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Tuesday April 29,1997 Shuttle driver picked me up first, then Dorothy and "sparky" her tiny Yorkshire terrier. Dorothy is an older woman who winters in Phoenix, she has a home between Lansing and Detroit. Her husband died a couple years ago. We flew in a 757. It has three seats on each side of the aisle. I was assigned a window seat but the stewardess asked if I would change with another couple. She gave me two coupons for free headphones which I used on the way back. Arrived in Detroit at sun set, had to walk from terminal c to terminal f. Attempted to call Alma, Sharon and Mrs. Maben. Did not Get through to anyone. We loaded onto the DC-10 almost an hour late. The DC-10 has two seats an aisle, five sets, an aisle and two seats. Was dark outside as we took off. Sunrise was while we were over the eastern Atlantic. The cloud cover prevented viewing the ocean. The clouds were beautiful, reflecting the rising sun. My seat neighbor was Bob, he was going over to England on business. Plane was going 600 MPH. We arrived on time at 9:35 A.M. On the plane from Phoenix we ate dinner of chicken in a bun. On the overseas flight we had pop or booze, then they came by offering wine. Later we had a meal of chicken, carrots and pasta. Before landing we had a breakfast of yogurt and a banana. Wednesday April 30,1997After landing we took a tram about 100 yards to the main terminal. Then trudged over to immigration. Stood in line one of four. He put the first stamp in my passport. The stamp says " Leave to Enter for Six Months; Employment and Recourse to Public Funds Prohibited." Then wandered around looking for auto rental company. My paperwork said Auto-Europe, the signs here say Europ-Car. Waited in line a long time, then she couldn't find something on the computer for my account. Eventually got car. Got off to a great start. Missed exit out of parking lot and had to back up and retry. The whole day has been the same way. I must have been honked at 200 times and almost caused as many accidents. So finally got out of the airport parking lot and immediately saw a sign pointing the way to the highway I wanted. Unfortunately I didn't see the turn when I got to it so ended up going half way to London. Bad news. Traffic is horrendous, the roads are narrow, and everyone is in a hurry. After I finally realized I had missed the turn off I turned on the next road going east. Eventually saw another sign pointing to original road I wanted. After driving around for 1 1/2 hours I finally got headed south and out of town. I knew I had an address of a cheap B&B in Grinstead so drove there. Then couldn't find address. Remembered seeing B&B back a ways so turned around and it was quite a ways back there. Rented room for 20# per night. About $32. I got the fancy room with a shower and john in the room. The other three rooms share a toilet in the hall. The are paying 18#, about $29. The landlord suggested I not go to Dover as yesterday the IRA terrorists were reporting bombs on the main roads and the police were closing roads to check if they were safe. He said I did not want to get caught in a mess such as that. So drove south on A22 to East Bourne and finally found the ocean. Had to drive through city twice before I found a way over to the water. Parked car and walked through park to see people lying in the grass with jackets on soaking up the sun. The wind was cold on the beach but the rest of the day did appear very nice. Was sunny with only a few puffy clouds. I wore same short sleeve shirt I left Phoenix with. Turned on the six p.m. news and the weather man says it was a hot 65 out. The landlord told me this is just like their summer weather. God has been very good to me. Forecast for Thursday is a "scorching" 72 degrees, and the greatest security on the underground ever because tomorrow is election day. I'm going to London tomorrow if I can find it. Left Eastbourne and drove to Seaford, then wandered back north and east to route A22. Of course got lost in several small towns and had to drive around until found my way back to where I had made wrong turn. Good thing these towns aren't too big. Stopped at small (tiny) grocery store because it had sign out front that said Post Office. Bought Coke and two post cards. When I asked her to put postage on them she said Post Office was closed. The Post Office was in a small room about the size of the walk-in closet in my bedroom. Made it back to room by 5:30 p.m. Getting tired and ear hurting from people honking at me. Can't figure it out, only took me an hour to figure what the speed limit signs are. I thought they were route numbers until I saw the same numbers popping up all over. There is no writing on the speed limit signs. Just a number on a small circular sign with a white background and red border. No one else pays any