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Subject: Arrival in the UK
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001
Hi folks- all good here! Today is Tuesday and the agenda has several items. First we’re going to do some administrative stuff online like check email, check out rental cars and some connecting flights we might take (right now we’re still solidifying the Ireland and Iceland portions of the trip). We have eaten very well the past two nights, thanks to some friends: our friend Allison was visiting London and her parents, who have been working here for several months, took us out to a fantastic Lebanese feast in the theatre district after we saw a very funny comedy show called “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)”. Then last night we linked up with an old Penn buddy of mine who just moved here from New York. Had a great visit and then proved our savvy by riding the Tube home without checking my map- (the things been glued to my hands for days)
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(Funny thing- we accidentally stole the London map from one of the guidebooks we checked out at the Bogue Banks library- oops.) Later on today we’re going to hit the Royal Academy art museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum and then try to catch a show at the Globe Theatre- a re-creation of the theatre that Shakespeare performed in and wrote for in the 1600’s. So that’s it for today- sounds like you are going to have a full house there at the Getaway- hello to Steven, David, Marsha and Olivia! And certainly pass our regards to Cassie and the bunch when you see them- I’m still trying to rig up a ‘grouping system’ so I can send out family bulletins to everybody. Well, I’m on the clock here at this café so I gotta run- hope all is well- danSubject: fun
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001
>Hi- sounds like you are meeting up with lots of folks and having fun- hope so- all ok here—HOT. Steve is keeping Dad busy. Take care Love Mom
Subject: Re: fun
Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2001
Hello from Oxford- we left London yesterday afternoon in a rental car…with our share of wailing and gnashing of teeth with most of the companies in London- so now we’re on a week’s trip through southern England and Wales. Today is Oxford, tonight is Shakespeare’s hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon, then on to Bath (an old Roman town) and then the Stonehenge region and then Wales and by next Thursday we return to London- and take off for a short excursion to Iceland! More details to follow… hope all is well! Dan
Subject: Wales
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001
Hi folks-
The sky is a hazy overcast screen, thick as the coffee. We are in Wales now- Cardiff, the capital city set in along a finger of water poking into the side of the British Isle. Taking a bit of a break from our romp through the countryside in our rented Fiat Punto, we are being cosmopolitan today, visiting a ‘Coffee Republic’ internet café- very much like the ubiquitous Starbucks… which are everywhere over here as well- no place is safe…
After our week in London, we set out in ‘El Punto’ to investigate reports of large rocks in the English countryside. Thinking these to be fabricated hoaxes to draw gullible Americans out of the crowded city- we wanted to debunk this so-called ‘Stonehenge’ for the fraud it must be. So there, along the busy A303, the vast circle of silent stones stand watch over the mass of backpacked tourists- taunting us with non-committal responses to queries: How did you get here? Who built you? A friendly fellow tourist, Averill, an older lady who no doubt had several cats waiting for her at home, was content with the lack of answers she received from the stoic boulders- as she was entranced by the power she could sense from them with her pair of wire coat hangers that mystically crossed and uncrossed as she patiently and slowly walked towards and away, towards and away from the massive stones. Power indeed.
This part of our trip focuses on the many
sites related to King Arthur. Yesterday we visited Glastonbury, site of the graves of Arthur and Guinevere (not everyone knows that he went off to Avalon in that boat like in the movie…) And then there was Cadbury Castle, the remains of a hilltop fort that dates to the 5-6th century- perfect for Camelot.So amidst all that proof, why keep searching? Well, apparently the Welsh have their own Arthur sites- so we need to investigate the Camelot over here, as well as the site of Merlin’s birth before we make our final decision.
