A full update to Sunday evening
Flight to Calgary started off on the wrong foot. The flight attendant said that our bags might have to be checked because the bins are small. With the help of another attendant we stuffed the bags in the bins. They didn’t move during the flight. Next time we don’t go through Calgary. The flight was ok, not issues. It was easy to find the gate in the Calgary airport. We waited about an hour and then we off on the long flight to Heathrow. I watched 2 movies and then tried to sleep. I didn’t think I had, but poof time for a light snack and we were descending into Heathrow.
At Heathrow we followed the purple signs for connecting passengers and off to terminal 5 for the next flight to Newcastle. There was a slight delay at the gate when the plane was leaving, so then we got into the long line of planes taking off. We waited about 1/2 hr and I had a nap. Another short flight with snacks and a drink.
Newcastle airport is smaller than Edmonton’s so it was easy to find the care hire place. Got that set up fast and then to find the parking lot and the car. The guy said don’t forget about the clutch, and I said God help everyone if there is a clutch in the car. He then said I don’t know anything about the automatic ones. Ha.
We found the car a little 4 door Golf. Goes like stink and 41 MPG. Ya. Except the gear shift is on the wrong side as well as the steering wheel another ha.
Off and out to scare or piss off the English. It was relatively easy to find our way out of the airport and onto A1M and on to Durham. We should have spent more time learning the buttons and the bells and whistles of the car before we wandered out onto the motorway. O well at least the turn signals are on the same side as us, so I didn’t keep turning on the wipers like I did in New Zealand.
It took us about 3/4 of an hour to get to the village and find the cottage. Now to parallel park while sitting on the opposite side of the car. The thing has a detection system so all the bells and whistles were singing as I was maneuvering into a tiny parking spot in front of the cottage. I shut them off, but I think I will turn them back on for the next time out with the car.
Figured out which key fit the lock after a couple of trys and then walked into the most fantastic little place I have ever seen. It is a step back in time. Not easy to describe. Pictures later.
We wandered through the place looking at everything. We dropped our gear and decided to go out and about for a walk (to the pub). Once outside we met one of the neighbours. He was wandering who was in the place. we had a little chat and then off to the closest pub. It was full and overflowing so we wandered over to the other one, just as full. So then to the Spar to get a few food items. We spotted a take away place, so we had our first bit of fish and chips for supper. It was very good, and washed down with Mexican beer.
I went next door (the other side) and introduced myself, so that both sides would know we were here.
We are both very tired after being up about 30 hrs with little sleep. I crashed about 8.
Sunday Morning
I woke up about 1 AM and thought I wouldn’t get back to sleep. Ya right, the next time I woke up was 10 AM. So I slept about 14 hrs, and I feel great. The bed with the heavy comforter was great. We had a light breakfast – yogurt and cookies and a coke. Breakfast of champions. We need more food from the store.
Now its time for a walk about the village to get our bearings. Nice place, lots of traffic for Sunday. Stopped back in at the Spar and got more groceries, then over to the pub.
Success! we got in on the carvery. Roast beef, turkey and all the trimmings. The beer was good too. The waitress is the daughter of one of the neighbours, and she knew who we were. So I guess the village knows we are here.
Back to the cottage and a read of an English news paper – that should take a while.