Britain in Fall Day 2

Picking up from the day before, Stacy and I continued on our transatlantic flight, trying to catch some sleep along the way. According to Stacy, I was more successful at this. I don't really recall as apparently I was asleep at the time. Eventually the sky outside the plane turned from inky dark to a gradually lightening blue. Soon we were over some islads off the coast of Scotland, and we headed south over Great Britain toward London.

After looping for a while through the busy London airspace (As a passenger, I find it disconcerting to see other aircraft flying around, realizing this is a completely silly thing to feel) we finally landed at Gatwick. Before the trip I had convinced Stacy that the best way to go would be Gatwick Express, especially since I found a great 2-for-1 deal. Well, we followed the directions and weren't able to find the coupon, so I paid the extra £12.

Upon our arrival at Victoria, we hunted for the Coach Station and found it a few blocks away. Stacy knew what to do and purchased tickets for us to Bury, connecting in Cambridge.

Stacy had always taken coaches (what they call long-distance, greyhound-type buses) around in England, while I had only known trains. So the train was new for her, and the coach to Bury was a new experience for me. I think the trains cost a bit more but are faster and much more comfortable. Plus, I just like the train. :)

The coach ride to Cambridge was nice enough, it wound through Westminster by the Houses of Parliament on the way out of town, so that was fun. I got a seatmate in Stratford, and caught a few winks while on the M11. We had a bit of a layover in Cambridge, with time for me to find an off-license (liquor store) to get something for us to drink, as we realized we had been on the go since leaving the airplane. Eventually our connecting bus arrived and we hopped on. This bus was not a coach but a transit bus, however it was double-decker so we sat ourselves up top, in front, so the view was great. The route seemed circuitous, however, and by this time we were quite ready to be "home."

Upon our arrival in Bury we schlepped across the big car park (parking lot) to good old Fen Way, and flopped in their lovely new italian leather furniture until Trevor arrived home from work. Later that night, in an attempt to keep me awake, Trevor showed me vacation photos.

September 24, 2004 11:59 PM