Train paddington > oxford
Mini tour 9:30ish - 12:30ish
Tea/wifi at coffee republic
Lunch at oneills pub
Order at bar, give bartender table number, dumbwaiter brings food upstairs, brought to table
Food:
Lentil+spinach burger w/chips
Irish sausages + colcannon
Drink:
Bulmer's cider (draught over ice)
Caffery's (draught)
Monday, April 26, 2010
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Di manche, 15/11
Sunday, Day 1
:: the trip truly started at 7:05 a.m., when the plane landed at LGW (London-Gatwick) airport. We flew through border check (almost literally - I spent more time waiting in line for the ladies room after that 8-hour flight than we waited for customs), and we made our way to the ticket window for the express train to Saint Pancras Station, where we would connect to the Eurostar train to travel the Chunnel to Paris.
{our gatwick express tickets}
:: We arrived a couple hours prior to our train (we had built in a lot of time to our schedule for customs that turned out to be unnecessary), so we stopped at a cafe in St Pancras Station for breakfast. I had eggs and toast and an iced cappucino, and Casey had pain au choclat and choclat chaude. Mine was delicious, but his was prettier, so we just photographed his.
{breakfast, day 1}
:: After breakfast, we made our way through border control to the Eurostar. The comfort cabin was wonderful, Casey and I shared 2 seats facing each other with a table between us, and the table across the aisle from us was occupied by Eurostar employees, who after food service sat and relaxed and gossiped in French. I have no idea what they were talking about, but it was definitely gossip. It's the international language. My vegetarin meal was pumpkin-stuffed ravioli in a pesto-polenta, and Casey got Shepard's pie - both came with salad, bread, dessert, and wine or other beverage. Of course, I selected wine.
:: Upon arrival at Gare du Nord station in Paris, we purchased 3-day Metro passes to connect to our hotel. Despite each of our bags feeling 10-pounds heavier than when we left the states (I blame the metric conversion), we made it to the hotel, where the attendant spoke English, and directed us to our tiny, but clean room.
{The metro tickets are so tiny and easy to lose, they put them in a credit card-size sleeve for carrying. But the sleeve is so difficult to manuver, it would've been preferrable if they'd just made the tickets that size}
:: Wanting to explore the city, we dropped our bags and started walking aimlessly. We stumbled upon the Centre Pompidou (Pompidou Center - the city's modern art museum), and spent a couple hours exploring that.
{entry ticket and museum map for the Centre Pompidou}
:: Now ravenous, (since it was now almost 10 p.m.), we walked seeking a restaurant that could accommodate a vegetarian and was - most importantly - still open. We walked back to the Latin Quarter, and discovered Aux Trois Mailletz (http://www.lestroismailletz.fr), a piano bar whose host was very nice and spoke English well.
{Aux Trois Mailletz's card, so we can call on them next time we visit}
:: Dinner was fantastic. We chose to sit just outside the front door - with the cold outside air, but a bit of heat radiating from inside, the temperature was wonderful. After a few minutes, a man stood up and started singing, and it was genuinely like a setting from a movie - a slightly vaudeville voice, songs like "Puttin' on the Ritz," a dance that was a little tap, a little shuffle. It was the perfect Parisian supper.
:: I had a salad with warm goat cheese and a gin fizz, which were both argueably the best of each I've ever had. I can't say objectively, becasue the atmosphere certainly colored the taste of everything a bit brighter. Casey had rolls of Salmon stuffed with goat cheese over a salad of lettuce, and agreed his meal was equally fantastic.
:: le premier jour: delicieux! ::
:: the trip truly started at 7:05 a.m., when the plane landed at LGW (London-Gatwick) airport. We flew through border check (almost literally - I spent more time waiting in line for the ladies room after that 8-hour flight than we waited for customs), and we made our way to the ticket window for the express train to Saint Pancras Station, where we would connect to the Eurostar train to travel the Chunnel to Paris.
{our gatwick express tickets}
:: We arrived a couple hours prior to our train (we had built in a lot of time to our schedule for customs that turned out to be unnecessary), so we stopped at a cafe in St Pancras Station for breakfast. I had eggs and toast and an iced cappucino, and Casey had pain au choclat and choclat chaude. Mine was delicious, but his was prettier, so we just photographed his.
