Post Christmas Adventure

Ok, so after the Holidaze, we decided to cure our cabin fever and take a trip into London to check out the phenomena known as the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. Our brilliant deduction was that now that Santa had officially made his Christmas run, the crowds would be manageable. Bean also had some Christmas money from his Grandparents so he was going to choose his own presents. This meant a run into Hamley's Toy Store.

Ah, the things you do for your child. I think 'crowded department store' is number four on my list of things I would rather take a poke to the eye with a sharp stick than do. This falls behind 'annual exam', 'eaten by shark', 'and death by inferno'. Going to said TOY store mere days after the biggest holiday of the year probably gives this a +1 point for sheer incomprehensible awfulness, but a -3 for stupidity. Meh, I can tick a few things off my bucket list.

The train to London was packed, but we had a  good time getting there. I played that awkward game of catching someone looking at you, then you look at them and they're looking at you, so you look at them to see if they're looking at you and then they catch you looking at them. I hate that game. I always imagine all the reasons they are staring at me and some of them include: she thinks I am someone famous (I get this all the time), my hair looks terrible, the amusing American accent, traveling companion to the man with the awesome white hair and the kid with the amazing red hair, and a myriad of other self-loathing (mostly) reasons.

Jumping off the train and into the station we stumbled upon one of the best sights in the Kings Cross station: 

Yes, that is the entrance to platform 9 3/4. There were people lined up to try and push the Harry Potter cart thru the wall to the Hogwarts platform. It was very amusing. Not so amusing was the line out the door for the newly opened Harry Potter Platform 9 3/4 gift shop. Maybe next time. I didn't pack my eye gouging stick on this adventure. We bought our oyster card for transportation and  jumped on the Piccadilly line headed for fun central.

Well, we exited the tube, only to discover that we had exited on the total wrong side of the park- and the wrong park all together. We had gotten off at Kensington Park where the Diana Memorial Park and the fantastic pirate ship playground are found. Ugh, we had to walk the 700 miles across the, over the Serpentine bridge, to catch up with the masses funneling towards the event area. If this was an 'off' day I would have imploded in the middle of the crowd when the event was truly banging. I am not a big fan of crowds, neither is the Bean or the Hubs. 

On our way to the mysterious and secretive location of the Wonderland, we met another young couple on a pilgrimage of  their own. They stopped us and asked if they were headed in the right direction - and we had to admit we didn't know quite where we were going, either.  Bean (always the charmer) had his eye on one of the doughnuts they brought with them. They tried to give him a doughnut, we politely refused. I certainly didn't want Bean to think that all he has to do is bat those fantastic eyelashes and he can get anything he wants. It may be close to true, but he certainly doesn't need to know that at 5 years old. The couple, who I believe were Muslim, were so gracious that they ended up insisting we take a can of Pringles. They refused to let us compensate them for the chips (or chip-flake wafers if you prefer) and I think the husband came very close to hugging the Hubs. We even ran back into them in the madness, and they still refused to take a few pounds from us. Faith in humanity- restored. It seems that with all the fighting and hatred in the world, we should remember that not all members of any particular culture are happy with the way they are portrayed on the world's stage. Quite frankly, there are any number of people I don't want waving their flag on my behalf. I just look at the others and mouth, "I'm not with them." 

It was a fantastic day to stroll. And to listen to the lime green parakeets screeching in the boughs above. Wait. What?

I must mention the green parakeets. They were the very definition of free range and cage free. I was stunned. You see one and you think maybe you're seeing things. The hubs thought he was imagining things. Pshhh! A parakeet in London!  Quick! Call the RSPCA! Someone's lost their beloved Polly! Apparently they have been 'native' for 50 years. This is not your Granny's Tweetie bird. These street smart birds have adapted quite nicely and have established their 'turf' in the madness of the bustling city.

We had a hot dog at the Winter Wonderland. The grill rotated as it cooked the dogs, brats, and burgers. It was quite the set up.

 We found a little bench to eat our lunch and take a look around at all the amusements. There were some scary rides. Throw in some animatronic yodelers singing from a four story amusement and you have yourself a Winter Wonderland fun extravaganza!

 The Ferris wheel that didn't seem to actually give rides, but instead seemed to just let people off and on.

 The Ferris wheel as we were leaving. Yea, I'm gonna get the hang of this photo opportunity thing someday.

