Moving along...'til the crash of December 27th.

So, Sunday morning after all the Christmas festivities, Jess got up early, actually later than she usually would and started planning.  Most of the trip has been plotted out and we're waiting to hear back from the places to stay - most will probably B&Bs on this trip.  The last day will be spent in London, probably at a Chelsea game and then some other places depending on the time, etc.

The tentative itinerary is below, sans the places we'll be staying and their prices.  The other prices will help us to determine if there is a pass we can get to gain access to most of those places and if it will be cheaper than paying for each one separately.  The best would be for their economy to take a real downturn over the next month so we can recoup some of the money we spent the last time we were there.

I'm pretty excited because the driving between places will be minimal as compared to our time in Spain and we should be able to see most if not all of the stuff that I wanted to  - especially, Leeds, Dover, Bodiam and Hever Castles.  I'm sure Jess will finish up the planning once she feels better - massive stomach virus today and has been in bed all day.  So has her brother, Max.  Both of those jerks were breathing on me yesterday as I tried to do a word search on the iPad, so I have no doubt that I will be praying to the porcelain gods while down in Florida.  I guess the bright side is that it is a milestone as it will be the first time I puked in a state other than New York (I think).

SATURDAY FEB 19

Hever p103 (london to hever 1 hr 8mins)

Knole (£2.50 parking, or park in town, not open in Feb so we just drive by)

Hever Castle (sent email about hours, £13 pp)

Penhurst Palace (10:30AM-4:30PM weekends only £9.80pp)

Chiddingstone

SUNDAY FEB 20

Canterbury p62 (Penshurst to Canterbury Cathedral 1hr 15mins)

Canterbury Cathedral (12:30-2:30-last entry 2:00 with crypt, £8pp)

West Gate- not open on Sunday

St. Augustine’s Abbey ( 10AM-4PM, £4.50) 

St. Martin’s Church (9:50am-10:30AM only)

Drive to Maidstone (40 mins)

MONDAY FEB 21

Leeds Castle p122

Castle (10:30AM-3:30PM £17.50pp)

Wander in Bearsted (Leeds Castle to Bearstead 8 mins)

Drive Leeds to Dover 46 mins

Walk the White Cliffs of Dover (1/4 mile hike each way up)

TUESDAY FEB 22

Dover Castle p78 (10AM-4PM,  £13.90)

Dover Castle

Drive to Rye (1hr)

Pretty village to see – think easily paired with visiting Battle

Battle p41 (Rye to Battle 30 mins)

Battle of Hastings Battlefield and Abbey

Battle p41 - to Bodiam Castle 15 minutes

DRIVE to: Salisbury & Stonehenge p165 (Bodiam to Stonehenge 2hrs 30mins)

WEDNESDAY FEB 23

Stonehenge 9:30AM-4PM £6.90 pp

Marketplace – poultry cross

St. Thomas’ Church (8AM-6PM, free?)

Cathedral Close

Salisbury Cathedral(715AM-6:15PM, tower tours 2hrs 11:15, 1:15, 2:15-call 01722 555156 for reservations. £8.50

Old Sarum/Stonehenge (10AM-4PM, £3.30pp)

Drive to Bath

Bath p33 (salisbury to bath 1 hrs 8 mins)

THURSDAY FEB 24

Bath Abbey and Churchyard 9AM-430PM , TOWER TOUR£5

Roman Baths Museum 9:30AM-4:30PM £12.00

Pulteney Bridge

Royal Crescent

Thermae Bath Spa

FRIDAY FEB 25

Bath to Eaton Castle (1hr)

Eaton Castle

Eaton Castle to Windsor Castle(1 hr 10 mins)

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle to Runnymede (9 mins)

Hampton Court p97 (bath to hampton court 2hrs 4 mins)

Hampton Ct (10AM-3:30PM, £15.40)

Maybe add Eaton Castle and Runnymeade

London (hampton court to london 37 mins)

Other possibilities depending on time

Stratford Upon Avon

Oxford

Cambridge

Cardiff

Technology...I wonder when I will be able to blog directly from my brain?

Bear with me with the typos...it's Christmas Eve, I'm typing this directly on the iPad and we're on the plane on our way to Florida.

Yes, Internet on the plane and for free from google. Pretty sick. Which means, all along you could have done this and they just didn't want you to. You can probably use your phone too with no ill effects, but who knows. At the rate technology is moving, I think many moons from now, I will be able to actually write this from a chip in my head that automatically posts it along with what I am seeing. Though probably highly unlikely, still a really cool idea. My parents would never have to leave their recliners. They wouldn't even have to leave them to use their laptop on their desk.

I've managed to get Jess to bring the London book with us so she can do some research and planning for the trip. The bad news, the Liverpool game was changed to Sunday, so, we'll have to head back this way again to catch them. Do I sound calm? I was actually expecting for that or something similar to happen to screw me out of seeing them, so while I am disappointed, I am not surprised.

Chelsea is playing Birmingham City so we are going to try to score some ticketed to Stamford Bridge and see at least one match. Hopefully I won't get screwed again.

On a side note, bizarrely, my goddaughter Deanna is going to London the same week - and possibly on the same flight, we're just waiting for confirmation.

As Jess starts the planning, I will start the blogging and let you know what's going on. Slagg should be getting a new uniform soon -so watch out!

Typical Planninig

There are about 70 days until we leave for London. I'd like to tell you what we're doing but I can't because a certain young lady is in the holiday mood rather than the planning one! I have plotted out a bunch of places that I would like to go see. We will be heading east and then going clockwise around the south from there and then back to London. Leeds, Hever and Dover Castles for sure. I've also got the site of the Battle of Hastings, Cantebury, Bath, Stonehenge and some of the other cool small towns plotted out for the trip. With any luck after we spend some time agreeing on what to paint what in the front porch, I'm hoping to have everyone's favorite vegan slaving away on the laptop and finding us places to stay and go when we are there. Chances are, I'll be updating this in February and telling you we leave in three days and still haven't heard from one or two of the places and I am totally stressed! Argh!