back still not 100% I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to enjoy Edinburgh and all the sights.  Thank goodness for pills and my new favourite thing, the hot water bottle.  yes Brad (the hot water bottle, named after Brad Pitt as thats what I would like to keep me warm on a cold night) was packed into my bag and came to the UK with me.
London used to be my favourite city, it had so much promise, with all the little lanes and the history.  It was magical, imagining how people lived and what they did.  This time though I found it different, it was too crowded and dirty.  I liked Edinburgh though, Scotland is now on the list as one place to explore further.

I didnt manage to do all the touristy things I wanted to do.  Son suggested we go to Highgate Cemetery and that was a surreal experience, what spoilt it was the walk from Highgate Cemetery to Emirates Stadium.  it was close he said........ one hour later when we finally reached it, i did wonder why on earth didnt I stop him and say "lets take a bus!"

The plan for 2012 is to go to Paris and Tuscany, not sure when but I really want to do that next year, perhaps I may add Scotland to that list too

No comments:

Post a Comment