 Here are the swings. I'm gonna tell Nana we rode this. She instilled in me the fear of these swings. 'Cause you know, the chains will break and you'll break your legs. Nope. Not for me thanks. It was too flamin' high and too bloody cold. (Geeze - I am getting old)

  We left promptly once the day warmed up and the masses started funneling into the park. The Bean was very overstimulated with all the crowd, flashing lights and quite frankly so was I. 

 Hee hee! He now wants to strike a pose when asked to stop for a photographic opportunity.

 OK. I have to comment about the kids below. (Yes, at my age I can call them kids - if I have been driving longer than you've been alive- you're a kid.) These kids were total posers. Most of the 'punks' today wear wigs instead of taking on the persona of the punk generation. Back in my day (Punk g-ma wraps her tattered shawl around her whilst standing in Doc Martins) we dyed our hair and dealt with the disappointed looks from our elders. There was no weekend punk ticket you could get to be cool for 48 hours. This is what's wrong with society today. No commitment.

I am disappointed in myself that I did not get a photo of the girl (that's debatable) who had, what I think was part of a wig, fashioned to appear like the bill on a ball cap. What gave the ruse away was the string holding the hair/bill in place. Go big or go home, but you get points for art and craft skills.

Here is the Marble Arch. And the masses we were bravely (stupidly?) headed straight into.

We finally made it to the famous toy store Hamley's. Oh what fresh hell is this? You know what's worse that a Holiday Fantastical in Hyde park? A seven (yes, 7) story toy store. The Bean's mouth was dropped open for a better part of two hours. If there was a toy or novelty you could think of, but didn't know where to find it (as long as you've got the money, honey) Hamley's will have it within its walls. You could easily spend an entire day here if you don't mind the pungent smell of poo and children screaming at the tops of their lungs. (By the way, the Hubs had recently been to an undisclosed location in Africa.  He described the stench there as 'burning poo poos and charcoal'. Still, he was mortified by the smelly clouds that encompassed you about every 10 feet in Hamley's.  Hubs says he's been to better smelling slums in Central America.)

 Here are a few of the fantastic Lego displays in Hamley's:

 Sorry, but this isn't my idea of 'Summer Fun'.

 Here is Bean with the Queen:

 I think he was asking the her for a doughnut.

 And the R2-D2 Lego set. Send me 400 bucks and I'll send you one. That covers the cost of the set, the postage to send it and the pain and suffering I have to go through in going back to the store to pick it up. Yep. People are nuts over Legos. The set was 190 pounds. (Current exchange rate of 1.635 is $310.75 plus s/h and the mental stress...)

 Life-size Lego phone booth.

 Yep, it's the royal wedding - in Legos.

 Here is Prince Charles...

 And for my Dr. Who freaks...it is Union Jack Dalek. Sorry, I can't remember how much this little gem was, but send me 400 bucks and it's yours. They had sonic screwdrivers, too, but I didn't get a snap of them.

 I think my face tells you how ready I was for something cold and frosty, or maybe it was the kid with the two foot afro I was looking at...hard to say. We also discovered the Bean loves  hot wings. Score!

 Random Christmas decor

Well at this point it was probably 4:30 and we headed back to the tube station to make our connection back to our local stop. Many thanks to Grandparents that made this trip possible. I will make sure to bring all the noisy toys with me when the Bean and I make our trip to the states in the Spring. You've been warned. 

What toys did the Bean select? You maybe wondering. Well if you ask Bean, the best thing going is the Eddie Stobart truck set he received. This trucking company is so popular they have their own reality TV show. I have it saved on my DV-R. He also threw a Higher Education monster truck. I wonder if Lloyd's of London would insure the Bean's monster truck collection? He was just too overwhelmed with possibility.

Just a side note:

A lot of people ask me what type of home security system we have. I proudly tell them we have the LXC (Bean's initials). If you can get past the minefield of toys, plus waking up the Hubs (who is just itching to try our the Rungu  he brought back from the undisclosed location in Africa) wearing - most likely - Meerkat socks and questionable boxers -  said burglar can then attempt to carry out their nefarious activities. Good luck with that.  You may walk in, but you're limping out. I think we'll be OK. It's is customary here, when you go on Holiday,  that you leave your house pitch black. Not even the porch light is left on. In the states, we set things on timers, have people come by and check the mail and water the cats. Nope - here they might as well leave the key in the lock and hang a banner that reads: Hey! Nobody's home!!   Lucky for our neighbors, the Hubs is Mr. Community Watch.

