The World According to Aargh

The Trip: London Part 1

Anthony — Mon, 05 May 2008 05:21:35 +0000

Since I was unable to post effectively while I was on the trip I have decided to post about the highlights from each place and include a few pictures to tease while I get the rest of the pictures ready for the web.
We arrived in London about 2 hours late as our flight was about 2 hours late, maybe a pattern but we shall see later. On arrival at our hotel, The London Bridge Hotel we immediately set out in search of a pub for food and a pint. Very soon we determined that most pubs do not serve food on Saturday nights so onto plan B which was find someplace to eat. Soon enough we came upon the aptly named restaurant Fish. Where we had a Fish and Chips meal which included Mushy Peas, an acquired taste I am guessing.

Upon our arrival in London we had discovered that Sunday which would be our first full day in London, the London Marathon was taking place. As we did not want to compete with the crowds we decided that we would visit the attractions within walking distance from our hotel, the HMS Belfast and the Tower of London. Sunday started out a little grey with the chance of showers expected sometime during the day. We had a full English breakfast in the hotel and then headed out to visit the HMS Belfast a World War 2 cruiser which is a floating museum on the River Thames. As the Belfast was not open we took a walk to the Tower Bridge and discovered the bridge was the 20km mark for the marathon. We joined the crowds and cheered on the runners.

Next we headed back to the HMS Belfast and went aboard to tour this floating museum which saw action in WW2 as well as Korea until it was retired in 1965. A very interesting tour with all aspects of the life on the ship recreated to showcase what the conditions were like for the crew. From the gun turrets to the narrow confines of the engine room and all the way up to the bridge all aspects of life on the ship have been recreated.

After an extensive tour we headed across the river to the Tower of London where we visited the Armory and the Crown Jewels. The extensive collection of weapons from the armory were quite impressive. As we entered the vault which contains the Crown Jewels I was impressed with the layout and stories attached to each of the crowns leading up to the current crown. After spending a few hours roaming the grounds and buildings of the Tower we found a stand and had a Fish and Chips lunch. Since it was still quite early about 3pm we decided to hop on the Tube and head towards Westminster and see Big Ben and the other sites.

One of the benefits of wandering around on the day of the London Marathon is the ability to walk the streets of London and not compete with any traffic. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are impressive in person and once you see them up close you really know you are in London.

Next we wandered up Whitehall and passed by Downing Street. and headed for Admiralty Arch and onto Trafalgar Square and Nelson’s Column. Around Trafalgar Square we found a couple of interesting buildings including Canada House which is part of the Canadian High Commission in London. After leaving Trafalgar Square we headed for Picadilly Circus and found something we did not expect.

Yes Tim Horton’s in downtown London, of course we had to test out the donuts. I had a Bismark which had a chocolate filling along with a double chocolate. The verdict both were good and tasty just like a Timmys I would get at home. After our donut pit stop we continued to wander and came upon a crowd standing outside a theater and discovered it was a world premiere for a movie called Flashback of a Fool starring Daniel Craig. As we were not in a hurry to get anywhere we waited around for about 40 minutes and were able to catch a glimpse of James Bond as he exited the theater and jumped into his waiting car.

Since it had been a very long day and we had walked quite a distance we had decided to make our way back to our hotel and call it a day.

V Day is Coming

Anthony — Fri, 02 May 2008 05:44:14 +0000

V standing for vehicle and Saturday I take delivery of my brand new 2008 VW Touareg. Doing the happy dance again or maybe it is I am still doing the happy dance. Did I say Google is my Friend!

Frack Me

Anthony — Thu, 01 May 2008 04:47:32 +0000

As I get back to life after the trip I have been trying to put together the pictures and the story of the trip. I will over the next several days post about the places we visited and post the pictures into my gallery. But I could not resist relating this story which occurred in Vancouver Airport on April 11th as we waited for our British Airways flight to London which was delayed by 2 hours. As we waited in the departure lounge I had found a spot to plug in my laptop and after a little while of my puttering on my computer a British gentleman approached and asked if there was room to plug in his computer. As there was a spot I moved out of the way and he plugged in his computer and then he moved a few feet away to a seat close by. Over the next 30 -40 minutes I continued to wander aimlessly around the departure lounge and putter on my computer. During my puttering I looked over at the British Gentleman and thought there was something familiar about this man. I looked at the British Gentleman for the next 15 - 20 minutes until he walked over to check on his computer. Once he approached I quietly said to him, “You look familiar” to which he answered ” I am an actor on Battlestar Galactica.” I was speaking with none other than Jamie Bamber who plays Lee “Apollo” Adama on Battlestar Galactica. After quietly speaking for a few moments I asked if Jamie minded if I could get a picture with him. He answered “Of course it would be a pleasure.”

