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Published: October 2nd 2017
Geo: 29.8847, -97.6697
Actually we've been back since late Friday, as those who have suddenly gotten many more emails from us have suspected.
The trip back went well. It was a direct flight (10 hours) so no plane changes. Customs was smooth. They didn't even open our bags and the only thing we had to explain to them was about having been on a farm. But when we got to our car it wouldn't start. Hmmmm. Luckily the parking place had a guy whose job it was to help start cars so we were out of there in 15 minutes.
It's Wednesday, and we're still jet-lagged. I don't know why it's taking us so long this time. We struggle to stay up past 8 pm!
All and all it was a wonderful trip. We wish we'd had more time in Scotland. That was truly the highlight of our trip. Our brief sojourn into Wales was nice too -- we could definitely spend more time there. We didn't get to see Ireland this trip - it was just too much to include. We have ME friends from Maryland who have moved there, so we envision another trip to the UK in the future.
By staying in B&Bs and our 1 Couchsurfing stay we met real everyday
residents, and not just the hotel bellboy. We thoroughly enjoyed our
late night conversations with our hosts and learned a lot about the
countries and people we wouldn't have learned from a guide book.
People
are really friendly, even in the big city. In that respect it's like
being in Texas, where people talk to you on the train or bus or in
line. When we said we were from Texas, their eyes would light up -
definitely more romantic than saying you were from New Jersey.
Lessons learned:
Driving a car from Scotland to south England was a little too much. Actually driving in UK was stressful - not good for our relationship. You absolutely need it for the Highlands of Scotland, but we could have used the train more for other places. It's not so much the driving on the left, but the roundabouts that caused a lot of missed exits, backtracking and frustration.
We need to plan more rest days. One or two would have helped our stamina and sanity.
It would have been better to stay longer at fewer B&Bs. Those "one-night-stands" meant re-packing every morning. Staying in one or two places is how we've traveled before, but we tried to fit in too much this time.
Pack lighter! We always say that. We
have learned to fit everything into a carry-on (with the expansible zipper open, so it's not actually a carry-on anymore). After hearing how cold Scotland was and looking at average temps, we packed too many long-sleeved shirts and heavy socks. But it's been uncharacteristically warm this summer. We were walking around in long sleeves, and everyone else was in shorts and tank tops.
August is not the best time of year to visit anywhere in the Northern hemisphere, and especially anyplace in Europe. Crowds, crowds, crowds. But the best time for vacation with our business.
We ate way too many carbs and sweet things (oooo look, Cadbury's!). I'm going through sugar withdrawal now, which is probably why I'm still so tired.
No pictures today. Thanks for reading my first attempt at a blog. I hope you enjoyed it.
Much love, Charlie and Mary
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Jose and Marilyn
non-member comment
Great blog. Thank you for sharing your adventures with us!