But I digress. Christmas was fun this year. I really missed my family, but as families usually experience, this year everyone went their separate ways. Life has a way of throwing a wrench (or spanner) into your routine, whether you like it or not. It's ok, because this is temporary and there will come a time when we are all back together, again. Until then, we will forge our own traditions and look forward to 2014. (Which is here already, but I have lost a week somewhere around here...)

I leave you with this poem, by Bob Perks:

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough “Hello’s” to get you through the final “Goodbye.”

Happy New Year!
XO
Lisa

Merry Christmas to all.....

T’was the night before Christmas, at the UK Coffey house.
Everyone was jolly, even my ba-humbug spouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care…
In the hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
The kitties were nestled all snug under the tree,
Still standing, a miracle, with those mischievous three
And the guys in their short sleeves and I in my fleece,
Happy with our visions of Santa, goodies and world peace.

When out in the driveway there arose such a clatter,
I sprang (ok ambled) from the couch to see what was the matter.
Away to the window, I flew like a flash, tore back the curtain
And straightened my sash (‘World’s Best Mom’…it does say)
The moon gleamed on the driveway still wet from the last rain
Reflected on my wreath as a 50 mph gust blew it away.
When what do my wondering eyes to appear…
But some miniature dachshund dressed up like reindeer!

With little old walkers, so lively and quick…
I knew in a moment it was our neighbors, Debbie and Nick.
With a little plastic bag, to toss in the bin
(so no one has to tread where your pooch has been)
More rapid than eagles these dachshunds they came
And he whistled and shouted and called them some names!

“Now Dachshunds! Now stop it! You weasels! You Pests!
Have mercy! My goodness- is bacon on your breath?
To the top of the porch, to the top of my wall
Now gnash away, gnash away! (Hope I don’t fall!)

The grandparents, so lovey, we Skyped with their heads,
As they tried to convince sugared-up grandkids into beds.
The Bean soundly sleeping, a cat draped across his head;
Leaving us, his parents, with the time we most dread.
To put together those toys pulled out from under beds.
Those stinkin’ Elves – I’m not well chuffed (meaning happy)
We need fluent *Chinese to assemble this stuff! (*No harm meant…)

Hours they passed and too much coffee consumed
Morning just breaking - we were certainly doomed!
The last screw was tightened, all the decals were stuck.
Oh D@mn! wouldn’t you know it?
I forgot that one flamin’ recycling truck!

On my wish list, all I needed, was just a bit of snow
But the forecast is rain, this is England you know.
Thinking about all the family this holiday we’ll miss
Sending you all a huge Christmas kiss!
Christmas this year is different for our family of three
Wishing all of our kindred could be here, you see.
It warms me to know we sleep underneath the same sky
(Oh good grief, I promised myself I wouldn’t cry.)
Warm holiday wishes, and a ride on Santa’s sleigh….

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL….FROM THE COFFEY’S UK!!!!!

Ah, UK Monster Truck Show

If you have been following my posts for any length of time, you already know the Bean has an affection for Monster Trucks. Well, as soon as we found out there was a Monster Truck show in Bury St. Edmunds - we were there. The folks hosting this little get together were Monster Trucks Live.

If you purchased your tickets on line before the show you were allowed access into the 'pit party'. This was a no brainer due to the fact they had, among the various classic cars, the van from the A-Team, the Ghostbuster's wagon, K.I.T.T from the much loved Knight Rider,  and the Duke brother's General Lee (woot!!!). Much to our delight a few other favorites were at the show as well. The 'Back to the Future' DeLorean, complete with a hover board in the front seat. I really loved the bombed out police car featured in the righteous Blues Brothers movies and the Trans Am from none other than the Smokey and the Bandit series. As a fan of the Archer cartoon, this was icing on the cake. I told the Hubs he should have worn his 'tactle-neck'. He responded how I should have worn a 'Don't Hassle the Hoff' tee. I told him I needed one. So here some of the pictures:

Squee! A-Team van!!

There were two dudes dressed up as Ghostbusters. I was disappointed they did not have their proton packs on. Amateurs. 

Bean and me in front of K.I.T.T. He had a voice loop with comments like "Right away Micheal' and 

"I must say Micheal, this adventure does have a certain appeal." Two phrases they should have had: "Micheal, please put your pants on" or "Micheal, you know you can't handle your liquor."

