h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Folks it is time for Act Three of our irregularly performed little play in which a pudgy, culturally deprived Midwesterner climbs aboard a big bird and journeys eastward in search of enlightenment and a really good cup of tea.

This year's adventure coincides with a milestone birthday. I figured I could stay home and feel totally bummed out by it, or I could spend an outrageous amount of money enjoying myself with my friends. Neither is exactly the case in as much as the good old pound sterling hit the skids and it isn't going to cost nearly as much as I thought it would. Happy birthday, Hyp! I'm trying not to be too cocky about that, since we all know the pound will recover and the dollar will be pretty worthless in comparison again. I'm just hoping it will hold off until I get back home.

There have been some major changes since we first started planning. Syn was supposed to accompany me, so the first schedule included a lot of Roman sites, Roman history being a particular interest of his. Then he decided to stay home. He's having some health problems and thought it might be a bit much for him right now. Then we talked about doing Paris, but that idea was scrubbed. I'll do Paris when I can spend a while and include Chartres and some other places. And we seriously considered spending four or five days in Scotland. That idea was scrubbed, as well. The plan now is for me to fly directly to Scotland next time and skip England altogether.

So, here we go! As always, if any of you see something that strikes your fancy and you want to join in, please know you're most welcome. Once again my home base will be Teuchter Towers, although T and I will be spending several nights in hotels. Mr. T is still in China, so we're going to indulge ourselves with gardens and a bit of culture. We're spoiling ourselves with five nights in London to attend the theatre, a concert at Albert Hall, hit the art galleries and do a bit of shopping. In fact, when I get home, I'll be soooooooo cultured that people won't recognize me.

Wednesday, April 22 -- Leave the US

Thursday, April 23 -- Arrive LHR midday-ish

Friday, April 24 – Travel to Folkestone to visit Christiane, if she is available, and take her to lunch. Then we may stop off at either Leeds Castle or Hever Castle on the way back to the Towers. Whichever one has the better garden.

Saturday, April 25 – Birmingham Meet

Sunday, April 26 – Visit Glastonbury (I want to climb the Tor) and perhaps Salisbury on the way to Devon/Cornwall. Overnight at Oakhampton.

Monday, April 27 -- Visit Rosemoor Gardens and Heligan. Overnight at St. Austell

Tuesday, April 28 – Visit the Eden Project (if we don't get around to it on Monday) and whatever other gardens or National Trust properties strike our fancy. Overnight in St. Austell.

Wednesday, April 29 – Drive to St. Ives (the Tate Gallery) and Lands End so I can get a photo, then back to Teuchter Towers.

Thursday, April 30 -- Spend the day in Brighton. I want to see the Royal Pavilion and walk the pier. I'm a landlubber, remember.

Friday, May 1 -- This is a rest day at the Towers. We plan to sleep late then spend the remainder of the day puttering in T's garden, eating chocolate and drinking gin. So if you want to join us, bring gardening gloves, chocolate ( I prefer Belgian) or tonic and limes.

Saturday, May 2 -- The birthday celebration begins. (I'm celebrating for an entire week, by the way.) We're going into London and checking into a hotel in Kensington for five nights. The plan is to visit the V&A in the afternoon to see the Hat Exhibition. Then that evening we have tickets to see “Calendar Girls” at the Noel Coward Theatre.

Sunday, May 3 -- At 11:00 we'll be attending the Tridentine Mass at the London Oratory Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, mistakenly called Brompton Oratory by nearly everyone, including me. I want to hear a Latin Mass again before I die. Nostalgia. Plus, the choir there is world renowned. Lunch at the Enterprise. At 3:00 we have tickets for the latest production of “Waiting for Godot” at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Simon Callow and Ronald Pickup. Fabulous cast. I'm chuffed about this one. Then at 7:00, if we're up to it, which I expect we will be, I want to take one of the London Walks. Last trip I did the Jack the Ripper Walk. This time I want to do the “Old Chelsea Village Pub Walk”. It starts at the Sloan Square Tube Station. You can find a description of it by going to the London walks website and looking under Sunday.

Monday, May 4 -- I want to go back to St. Paul's so I can climb up to the dome. I visited it with Waz on my last trip, but was just too tired to do the dome. The view is supposed to make it worth the effort. Then the two London attractions I've missed. Westminster Abbey and the Tower. The Abbey for sure and the Tower if there's time and we don't find something more interesting to do. Then at 7:00 it is “La Cage Aux Folles” at the Playhouse Theatre. It is one of my all-time favorites. We have cabaret table seats.

Tuesday, May 5 -- This is art gallery day. We'll start off at the Tate Britain to see the Van Dyke Exhibition, followed by lunch at the Granery. Then it is on to the National Gallery to see the Picasso Exhibition and the National Portrait Gallery to see the Constables. At 7:30 we have tickets to see Chris De Burgh at the Royal Albert Hall.

