As a side note…

As much trouble as we’ve had this whole trip with getting Wi-Fi, France was hands down the worst.

The owner of the estate did have internet in her house, dial-up, which she very generously said I could borrow, but I didn’t feel right. We went into nearby Valognes and thought surely someone would have WiFi that wasn’t secured or an internet café or something. And no such luck. So needless to say, I was not able to actively blog while in France. These last however many posts were done earlier and saved in Word. I continued to do the same (blog on Microsoft word) and then when we got back to Portsmouth, England I am in the process of putting them all up. Very sorry about all this, but who knew that Wi-Fi wasn’t everywhere? We’ve bought a month’s subscription for an internet service but they’re not wired here for it.

Seriously? How did Kansas get to be in the forefront of technology? Something’s not right with that. They have recycling, but wireless internet hasn’t made it over here yet? Wrong.
I will talk with you all when we get back to the UK. You’ll have lots to read about then. I promise I won’t leave anything out. Ok, maybe some things. I tend to get a bit of diarrhea of the mouth, don’t I? It’s genetic.)

In Portsmouth 23/6/2010

Flat Kennedy and I at the Tailor of Gloucester's shop.

Cathedral at Chester the day before.

The Cathedral at Gloucester.

The author of America's National anthem was born in Gloucester. A plaque commemorating him.

We made it to Gloucester (pronounced Gloster) last night from Chester and settled in. We finally had a normal time of supper (around 7) and went to bed immediately after. All this touring really wears a girl out! They only had 2 rooms available at this hotel (apparently having more than one bed in a room is an American thing b/c people look at you like you have 4 heads if you ask for a double room) and so mom said she needed a cot for her daughter who was 15 (the oldest age they'll allow for a third person in the room). I'm not sure I really can pass for 15, but I tried. Probably should have taken off my wedding ring though in hind sight.

This morning we went into the city centre and visited the Gloucester Cathedral and The Tailor of Gloucester's shop (Beatrix Potter's book) and looked around there. Tula, I really thought of you today. You would have loved it. I did get a book about Ms. Potter and her life. It was really neat to see her inspiration for the book. We leave for the ferry before 6 (AM!) for Normandy, France. It should be about a 6 hour ferry ride. Really looking forward to that. Have been reading a French phrase book, but don't think that, "Get a license, Grandad!', 'I did not know he was married', or 'May the fires of Islam burn you and your degenerate ways!'" will come in as handy as I'd like.

Side note: England just won against Slovenia in the World Cup and the world can start up again. It kind of came to a screeching halt at the beginning of the game. We were watching the news this morning and the reporters were campaigning for everyone to leave work to watch it. I think they did.

The troops flight home.

(This is an email from Cala we received after hearing that they all made it home after a hang up in Chicago's airport. We now know why...)

You know the first part that I was selected for the body cavity search at Heathrow. Mark and I were also selected for the extra baggage scan at customs, and then they had to search one of Mark's bags because of the can of haggis that we brought back. Then, Mark missed getting on the tram to the next terminal (don't ask me how, he was right behind me). Then at security, as I was once again selected for the body cavity search, but I had to go through it twice. At Chicago they had an escort come over and I think that his job was to stay with me during the entire process. Of course, because he works for the government, he didn't do his job. He handed me off to the person at the metal detector who handed me off to the woman who did my pat down, who told me not to touch my stuff until someone told me I could and then everyone disappeared. It must have been break time. So, I stood there waiting for around 5 minutes before we flagged a guy down to ask if I could take my stuff. He got really upset because we didn't know if anyone had looked at my bags and if they didn't know, I had to go through the entire process again. I told him do to what needed to be done, but to hurry up about it because at this point, I really thought we were going to miss the plane. I tried to find the woman who did my original pat down but couldn't. The guy handed me off to another woman to do another pat down. (Keep in mind how tired and irritated I am at this point). I told her that I didn't see the original woman anywhere, but that I did see a bunch of people standing around doing nothing. She said that they may look like they aren't doing anything, but they are. I told her that the only thing they are doing is standing around and talking and laughing and that I recognized 'nothing' when I saw it. She said, oh those are supervisors. I said well, maybe they should be supervising then and things like this wouldn't happen. She said if you have a problem with it take it up with them. I wanted to say, no I understand that government employees don't do anything and complaining isn't going to help, but at that point I thought I should just shut up. Needless to say, she made me go through every check possible and unpacked my entire carry-on. Anyway, so we run over to the gate and realize at that point that there are all kinds of cancellations and delays. They kept changing the time of our flight every 15 minutes or so and I was sure they were going to cancel it. I told you about the offer they had for people to volunteer to fly out the next day(editor's note: At Chicago they offered all 7 of them $250 in fligh vouchers, a night's stay in a hotel, and transportation back to the airport, to take a later flight, but Jed said he didn't want to b/c he wanted to get home to go camping with his family and not spend his birthday flying), but Jed didn't want to and I said that if everyone wasn't going to stay then no one was. So, we finally got in the plane around 6:30 and departed the gate at 7. We taxied toward the runway, but didn't get very far. The pilot comes on and says it is going to be around an hour because there are 75 planes waiting to take off. I promptly went to sleep. I woke up around an hour and a half later and thought the plane was going down. It was the worst turbulence I have ever felt. I guess the lady in front of Rob and Jess threw up and Jess almost did. Sarah slept through it all, and I only woke up for the last 5-10 minutes of it, which was apparently the worst. Jed said that he just kept thinking that he had killed Sarah because he was selfish about not wanting to travel on his birthday. At one point the plane did what Rob & Jed referred to as a death role. Rob said that we must have had a mig on our tail. They were both too funny. Anyway, we did make it home safely.