Much to my dismay, there were no mullets at the show. I thought that must be a prerequisite.

These people were neither Jake nor Elwood.

Speaking of rules, when you're at a outdoor festival (here they call them fetes) of any type, you must partake in the food. There were sausage baps, hamburgers (meh), brots, hotdogs, french fries (chips), fish and chips, ice cream, and those delicious funnel cakes. And beer. When it's hot outside and the beer costs less than the soft drinks, you drink beer. (Bean did not have beer - he drank the juice boxes we brought with us. I don't like him to drink tons of sugar or fake sugar. We did let him have 'Lemonade' which is the Brit Sprite.) Plus there is no fear about where to toilet, because England has some of the most posh porta-potties I have ever seen. There were vases of fake flowers super glued to the back of the tank, framed pictures nailed to the walls, curtains on the windows and the sink (which had running water) was also inside the structure. Yep. Quite the departure from the old honey pots back in the states. Next time I am in one, I will have to take some snaps. I haven't before out of fear that others would think I was daft. Oh well- this is for documentary purposes!

After we checked out the cars and ate some lunch we ambled towards the arena so we could nab a decent view of the show. The arena was farm fencing and some hay bales about a half a football field in length. It is hard to explain to an antsy five year old why you are standing still in the hot sun crammed in with tons of other people when there is nothing to see for another 30 minutes or more. After waiting for what seemed like hours, the sponsor and the drivers each took the microphone and proceeded to ramble on for about 15-20 minutes each. You want to know what kids are even less interested in than history? A monster truck driver yammering on about how happy he is to be a monster truck driver. GET IN THE TRUCK ALREADY!

When the show did finally start, and quite frankly after seeing a 'real' monster truck show in the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, the Bean was like, "Meh, I'm ready to go". We thought we'd be smart and go back to the pit area and see if we could take a look at the cars while the masses were watching the show, but the pit was deserted. We let Bean jump at one of those gymnastic-harness things(?) which have become popular with outdoor festivals these days.

I have to say, the pit party was much better than the actual Monster Truck show. They only featured four trucks and it took forever for them to get the show on the road- er, off road. There was almost an altercation in the stands, when a couple of parents shoved their three kids in front of me, the Bean and another kid and his Dad. The Dad looked at me and said, "Wow, cause we haven't been standing here in the hot sun." I just smiled and responded, "That's ok, I'm sure it won't be a problem when the Hubs gets back from toilet." The people took the hint and promptly removed their children from in front of us. The Dad gave me a smile and said, "Nice." Then when the Hubs got back he looked at the Hubs and the looked at me and said, "I would have moved, too." Yep, speak clearly and travel with an angry Husband. As with most things in life, this can be summed up by a Patrick Swayze quote. This one from Roadhouse: "I want you to be nice - until its time to not be nice." That's also kind of a Southern thing, too.

Heading out, back to the cow field where we'd parked the car, we came to a startling revelation. The best view of the stunts and the trucks was outside the gated area. I'm telling you, next time, we're packing a picnic lunch and watching from the field. You could actually see the trucks and the noise level was much more manageable. It would also be so much more enjoyable not to be crammed in like a sardine with 9,234 other people who came to the event with you.

I'm not saying we had a bad time - quite the contrary - any experience is a educational one at the very least. There were several times when one of us said, 'keep it classy' and  I got to ponder why women contentiously choose inappropriate footwear for certain occasions. I'm not a hater, but I just cannot see who in their right mind would wear stiletto heels to aerate a cow field in the middle of the English countryside. That may just be me.

I am shocked that I have not posted this adventure until now. I knew I had been busy, but what a travesty to have neglected the Monster Truck experience for so long. Oh well, it makes up for the post drought!

Until next post!

Lisa

Gee, has it been this long???

Wow, I really didn't realize that the last time I posted was back in September. Really? My, my how time flies- no matter if you're having fun or not. Where to begin....



