Holidays

I have spent the last couple of days holiday planning. I always do my holiday planning early. It is probably more fun and more frugal to book late but I get advanced bookings so I need to know where I stand in plenty of time.

I may have mentioned previously that we are going to The Isle of Wight in May. We were talking about the Isle of Wight before we discovered that Sarah Milican was doing a show there in May.

We have also discussed the possibility of a night away at the end of January. We once stayed at a hotel in our own town. It was just the ticket for one night. Anyway. My wife said she had never been to Lincoln and that's not far away. I suggested that if we were to go to Lincoln it ought to be for the xmas market. Thursday 7th December a day in Lincoln. Sorted.

At the end of January is Burns Night. I once did my own intimate Burns Night for 6 of us. It was ok. I love all that. I love pomp. I love history. I love haggis. I love a good knees up. I scoured the web and came up with several possibilities, most of which were either too far away or too expensive. This evening I found one at a sensible price and only an hour drive away.

G.

 

There is a train near us you can ride on, short trip, its a tourist attraction. and a train museum. Anyway, been looking at the train trip that crosses American, pretty cheap, like about $300.00. if you don't get off. but can stop at a few places to stay for extra and get back on to continue. sounds like fun.

 

Our local railway is home to the mail car that was hijacked by the Great Train Robbers.

I once visited friends of mine that live in San Fransisco. I was travelling on my own so I opted for the direct 11 1/2 hour flight. Had I had company I would like to have taken a shorter flight and travelled the rest over land.

I wasn't aware of it at the time but I could have (in theory at least) followed Robert Louis Stevenson journey by boat to New York and train to San Fransisco.

I have read the boat part of his voyage. I haven't read the rest. All my books are now locked away somewhere.

G.

 

Blue Anchor, Somerset about 30 mins ago

 

Here is the train trip across America I was talking about. ITs only one of several google info links. other links give add information, or opinions of it. so advise reading all before you decide to do it. think its a neat trip.

Across the USA by Train for Just $213

@Jack Sparrow , have to get to San Fran one day. on my list. But knowing me as much as I love Oregon Coastline. I will certainly add another trip there if I am on the West Coast. That is one place I would move to--North Oregon coastline area, it is so beautiful.

Ahhh, but, this morning woke up, looked out my bedroom window, to my gardens and said this is the best place on earth.

We leave this Saturday for a week away again. I will then be down to hardly any vacation time for work. So will stay home until May. (Maybe)

 

Just outside Watchet. The train is travelling backwards on the Minehead to Bishops Lydeard runs, everybody else was photographing the rear of the Flying Scotsman, with only myself taking pics from the other direction as I thought that looked better, plus had the best background.

 

I have never been a big reader. Most of the books I have accumalated over the years have been either classics or non fiction/reference books. Between my wife and I we must have had dozens of books that had never been read or a never likely to be read. It was alright while I had an office (technically an unused bedroom) but now there is no where in the house suitable for storing books. The books we didn't want we gave away. The rest, the ones I couldn't bare to part with are packed away in boxes in the shed.

I quoted the Robert Louis Stephenson book above. Annoyingly I can't remember the name of the book. When I was studying Scottish History for my presentations, I bought several second hand books from Amazon. The sort of books you can't buy anywhere else. I felt that it made sense to actually read the books which you were referencing. Plus it's a good prop to hold up the actual book from which you are quoting. These books along with all my other props and my research notes are all stowed away for safe keeping


Now we both have IPads reference books are obsolete. Any info I want I can find pretty instantly.

G.

 

@shiney I read the first book about the boat voyage. He described how filthy and disease ridden the thing was. I was using it to link the Highland Clearances coupled with the potato famine to a new life in the New World. I also threw in the films Titanic and Gangs of New York for good measure. Happy Days

G.

Ps. I still do prefer an actual book. I find it hard to read long prose on a computer screen. When I was studying I would print everything out so I could read it at my leisure. I could scribble notes too if I wanted too.

 

I find it hard to retain the knowledge I gain through reading. If I could remember everything I have ever read I would know so much. I drip feed. It's the only way I can take it in.

G.