attention to them either so that wasn't the problem. Driving on the left side of the street is hard to remember. After the first hour I thought I had it figured out, but afraid I had several relapses. Lots of motorcyclists here and great roads for them. When you get twenty miles outside London it is sooooo green. Trees and grassy fields everywhere. It is beautiful. Motorcyclists split lanes and pass at blistering speeds. Didn't get any sleep on plane so when I got back to the room I took a shower to wake up. Don't want to go to bed too early and wake up in the middle of the night. Rental car is a Volkswagen Golf 1.4 liter 4 door in maroon. Had only 280 miles on it. Fell asleep at 8 p.m., woke up at nine and got undressed and went to bed. Woke up around 2:30 or 3 a.m. and tossed and turned for a couple hours before going to sleep again. Thursday May 1, 1997 (election day, here) Got up at 7 a.m., dressed and went down for breakfast. Two other guys were already eating and another came while I was eating my Frosted Flakes and orange juice. After breakfast one of the men drew me a map to the train station. I then went for a walk to kill time as an all day rail ticket is not good 'til 9:30, after rush hour. So about 8:45 I left. My map said to go north 5 miles to M25 and at the second round-about turn right and go 500 feet and turn right to rail station. Well I headed north and after the second round-about I turned right. There was no small round-about 500 feet so turned around and went back to round-about and headed north. When I got to M25 I was sure it was the second round-about AFTER M25. No problem. Parked in lot and got ticket after asked a man how system worked. Walked out on platform and met another man named Dave. Dave said I should get off at Victoria Station where he was getting off. So when the train came we sat together and talked the whole half hour. He owned a 1980 MGB with 130,000 miles on it as his sole automobile. He was in a suit and was going in to get people to the polls for his political party. He worked as some sort of scientist. He showed me how the board works in the terminal for coming home. You need to check the board when you are ready to return to see what time the train pulls out and on what platform. So now I'm in London and on my own again. Walk outside and first thing I see is tourist bureau. Go in and ask where to catch the tour bus. She says 5 minute walk and asks me if I have ticket. Of course not so she says go to other end of building and I can get one. Well I go over there and the line is very long so I go back to her and said I thought I could buy a ticket on the bus. She says sure you can (guess they get a commission for tickets they sell). I walk down the way she told me and found the brown double decker buses with no top. Paid the 12# (ouch)($19.20) and walked up to the top and had a seat. We soon left with the female tour guide explaining all the sites. She said the tour was 22 miles and it took us 2 hours. After the tour it is about 1 p.m. so decide to find a fish and chips place. Ate at Shakespeares Fish and Chips. Worst fish and chips I ever ate. 5.95#, don't have milk and I left a 1# tip. Went for a walk and bought 3 post cards for 90 pence. Went back to train station at 2:45 and saw train left in 9 minutes so walked over to platform 15 and train was there already so I got on. Rode out to my station, Upper Warlington, and when train stops I open door and see it is a long step down to the tracks, so ask the guy in the next seat if this is right. He says I'm to exit on the other side of the train and sure enough there is a platform there. Get back to car and head to B&B. Got half way back when I exited a round-about too soon and ended up on A25 motorway. Drove long way before saw an exit so grabbed the first one that came along. Unfortunately it connected with another motorway and went a long way before another exit appeared. Now I am totally lost. I figured my first mistake took me east and the turn off went north so got on any street going south or west. After an hour and a half saw sign to A22 where I had originally been. This time at the round-about I took the second exit instead of the first and made it back to the B&B about 5:30. Took a shower and tried to decide where I'm going tomorrow. With the terrible road signs I can see I will never make it all the way to Scotland. Washed blue shirt in sink and hung it in shower to dry. Friday May 2, 1997 Next morning I put my clean blue shirt on and went down to eat at 7 a.m. Had cereal and orange juice again. Paid them the 40# ($64) for room and the woman drew me a map to get down to Brighton. (From Brighton it's an easy drive to Beaulieu car museum). Yeh, right! I was following the signs pointing to Brighton so long that when I got to Brighton I accidentally got off the motorway and went through to