Island hopping

My last day....NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We took off mid-morning for the Isle of Wight (white). Since it's an island, we had to catch a ferry from Portmouth, which took about 40 minutes to cross over. I've been on ferries before, but not the type where you can take your car, too.

Our first stop was the holiday home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Osbourne House. I would have loved to have explored the grounds more, but we were in for rainy weather all day. The house was beautiful and the tour was pretty decent for the entry fee.

Lunch was at KFC. I don't eat there at home, and it's probably safe to say that I shouldn't have had it here, either. It hung around with me all day. Bloody chicken!

The next stop was at the Needles. These are a series of rocks that point out of the sea from the southwestern most tip of the island. They had a pretty cool chairlift that would take you down to the seashore. The beach was pure rock....and when the waves pulled back from the shore, it made this sound as if someone were rolling their hands over a bin of marbles. Very neat! The whole area was a small flashback of Joyland in its heyday or Atlantic City.

I've crossed another item off my 'list' (bucket list, if you will)!! Not too far from the Needles was a pottery shop. They had a studio where you could pick a random piece and paint designs on it. I've always wanted to try this. The drawback is you can't take it with you that day as it needs to be glazed, but they are going to post it to H and then she'll send it on to me. There was something very soothing about this experience.....

We drove the rest of the coastline and headed back around 7pm. By that time we didn't feel like cooking.....and since it was my 'last supper' I chose curry (duh). So that makes 4 times in 10 days. I feel sorry for whoever sits next to me on the plane tomorrow...hee hee hee.

So I'm all packed and ready to go....well, not sure about ready. But Heather, John and I are slowly killing this country. We looked at the map the other day and pinpointed where we haven't been yet. So another trip is a must! We'll see if they'll have me back?!

The experiences that Heather and John have been able to provide me with have been amazing! A meer 'thanks' is definitely just a start, but definitely not enough to express my gratitude. I have been so blessed to have both of them in my life and couldn't ask for a lovlier couple to hang-out and 'let-it-all-go' with! I love you both!!! Thank you!

Thanks for reading!

Lounging around

Saturday was another lay-in for me. H and John had to take Vicky to Heathrow in the morning so that she could catch her flight home. I spent the morning snoozing, doing crosswords, and researching where to go on Sunday.

Later in the afternoon I took a walk to the neighborhood store and picked up some soda and my new favorite candy bar, Chomp. The lovely thing about these chocolate-covered-caramel bars is that they only cost 15 pence a piece....that's roughly 30 cents!! I might as well just stick 'em on my butt...hee hee hee.

After trying a new recipe out of a BBQ book for dinner, H and I decided to go to the local cinema (movie theater) to watch Mamma Mia. According to Heather, going to the movies isn't necessarily a popular item on Saturday nights. After scavenging for a parking spot, we should have known better. Mamma Mia was sold out by the time we made it into the theater (10 minuets before it was to start), so we opted to see The Dark Knight.

A few observations about the movie theater....
1. It cost £7 each (roughly $14 each)
2. Popcorn options...sweet or salty
3. There were no Milkduds....sniff
4. They show about 15 minutes of advertisements before they tackle previews
5. They have a rating system similar to ours (PG, R, etc.)
6. Lots of people go to the movies on Saturday nights :)

Thanks for reading!

London calling

Early Friday morning, the four of us got up and took a train from Bognor Regis to London. The train ride, with its various stops, took about an hour and 45 minutes. Not too bad in order to avoid traffic, parking, and the congestion charge.

We arrived at Victoria Station and jumped on the Big Bus Tour. It's an open top bus company that drives all around London allowing you to jump on and off (as long as you keep your ticket). Since we were only spending the day, this was the best option to get to see everything. (This is the same bus line I used when I only had two days in London)

And see the sights, we did! Traffic was a bear, but we managed to make the entire loop and get off for lunch, Trafalgar Square, the National Portrait Gallery (that's what I most wanted to see again), and Buckingham Palace.

That evening we stayed in Felpham and ate at another pub, The Fox. As bad as this sounds, I had Mac & Cheese....but it was like no Mac & Cheese I'd ever had before!! HUGE noodles and gooey-greasy cheese....definitely worth the ridicule of not sticking to 'authentic English cuisine!'