Day 20
Were now somewhere over the Atlantic on the way home.
Returned our car uneventfully and were two of the lucky ones chosen by computer for a full security check.
Had to empty our bags and carryons twice. Metal detectors twice, once with hand scan. Show passports to at least 6 people. Took about 1 ½ hours to get from check in to gate. (Ed. Note: Obviously the Brits, and other Europeans on our later trips, knew to start taking security more seriously way back then. Why not our government?)
Bought some duty-free booze.
Assuming all goes well, Bob will pick us up at around 3:00 Eastern, after a 7:10 hour flight. Then it’s home for a weekend of mail reading, laundry, and lawn mowing. Back to the grindstone!
In England:
Scotch List:
Returned our car uneventfully and were two of the lucky ones chosen by computer for a full security check.
Had to empty our bags and carryons twice. Metal detectors twice, once with hand scan. Show passports to at least 6 people. Took about 1 ½ hours to get from check in to gate. (Ed. Note: Obviously the Brits, and other Europeans on our later trips, knew to start taking security more seriously way back then. Why not our government?)
Bought some duty-free booze.
Assuming all goes well, Bob will pick us up at around 3:00 Eastern, after a 7:10 hour flight. Then it’s home for a weekend of mail reading, laundry, and lawn mowing. Back to the grindstone!
In England:
- They always want to serve you chips.
- The plumbing is a joke.
- Everyone’s friendly, as long as you make the first move.
- Old is sometimes historical, and sometimes just plain old.
- Sheep are everywhere.
- There are no mountains.
- We couldn’t pronounce Welsh town names, so we made up our own – Port Mad Dog, Cadaver, Dogbreath, and Park my Dogs, among others.
- It only rained for a few hours over 3 weeks.
- No carpets are plush, and most are tacky red patterns, at least in pubs and hotels.
- The pub food is good, and cheap.
- They like tacky bedspreads with fluffy ridges.
- There is not once decent shower.
- The drivers are all polite.
- Everyone drives very fast.
- Signs are very good, but never indicate the direction (N,S,E,W) you are traveling. You must always know the names of surrounding towns.
- Jill was a good navigator.
- Gas was expensive.
- The Underground is great.
- We drove 2,500 miles!
- English cheddar
- Derbyshire
- Brie
- Stilton
- Applewood smoked cheddar
- Welsh Cheddar
- Camembert
- Wensleydale
- Coverdale
Scotch List:
- Glenmorangie
- Bell
- Famous Grouse
- McCallan
- Swn-y-Mor
- Tetley
- Worthington
- Holsten
- Bass
- Webster’s
- Broadside
- Badger
- Tiger
- Hofbrau
- London Price
- Heineken
- Whitbread
- Kronenbourg
- Charman
- Skol
- Guinness
- West Country
- Carlsberg
- Castle Eden
- Younger’s Scotch Bitter
- McEwan’s
- Theakston’s
- John Smith
- Samuel Smith Ale
- John Bull
- IPA
- 4 Star
- Castle Maine
- Harp
- Samuel Smith Bitter