center of town to the English Channel Coast. Lots of traffic with people going to work at 8-8:30 a.m. so after about 7 miles or so I finally decided to head north and see if I could get back on the motorway. Worked like a charm. Now I'm sailing for Southampton. From Southampton there were many signs for the car museum and when I got behind two tourist buses I knew I had it made. Good thing. This museum is way out in the boonies. The "New Forest" area is miles and miles of nothing but large bushes with yellow flowers and horses and cows roaming in the street. With the buses clearing the way we make it to the museum. As I entered the museum I saw a huge gift shop so went in to see if might find something for Steve. Big mistake. Now two bus loads of French teen-agers are in front of me. Cost 8.5# ($13) to get in the museum. Looked at the cars and took a few pictures. Went out and walked some distance to an old abbey built in 1204 A.D. This was fabulous. Which reminds me that earlier in the day as I was heading west I saw my first castle. It was over in the distance and my camera was locked up. I wanted to take a picture but there was no where to pull off and the people behind me didn't want to stop. Well, anyways, I got a picture of the palace house on the museum grounds. Rode the tram back to the museum and went to the gift shop and bought a video for Steve for only 5 pounds.($8) While there picked up brochure for Sammy Millers motorcycle collection. Couldn't miss this and its only a few towns away. So after getting lost I see a bank and decide I should exchange some cashiers checks for pounds as the banks won't be open for the next three days. The first Monday in May is a bank holiday. I ask the guy behind me in the line at the bank where a good restaurant is in town. He recommends the New Forest Kitchen. Had a great dinner of chicken breast, peas, some thing that looked like cauliflower, something yellow and potatoes. All for 6 pounds ($9.60). The guy in the truck next to me said to take the road the restaurant was on to the motorcycle museum. Then the next guy I stopped who was walking down the street said I was too far south and sent me in another direction. Then the woman in the parking lot I asked sent me another way. So I drive right by the museum because it said museum tea shop and I thought it was a restaurant. There were no motorcycles in sight. So I stop in a carpet store to ask directions again. The salesman hands me off to another guy who explains where the museum is and I realized I had seen that as I went by. So back once more and I finally arrive. 3.5 pounds to get in here. Took some more photos and bought a book for Steve. Decide to head north toward Stonehenge. I've about used up my first tank of gas so stop to get gas and directions to Stonehenge. It's only about 6 miles away. An hour later and about 20 miles further I get to Stonehenge. The gas was 23.5 pounds and 1/2 pound for Coke. Checked oil in car, ok. Woman cashier said good B&B up road turn left. Went back up road way too far. Way too far. Turn around, come back, find B&B but she doesn't have any singles. So I'm on to Stonegenge when I see another B&B. She doesn't have singles either. Both places said to go to Paulines. So I turn around and retrace my path for third time. Pauline has rented all her singles. So return back down road for fourth time on way to Stonehenge. Made it this time. I get there at 5:45 p.m. and they close at 6 p.m. No big deal, the rocks are just sitting there. I walk all the way around them and take a few pictures. What a waste of 3.7 pounds. Leave this tourist trap laughing at the old woman with her divining rod pointing at the rocks. I get on the motorway and notice everyone is going the opposite way. I mean for miles and miles it is bumper to bumper. Three day holiday weekend and everyone is getting out of town. It's 6:30 and I don't have a place to stay yet so I decide to head north and see a B&B on left side of street. Four houses down the street I pull over and park. Walk back and knock on door. No answer. Standing there looking around I see another B&B across the street. I go over and she has a room for 15 pounds. Took it! Small room next to the bath. Took a shower and had it made 'til 9 p.m. when couple with two kids arrived. I need to go to the bathroom but they're taking turns using the shower. Saturday May 3, 1997 The next morning I was on my way by 7:15 a.m. and did well for about 10 miles 'til I made the obligatory wrong turn. Went down to Winchester but did not see the cathedral. Instead stopped for gas and picked up a pint of milk and some pastries. The woman at the convenience store told me how to get on the motorway. I'm learning ----- when she said watch for signs to Newby, I asked her to write it down. NEWBURY-that's Newby.
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