I must say I was extremely impressed with how polite and accommodating Jamie was during the few moments we spoke. A true gentleman.

Paris By Any Other Name!

Anthony — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:15:41 +0000

Paris in the spring time can you ask for anything more? Well do not answer that….Paris is incredible, the post cards just do not do it justice. When you stand on the the top level of the Eiffel Tower you find the view just magnificient. There is so much to see that three days just is not enough time. Louvre is the next stop, time for some more culture.
Hard to believe 1 more day in Europe then the Grand Adventure is over.

Swords, Senoritas and Sangria

Anthony — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:56:10 +0000

Holy Toledo, after a rainy day wandering around the Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace we took the High Speed train to Toledo about 71 kilometers south of Madrid. Toledo is a World Heritage City with the old city dominating the landscape with the impressive Alcazar (fort) and Cathedral as the main attractions. While we were impressed with the old city, the commercialization present took away from the ambiance. In other words we did not appreciate the McDonalds in the old city.

Dinner last night was Tapas and Spanish beer while we enjoyed Paella and a very thick and tasty beef stew for dinner tonight. Next comes Paris the City of Lights, and did I mention pastries MMMM fresh bread in the morning, chocolate crossiants mmmm!

If This is Tuesday It Must Be Tanger

Anthony — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:45:18 +0000

Ran into a computer problem, my laptop has decided to take a holiday of its own and stop working. So I am a little behind.

London was great and while we walked our feet off we did get to see lots of great sites and met some interesting people at the same time. We went to see the Changing of the Guard on Monday only to be told it was only every second day so off we went to visit the Churchill War Rooms and the London Eye with a side trip to Westminister Abbey.

Tuesday we jetted off to Morocco and landed first in Casablanca and then flew onto Tanger. Tanger has the exotic feel you would think it has with the right mix of new and old. On Wednesday we spent the day with our driver Moustafa and our guide Sayed who regaled us with tales of old while we visited Cape Spartel, the Caves of Hercules, the Medina and the Kasbah (More tales complete with pictures coming soon). On Wednesday night we ate in a traditional Moroccan restaurant with Moroccan music and of course a belly dancer.

Friday begins our Spanish adventure with a trip to Toledo.

Hit the Ground Running

Anthony — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:33:04 +0000

We Made It! The flight was delayed 2 hours but we made to London and had a full day on Sunday. With visits to the Tower of London, with some very interesting instruments of torture and a very informative visit to the HMS Belfast a WW2 Cruiser which saw action in the Korea Campaign as well. After a tradional Fish and Chip lunch it was off to Big Ben and the London Eye. We walked from Westminister to Picadilly Circus and took in all the incredible sites. Having a great time, today is the Changing of the Gurad at Buckingham Palace and Westminister Abbey and a visit to Harrods. More to come!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Anthony — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:22:45 +0000

The day has arrived and there was much rejoicing Yaa Yippee Yeehaw! (That’s the rejoicing) But that is not the only exciting news, Wednesday I got a call from my doctor to meet her at the hospital on Thursday and ……..get my cast taken off. Yes you read correctly I have the pleasure to annouce I no longer have a cast and it looks like my wrist has healed quite nicely. As I was laying on the hospital gurney getting the cast cut off and as I felt the cool air hit my skin my first thought was to yell out FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!!! but I did not I just thought about it. So now I get to enjoy all that Europe and Morocco have to offer without that damn cast! Stay Tuned the next broadcast will be brought to you from London!

And So the Story Goes

Anthony — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 05:46:48 +0000

I just got back from Kelowna where I took Tara to my good friends who will be looking after her while I am away on my great adventure. I find I walk around the house and talk to her only to discover she is not here. Makes me appreciate having her around even more.