October- Halloween! The concept of Halloween, as we American's celebrate, is relatively new to the Brits. Here's how Halloween usually goes down here. The community we live in had a Halloween festival in our local "Millennium Center", so we decided to check it out. (Although Millennium Center sounds fancy - do not be fooled. It's like the back room at your local VFW or community center.) To get into the festivities, you had to pay per child (two pounds fifty) and in return you got a hot dog and a drink. The hot dog looked like a hoagie roll with a Vienna sausage in the middle. I saw a lot of moms holding their child's 'baguette' after only eating the wienie concealed therein. Perhaps this was the 'trick' in the trick-or-treat. Apparently the standard hot dog bun has not made its way across the pond. They had tables decorated and laid out with sweets, cupcakes, cookies, various confections and little 'trinklets'-all of which you could buy. I was slightly offended at this; coming from small town America where we shove candy and treats at each other both the day of and the days leading up to Halloween. They also assumed that the only costumes you could don on Halloween are: a witch, a skeleton, vampire or zombie. They were baffled at Bean's Astronaut costume. Which, by the way, is pretty neat-o.

Spaceman Spiff

   

We wondered how things were going to go down in the 'hood', since this trick-or-treating gig was all new to them, so we headed to the base for the American style 'trunk-or-treat' followed by more trick-or-treating at the on base houses. We were just about to finish up our route, we had one street of houses left, when the Bean announced, "my bag is full. I want to go home now." The Hubs and I looked at each other in disbelief, but you just don't look a gift horse in the mouth. We headed for home.

British children, if they did dress up, were very upset at the idea of me selecting the treat for them. They wanted to choose themselves. Um, you're pushing it, kid. I have a stanch 'no costume no treat' rule at this house. They also pulled the 'can I get one for my brother/sister/cousin/ friend/ friend's brother/sister'....you get the point. Before I could answer, the Hubs shouted from behind me, "One hand -one treat!" They selected their treat and went on their way - quickly. I just knew I was going to wake up to a pumpkin massacre on my front step the next morning, but no such vandalism.

My only regret is that I didn't get a better shot of the jet pack. Its hard to hit a moving target, tho.

In between Halloween and more scrapping with the school and the county council, was Guy Fawkes Night, where they celebrate with bonfires and fireworks. Meh, I'll keep Halloween thank you very much.

Ah, yes...we took a little trip to York. This was fantastic. York is approximately 2 1/2 hours from our little homestead. Lots of great scenery, tons of tractors and combines driving down the A1, and a little Bean nap made the trip fun. The horrible traffic delay made the trip more like a sharp poke in the eye. Not to be morbid, but if I am delayed in my journey by an hour or more, I'd better at least see some mangled car bits, skid marks or an ambulance - otherwise I feel robbed. I was robbed.

So we didn't arrive in York until late afternoon. Since daylight savings time started October 27th, that meant we had about 30 minutes until complete darkness. We checked into our accommodations and headed out into the town proper to scope out the next day's adventures. I have found that with people's suggestions on what to do and where to go, is that you have about a 50/50 chance of achieving the same fantastical experience. My first question to them is: do you have a five year old male child with the attention span of a fruit fly?

Keeping that in mind, we dined our first night at a restaurant called Evil Eye Lounge. It served Asian cuisine, so I knew the Hubs would be happy and I was pretty certain the Bean and I could find something good to eat.

Downstairs was crowded with a couple of small serving tables and housed the fantastically ornate bar, while upstairs was the extra seating and lounge area of the bar. We found a nice 4 top next to a window where we could peer down at the cobblestone streets at the tourists and the groups waiting for various ghost tours to begin. The 'lounge' part of the restaurant were actually beds. The beds were screened in three sides by screens carved ornately with middle eastern motif with lots of pillows. This would have been ok with me, if the couple inhabiting the 'bed' adjacent to us wouldn't have been sucking face in the plain view of my five year old son. Lucky for me, he didn't notice and is easily distracted.

Well the Hubs and I enjoyed our meals. The Bean, not so much. He is one of those pesky children who refuses to try anything that doesn't look exactly like as it does at home. When you do manage to get a bit in his mouth he either makes a gag face or actually gags. Sometimes I find this amusing, but sometimes it just about sends me into orbit.

The next morning we headed out to the much promised, National Rail Museum. We took a lazy walk to the museum since it didn't open until 10 am. here are some snaps we took along the way:

The light was fantastic. Every time we go somewhere new, I am struck by the amount of history I am surrounded by on all sides. Then there are people, everyday people, just going about their lives as if its normal. I suppose it is normal, but still. I am really in awe.

Here we are at St Mary's Abby. The old craggy walls and the open sarcophagi with stones older than the oldest settlement in the states.  And my kid is just running his monster truck down the stone pillars. Hum... yes its humbling.

