Vacation Plans -- United Kingdom

You picked a great place to live in London, Gautam, that's for sure. It was nice last weekend, I'll bet it is gorgeous throughout the year. The parklands seem to go on and on. You lucky man!

Ah, thanks for great descriptions, Piffka. Very evocative. I have been in Greenwich Park twice this year, both times in very lovely weather. It is a remarkably fine place, and big enough to deal with the crowds.
Also to Gautam, FionaB and I very much enjoyed prowling through the market which is held in the old market hall: what a great place! we bought some lovely gifts there, and some food... some speciality breads and other things.

I think you need 2-3 days for Greenwich alone, for a comprehensive visit, never mind London.
Where did you want to go in a week, Piff... Cornwall, Orkney, Stonehenge and where?

We may be a small island, but we're densely packed. Well, my wife is, anyway. :wink:

Piffka, I'm not as discriminating as you are on museums, because I like to see "all" of it. Your mention of the Camera Obscura brought back memories of my visit last March. If and when I visit London again, I'm sure to return to Greenwich, and spend more time there. It's uniqueness with the two major museums, and the village area are all so attractive for a return visit. I took the train to Greenwich on my last visit, but took the boat on my first visit many years ago. I visited the Modern Tate in March, and visited the original Tate many years ago. Walked across on the pedestrian bridge to St Pauls. I love London.

Greenwich is cool - after all it has to be..I chose to live there <smug look>

Hi all

Piffka, good to hear you and Mr P got back ok and that you enjoyed your holiday!

Sorry I've been off the net for a while, we had to go to a funeral in Norwich.

So Gautam showed you around Greenwich. It certainly is a nice part of the world or it is now its been cleaned up!

Again it was really good to meet you both (and Gautam) last Friday. As you know I took a few pictures BUT its not a digital camera, and it was the beginning of the film! So as soon as I have worked out how not to waste the rest of the roll, and get the pics on the web, I will!

Ros says hi and hopes all animals ok

Thanks for sharing your trip with us, Piffka! It sounds wonderful, and I hope your jet lag doesn't last much longer.

hi Piffka!

Glad to see you're back and glad you had a nice time.

I concur with sentiments above -ie. that you should be a travel writer. your description made me want to hop a plane and go to the UK myself.
_
So you met Senor Gautam eh? (sorry for the straight tilde)

hmm ...when I TYPED it, the ersatz tilde was over the n in senor. Don't know how or why it got to be over the s in so!

Ahhh, this durn jet lag. I'm up, I'm down, I'm confused all the time. Argggh.

McTag -- You are too cruel. Yeah, yeah, I wanted to pack too much in, but gee whiz, there is a lot to see. Mr. P has got the Orkney bug now and says that's first on our list for next visit (planning that already). I think it is true of nearly every place that there's no way you can see and enjoy yourself in a day or two. Those eight countries in eight days trips that are advertised sound horrible to me. We did know most of the places we were going to... except for Edinburgh... so we were revisiting old friends. But even if you were to come to visit my humble little town, you might find that two or three days would not be enough time to really get to know the place. Those brief visits are better than nothing, but what I really like is to set up shop for a week or more... just to get the flavor and pace. Whenever I am visiting a different part of the world, I tend to imagine what it is like in each season of the year. Greenwich Park kept making me think of what it would be like in winter... would the hills ever be covered in snow? Would I cross-country ski there?

Gautam -- Is it as beautiful as I imagined in the winter?

CI -- I heard that after a couple of days that pedestrian bridge to the Tate Modern had to be closed and revamped. It was making people ill from all of its rocking and rolling. Wish I'd tried it then! We didn't go to the Tate Modern -- went by it on the boat and was aghast at Sir Paul McCartney's ideas of art. Yuck.

Thanks, Mac. My jet lag makes me goofy. I keep losing things (mind, memory, tickets, checkbook).

Hiya Steve! Mr.P said he would like your email address. He enjoyed his visiting with my a2k friends so much. He's been very charming about possibly coming here himself, once he's back in the saddle at work. Tell Ros that the animals were perfectly fine but adoringly loving when we got home. The two girl chow dogs have tried to keep their eyes on me all the time -- they're afraid I'm going to leave again. When I've had to do errands they are so very sad, sure that I won't be home for a week again. Even the horse has seemed to be thrilled to see me. She's been giving me extra nuzzles and I don't know why as our elderly neighbor overfed her terribly, much to her delight.

Jjorge -- Thanks. You'd have a great time in the UK, especially if you got to meet the UK a2kers. The biggest bugaboo is driving around. Mr. P. told me that he found himself on the lefthand side of the road yesterday, tootling down the way and scaring the oncoming traffic.

Just in case any of UKers are looking for something to do... what a deal I found in my email. if I could, I'd go back to the Ballachulish in a minute. It is about ten minutes from some of the nicest hiking in Glen Coe and has an awesome aspect over the water.

Autumn Gold...
Just £105 per couple for a one night inclusive break - plus a Free Extra if you book within 10 days! Full details on www.go2glencoe.com
£105 is per couple, per night and includes Dinner, Room and Full Scottish Breakfast. Subject to availability at The Isles of Glencoe Hotel & Leisure Centre, The Ballachulish Hotel and The Oban Caledonian Hotel.

<sigh> My trip was way too short!

The McTags are going on a Tour d'Ecosse which will take in Embra, Anstruther/Fife, Stonehaven, Elgin in Buchan, Skye, down through the western highlands and Argyll to the Clyde, possibly near Clynder, the to Kirkcudbright in Dumfries & Galloway. Trying to arrange some b&b

"Ye'll tak' the high road...."

Sounds wonderful, McTag! Please tell us how it goes.

Oh boy. I can hardly wait to hear about it. Do you have a theme? What's your timeframe? Lucky you & Fiona!

If you've got any extra time, the road up & over to Plockton off the main road (A87) is a nice "long-cut" to the Skye Bridge. You can get to Plockton and only backtrack only a bit in returning to Kyle of Lochalsh the long way about. The signs will say Duirnish and Balmacara. Such nice countryside -- it adds about ten miles to your trip, but on a good day -- whew, roadside views of Skye, Raasay, and the North. The scenery is great if you like that sort of thing. Quiet one-track with good pull-outs.

(Waaah, wish I were there.)

He has too, since he's Scottish

My family has links with Plockton folk which goes back to the 1930s, three generations (we procreate only very slowly )

I lived in this village, on holiday, in the 1950s and I learned to sail on the local boats in Loch Carron.
Have been back a few times.

Blissful days.

Ahh, well you'll forgive me then, I hope, McTag, for telling you what you already know. I remembered that you'd been to Dornie.

Skulking here, I like hearing from both McTag and Piffka...very rich mix...

Thanks, Osso. Speaking of rich mix, did I mention that I had haggis? I had it as an accompaniment to some roasted chicken at Ballachulish. I was surprised at how dark it was and how tasty... like a very rich turkey stuffing. I shock myself to say this being such a weenie in the offal-eating department.

Unawful offals?

Aren't haggis like tripe? (Sorry to ask, I know this has been answered over and over...)

Osso

You and I often seem to be lurking on the travel threads! Piffka finds heaps of info - I usually travel a bit blind! (or is that after the drinks!? )