We were all so tired. On the way home Rob and Jed were singing, and Jed was doing the "this is the note" thing to Rob, so then Rob started doing it to Jed, and Jed said "I'll match any note you put out there because I was in show choir in high school". Rob said "was your husband in show choir too?" It was hysterical!!!!!!


(as we sat at Jessie and John's kitchen table in Scotland reading this email, we almost all wet our pants so thought I'd share. Thanks for making our day, Cala, and hope you have recovered from this traumatic, albeit hilarious, encounter with the TSA.)

21/6/2010 Back in England

In one of the hotel rooms. Notice the stained glass windows behind. Very posh rooms indeed. ;) Dad and I in the hotel's elevator (smallest elevator ever, but not half bad for 1881)

Our hotel, The Westminster.

Having a picnic/tea on our way down to Manchester. The 'Flat Kennedy girls' (the picture that Mom has)enjoyed the 4 cuppa carrier (the cardboard tea carrier Mom has) the most.

At the Square Bottle Pub in Chester.

Today we left Scotland for the last time and headed down to Manchester, England to return "Van Diesel" and then continue down to Chester. Returning the van was pretty simple and we were all sad to see it go. Having our own vehicle, instead of using public transport as is so popular, had allowed us to see all we wanted to on our own timeframe. Jessie and John are accompanying us to France and so they are driving. Over here most cars are small (compact to say the least) and so all 5 of us have squeezed into their car, bags in the 'boot'. We took a walk around Chester after checking into our 19th century hotel (1881-beautiful). Chester is famous for all of the Tudor style buildings (white wood with the black beams) and still having a town crier. Unfortunately he is off tomorrow b/c of some cycle tournament going through. Apparently there will be no news tomorrow! We had supper in a pub and will do more exploring in town tomorrow. Having a wonderful time with Mom and Dad and Jessie and John but do wish all the siblings, husband, and Sarah were still here. :)

6/20/2010...or when in Rome 20/6/2010

The very front of Glamis Castle.

Posing with Robert the Bruce after the re-enactment. L.to R. Catherine, Jessie, Robert the Bruce, Mom, Stefen, me, and Aiden.

Carol, her kids, John and Jessie, Mom, Dad, me and now another old Gauldry neighbor, Catherine, all met for lunch today in Brechin. After, we went to Glamis Castle (the Queen Mum's family home) for the re-enactment of the signing of the Arbroath Declaration (seemed to me like some sort of a peace treaty during the 13th century). It starred Robert the Bruce. Quite interesting. We also toured the grounds but as we've all been to Glamis before (I thought of you today Anne, and our 4 star picnic) we did not pay the price to get inside the castle. After that, Carol and family went back to Inverness after spending the weekend with us and we all went back to Brechin for tea and strawberry tarts.

Tomorrow, we will be leaving for Manchester, England to return "Van Diesel" and head on to Chester, England. (Are you following me on the map, yet?) Then we will go onto catch the ferry at Portsmouth to Normandy, France. I'm hoping to have internet on Dad's computer by then (cross your fingers) so will try to update the blog again daily. If not, no scathing emails, please. ;)

Keeping a slower pace

Finally cracked the book that I have lugged across the ocean with me. The second leg of the journey should be much slower paced. (Cala and Mom didn't do the itinerary!)

6/19/2010-Happy birthday Jed!

Saw an oil tanker in Montrose that Dad had to stop for and inspect.

The farm shop where we had lunch called Paula's.

We left Gauldry and Ann with a fond farewell and headed back up to Brechin for a couple more days with Jessie and John before we head over to the Continent. We went via Monty Feith (no idea if I'm spelling that right and neither do you) and did manage to find their old house but apparently did not look to much the same. (Dad knew that if the two women would have just listened to him yesterday, we would have found it. Can't you just hear him...)

We heard from the troops today and all have arrived safely although there was a hiccup with a late flight in Chicago.

We had a lovely lunch outside of Brechin in a farm shop (all the rage here as we're finding out) that has been converted from an old stone school house. Reminded me of Stuff in Such (or Cypress Bridge for my Abilene friends) with a cafe attached. Lovely decorative things and had we the space, would have bought out the store. Carol, the boys, and Nicola (Carol's daughter) arrived in the afternoon and we will all go out for Indian (dot not feather) for supper with Mom and Dad's old neighbor from Gauldry, Catherine.