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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2022 18:04:17 GMT
Just back from a two week fly drive to New England, our first foreign trip since the pandemic. Hence it was a bit of a culture shock to find out that air travel is even more of a necessary evil if you want to travel long distance.
Nine hours travel time, home to a hotel in Boston is pretty good, but total time was 18 hours, most of the be extra spent in queues of one form or another. For example it took over two hours just to get through security at Heathrow, then, after arriving slightly early at Boston, we were held a full hour on the tarmac, waiting for a space to get off. US immigration then kept over 400 people waiting for another hour, while they let their own citizens through first - less than ideal when it is by then 4am body clock time...
Americans remain a strange people, they appear to speak English, but sometimes it is like trying to understand Geordie or Glaswegian and the less said about food the better. Lots of it, but not exactly quality, unless you pay the earth.
Indeed, the only thing that is cheap is petrol. They all think gas is dear and blame Biden for it, but at less than £4 a gallon - really???
All part of any foreign adventure of course, but a bit of an be eye opener after two years of holidaying at home nevertheless.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2022 12:07:33 GMT
I'm off to Spain in three weeks. Not flying - as Dave U will say I'm a really bad green party member and I don't want to upset him - so will see how I fare going through the tunnel and driving down to Murcia
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2022 8:16:39 GMT
Take plenty of supplies for the wait at the tunnel. With operation Brock back in place, I sense prodigious queues forming again.
One of the many curious experiences in America is how appalling their TV has become. It was always pretty grim, not least because all channel hopping does is change the adverts. There are so many that it is really difficult to actually find a programme.
With no national health service, the adverts are dominated by medical products, however in a highly litigious society, these have to have the most appalling caveats. Skin cream for eczema? Treatments for IBS? "Hey, our products are brilliant, although they could also cause severe allergic reactions, cancer, blindness or death" - yes, really!
This was the constant backdrop to any TV we watched and no prices were ever mentioned either. Funny that...
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2022 18:42:07 GMT
Just back from a two week fly drive to New England, our first foreign trip since the pandemic. Hence it was a bit of a culture shock to find out that air travel is even more of a necessary evil if you want to travel long distance. Nine hours travel time, home to a hotel in Boston is pretty good, but total time was 18 hours, most of the be extra spent in queues of one form or another. For example it took over two hours just to get through security at Heathrow, then, after arriving slightly early at Boston, we were held a full hour on the tarmac, waiting for a space to get off. US immigration then kept over 400 people waiting for another hour, while they let their own citizens through first - less than ideal when it is by then 4am body clock time... Americans remain a strange people, they appear to speak English, but sometimes it is like trying to understand Geordie or Glaswegian and the less said about food the better. Lots of it, but not exactly quality, unless you pay the earth. Indeed, the only thing that is cheap is petrol. They all think gas is dear and blame Biden for it, but at less than £4 a gallon - really??? All part of any foreign adventure of course, but a bit of an be eye opener after two years of holidaying at home nevertheless. Brings back wonderful memories of a road trip we did there in 2016; started in Boston and did a big anti-clockwise circle, via Portsmouth, Portland, North Conway, Stowe, Burlington, Northampton, Mystic, Newport, Martha’s Vineyard, Chatham, Provincetown, Boston. Thoroughly enjoyed every mile. Take your point re food, though in my experience, it’s hard to fault overall levels of customer service |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2022 19:20:57 GMT
There is one perfect solution,do not go abroad, stay in this country and support local resorts and businesses. Yes I know the remainers are not interested in supporting the UK not when they can take their hard earned money and blow it all in the EU☹
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2022 7:13:02 GMT
There is one perfect solution,do not go abroad, stay in this country and support local resorts and businesses. Yes I know the remainers are not interested in supporting the UK not when they can take their hard earned money and blow it all in the EU☹ There's a whole world to experience out there, why should anyone be limited on what they want for their holiday, no ones stopping you from a Caravan and a rainy week in Dymchurch if that's all you want! Some like to look beyond our shores as there's life and culture beyond the White Cliffs of Dover you know |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2022 8:04:04 GMT
[/quote]Brings back wonderful memories of a road trip we did there in 2016; started in Boston and did a big anti-clockwise circle, via Portsmouth, Portland, North Conway, Stowe, Burlington, Northampton, Mystic, Newport, Martha’s Vineyard, Chatham, Provincetown, Boston. Thoroughly enjoyed every mile.
Take your point re food, though in my experience, it’s hard to fault overall levels of customer service
[/quote]
Yep, that's the route: White and Green Mountains, Boston, the Berkshires and Cape Cod. Nice to to see some old architecture with a bit of character, plus enough craft beer variety to make even a Belgian envious. Not sure about the unfiltered stuff though, while 10% alcohol content is a bit extreme too.
