Roadtripping

After London, we rented a car and drove through the UK. Here's what we did.

Our first stop was Brighton, south of London, at one of the most famous beaches in the world. It was cold. The beach is comprised of rocks, not sand. The pier was filled with a gambling arcade. The food was great. From Brighton, we drove east to Dover.

In Dover, we got in late and caught a room at Blake's of Dover: a bed and breakfast named Best Ale House in 2006. The cider was a nice refreshing nightcap to a heavy day of driving and the hospitality was fantastic. The room was clean, cozy, and cheap at 50 pounds. Great place. Totally comfy. While in Dover, we went and visited Dover Castle atop the white cliffs, beneath the blue skies, just as the song says. I geeked out at the Chapel of St. Mary's in Castro: a military chapel for the fighting forces of the British Army and at the winding staircases through the castle towers to the roof. Dover is also the place where they received the Miracle of Dunkirk, where British forces transported thousands of soldiers over the channel from the northern part of France under siege by Hitler's army. In the secret underground tunnels of Dover is where the planning for D-Day occurred. After studying a surviving copy of Hitler's Last Appeal to Reason, we toured the tunnels at great length, fascinated at the cramped spaces where hundreds of British soldiers lived as bomb planes fought overhead during World War II. Amazing.

That night, we drove to Salisbury and stayed in a wonderful inn called the White Horse where more cider and some football welcomed us. The room above was 60 pounds, clean, warm, and very relaxing after another long day driving. The next day, we visited the Salisbury Cathedral where one of the four copies of the Magna Carta is housed. The church is under some repair but stands as a community center for all residents, hosting crafting fairs for the children of Salisbury and also holds a ton of history in its walls. The Magna Carta was pretty neat to see.

Then it was off to Stonehenge.

Stonehenge is a hendge. It's also made of stone, which makes its name pretty self-explanatory.

Who am I kidding? Stonehenge is... well, words can't describe it. You can't help but wander around it, studying its architecture, and remarking, "There's no fucking way!" every five minutes or so. Lupe and I still say.... aliens. Aliens must've put those stones there. There is no other logical, reasonable explanation. Thus: Aliens. Must be.

From the henge, we drove to Manchester and stayed at a roadside Travel Lodge just south of the main city.

A quick word about the highways and byways of the United Kingdoms:

The UK has driving down. There are no highway patrols. There are CCTV cameras that no one pays any attention to. Instead, they drive smoothly and steadily and with purpose, averaging speeds of 90-100 mph or so. They leave lots of space between them, so maneuverability is greatly improved. Everyone also takes their time. No one rushes the guy in front of them. When merges and on-ramps come along, people have already moved to the far lane to let in new cars in so there's no stress. When two lanes merge, people have already queued miles ahead of time in one-after-another fashion so everyone gets a go. There's no cutting people off or honking or crowding. It is amazing to see people drive with that much courtesy and ease. Everybody gives a wave. When people pass, they do so quickly, without verve, and return to the outside slow lane to let others going faster than them to get by. It's fantastic. The rest stops are many and well designed. There are shopping centres, McDonald's, KFC's, and plenty of room for everyone. Several stops have Travel Lodges and Little Chefs (think Denny's but with good food and young, pretty people working them). The food centres are clean, well-employed by friendly staff, and full of families eating picnic lunches on park benches. Muslims pray, facing east towards Mecca on the grass and no one bats an eye. There is none of the stigma associated with the American Rest Stop with its urban legend of shady vagabonds and serial killers waiting in the bushes. The toilets are clean and cleaned regularly and equipped with all the necessities demanded by the road. The BP gas stations are mini grocery stores, complete with frozen food for camper vans and packaged foods for the casual roadster. Unbelievable.

From Manchester, we drove far to the north to Glasgow and decided to pass right on through. Instead of staying in Glasgow, we headed north to the Highlands of Scotland and, of course, Loch Ness. The night we arrived, we found a great hotel called the Hotel Caledonian. Apparently, we arrived on the right night. The local football team of Ross County had beaten the Celtics which, according to the locals who were reveling in the bar and buying us glasses of whiskey and chips to welcome us, is akin to some minor league AAA baseball team going to New York and whupping the Yankees.

The room at the Hotel Caledonian was 40 pounds per person, and was... well, it was right up there with any Westin we've ever stayed at. It was warm, rustic, friendly, with a huuuge room and amazing bed. This is a must stay place, as far as I am concerned. If you are ever going to the North of Scotland, stay here. There is none of the kitchiness of the tourist trap of Loch Ness involved here. Just friendly staff and stories and locals abound. The bartender, Mike, who also ran the front desk, told us of how a local firefighter in the neighborhood decided shortly after 9/11 to host the families and friends of firefighters who had lost their lives when the Twin Towers fell. He got the whole town involved and they raised the money to bring every single one of those people all the way to Fort Augustus, all expenses paid, all services rendered. They didn't pay a dime the entire time they were there. They stayed in the hotel we stayed in. Amazing. The bar downstairs was lively but small and we met several locals, including a man named Duncan from farther north who sat with us through the night, drinking pints, and getting to know us. The next day, we rounded Loch Ness and headed back south to Glasgow.

Tomorrow, I fly home.

I realize now that I have talked a lot in this particular blog about what we did and haven't really said much about the experience. I think I will have to take a moment and think about what i want to say before posting again so... bear with me. I'll be back soon with another post very very soon.

Thanks for listening. I promise more in a little bit.

Cheers!

-d@n