Leaving Scotland: goin' to England!

At 8 am we rise to a breakfast of corn flakes, toast, and orange juice (or coffee & tea) in the amazing morning light that, we're told by Katie and Sergio, we're enjoying on the warmest March day they've ever experienced in the highlands. Our time in Scotland, brief though it was, was uncharacteristically sunny (usually it's gray and wet); maybe someone is smiling on us at last.

Frank, supervising super Sergio!

By 8:45 we depart and head for New Lanark, an 18 & 19^th century wool mill and residence that was a social experiment in giving the poor and destitute a useful and healthy life. It worked well for many years and is now preserved as a UNESCO world heritage site. Some money was spent here on Scottish memorabilia, etc.

As we departed at 10 am we practiced singing the Scottish national anthem, “Flower of Scotland” led by Katie. We headed for Gretna Green, the 2^nd or 3^rd most popular marriage destination in the world. This is where Katie says a lot of “runaway marriages” happen! Here the young'uns also dropped some coin in a particularly un-Scots-like way. Some of you can expect a sword in the luggage coming home.

We depart Gretna Green and Scotland at 12 pm and sing the anthem again. We're now in Lancashire and travelling to the Lake District. At the town of Grasmere, near Grasmere Lake, where William Wordsworth (famous romantic poet of the 18^th c) lived, and is buried. Having paid a brief visit to his grave and recited (reading – some of us memorized it) his poem “Daffodils” (I wandered lonely as a cloud/ that floats on high o'er vales and hills …), we found lunch, and then left at 1:15 for Chester (Chesire).

Chester is a small city based on a Roman fortress that has become a city for rich and famous football fans. The Roman walls still stand and the ruins of an ampitheatre remain. Here we spent two hours exploring on foot.

Church in Grasmere

Lunch in Grasmere (Katie & Jonathan)

Crazy kids in Grasmere

Heading into Chester

The River Dee, as seen from the Roman wall in Chester.

Finally we headed off to Manchester for our hotel and supper (a great buffet!) just outside Manchester. All in all a good and full day of seeing things!

Tomorrow we're off to Stratford, and then London!

Edinburgh!

Unfortunately, even after checking with the Air Canada agent to confirm that there would be tickets waiting for us in Edinburgh, when we arrived in London at 11:45 am (15 minutes late for a connection that was only 1 hour and 50 mins – now 1 hour and 35 mins), the Air Canada agent that met us said she was not able to find them. So we walked as quickly as we could through security into Terminal 3, which turned out to be a mistake (oops!), so we headed back around for Terminal 1, through security again, through biometrics security, through customs, and then finally headed for the check-in desk only to find that not all of us were registered on the flight AND that we were too late for it.

Yup, you guessed it, they rescheduled us. This time however things went a little better than usual and the British Midland staff managed to schedule us all on the 4:25 flight to Edinburgh. By 5:50 pm we finally touched down in Scotland. Katie met us. All of our luggage showed up! And we were off on Sergio's bus.

Really, the remaining three hours of our time in Edinburgh would be better characterized as a kind of torture! The city would so obviously be exactly the sort of place that one would fall in love with and want to spend a lot of time getting to know, but not us. After a bus tour of a few sights, and 20 minutes to walk around the castle and the Royal Mile, we had to head off for supper at Jolly's.

After a counter-intuitive, and good, Italian meal (most had pizza, or pasta, a few went for fish and chips) we bused off to Symington to the quaint Tinto Inn, for the travellers first taste of European accommodations (small beds, strange shower and bath arrangements, odd door numbering).

All in all the kids are doing very well, and we now have to try to get over the disappointment, and on with the wonderful sights and experiences of the rest of the trip!

Up in the air!

March 24

The day began on a bus at a Tim Hortens in Dryden. By 5:15 am local time (4:15 am Manitoba time) we were checking in to the Victoria Inn in Thunder Bay. We headed to the rooms and to bed. Most of use were up between 9 and 10 in the morning eating breakfast. At 1 pm we were packed up and eating Persians (see pic) courtesy of Ang Pilkington's sister!

We heard there was a bowling alley down the street, so we thought that might be a decent way to pass the time before heading over to the airport for our 5:50 pm flight. In keeping with the theme of the trip so far, the alley had been booked by Special Olympics, and no lanes were available. Thus off to the airport it was.

Finally our time at the airport was uneventful! The tickets were there, the airplane (a twin turbo prop) was there, and we were there! We boarded, the plane filled, the propellers whirred, Taylor shrieked with joy, and the trip was finally in the air! We landed in Toronto at 5:20 pm and disembarked outside on the tarmac. It was coolish and misty, as were we, with happiness for successfully completing our first leg, albeit a full 26 hours behind schedule.

After a short uneventful flight we entered Pearson Int'l terminal one and strode with purpose to find our gate (E76). Once there we breathed easy and set out to find good food. Again, I'm happy to report, we succeeded.

