Time in the UK coming to an end..



Found this suspicious looking banana in my coat pocket. I forgot about putting it there, over a week ago.


So this was supposed to be my last weekend here in the UK, but some changes due to needing to spend some time doing a few chores on the rental house before I return to the US. Now with my week in Chicago before returning back to Houston and all those that I love and owe time to, enables me to see more of the English countryside, relax a little after some grueling work weeks.
Also to re tidy my room up and start the process of packing.
I had to be checked out of the hotel today and re checked in for another week.. A necessary process when you stay so long it seems.

This was an interesting and enlightening experience and I realized how quickly hotel systems update the departure of a guest to the various housekeeping staff.
In an attempt by the hotel to efficiently clean up after the old guest (me) and prepare the room for the new guest (me). When I got back to my room minutes after leaving the reception desk there was a continuous stream of women knocking and immediately entering my room. Each had their own excuses about how the system had alerted them that the guest had checked out, and confused and embarrassed expressions on their faces, each had wanted to either change the bed clean the bathroom, or just check the state of the room or top up the mini bar etc.

Thank fully I was fully dressed and with my music playing, and the mess everywhere alerted them that either the previous guest (me), had not moved out yet , or the new guest (me) had already moved in. As it was the hotel had already assigned Air Itaila Pilot to my room. I was nto moving to another room...I’m now trusting that they reallocated him to another room and that he will not turn up tonight and join me. ..
It all reminded me of the time I was in India and my early morning call consisted of a man walking into my room to wake me up only to find me already up and in the shower.
"Most sorry Sir "he said "I was coming in to wake you up Sir"
I was glad I was already up and fully awake to be honest, despite the fact i was in the shower.

Anyway back to the weekends events.


Yesterday was another road trip opportunity. This photo looks like I took a short cut through the gate , but not....it was just a desperate pee stop.. And nothing gets in my way then......


Unlike this person who must have had some serious driving difficulties trying to stay on the road...










Anyway I found out that setting off in a Westerly was a good decision as it rained everywhere else it seems. I had sun and a little grey cloud and fog to start with but I had a dry chilly day. . I headed West no real idea where I was going . I found myself driving down single lane country lanes and then stumbled across Hell Fire Caves, High Wycombe, Marlow, and then ended up driving back to Helens to see her and Mum. Again captivated by the everyday beauty in the countryside and buildings. How I used to take all this for granted.

That book I’m reading 'notes from a small island' by Bill Bryson, is excellent and some facts really hit home last week.
In stark contrast to the US and Houston in particular. The author from De Moines, Iowa said he had more 17th century buildings in his little Yorkshire village than in the whole of the USA.
Britain has, 445,000 ancient or historic buildings, 12,000 medieval churches, 1.5 million acres of common land, 120,000 miles of footpaths and public right of ways, 600,000 known sites of archeological interest. So setting off in a car or on foot to just see what I find has always, for me resulted in an interesting day out.
Here are some of my photos from Saturday (dont forget you can click on them to get full size).