Friday is creeping up on us fast. I have been finalizing the packing and looking at the travel sites as I prepare for the trip. It is hard to believe that on Saturday we will be in London visting the Tower of London and enjoying a good pub meal and some beer. I guess as the week goes on it will hard to contain the excitement, I can only hope I get good news on Thursday when I get my next x-ray for my wrist. Say a little prayer for me and send me some good vibes and hopefully I will be able to get rid of this cast.

The plan for London is to spend Sunday seeing the Changing of the Guard, Guards Museum, War Cabinet Rooms, Westminster Abbey and Piccadilly Circus. As we want to be flexible we may change around the schedule if we find other things to visit. Maybe a bus tour if the weather is alright and it meets our fancy. Monday we are going to St Paul’s Cathedral, Harrod’s, and a trip in the London Eye. Around our hotel, The London Bridge Hotel is several things we will visit such as the HMS Belfast, Southwark Cathedral and The Tower of London. Oh well 5 more sleeps!

The Day Draws Near

Anthony — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:57:04 +0000

First I have to admit even though I am not liking having a cast I am at least adjusting. Having said that I will be celebrating when I can get this damn thing off my arm.

It is getting close to D day (D stands for Departure), next Friday we wing our way to London. It is hard to restrain my enthusiasm while I make final preparations and start packing for the adventure. Along with the final prep for the trip I am also awaiting delivery of my 2008 VW Touareg. Hard not to be excited about all the good things happening in my life.

I am not going to commit to this but my plan is to try and blog at the end of each day and let everyone know what we did during the day. I will also put up a picture or two.

The Cast - Day 1

Anthony — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 04:39:06 +0000

Well so far I am not having fun and the aggravation from the cast has made me extremely frustrated. It takes alot to make me mad or to lose my cool but today I just lost it. I was struggling to put on my shoes and Tara was standing at the top of the stairs. She started to bark and continued to bark, the more I struggled the more her barking was getting to me. I asked her a couple of times to quiet down but she continued until I finally yelled at her and obviously scared her as she cringed when I approached her.

Tonight when I got home she did not come near me and was acting very strange. I am sure she was afraid after I yelled at her this morning. Damn cast is the bane of my existence. Ugh.

Bionic Arm…Not!

Anthony — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:27:05 +0000

I have my new attachment and I must admit I am not a happy camper. Since I am right handed I am already getting frustrated trying to do the most mundane things which I normally take for granted. Trying to cut food, turn my keys in the door, put on my seat belt Aargh I cannot believe this has happened to me. I am just so pissed off right now I want to rip this stupid cast off my arm. All this and only 18 days till we leave.

As the Days Pass

Anthony — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:16:54 +0000

Something occurred to me today and for the life of me I do not know why this did not come to me sooner. Since I will be visiting London, Paris, Madrid and Tangier in April and I always enjoy meeting new people, anyone who wants to meet up drop me a line.

On a totally different note I have rediscovered a favorite from my younger years. The other day at Safeway I spotted Pillsbury Wiener Wraps and decided to give them a try again. They did not disappoint, with some hot mustard they make a great snack. Mmmm Mmmm Good.

Now Comes the Hard Part

Anthony — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 02:55:52 +0000

As the time ticks down to April 11th at 8:35pm I have to try and concentrate on work and life while keeping my excitement in check. Heck who am I kidding the closer we get the harder it will be for me to focus on anything but the trip. The more I think about this the more I have come to the realization that this will be the trip of a lifetime. Now as we get down to crunch time I am looking at packing and finalizing the details for the trip.

Everything is falling into place with the exception of my wrist problems which I will make the best of no matter what the outcome. I have started using Twitter and I think I will be using it for updates so check it out and stay tuned.

Mood: Mad As Hell

Anthony — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 05:39:17 +0000

Well I got the news I was not looking forward to on Thursday. Over the past three weeks I have been wearing a half cast/splint on my right arm and hoping like heck that I would be ok for my upcoming trip. The bone the doctor is concerned about is the scaphoid bone at the base of the thumb. Sometimes it is very difficult to see the fracture and so as in my case several x-rays were required. After three x-rays my doctor has decided that I need a cast to help the healing process and will possibly have a cast for the next 6 to 8 weeks.

I am hoping to get a fiberglass cast which should not impede my enjoyment of the trip. Can you say Damn!