Come with me on my nostalgic journey
I encounter my first truly punk fashion on a young couple on the bus. She has a fringe of blond bangs, then a shaved band across the top of her head and, then the rest of her hair is pulled back into two ponytails. The pony tails are colored pink. On the bald part she …
Continue reading “September 18, 1999 – Punk, Shakespeare, and Butterflies”
There is a new guest at the B&B—Brenda; a young woman with a lovely Irish lilt. When I tell her I am going to Ireland next week, she complains that it rains all the time in Ireland and it is very expensive. Brenda is studying for her Ph.D. in chemistry at Trinity College in Dublin, …
We are off to Windsor today, taking the train from Waterloo station. But first we have a full English breakfast in the hotel. A word about English breakfasts. A “full” English breakfast usually means eggs and all the fixings and includes bacon, sausage, grilled tomato, mushrooms, baked beans, toast, and coffee or tea. In Scotland, …
Continue reading “September 12, 1999 – Eton and the Swan Uppers”
Our wake-up call never comes but thankfully Mom wakes up at 6:15 AM. We rush to catch the 7:00 AM train. We get no shower, no coffee, but we make the train. Our train leaves Edinburgh, then Dunbar and Burnmouth, then Scotland altogether. We cross the border at Berwick-upon-Tweed and ride along the North Sea …
Continue reading “September 11, 1999 – London and The Importance of Being Earnest”
We pass on the haggis at breakfast this morning and head out for Edinburgh Castle. The massive castle, situated on an extinct volcano, dominates the city skyline. We enter through the football-field-sized esplanade, which is the parade ground for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo held annually in August. Ian, our Scottish guide, takes us through the …
We have coffee in our rooms while Tony orders us a taxi. It’s a four-and-a-half-hour train ride to Edinburgh. Who knew Scotland was so far away? We talk, read, eat a sandwich. Brian asks for a scone. They don’t have scones, but they have “moofins.” Finally, at 1:30 PM, we arrive and check into our …
Continue reading “September 9, 1999 – For the Land of Burns, the Only Snag is Haggis”
At breakfast Brian says I have to record in my journal that Jody didn’t have the cereal, but Mom loved it. It’s some kind of mix of grains with banana and coconut chips. I have my usual—croissant, toast, and grapefruit. We take the train to Warwick from Birmingham’s Snow Hill station, which is the terminal …
Continue reading “September 8, 1999 – Warwick, Britain’s Greatest Castle”
This morning for the first time since I’ve been here, it is raining. It is a soft, steady rain and still warm and very humid. But by the time I walk to the University station and take the train to City Centre to meet Mom and Brian, it’s stopped. At New Street station, I wait …
Continue reading “September 7, 1999 – Mom and Brian arrive!”
I am immediately hooked by a BBC show called Antiques Inspectors, which airs on Sunday nights. I love the format. A squad of experts goes into people’s homes and pokes in attics and spare rooms then values the antiques they find. It is light and fun. In Whitsable, England, where the first show takes place, …
I have the whole day in London to myself! And this morning, I have reservations to tour Buckingham Palace. To get to the palace, I walk along the pedestrian-only Queen’s Walk that borders Green Park; it is about a 10-minute walk. The pleasant, leafy Queen’s Walk was built for Queen Caroline, wife of George II. It …
Continue reading “September 4, 1999: Jody’s Grand Day Out in London”
Jody’s UK Memories