Wimbledon - Day 2
Well, Day 2 was quite interesting. I get to Gatwick Airport, and while going through customs, I am informed that few people in London care about the tennis tournament, and that right now World Cup mania has taken hold. I admit I knew that would be more than possible, but still, I think she's overstating it a bit. Oh well, welcome to London.
Quite the shock for the cab ride to the hotel. First, cabs are handled quite a bit more civilized here. I went to a hiring stand and after getting cut off in queue (I have got to remember to be more agressive) I spoke to a dispatcher who informed me the ride from the airport to the hotel would be 85 Pounds. I hoped that was OK, and found out I actually had paid the least of any of the rides into the city from Gatwick among the team. That was amazing, as I had never paid more than 75 bucks for a cab before this trip. I suspect I am will take the train to the airport when I pick Colleen up, though I don't want to have to lug her suitcases on the train, so I am torn. We did it in France, and I probably can here, I just haven't got it mapped out yet.
Checked in to the Mariott Kensington and got sent to the 8th floor. That's not bad until I start hauling up and down 8 flights of stairs because I can't deal with waiting for the lift. There are two, they are tiny, and will likely not spend a ton of time on the 8th floor. Judge explained to me why things seem so cramped. From a taxation purpose, any finished space is taxed. That means an attached patio, closets, etc. So, to maximize the space, the builder will forgo things like elevator space, closets, etc. A very interesting piece of information for me to say the least. You know how the vat operates, that tidbit will find a cozy spot somewhere to be used later. ;-)
Had lunch with the guys, who were just rolling out when I finally got settled. We went to an Irish Pub named O'Neills and I had a loaded burger (yummy, fried egg on a burger is hard to beat.) Add to it a pint of Extra Cold Guinness and it was hardly a diet friendly meal, but it sure was tasty!! :-)
After lunch, we went back to the hotel and I changed. It wasn't warm, but I wanted to put on some shorts, since I had been in those khakis for a while. We went down to the hotel bar, and I got to sample my first (and I am sure not the last) Pimm's number 1 cup. Not bad, actually, though the cucumber does give it a very distinct flavor. Also, effectively expensive as I have never paid 8 pounds for a drink before. I can only hope the costs were higher because of it being at the hotel bar, so I will keep you abreast of how that goes.
After a couple of rounds, I was in desperate need of a nap. I crashed for a couple of hours, and took the chance to set the time on my alarm clock. Once again, European hotels seem to not care about providing clocks or alarms, so I bring one with me (thank to the PLTE conference, IBM gave me a pretty slender one that travels well.) Got up and had a shower. The Mariott is an interesting hybrid of showers. It is still the handle hose instead of a fixed head, but they did provide a shower curtain instead of the half plexiglass wall I have seen in Australia, France, and Germany. The water pressure was outstanding, and the temperature was nice a hot. Feeling refreshed, I headed downstairs to meet the team and head out for a few rounds and then dinner.
Our first stop was a pub that is apparently a regular for the event. The Rose and Crown Pub is very old, and was quite ready to handle our drinking requirements. Once again, another Commonwealth Country that does not have Crown Royal, so I have switched to Jameson Irish Whiskey and Soda for my beverage of choice. Not bad, really, but still, I want some Crown!! Dinner was Thai. The Thai Tho Restaurant was pretty darned tasty, honestly. I love good Thai food, and this place did not disappoint. I recommend anything sweet chilly (or chili if you prefer) spiced, as it is well worth it. I also recommend the vegetable tempura starter. The restaurant also had brown rice, so other than the tempura batter, this was actually a diet friendly meal. After dinner back to the Rose and Crown for a couple more drinks. I find it odd that pubs close at midnight here. I was told it used to be law, was recently repealed, but most pubs still follow the convention. Oh well, I was dragging butt anyway, and having the bar shoo us away at midnight didn't hurt my feelings in the least. :-)
Back at the room, I called Colleen, and I am sure that will be an expensive call. I discovered the direct rates through the hotel were 2.99 GBP per minute, so I better find a calling card or start hanging out at the venue more often. Fortunately, the latter is taken care of for me. I miss her already, which will make this trip a bit more annoying. Honestly, the time shift is easier at Australia even though it is significantly larger. It is only 5 hours ahead in London, and so I did my best to work through that. I will just count the days until she's here. I need to get off my butt and get some pictures taken. I promised her I would do better, and I intend to make that happen.
