Yesterday we spent the day at a beautiful beach right by where we were staying. We had the whole day to kill because we didn't need to take a bus to the airport until about 4:30. We went to a nice beach where there was some shade and good swimming and relaxed and ate lunch. We went back to get our bags to catch the bus at about 3:00. We were going to do internet and then catch the bus. We were talking to Maria (the woman who owns the hotel) and said we were going to do internet and then catch the bus. She looked at us with alarm and said "You don't have time. It is 4:10." Somehow Janna's watch was more than an hour off, and now we had to race to catch the bus.
We caught a bus down the hill successfully (this is a miracle becuase we had never successfully caught the bus any other time we tried). We didn't have tickets, but didnt get caught. We didn't exactly feel good about that, but it was get on the bus right then or stay in Italy. The bus we caught took us right to the train station where our airport bus was. (Again, this was lucky becuase we didn't know the bus route). We were able to buy or tickets on the bus, and we were delighted when there was a bar on the bus and we could buy something to drink also. (getting water was on our list after the internet).
Thus began our great adventure. We like to think of it as our rehearsal for "The Great Race". The bus ride to Naples took 90 minutes. We waited in the airport 3 hours, rode a plane for 3 hrs (during which time went backwards for an hour because we were crossing time zones). Arrived thankfully 20 minutes early into London, waited in line with passports, got luggage, changed money, sprinted to catch the Stanstead Express train into London, rode the train for 35 minutes, to catch the last tube of the night by 1 minute, after frantically buying tickets from a machine(not knowing what kind of ticket we needed). We rode the tube for 25 minutes across London, arrived at Paddington Station. Somehow, we came up from the subway literally in front of the platform for the train we needed (platform 13 by the way so this really was a miracle) to take to Reading, which was leaving in 1 minute. We were lucky enough to have bought the correct tube ticket that worked for the train that we had to get on, or we would have had to wait another hour for the last train of the night, in a cold, rainy, deserted station. We got off the train in Reading, where J lives, and took a cab to her apartment, found her door, rang the bell, and thanked goodness we woke up the right sleeping people. This was 2 am UK time by the way.
Whew. Not sure how or why we every booked a flight arriving into London Stanstead at 11 pm. Next time we'll fly into London Heathrow at a more reasonable hour and then take the express bus to Reading that takes 25 minutes.
An overview of the UK: our trip thuys far has been hot and sunny. Literally, we have had NO bad weather, only hot beautiful sun. 1 day when we were in Budapest it was a little chilly- like 70, but otherwise we have sweated through Europe. Here, it is cool and rainy, and will be all week. Brittish summer.
Today we stayed at J's, as we were exhausted from half a night's sleep. Went to the grocery store, did our laundry (finally), and read travel guides on Britain. Tomorrow we will venture into London.
We caught a bus down the hill successfully (this is a miracle becuase we had never successfully caught the bus any other time we tried). We didn't have tickets, but didnt get caught. We didn't exactly feel good about that, but it was get on the bus right then or stay in Italy. The bus we caught took us right to the train station where our airport bus was. (Again, this was lucky becuase we didn't know the bus route). We were able to buy or tickets on the bus, and we were delighted when there was a bar on the bus and we could buy something to drink also. (getting water was on our list after the internet).
Thus began our great adventure. We like to think of it as our rehearsal for "The Great Race". The bus ride to Naples took 90 minutes. We waited in the airport 3 hours, rode a plane for 3 hrs (during which time went backwards for an hour because we were crossing time zones). Arrived thankfully 20 minutes early into London, waited in line with passports, got luggage, changed money, sprinted to catch the Stanstead Express train into London, rode the train for 35 minutes, to catch the last tube of the night by 1 minute, after frantically buying tickets from a machine(not knowing what kind of ticket we needed). We rode the tube for 25 minutes across London, arrived at Paddington Station. Somehow, we came up from the subway literally in front of the platform for the train we needed (platform 13 by the way so this really was a miracle) to take to Reading, which was leaving in 1 minute. We were lucky enough to have bought the correct tube ticket that worked for the train that we had to get on, or we would have had to wait another hour for the last train of the night, in a cold, rainy, deserted station. We got off the train in Reading, where J lives, and took a cab to her apartment, found her door, rang the bell, and thanked goodness we woke up the right sleeping people. This was 2 am UK time by the way.
Whew. Not sure how or why we every booked a flight arriving into London Stanstead at 11 pm. Next time we'll fly into London Heathrow at a more reasonable hour and then take the express bus to Reading that takes 25 minutes.
An overview of the UK: our trip thuys far has been hot and sunny. Literally, we have had NO bad weather, only hot beautiful sun. 1 day when we were in Budapest it was a little chilly- like 70, but otherwise we have sweated through Europe. Here, it is cool and rainy, and will be all week. Brittish summer.
Today we stayed at J's, as we were exhausted from half a night's sleep. Went to the grocery store, did our laundry (finally), and read travel guides on Britain. Tomorrow we will venture into London.
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