Thursday we return to London and catch a flight to Iceland- for a long weekend… probably made longer by the fact that the sun will not set the four days we will be there…
Stay tuned-
Dan
Subject: Iceland
Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001
Hi folks- in Reykjavik today- beautiful crystal clear skies- smell of cold sea water- we’re renting a car tomorrow to go see some glaciers-
This is a place that you could definitely add to your short vacation list, mom- perfect for you- whale watching, hiking, plenty of daylight-
Stay tuned
Dan
Subject: travels
Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2001
>How is Iceland- am trying to imagine that- we are all ok- went on a full moon kayak ride last night- not much else new- Steve in NY. We had so much fun with Olivia. Hope you enjoying yourself- Love Mom
Subject: Re: travels
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2001
had a great time in iceland- in irelland now- we have lots to tell- lovvvve you-
dan
(orrry, lousy computer here—and strong bbeeeeeeeeer)
Subject: Ireland
Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2001
We’re having a typical Irish day. There’s a wetness that pervades everything in
this land and it leaves you damp inside and out. You stand with your face to the wind and scan the sea not sure what you’re looking for- and you’re not disappointed when nothing appears. We spent several days in Dublin, then set out separately to different ends of the island, to meet again at the majestic Cliffs of Moher- where the Atlantic fury bashes against 300 foot walls of unrepentant stone. A few more Irish days and then on to Edinburgh, Scotland. But I suppose I should tell you about how we totaled a car in Iceland.If you’ve ever seen those grainy NASA Viking photos of the surface of Mars, you have a rough idea of what central Iceland is like. After renting a car in Reykjavik (which translates as ‘land of $3 Coke’) and assuring the lady at the counter that we wouldn’t try to drive through central Iceland, we set out- and tried to drive through central Iceland. Look- it was just too darn far to drive around the perimeter, alright? So after hours of being passed by monster trucks and souped-up Jeep Cherokees, our Toyota Yaris, (which outsizes the Fiat Punto by a good centimeter or two) found its bumpy way to the nearest glacier. So we took a walk on top of a glacier for an hour. Yeah, a real no-kidding glacier. So we continued on the long trek- did I mention that the reason they don’t want you to drive through central Iceland is the fact that don’t really have roads through central Iceland? No? Well, they have trails, sort of- and in my defense- they are actually marked as roads on the map. Then a small miscorrection and improper braking procedure on loose gravel put us over the side and into a ditch. One of those ‘could have been worse, but still pretty bad’ scenarios. One tire flat. Front end messed up. Within the span of minutes, Icelandic samaritans magically appeared from nowhere, and assisted us with their expertise in towing, ubiquitous cell phones, and mastery of the English language. The car being undriveable despite our best efforts, we hitched to a village bordering the Arctic Sea and phoned in our troubles to the car rental agency. We were sweating bullets as we anticipated our meeting the next day with ‘Ragnar’, rental car owner. I had re-read the contract, and I suppose there could be some dispute about whether or not we were technically on a ‘road’ so to speak- which would invalidate our insurance. Anyway, Thor, or Odin, or some angel was looking over us: ‘Ragnar’ turned out to be some sort of Icelandic musical legend- he had some top ten hit on the Icelandic charts, and has had a successful career doing Sinatra and Mel Torme hits on the Icelandic wedding circuit. We got off with a minor financial slap on the wrist- and a complementary, autographed ‘Ragnar’ CD- not available in any stores…
Subject: Edinburgh
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2001
Last night we got tickets to see Mikhail Barishnikov on stage. It's amazing how quickly one's expectations can be deflated. We expected to see the Great One (or is that Wayne Gretzky?) prance and twirl and flex his handsome thighs about the stage to our endless delight. But it was a 'modern' dance piece. Which means it sucked. He walked clockwise around a folding chair for twenty minutes and took off articles of clothing and hung them on himself. Which, as I am writing, sounds much more interesting than it was on stage. But I'm one to look for a silver lining- we'll chalk that one up to experience and move on. We're in Edinburgh, Scotland, and there's a million festivals going on- we're trying to take in as much theatre as we can. We've linked up with fellow Austinite Juliana Gilchrist and seem to have a lead on an apartment on the Royal Mile to stay in for the weekend. Which is like being able get a room on the New Year's ball in Times Square.
Did I finish my tale about Ireland? Well, it rained some more and then we got on a bus to go to the airport and the sun came out.
stay tuned....
dan
Subject: Aberdeen
Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001
One normally reserves the adjective 'grey' to describe a melancholy mood in the weather, or the tiredness of an old man- but there is also a weighty majesticism inherent in grey- as in granite. Aberdeen is a monochromatic city built entirely of rock with those solid, steely hues- confident and stately in its uniformity. And a bit confusing when you have directions to an internet cafe and every block looks EXACTLY like the one you just walked down. We are about to embark on our next leg of our journey- as soon as we figure out what that's going to be. We departed Edinburgh after several days of shows, and castles and pageantry and everything else Edinburgh is famous for. We celebrated Kim's 30th birthday in traditional Scottish style...fine dinner, dancing, etc...oh, and I rented a kilt for the evening- and wore it in the 'traditional' style, which was a bit chilly I might say. We went south, to travel the entire length of Hadrian's Wall, the immense fortification built by the Romans in the 120's AD which spans the entire width of northern England, coast to coast. Seems the Romans got tired of dealing with the Scots, and built a wall to keep out 'the barbarians'. It appears the Scots really didn't mind having a wall between themselves and England, and perhaps some wouldn't mind rebuilding it. It was during this stretch of our travels that we came face to face with the 'Foot and Mouth' crisis that is plaguing British agriculture. Several sights were shut down in an attempt to limit the possible spread of the disease, which can be transmitted by unwitting tourists on their feet or carwheels as they trample through the pastures to climb on or photo many of Britain's major sights. The many signs and postings along the route show of a direct conflict between the farming and tourist industries, both essential to the area. We then headed back north to Loch Lomond, the famous lake north of Glasgow and did some camping and hiking amongst the spectacular Highland scenery. On the Island of Mull, off the west coast, we spent two wonderful Scottish days hiking and foraging for seafood with Juliana and her beau, Kit- whose family has a fantastic cottage on the remote island fashioned from a traditional 'croft', the old dwellings of farmers and fishermen who were dispossess of their land in the 1800's during the infamous 'Highland Clearances'. So we've crossed to the east coast city of Aberdeen (after a day spent climbing the tallest mountain in Britain- Ben Nevis (4,406ft), the oil capitol of Europe. So the sun is out, the seagulls are crying and we're having a wonderfully grey day on the Scottish coast. Or is it 'gray'?
Dan
