Views Of A Canadian Traveling Abroad.

[stewey]

Got an email from a relative on holiday over there. So I took a few excerpts to post here. There's nothing really outstanding, but I thought some of you might find it interesting...Hope it works:)

Yesterday it was 30 degrees, very hot, we do have air in the hotel, and for that I am most grateful, but most places stores, museums, subway, any place you go doesn't. Yesterday we went to the Albert, and Victoria museum, interestingly here all museums are free. It was hot but we went early so enjoyed the morning. Of course half of the 8 million people who live here were there also.

One train was stopped for a long time yesterday because it hit a cow and a butcher was needed to remove the carcus. We were able to find a way around this, but it is so difficult to understand the announcer he speaks English but not the English I understand. Often need to ask someone to interpret for us

Lots of pickpockets dad had his asthma spray taken from his back pack. Wonder what they thought it was.

On the day we went to Bath my hair was so bad and it was raining cats and dogs I put on a ball cap. Well that just made things worse if that is possible, I had to wear the cap all day everyone asked me what part of Canada I was from. No one here wears ball caps especially women so I'm sure I gave everyone a good laugh

Again I repeat that there are many hundred of thousands of tourists. I can't believe how many there are at each attraction, at the museum yesterday there was a cue (line up) at least a mile long to get in to see the Bowie collection. I think that it was the rock singer Bowie, I sure wasn't interested in seeing anything he had so didn't need to stand in that line. At Buckingham Palace the line for entrance had thousands of people waiting to get in. We didn't even consider it there were so many people. We will have to come again when it is not so busy

[tonyav]

Sounds as though she is enjoying the British way of life, stewey. Queuing !

[jno]

good lord, are cows getting on the Circle Line again? I thought the wolves were bad enough.

Yes, the Bowie show is a hot ticket; all advance tickets are sold and you have to queue, or pay a scalper five times the face value. And yes, London is always full of tourists (most of the people in the V&A will have been other tourists, along with locals); worst at the moment as it's school holidays across Europe.

But ball caps are really quite common (not so much among women, true), so people were just being polite asking about Canada. Look on it as a rare opportunity to get the English talking to you.

[stewey]

Here is another snippet.
Somehow we got a phony $5 pound note, I can't seem to give it away to anyone. Curses to the person who pawned it off on me. If I see a bank I will try to give it to them, and see if it is really counterfeit. We found a store pret-a-manager they sell ready to eat foods all pre packed. We have had these meals most evenings as they are reasonable. Of course our little and I mean little hotel room doesn't have a fridge or micro (but so glad it has air) so we must eat cold things and can't keep much for the next day. Life styles are very different here. Lots of bike riders, and thousands of walkers (people walking) that is the way they get around even on hot days

[humbersloop]

stewey, your cousin has experienced the nation's famous love of animals.

Had it been a person rather than a cow, it's unlikely there'd have been any similar specialist involvement ;)

[humbersloop]

..and they walk everywhere to avoid delays caused by bovine-related incidents

[stewey]

I'm trying to visualize what a phony $5 pound note looks like:)

[tonyav]

Ask her if it say's Bank Of Monopoly on it, stewey !.

[humbersloop]

no idea stew, they're only in circulation among tourists

[stewey]

I really feel sorry for the poor cow.

[stewey]

Very good, tony and hs:)

[humbersloop]

that's not a nice way to talk about your cousin

[Ratty2E]

Thanks, that's made me smile. It's quite interesting and rather amusing to hear the things that 'surprise' a tourist.

[tonyav]

stewey, have a jug, forget about the errrrrrrm poor cow !.

[stewey]

I guess I was ambiguous about the cow wasn't I?

[Eve]

Could it be a Scottish £5 note by any chance? They do look different and not all places will take them even though they are valid.

I love Pret a Manger, a little pricey but they keep me caffeine'd up with their 99p filter coffees.

Walking around London is great, so much more to see and a lot nicer prospect than taking the tube in this kind of heat and humidity (we're not used to it!).

I wear a cap though it's a soft velvet girly version of a baseball cap, mainly a guy thing over here.

When I was in Ontario, I remember being a bit grossed out at seeing sausage biscuit advertised everywhere, I know it's not a biscuit like our biscuits but the sight of it used to do something funny to my stomach :)

It's not common to have fridges in hotels over here. I was amazed to have one in the room in the hotel I stayed in in Hamilton.

[humbersloop]

lol

although if they're living on a diet of pret sarnies, I'd be sorry for her too

[tonyav]

Could have been construed that way, stewey. Not by me though may I add !.

[stewey]

What does she mean by "pret a manager"?

[Eve]

Actually, I guess the walking thing is different here, I was amazed at how everything is so geared up for people driving over there! My friend used to be amazed at where I'd ended up walking around Toronto when she'd drive down from Aurora to meet me as I'd just walk and walk and walk everywhere. We've started having some drive through coffee places crop up, Starbucks have one I know if in my city but they seem to be everywhere there, I did like my drive through Tim Hortons though.

[humbersloop]

it's a sandwich chainstore , and eve and I have an amicable difference of opinion on it :)

what on earth are sausage bisciuts??