Before boarding our overseas flight we checked at the Air Canada desk to confirm that there would be tickets waiting for us in Edinburgh. After a little bit of work with a helpful agent, we were able to confirm that there were tickets there. The agent said that she would try to have an agent waiting for us with the boarding passes in London. She said she would try … but we'd heard that before.

What a way to start ...

March 23

Since most of you were with us for the epic saga of “Are we going? How are we going? Do you know when we're going?” at the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport, I'll let you know what's happening now.

I'm writing this as we ride the bus to Thunder Bay. It's 10:53 pm and we're about one hour from Dryden, where we'll stop for a short break. Hopefully Megan makes it. She's not up for using the on-bus facilities. We've watched National Treasure just to remind ourselves of what it feels like to find what you believe is actually there.

We've found out that we're staying at the Victoria Inn and that we don't have to check out at 1 pm. We've found out that EF will reimburse us for $15 worth of food today (even though we're already on the bus) and $30 worth of food tomorrow (before we get on the flight at 5:50 pm – AC 8540). We've found out that for today it's just good to be on our way.

Soon, if not already, you'll have received our flight information from EF, via email. If not, here it is:

March 24: Depart Thunder Bay at 5:50 pm on AC8540

Arrive in Toronto at 7:37 pm

Depart Toronto at 11:25 pm on AC858

Arrive in London (LHR) at 11:25 am

Depart London (LHR) at 1:50 pm on AC6649 (BD058)

Arrive in Edinburgh at 2:35 pm

We'll likely hit the ground running, so think of us as we try to rest and relax and conserve energy for the adventures ahead.

Again, thanks so much to all of you who felt along with, and supported, us as we muddled through the information and made decisions (well, mostly we watched as others made decisions for us) that we hope will result in the best outcome for your/our charges! They're doing really well. They just want to have a good time, and we want to make that possible!

For everyone here,

PK

PS We got in to Thunder Bay at 5:15 am local time. Most of us slept a few hours, then got up and had breakfast. We're looking forward to better days ahead!

One more sleep!

Well, I'm packed, and tired! I'm going to sleep!
I'll see you there around 1:30 pm in front of the Air Canada departures check-in counters!
YEEHAW!

(Don't forget to phone your banks and credit card companies to tell them you're travelling!!)
 

Tonight's agenda

Scotland, England, & France 2012

Meeting: March 13 (Tues) at 7 pm.

Agenda

1 - Handing in final pieces of info, tip $, etc.

2 – Emergency phone tree

                - Ange P. is the contact person

3 - Luggage straps & back packs (incls phone cards)

4 – Electrical adapters

                - G for Great Britain; E for Europe

http://www.europlugs.com/Design_Review_Polices/Plug_Adapter_Country_Chart.htm

5 - Cohorts & chaperones

6 - Your chaperone will ...

a) do head counts

b) help with transitions

                                - Airports/Clearing customs

                                - passports & tickets

                                - public transportation

c) distribute

                                - Tour/excursion tickets, etc

                                - hand outs, etc.

d) check on your health

                                - keep track of emotional and physical health

                                - will stay with a sick person if they stay behind

e) assist with communication home

                - Skype / podcast demo

                - EF phone cards (with backpacks)

                f) do room checks

                                - Leader will do room check as well

7 – Introduction to Katie McCorkindale

8 - Optional tours

9 - Meeting place & time at Wpg airport

10 - Information

a) London (Chris)

b) Louvre (Paul) - 10 masterpieces to see

Cohorts
Paul	Chris	Jonathan	Ramona	Melissa
Malcolm	Erika	Angela	Chenoah	Breanne
Callum	Jessica S	Taylor	Megan	Rachel
Ben	Kiana	Maranda	Tara	Kate
Nathaniel	Kyle	Frank	Tasha	Jessica K
Tyson	Graham	Cody	Jeremy	Miranda
Courtney	Steven	Zach	Darcy	Christine

12 days to go!

From my last communication with Katie, our Tour Leader, it appears that the musical (Wicked - there was not enough interest in either We Will Rock You, or Les Mis) and the Beatles tour (there was not enough interest in the Jack the Ripper tour) will happen on two different nights, so if you signed up for both of those, you'll be busy for both of those nights. You will still get free time to shop and explore during the day, so don't worry too much about that.

 

I'm in the process of determining the options for those of you who did not sign up for either of these. A lot of these decisions may wait until we're there, but I'm sure something great will come up! You're in London, England for Pete's sake!!

 

The interest in the Paris at Night/Eiffel Tower tour was so overwhelming as to be unanimous, so we will all enjoy that tour.

 

As of now it appears that the government has taken care of our fears of an Air Canada strike.

 

See you on Tuesday (the 13th) at 7 pm. Those of you who have not submitted passport photos, photocopies, signed parent contracts, and tip and buffer money, please do so asap!!

 

Cheers!