OK, large enough post for today. Cheers!!
Quite the shock for the cab ride to the hotel. First, cabs are handled quite a bit more civilized here. I went to a hiring stand and after getting cut off in queue (I have got to remember to be more agressive) I spoke to a dispatcher who informed me the ride from the airport to the hotel would be 85 Pounds. I hoped that was OK, and found out I actually had paid the least of any of the rides into the city from Gatwick among the team. That was amazing, as I had never paid more than 75 bucks for a cab before this trip. I suspect I am will take the train to the airport when I pick Colleen up, though I don't want to have to lug her suitcases on the train, so I am torn. We did it in France, and I probably can here, I just haven't got it mapped out yet.
Checked in to the Mariott Kensington and got sent to the 8th floor. That's not bad until I start hauling up and down 8 flights of stairs because I can't deal with waiting for the lift. There are two, they are tiny, and will likely not spend a ton of time on the 8th floor. Judge explained to me why things seem so cramped. From a taxation purpose, any finished space is taxed. That means an attached patio, closets, etc. So, to maximize the space, the builder will forgo things like elevator space, closets, etc. A very interesting piece of information for me to say the least. You know how the vat operates, that tidbit will find a cozy spot somewhere to be used later. ;-)
Had lunch with the guys, who were just rolling out when I finally got settled. We went to an Irish Pub named O'Neills and I had a loaded burger (yummy, fried egg on a burger is hard to beat.) Add to it a pint of Extra Cold Guinness and it was hardly a diet friendly meal, but it sure was tasty!! :-)
After lunch, we went back to the hotel and I changed. It wasn't warm, but I wanted to put on some shorts, since I had been in those khakis for a while. We went down to the hotel bar, and I got to sample my first (and I am sure not the last) Pimm's number 1 cup. Not bad, actually, though the cucumber does give it a very distinct flavor. Also, effectively expensive as I have never paid 8 pounds for a drink before. I can only hope the costs were higher because of it being at the hotel bar, so I will keep you abreast of how that goes.
After a couple of rounds, I was in desperate need of a nap. I crashed for a couple of hours, and took the chance to set the time on my alarm clock. Once again, European hotels seem to not care about providing clocks or alarms, so I bring one with me (thank to the PLTE conference, IBM gave me a pretty slender one that travels well.) Got up and had a shower. The Mariott is an interesting hybrid of showers. It is still the handle hose instead of a fixed head, but they did provide a shower curtain instead of the half plexiglass wall I have seen in Australia, France, and Germany. The water pressure was outstanding, and the temperature was nice a hot. Feeling refreshed, I headed downstairs to meet the team and head out for a few rounds and then dinner.
Our first stop was a pub that is apparently a regular for the event. The Rose and Crown Pub is very old, and was quite ready to handle our drinking requirements. Once again, another Commonwealth Country that does not have Crown Royal, so I have switched to Jameson Irish Whiskey and Soda for my beverage of choice. Not bad, really, but still, I want some Crown!! Dinner was Thai. The Thai Tho Restaurant was pretty darned tasty, honestly. I love good Thai food, and this place did not disappoint. I recommend anything sweet chilly (or chili if you prefer) spiced, as it is well worth it. I also recommend the vegetable tempura starter. The restaurant also had brown rice, so other than the tempura batter, this was actually a diet friendly meal. After dinner back to the Rose and Crown for a couple more drinks. I find it odd that pubs close at midnight here. I was told it used to be law, was recently repealed, but most pubs still follow the convention. Oh well, I was dragging butt anyway, and having the bar shoo us away at midnight didn't hurt my feelings in the least. :-)
Back at the room, I called Colleen, and I am sure that will be an expensive call. I discovered the direct rates through the hotel were 2.99 GBP per minute, so I better find a calling card or start hanging out at the venue more often. Fortunately, the latter is taken care of for me. I miss her already, which will make this trip a bit more annoying. Honestly, the time shift is easier at Australia even though it is significantly larger. It is only 5 hours ahead in London, and so I did my best to work through that. I will just count the days until she's here. I need to get off my butt and get some pictures taken. I promised her I would do better, and I intend to make that happen.
OK, large enough post for today. Cheers!!
posted by Derek Botti at
9:41 AM
1 Comments:
Hey Baby! I miss you terribly already! This blog was so sweet-I had to leave a comment! 1 and a half weeks(not really) and counting! Put some pics up so I can see you(and all our friends who read this!) I love you!
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