The memorial day ceremonies were taking place - thus why we couldn't continue on the rock wall surrounding he city. The 12 mile wall surrounding the city was one of two items on the Hub's list to do whilst in York. Slightly bummed about not getting able to trek any of the wall, but secretly excited because this meant we could wander back to the Newgate Marketplace and the Shambles. Woo, buddies! This was coolsville. It is just awesome to stroll down a street which has remained the same since before the black plague leveled the population.

We'd walked up the Shambles (the night before) to take a look at the shops (having heard that the Shambles were packed with tourists during the day) and I struck up a conversation with some ladies who were also window shopping. I overheard one of them described some little dolls in a window display as Golliwoggs. The Hubs and I were quite shocked to see these types of dolls on display and they appear to be quite popular. They also told me about the Cats in York tour where we could take Bean on an iron feline scavenger hunt.

The Newgate Marketplace was pretty fun. We needed to replace Bean's gloves and finally found the Hubs a Indiana Jones hat. Here I am wearing the hat:

Trust me, the Hubs looks much better in it, but as he was carrying a very tired Bean on his shoulders, I played the stand-in. I look much more stunning in the snugly cashmere sweater I nabbed at 75% off retail at the Edinburgh Woolen Mill .

However, the brunt of our trip was spent inside the National Rail Museum. At first the bean was not at all interested in the trains, especially the Royal coaches on display, but managed to crack up a small crowd of people when he asked, "Dad, where's the TV?" The tide turned when we found the antique lorries that were used to bring goods and service the trains. This was a pivotal moment in history. For me, that is, not the locomotive industry.  I witnessed monster trucks slide into second place -and trains secured the top spot in the interests category. This is a much welcomed change. So much so that we spent two days at the museum.

Here are some humorous signs that made me giggle to think these were actually displayed in train stations once upon a time. 

I have a lot more pictures I'll be posting on FB, so if you're interested in the rest of the photos you'll have to check them out there. (Or if you want to be friendly - send me a request.) The Bean was so enthralled he couldn't not be bothered to look at the camera. He was too busy watching the museum attendant fix the model display that jack-knifed off the rails.

This was the display the day before when it was working properly:

The things we missed this trip were Jorvik and the Jorvik Dig, the Chocolate Tour, and the York Minster. Which, by the way, has a fantastical stained glass window the size of a tennis court. The entire backside of the Minster was scaffolded off for renovation. So we will definitely go back to York to partake of these wonderful sights, plus the Hubs was really sore we did not get to walk along the ancient wall. 

One place we dined, twice, was the 

This was fun because since Merry Old England does not celebrate Thanksgiving, they jump right into the Christmas/ Yule Tide Holiday. (They are still a bit sore about that whole 'independence from England' episode.)The Inne was festively decorated and all the waitstaff were wearing ugly Christmas sweaters and Santa hats. In most pubs and restaurants, they are known for their 'Sunday Roast'. This is always amazing. I have never had a bad Sunday roast. The Ye Olde Starre Inne was cosy and very affordable. I spotted the sidewalk sign and made the executive decision to go there for food as soon as I sensed grumpiness from my traveling companions. The Inne was located in an off-street mews, and we managed to get there minutes before everyone else decided to grab a table- twice.  I would definitely recommend this place to anyone and feel a bit excited to find this little gem not listed in my Rick Steves guide book. Perhaps I will send him a little FYI about it....then again-maybe not. 

Everyone got a new hat at the Newgate Marketplace, actually. Bean picked out his replacement gloves. Yes, they are purple stripped, but they had pigs on them and so he would not have any other pair.  The moose hat is incredibly adorable and easy to pick out of a crowd. 

There are tons of other stories and pictures I could elaborate on, like Clifford's tower:

Which has nothing to do with a certain big, red dog. It does have a rather morbid history.Then again, this is England so you can't really go anywhere with out finding out some morbid tale of woe. 

We'd also heard that we 'had to go to' the Trembling Madness, and we tried it. To say we tried it meant that we went into the restaurant/pub, took a look at the mounted animals on the wall, saw the line at the bar (you have to order food from the bar), took a look at the one cook/bartender and the 10 food tickets still hanging on the line,and decided to head out. At least we can say we've been there.  The upside is this lead us to the Olde Starre Inne. 

I must apologize for the lack of humor in this post. I have been trying to finish this for about a week or more, and with two sick males at my house it has drained most of my energy- comedic or otherwise. 

Our next big adventure, and I don't want to spoil it, will be much more exciting. I hope.

Until next time....

Lisa