Blogs from United Kingdom, Europe - page 3

We're packed, esim installed, suica card loaded up and just one more sleep to go. Seems the rain and temperature has slowed the blossom so we'll hit peak blooms in Hiroshima and the Shimanami Kaido we hope. Although the weather is now looking good and warm compared to London recently. A bit concerned by jet lag as its been quite a few years since we had to deal with that.... read more

Thu: Arriving in style on Airbus A380 The highlight of the day: was the arrival of our British Airways Airbus A380 pulling into our gate. That thing is a mammoth! You couldn't have missed it slowly making its way to the gate. Of course, we booked early and paid extra to secure the upper deck window seat 💪 The anticipation is building up! The flight was delayed for a half hour and the boarding area was a mess but Y got us in the special boarding group 🙌 The boarding tunnel was split into two. We were going with everyone else to the further entrance. Upon seating, I realized it was directly connected to the upper deck entrance. No stairs, nothing, meh. The upper deck could only be felt from the increased distance to the wings ... read more

Hope and Irene from Uganda had the opportunity to attend a leadership training for non profit leaders put on by Girls Not Brides in London this winter. Normally this time of year I would visit them in Uganda to check on our work, but since they were in London I thought I would take the opportunity to meet them there. This was the first time both of them had left Africa. It gave us a chance to reconnect as well as review the status of our current loan recipients. England is quite expensive for them compared to home and my first time there so the three of us explored for the first time together. We started with taking in the sites of London. Then we rented a car and headed into the countryside. We stayed in ... read more

Chat Ham /Chath Am - we pondered on the pronounciation of the town on the Medway. Of course it is Chat Ham we said . But being Welsh the th could be pronounced slightly differently . Did a Man of Kent say it one way and a Kentish man the other ? That was the chat over a large meal in the restaurant attached to the Premier Inn. A meal of fish and chips and a steak and ale pie for me. Sadly no brocolli and I was looking forward to that . A pudding rounded it off . A large glass , scoop of ice cream , Cadburys buttons , lots of cream and a dousing of chocolate sauce . We slept well . For a Premier Inn it was quiet , the bed hard ... read more

200 steps and not a mention of health and safety . 200 steps in total darkness. 200 steps rising from the depths of the donjon to the open roof . I think I prefer the French word rather than our word - a keep. 200 very narrow steps cantilevered and well worn . A small rope for a handrail . We were still annoyed with the volunteer in the cathedral who complained to Glenn about standing on two steps and just glared at me for the climbing the lot for a view in the Quire . No I had not seen the sign . Perhaps it was there to stop the likes of you and me - those who had not paid for a guided tour from seeing the quire . It rankled . It annoyed ... read more