Random observations

[vilakins]

We're off to Portmeirion today; on to Manchester tomorrow. It's raining again so we might not be getting our planned canal ride and Portmeirion won't be at its best. Ah. Greg just said that the forecast said north Wales might have better weather so here's hoping.


Things I have noticed here (apart from all the usual things like architecture and quaint villages (fewer than 100 houses) and hamlets (fewer than 50 houses):

The place is full of roundabouts! Even main (A) roads have them seemingly at every intersection, and we've chosen to go on those rather than motorways to see more. It means you can't plant your foot and go for it, but the views are lovely and we're in no real hurry.

Drivers are courteous (even if they don't indicate on roundabouts). We've had them flick their lights at us to make a right turn several time when they had right of way. This is unheard of back home where driving's a sort of competition, just as tramping's a fitness contest in contrast to the more civilised British rambling.

There's CCTV everywhere for security. I actually find it quite reassuring.

I lust after the stone or brick walls, central heating and double-glazing here (encountered in the only two places I've stayed in so far anyway). It would be sheer luxury to be able to maintain a temperature at home noticeably different to that outside. I've suggested to linda_joyce that her sister's double-glazing firm considers opening a branch in NZ.

The " and the @ keys are swapped on keyboards here. [blink]

Young women (and many young men) have beautiful skin. Even our teenagers back home never look so dewy and lovely. What with the lack of ozone layer there and years of sun damage, I know I look at least 10 years older over here. This is somewhat disconcerting. :-(


This might be it for a while. I'm not sure when I'll be online again. Cheers!

Comments

[snowgrouse.livejournal.com]

WTF? I've found British central heating and double-glazing nonexistent (we *have* to have those here or we'd freeze to death, but seemingly Brits love freezing their bits off--now I understand why hot water bottles are so popular there). Seriously. I'm boggling here. You must've been staying in good places, that's all I can say:).

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Well, the Bedford Moat House and Linda's Welsh cottage have both. OK, that's a very small sample so I've edited my post. It's wet and bloody cold outside (esp after the hot weather a few days ago) but lovely and warm in here early in the morning. I think our lack of heating (or cooling) is due to the early British immigrants regarding them as soft and effete. [grin]

[snowgrouse.livejournal.com]

I remember the Moat House being *very* hot, but that was nice. The house I lived in in Southampton was very drafty and cold--we had to wear warm clothes whenever we went downstairs to the kitchen and the bathroom--it was so cold your breath would steam. When one of my arsehole flatmates had turned the heating off in my room for the weekend I spent at Redemption "to save on electricity", it was barely above freezing in there, brr. frankymole has a really nice house but it's damn cold as well. Apart from hotels and things, msmanna's house has been the only properly warm one I've stayed in:).

The above-mentioned bastard flatmate had lived in Australia for some time and said it was freezing there as well, so I guess it's the same down in NZ.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Actually the Moat House was so hot I felt ill in one of the autograph queues. We were sweltering at the dinner. I wondered if I had enough cool clothes for the two weeks but it turned cold yeaterday, from summer to what I'd call winter.

We're leaving soon; not sure when I'll be on-line again. Great to hear from you though! Makes me feel at home, surrounded by my friends either in RL or electronically. We're staying with Harriet in Manchester where Greg can talk cricket and I can play with the pipecleaner people, yay! I have a couple of little NZ monsters for them. BTW I didn't know it was a bank holiday this weekend till Michael Keating told me(!!!)

[snowgrouse.livejournal.com]

*Hugs* I'm so glad you're having fun. I only wish I'd been there you to give you that hug in RL! Hope you get to walk around the beach and gardens in Portmeirion--the place is just absolutely stunning.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Just got back from there! (Sitting in a cyvercafe in Portmadog.)

[snowgrouse.livejournal.com]

Porthmadog is gorgeous, too:). All those second-hand bookshops, EE. I got a little mole puppet from the Oxfam in the centre:D... and of course my Welsh dragon Ddraig. *sigh* I wish I was there, it's such a gorgeous place. The tap-water in Portmeirion was amazing, I haven't encountered such clean and drinkable tap water outside Scandinavia before:). I ♥ North Wales.