{breakfast, day 1}
:: After breakfast, we made our way through border control to the Eurostar. The comfort cabin was wonderful, Casey and I shared 2 seats facing each other with a table between us, and the table across the aisle from us was occupied by Eurostar employees, who after food service sat and relaxed and gossiped in French. I have no idea what they were talking about, but it was definitely gossip. It's the international language. My vegetarin meal was pumpkin-stuffed ravioli in a pesto-polenta, and Casey got Shepard's pie - both came with salad, bread, dessert, and wine or other beverage. Of course, I selected wine.
:: Upon arrival at Gare du Nord station in Paris, we purchased 3-day Metro passes to connect to our hotel. Despite each of our bags feeling 10-pounds heavier than when we left the states (I blame the metric conversion), we made it to the hotel, where the attendant spoke English, and directed us to our tiny, but clean room.
{The metro tickets are so tiny and easy to lose, they put them in a credit card-size sleeve for carrying. But the sleeve is so difficult to manuver, it would've been preferrable if they'd just made the tickets that size}
:: Wanting to explore the city, we dropped our bags and started walking aimlessly. We stumbled upon the Centre Pompidou (Pompidou Center - the city's modern art museum), and spent a couple hours exploring that.
{entry ticket and museum map for the Centre Pompidou}
:: Now ravenous, (since it was now almost 10 p.m.), we walked seeking a restaurant that could accommodate a vegetarian and was - most importantly - still open. We walked back to the Latin Quarter, and discovered Aux Trois Mailletz (http://www.lestroismailletz.fr), a piano bar whose host was very nice and spoke English well.
{Aux Trois Mailletz's card, so we can call on them next time we visit}
:: Dinner was fantastic. We chose to sit just outside the front door - with the cold outside air, but a bit of heat radiating from inside, the temperature was wonderful. After a few minutes, a man stood up and started singing, and it was genuinely like a setting from a movie - a slightly vaudeville voice, songs like "Puttin' on the Ritz," a dance that was a little tap, a little shuffle. It was the perfect Parisian supper.
:: I had a salad with warm goat cheese and a gin fizz, which were both argueably the best of each I've ever had. I can't say objectively, becasue the atmosphere certainly colored the taste of everything a bit brighter. Casey had rolls of Salmon stuffed with goat cheese over a salad of lettuce, and agreed his meal was equally fantastic.
:: le premier jour: delicieux! ::
Friday, October 2, 2009
Google Docs - Gone Wild
Case introduced me to Google Docs. He created one to help track the inter-city travel costs (Train from PAR to AMD, ferry from AMD to LDN, etc) which made me happy. Previously I'd just been keeping track of costs on random sheets of paper and cocktail napkins.
Of course, poor Casey had no idea that I am a spreadsheet fiend. One list including details and prices for inter-city travel exploded into separate sheets for hotels, for intra-city travel, and for cost totals.
Really, Google Docs could be referred to as a glorifed MS Office.
Until I found one little equation that changed everything, and made life so much easier:
=Index(ImportHTML("http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=EURUSD=X","table",1),8,2)
With this equation, Google Docs will automatically calculate the exchange rate - however it may fluctuate - within a few minutes of accuracy.
The link above calculates Euros to Dollars. For our London expenditures, all I have to do is change the 3-letter abbreviation to the appropriate currency. For example, to calculate Pounds in Dollars, I'd just use:
=Index(ImportHTML("http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=GBPUSD=X","table",1),8,2)
I understand how this could seem exceedingly lazy and unnecessary. Must people have widgets on their computers with the current exchange rate, and can just type in the rate x charge and get the answer quickly.
But when dealing in hundreds of dollars, a fluctuation of 1.41 to 1.47 can significantly shift costs, and throw off the accuracy of a spreadsheet. And I hate inaccuracy.
But Google Docs? Google Docs I love.
Of course, poor Casey had no idea that I am a spreadsheet fiend. One list including details and prices for inter-city travel exploded into separate sheets for hotels, for intra-city travel, and for cost totals.
Really, Google Docs could be referred to as a glorifed MS Office.
Until I found one little equation that changed everything, and made life so much easier:
=Index(ImportHTML("http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=EURUSD=X","table",1),8,2)
With this equation, Google Docs will automatically calculate the exchange rate - however it may fluctuate - within a few minutes of accuracy.
The link above calculates Euros to Dollars. For our London expenditures, all I have to do is change the 3-letter abbreviation to the appropriate currency. For example, to calculate Pounds in Dollars, I'd just use:
=Index(ImportHTML("http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=GBPUSD=X","table",1),8,2)
I understand how this could seem exceedingly lazy and unnecessary. Must people have widgets on their computers with the current exchange rate, and can just type in the rate x charge and get the answer quickly.