The world is a big place, so as much variety as possible please. Still get a buzz from a day trip to France - the bread and patisseries are always so nice.
On the other hand can never understand why folk go abroad only to stay, all inclusive and never venture out of their resort, though the classic French 'toilette a la Turque' (the one with just two steps to place your feet) may have a lot to answer for. And they still seem to think it's a neat idea in some places!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2022 9:44:21 GMT
There is one perfect solution,do not go abroad, stay in this country and support local resorts and businesses. Yes I know the remainers are not interested in supporting the UK not when they can take their hard earned money and blow it all in the EU☹ There's a whole world to experience out there, why should anyone be limited on what they want for their holiday, no ones stopping you from a Caravan and a rainy week in Dymchurch if that's all you want! Some like to look beyond our shores as there's life and culture beyond the White Cliffs of Dover you know My point is that if travelling abroad is such a pain at the moment then why do it? Unless Putin levels it with a few nukes then Europe will still be there when everything settles down to normality which we have not yet reached. I would also like to bet that are beautiful parts of the UK that you have yet to discover but are you interested in Britain? Probably not. Dymchurch has just been voted the best beach in Britain and o e of the top 20 beaches in the world and like most places in the South East has had less rain than many parts of Europe this year. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2022 7:53:51 GMT
Dymchurch is a fine beach at any time of year. Remember having it pretty much to ourselves after the first lockdown, when the queue for Camber started in Rye.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2022 7:45:49 GMT
So, 2-3 days of bonkers weather, including a predicted 20c temperature drop from 5pm Tuesday to 5am Wednesday and the highest ever UK temperature smashed by 3c as well.
Bojo shows that he is a man for a crisis by having nothing to do with the Cobra meetings, while we can only wait to see what the Mad Dog British do.
Remember holidays in Sardinia and Sicily where we found that the locals got up early and did their stuff until about 11.30, then shut up shop and went indoors until dusk. Tried being out and about through the middle of the day but soon realised it wasn't worth it and went native instead.
Guess we will all be painting our houses white soon too.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2022 12:25:36 GMT
There is one perfect solution,do not go abroad, stay in this country and support local resorts and businesses. Yes I know the remainers are not interested in supporting the UK not when they can take their hard earned money and blow it all in the EU☹ Love it. I think businesses are being harder hit by your vote than my holiday. You've spent ages telling me to go and live in the EU. Now you are telling me to stay here to support businesses. Like most brexit ideas. Not thought through and contradictory |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2022 12:32:29 GMT
There's a whole world to experience out there, why should anyone be limited on what they want for their holiday, no ones stopping you from a Caravan and a rainy week in Dymchurch if that's all you want! Some like to look beyond our shores as there's life and culture beyond the White Cliffs of Dover you know My point is that if travelling abroad is such a pain at the moment then why do it? Unless Putin levels it with a few nukes then Europe will still be there when everything settles down to normality which we have not yet reached. I would also like to bet that are beautiful parts of the UK that you have yet to discover but are you interested in Britain? Probably not. Dymchurch has just been voted the best beach in Britain and o e of the top 20 beaches in the world and like most places in the South East has had less rain than many parts of Europe this year. I was engaged in Ireland, married in Scotland and celebrated that evening in England. I've lived in Maidstone, Herne Bay, Newbury. Croydon, Treforest, Carlisle, Brighton, Worthing, Southgate, Enfield and Rugby. I've visited most towns and cities along with a plethora of other places. Maybe I like experiencing foreign places as well. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2022 13:29:18 GMT
My point is that if travelling abroad is such a pain at the moment then why do it? Unless Putin levels it with a few nukes then Europe will still be there when everything settles down to normality which we have not yet reached. I would also like to bet that are beautiful parts of the UK that you have yet to discover but are you interested in Britain? Probably not. Dymchurch has just been voted the best beach in Britain and o e of the top 20 beaches in the world and like most places in the South East has had less rain than many parts of Europe this year. I was engaged in Ireland, married in Scotland and celebrated that evening in England. I've lived in Maidstone, Herne Bay, Newbury. Croydon, Treforest, Carlisle, Brighton, Worthing, Southgate, Enfield and Rugby. I've visited most towns and cities along with a plethora of other places. Maybe I like experiencing foreign places as well. Go to Whitechapel High Street there's enough foreign culture to last you a lifetime🤣 |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2022 6:42:51 GMT
Don't know about the rest of London, but schools on the east side, both north and south of the river often have over 80 (yes, really) different first languages to cope with.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2022 6:45:34 GMT
Don't know about the rest of London, but schools on the east side, both north and south of the river often have over 80 (yes, really) different first languages to cope with. When I was qualifying in 2004, I remember a teacher talking about her first job being in a school near Canary Wharf and there being 45 different languages |
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