Wales Part 11

[fbhjr]

As is true on every trip there is that time when you have to face reality.

How do I get all my stuff back in that bag?
It barely fit on the way out and then I went and bought things!

But, I did make it fit. Don’t ask me how. It was late at night and I don’t really remember myself.


The hotel clearly deals with folks that have early flights out as their breakfast service starts at 4:00.

So, down in the elevator to breakfast.
I’m not sure that elevator could really hold 8. Certainly not 8 of me…


We returned the rental car by the contracted 6:30. No one was there to get it, but that isn’t the point. We put the key in the overnight return and said our goodbyes.


As sun rose over Wales, we went into the terminal and got ready to get on our plane.


cosmicirony took one last look for the books his wife was looking for. This made the fourth bookstore he looked in. But, no luck.


While we waited at the gate, we saw the people looking around corners and acting a bit strange for airline gate people.


It turned out to be the most friendly substance sniffing dog playing frizzy with the officers before going "on duty".



Then, we needed to be sniffed and sent to our plane.


We took off from Wales right on time on a nice sunny day.

Of the 5 days we were there, 4 were sunny. We had less than an hour of rain on that one other day and the sun and moon were both out.
So, despite their reputations, I found Wales and England both sunny and warm in the spring.

As we took off, I realized just how far from Cardiff the airport is.

That’s Barry under the plane. Cardiff is up on the horizon.


Far from the city or not, it is a nice airport. Not huge, but easy to navigate, friendly folks and efficient service. I’d be happy to fly into Cardiff again.


It is only an hour or so to Dublin, so we quickly passed off the end of Wales and onto Ireland.


This time in Dublin we didn’t get a bus from the runway, but had to walk.


We had to go through two more sets of security to get to the plane. I guess frisbee throwing dogs don’t count for much in the eyes of security.


Our flight took off from Ireland on another sunny warm morning.


I saw rabbits (hares) running along the runway as we got ready to take off. But, I guess I did not get them in the photo.


Everyone was excited to be going home.

And/or tired from getting up before 5…

Excited or not, off we went.


We flew over the part of Ireland my mother’s mother’s family comes from. (Kerry.)


The crossing was easy. I paid $25 for internet access for the whole flight. Technically for 24 hours. But, I only used 6 1/2.
We did take some sharp turns at the end.


We soon were lined up with the runway.


Back in the city of my birth.


We got our luggage, ran to the bus, took the bus to the train station, ran up the stairs and still had 7 whole minutes until our train left.
Of course we also found they didn’t know what track it was on even that soon before it left.
But, they did pick a track and we got on the train out to Worcester.


We managed to block a poor young woman in a seat with our luggage. When she got off we moved it and apologized for being in her way.
"Where are you two from?" she asked us.
"The towns we’re passing in about 10 minutes," we told her.
"That’s strange. I would have sworn you weren’t from around here. I ride this train all the time and no one has EVER apologized to me before."
We assured her we were local and maybe our being in England and Wales made us seem more polite.
Who knows?

There were points I was glad to be on the train and not driving in the rain.


By 4:40 we reached Worcester and it’s train station as seen in American Hustle.


Then, into rush hour traffic where my wife picked us up.


We drove cosmicirony home and found that cissa had made us a nice dinner to welcome us home.

I was very tired and wanted to get home. So, nice as it was, we didn’t stay long and I headed home.

Heading to work the next morning I found the rain had turned to snow.


But, once I reached work, the sun came out. My new little Stonehenge fit right in on my desk.


All in all it was a fantastic time and I am very glad that cosmicirony told me about the class and I decided to go.
The tracking on my sword says it is ready to be delivered. Maybe Monday. But, it is a state holiday so I don’t know how that effects the mail.
Tuesday at the latest.

I am glad to be back home. It was a good trip, but I missed my wife. I am happy to be back with her.

Comments

[chaquir.livejournal.com]

You have snow AGAIN???? Oh boy..


hahaa yes, getting your stuff back into the bag is really REALLY hard most of the times.

[postingwhore.livejournal.com]

8 of you might fit into that lift if you guys squished together a bit! :P (Of course, it's often to be in public transport or lifts here with no personal space at all.)

Do you have an international driver's licence, or? (for driving in the UK)

Looks like you guys were in a WH Smith (or something like it) in the airport - what other bookstores did you guys check out?

In a previous entry you mentioned finding it interesting that Shrewsbury is near Worcester in the UK - I actually always am surprised when I see what sounds to me like a place that should be in the UK actually being in the US (for example, I'll always assume Cambridge, England before Cambridge, MA). So seeing Portsmouth in http://www.phoenixswords.com/fbhjr/wales2014/W-0450.jpg also threw me for a loop, heh.

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

I do not have an international drivers license. But, a US license is allowed to drive in most of the EU.

The photo was taken in a WH Smiths. Most of the ones he checked were those. There was one other in Salisbury, but I don't remember the name. It started with a W.

I live in part of the US that was the first area settled by British colonists 400 years ago. So, a great many of the town names in this section of the country are the names of where those people came from.
I guess that's why it is the New England region.

[meathiel]

Waterstone's! ;-)

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

That sounds right! Thank you!

[cosmicirony.livejournal.com]

That was it!

[meathiel]

That's so cute they played with the dog at the airport! *lol*

The swords are to be delivered Monday already? That's really quick ...

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

The tracking says they are ready for delivery now.
I had sent them to my wife's office and they were closed for Good Friday.
Otherwise I might have them already.

The dog at the airport was VERY cute. I wish I had a better photo, but the dog was running back and forth so much it was quite difficult.

[endlessblush.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're home safe and sound. $25 for internet access up in the air is pretty awesome isn't it?
Seems like you had quite a smooth trouble free trip home

[hindustar.livejournal.com]

Such lovely pictures! Thank you for sharing!