No Tanks for You

Put your feet up. This could be a long post,as there is some catching up to do. FYI: we are now in York

We said goodbye to London this morning and arrived in York around 1:30PM. There was a bit of a hiccup in the plan but I will get to that in a bit. Where was I...oh yes the Tank Museum. Turns out that said museum was about 2 hours away by train. Since buying the tickets the day of travel is on the expensive side, it made the Tank Museum a no go.  Aw Nuts! However gleeful I was at the turn of events, the Big Fella was NOT disuaded by the situation. He found what was -in his mind- a reasonable aternative that was actually in London. The National Army Museum served as the stand-in. Sigh. It was our morning activity on Sunday and suppose it was like going to church for himself. Enough of tanks and the army just what have we been doing?

Saturday was a 5 star day for us. My cousin Isabella and husband David spent the entire day giving us a tour of London that is sure to be a highlight of my trip. We began on a double decker city bus that took us through many of London's posher areas -Chelsea for instance. We got on and off buses a couple of times to save wear and tear on the feet but this was a walking tour for the most part. We hit Buckingham Palace just as the changing of the guard began. Due to the crowds, we were unable to get very close but saw enough of it to satisfy our curiosity. As we strolled by the Parliament building, David provided us with a bit of history about the building. Crossing the Thames at the Tower Bridge, we meandered through the area on the other side of the river -stopping to take pictures and wouldn't you know it, found a pub! Adult beverages were enjoyed by all. Hugs all around ended our wonderful day and it was back to our home away from home -the B&B in Fulham -which by the way is a great place to stay.

Our first day in London we bought a bottle of gin for Miller Time enjoyment and wouldn't you know it the small refrigerator in the guest area of the B&B did not have a freezer. Bummer dude - I don't know about martinis but gin and tonics need an ice cube or two. We went back and forth as to whether we should ask our host for ice but in the end threw caution to the wind.  Yup, she had ice and was more than happy to share it with us and what's more she liked gin! Woo Hoo! Two quite wonderful Miller Times were shared- one on her roof top deck and the other-our last night in London-included an impromptu piano and clarinet jazz set performed by she and her husband. Happy but hungry the Fella and I found a cozy spot to eat where it was trivia night. Never one to back away from a game of mindless trivia, we joined the fun -game over. The dynamic duo was dead last but finished. At that we called it a night. A wonderful end to a wonderful time in London.

Folks we are now caught up and that brings me to this morning's adventure. Packed and ready to go, we embarked on our last ride on the Underground which we actually got pretty good at -riding the Underground that is. Sooo, one transfer at Victoria Station would get us to King's Cross in order to catch the train to York. Turned in the Oyster Cards, got a refund on the unused fare, found the train station and then proceeded to orient ourselves and check on our train.  Found the 11:21AM to York, destinations listed but at the very bottom was a notice. The train was cancelled due to what was likely a mechanical problem. AAACK! Now what?! I stood in a line for a ticket agent only to be told that I was in the wrong line and go see customer service over there. Dejected, I found the end of that line and waited my turn. The other trains to York were  run by a different company and I was worried that we would not get out as scheduled. The agent informed me that the East Coast Train leaving at 11:30 Am would accommodate us. Our tickets were good for that line and I may get a partial refund for the inconvenience.   We arrived in York safe, sound, and relieved. A happy ending.

No Moose and Mosquito Tour is complete without a Wild Life Update: No wildlife  but there is No Fly Tipping. I am not sure what this means for the flies but there is signage in Fulham warning would-be fly tippers. I do believe that it has something to do about littering or perhaps putting garbage in a can that does not belong to you. But whatever it means, the flies are on notice.

 And everyone please, Mind the Gap.