But when dealing in hundreds of dollars, a fluctuation of 1.41 to 1.47 can significantly shift costs, and throw off the accuracy of a spreadsheet. And I hate inaccuracy.
But Google Docs? Google Docs I love.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Booked! Like the Dewey Decimal System
Flights = booked.
Virgin Atlantic. Direct.
Orlando > London.
As much as I hate Microsoft, Bing.com totally hooked us up by finding the fare for $100 less via Vayama.com
Hotels in Amsterdam and London reserved via booking.com and expedia.com.
Parisian hotel will be booked pending my translator, Fred, getting back into town from a birthday trip to Orlando.
Ahh, butterflies! It's real now!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Holla for a Dolla
After going dark for a brief period, the planning is back ON. With one minor revision. Casey is joining Dave and I on our adventure to Europe.
YAYA
Flights and Amsterdam (and maybe London) hotel to be booked tonight. Paris hotel to be booked before the end of the week by way of Fred, our French-speaking Canadian godsend of a booking agent. Additional travel (Eurorail to Paris and Amsterdam, Stenaline to London) to be booked in the coming weeks, as well.
You know you trust your friends when you offer to put 3 plane tickets on your credit card and let them pay you back (within 24 hours).
I kinda hope Dave just brings me several hundred $1 bills. Then I can throw them in the air like a rap star! Holla!
YAYA
Flights and Amsterdam (and maybe London) hotel to be booked tonight. Paris hotel to be booked before the end of the week by way of Fred, our French-speaking Canadian godsend of a booking agent. Additional travel (Eurorail to Paris and Amsterdam, Stenaline to London) to be booked in the coming weeks, as well.
You know you trust your friends when you offer to put 3 plane tickets on your credit card and let them pay you back (within 24 hours).
I kinda hope Dave just brings me several hundred $1 bills. Then I can throw them in the air like a rap star! Holla!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Fawlty Towers
Oh, London.
You are such a tease.
You have tons of hotels in my price range. You have tons of hotels in my price range in the most central areas of the city.
And all of them are universally panned on TripAdvisor.
Dear London, please stop teasing. Please give me a no-frills, but nice hotel, in a neighborhood worth visiting. You should be more like your friends Paris and Amsterdam, who provide reasonable lodging with reasonable reviews.
Please, let Fawlty Towers just be a television show, and not an undoing reputation.
Love, J.
You are such a tease.
You have tons of hotels in my price range. You have tons of hotels in my price range in the most central areas of the city.
And all of them are universally panned on TripAdvisor.
Dear London, please stop teasing. Please give me a no-frills, but nice hotel, in a neighborhood worth visiting. You should be more like your friends Paris and Amsterdam, who provide reasonable lodging with reasonable reviews.
Please, let Fawlty Towers just be a television show, and not an undoing reputation.
Love, J.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Un endroit au repos (A place to rest)
Some of the trip planning has been put on hold over the past week. The trip is not on hold (conversely, it's one of the few things that keep me going after a week like last), but the planning had to take a back-seat after the loss of a coworker meant much much more for me to do at work.
But one of the few things I have accomplished during the past week is confirming availability and deciding on our Paris hotel.
Hotel Henri IV is a tiny hotel right in the heart of Paris. It only has a 64% TripAdvisor rating, but most of that seems related to the irritable manager. And let's face it, we're going to have to deal with some rude French people. So why not take advantage of an AMAZING location while we're at it?
No, seriously. Look it up on the map. It's the hotel icon right in the perfect center of the city. You know, the one on the island in the Seine called Ile de la Cite - the one Notre Dame is located on? Right next to Saint-Chappelle, known as the most beautiful church in Paris.
And yeah, it's just across the river from the Louvre (which I keep wanting the spell Lourve, because I know I will Lourve it).
At 78E/night, it's just barely outside of our goal rate for a twin room (we're aiming for all out hotels to be less than $100/night, which averages out to about 71E/night), but it does include breakfast - and just think of the metro fare we'll save being within walking distance of so many things!
Reservations will be made this week. One unfortunate thing: they do not accept online booking. BUT, my savior Fred (that crazy Canadian), has volunteered to be my translator (in exchange for food, nom nom nom) - PLUS, his phone service through Vonage allows free calling to several international countries, including France! So, for the cost of groceries, I get international calling + translation.
Because I'm not confident my "Bonjour" "Sil vouz plais" and "Au revoir" is enough to get me through an a conversation with a short-tempered French woman.
But at least I'm trying, right?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)