Day 1 – Orlando, London Gatwick, Guildford, London
In which Bryan and Cathy venture outside the country for the first time and meet up with their daughter Emma for an epic English adventure.Flight from Orlando
Not many people on the flight so we could spread out but a couple of young children behind us cried and whined the entire time. Even worse, the father insisted on talking to them throughout the night at full volume. I’d finally nod off and the next thing you know he’d be bellowing British nonsense to his child. At one point a child elsewhere on the plane shouted out “Oy!” several times in a row. He was stared into submission buy a different Brit, thankfully. Happy to finally land! Unfortunately, this was just the first of several encounters with Englanders who defied the stereotypes of excessive politeness.We landed in pitch dark, rain, and cold. Everything that London is famous for! We sorted out the train situation fairly quickly and were soon on our way to Guildford. The ride was peaceful and we saw some bits of country side along the way. Especially sheep. You can't throw a banger in London without hitting a pigeon and you can't throw a chip in the countryside without hitting a sheep.
Guildford
Surrey University
We arrived in Guildford around 10am BST and we were met at the station by our daughter, Emma. What she described as a short walk to her dorm room felt substantially longer because it was so cold. And still raining. And mostly uphill. Once at her dorm we settled on a place for second breakfast (first breakfast being yogurt and a granola bar on the plane) and hit the stone streets of Surrey. |
| Original Mini Cooper in Guildford |
Bill’s Kitchen
The name sounded like just the place for a full English breakfast and friendly banter with bucolic locals. Turned out to be an upscale chain frequented by locals with money and nothing better to do than sit around a restaurant all morning and talk very loudly. It was stifling hot in the restaurant, something we encountered in almost every establishment on cold days. At Bill’s we had our first exposure to the curious English poached egg. It looks like an eyeball, complete with a trailing stream of egg white that resembles nerve endings. It was a very tasty breakfast, however.Quick walk through Guildford
Surprisingly upscale. Chain shops, mostly full because the Monday after Easter is a bank holiday. Nice town. |
| Barely visible at the top of the photo but pigeons roam stations to ensure that train and Tube riders don't fall into the gap between the platform and the train. |
London
The train ride was easy and restful. We got turned around at our destination of King’s Cross/St. Pancras, not realizing that it’s actually several different stations grouped under one name (bus, train, subway). We lugged our luggage for several blocks before figuring out we were headed the wrong way. Once we got our directions sorted we found the hotel quickly. A shower never felt so good!St. Pancras Premier Inn
Premier is a European chain that specializes in (relatively) budget prices with upscale services. It wasn’t very upscale but it was clean, modern, and blissfully quiet in the room. No complaints when it came to lodging. Other than being stifling hot in common areas, but that apparently goes with the territory.Fuller’s Euston Flyer pub (named after a steam engine locomotive)
We ate dinner at a chain pub right next to the hotel. It is owned by Fuller’s, a large but independent London brewery. Several Fuller’s ales were available from the cask (limited carbonation, room temp (40’s), but as fresh as you can get) but none were remarkable. Which turned out to be pretty typical for pub ales. Dinner was a bit on the expensive side but good and filling. |
| Diarrhea is very common in Britain so the toilets are designed for fast entry. |
St. Pancras Hotel
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| Posh ladies (Cathy & Emma) at the St. Pancras Hotel |
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