I Went to London. My Luggage Went to Dublin.

A June 2010 trip to England by aboutthatplace

221b Baker Street Photo - England, United Kingdom

Quote: Lost luggage. Medical mishap. Slip and fall. Vanished wedding band. Bad coffee. Locked out. And that was just day one...

36 Photos

London

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My better half, Julianna, was born in London, spent her childhood near Leatherhead (Surrey), attended boarding school in Buckinghamshire and then University in Nottingham. Needless to say when we visit England, we end up visiting family and friends. Over the years I have learned to add a few days of exploration in a new area of the U.K. to turn this into a bonafide vacation. In-between socializing we also add in a sight or two within London itself.DAY ONEAfter arriving on a sleepless early morning flight -- naturally, the two screaming children sat next to me -- we discovered that my bag was "unaccounted for". Reasoning with the American Airline baggage department is like speakin...Read More

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London II and Leeds

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Leeds Castle Photo - England, United Kingdom

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DAY THREEThis was my day to earn points with Julianna. We met up with her friends from college, boarding school, and even, elementary school for them to discuss weddings, babies and careers while I tried to interject a joke or two into the conversation with people that I haven’t met before. Apparently, British and American humor are worlds apart.The highlight of the conversations came from "Paul". On his iPhone is an application called "Grindr", in which you can log on, set up a profile and send messages to those around you. It has a map and indicates where other gay men are. Once located, the flirting -- or friendship -- can begin. They really do have an app for everything, do...Read More

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Bath

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Fountain in Center of Bath Photo - Bath, England

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DAYS SIX and SEVENAnother day of weak coffee (Martin Carwardine) and a train ride to Bath, a World Heritage city. In 860 B.C. Prince Bladud caught leprosy and was banned from the court, forced to look after swine, which also had leprosy, until the swine bathed in the mud near Bath. They were cured. The prince gave it a go, and was cured also. He later became king and founded a city on the miraculous site. Or that’s how the legend goes.The legend seems to stem from a writer in the 12th century, Geoffrey of Monmouth, a native of South Wales. In 1135 he translated an ancient text of British language into Latin (History of the Kings of Britain) which includes "King" Art...Read More

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The Cotswolds

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Close-up of Mosaic Photo - England, United Kingdom

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DAY EIGHTWhen Americans think of England, they think of the Cotswolds, villages with thatched roof cottages, rolling green hills covered in sheep and a slower pace of life. And I won’t use the word quaint more than twice to describe them.Chedworth Roman Villa (near Cirencester).This large Roman country home was discovered in 1864, and became a National Trust property in 1924. The house was built on this site (probably) due to the fresh water spring, around 120 A.C.E. and expanded into a mansion by the 4th century. You can see the underfloor heating, baths, but most especially the wonderful mosaics which covered the floor. Several are still intact. Northleach...Read More