Wednesday, May 6 -- Happy birthday to me. It is going to be a really fun day. We're going to Camden Market where we'll browse through the stalls and visit the Yumchaa teahouse. Then we'll stroll along the canal in Little Venice and take the water taxi to Regent's Park and the zoo. I love zoos, so it's perfect. I'm hoping for cyber nephews and nieces to attend. Then after supper at Le Metro, I'm off to Harrods to buy myself something. Don't have a clue what. Something I can point to back home and say, “Oh this old thing? I got it at Harrods on one of my trips to London.” (Things like this are important for hillbillies.)

Thursday, May 7 -- Check out after breakfast, go home to the Towers and collapse, very full of myself.

Friday, May 8 -- Day trip to Oxford. I missed the Ashmolean the last time I was there. I also need a new Oxford shirt since I spilled bleach on mine. And I want to visit Blackwell's and their three miles of bookshelves.

Saturday, May 9 -- London Meet

Sunday, May 10 -- Rest day at the Towers to unwind and pack.

Monday, May 11 -- To LHR for the flight back home.


Wow. I think it will be a fabulous trip. I can't wait to get there. I hope to see a lot of you.

Though my trip to London is both considerably shorter and much, much less packed with things to see (I won't have seen a quarter of what you have seen there - even though I've been a few times & ), I do very much look forward to meeting you at the London Meet, Mrs President

*makes notes*

Hapi and me will be in London from May 4th to 10th. Maybe we can cross our ways with yours some day.

I'll be there for the Birmingham Meet and the first London weekend, but probably not the London Meet.

Can I come to the hat exhibition?

B

In an ideal world, I'd manage the meet too, but three weekends in the middle of a study-assignments makes me nervous...

Looking forward though!

Very dear Hypatia,

What a fantastic trip. You are going to have to go to bed for two weeks when you return.

How perfectly wonderful of you to come to Folkestone. I am thrilled beyond speech and can offer you accomodation if you so wish. There is a pretty good wild park in the envions if you want a taste of that.

I shall find out about the gardens but I think there is the one at ???? which Vita Sackville West and Harold Nicholson designed quite near here, It really knocks those at both Hever Castle and Leeds Castle into a cocked hat However, the name escapes me but I shall remember.Very famous for the white garden. !!

And incidentally, Madame Pres. the lunch will be on us and I shall book the table tomorrow. At awonderful restaurant on a high hill overlooking the Channel and la belle France.
As usual my PA auntie giggles has both my RL name and address and telephone number. Which LLWaz used to have although I appear to have lost hers. !!

What joy,my dear friend. we have just had a wonderful day today. K. came down with a friend and we went and had a lovely lunch at the harbour and bought super oysters and lobster at one to the lovely little fish markets. Folkestone has a very old history and I always call it the best kept secret of England. !!

With much affection.

Christiane.
AR 80

Hi Christiane. You're thinking of Sissinghurst Castle Gardens. That is the one Vita Sackville West and Harold Nicholson designed and planted. I've already seen that one. But you're right. It's a wonderful garden. I've visited several of the famous gardens on previous trips.

We will be returning to Teuchter Towers that day since we'll be off to Birmingham the following morning. I'm so glad you'll be home and not off in France or South Africa or someplace. We'll touch base later about the exact time and place to meet.

Santra, I'm looking forward to meeting you, too. And to seeing Hati and Hapi again. And, well, everyone.

Ben, of course you can do the hat exhibition. I thought you might like it.

This is going to be a really fun trip.

Well that is certainly an impressive itinerary!

I am free Friday 1st May, but that is your day of and feet up, which is good!
Saturday 2nd May I'm happy to join you at the V & A. Might even find the music room!
Sunday evening, 3rd May, is also doable, especially as I work at Sloane Square. Plenty of Pubs but, IMHO, only one goody!
I may be able to get Monday 4th May off, as I am owed a day and haven't done those three for a while.
However, having had to beg steal and borrow to get Friday 8th to Sunday 10th off.
I'll leave you young ladies free to enjoy the Art side of things, although the Oratory would be an experience!

So hope to meet up with you somewhere, or sometime, if you are agreeable.



MMF

Blimey... if you get that lot all done you'll have seen more of, and more attractions and art gallarys and musseums in London than I have.... and I'm 48 minutes from London on the train ahh,,,, yes I remember the trubble I have is that whenever I get into London there is always about two dozen pubs between me and anything more.... artistic

>At 3:00 we have tickets for the latest production of “Waiting for Godot” at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Simon Callow and Ronald Pickup<

We're hoping to catch you at the Zoo Will need to book the time off work.

Zoo is the only definite thing in my plans so far. I see no reason why not go there on 6th.

*makes more notes*

If only the person typing this were really paper, I'd stuff myself into a flat rate Priority Mail envelope so you could pack me and smuggle me along Give Christiane a from me, please?

Hurrah! What an exceedingly fantabulous itinerary!

I'd love to do the V&A, the Mass, the Walk, and the Meet. May I, pretty please? Bother, but working full-time gets so in the WAY. Or you'd never get rid of me.

Pissst

Whilst at St Ives, go and see Gwithian (its the big beach oppisite) its just soooooooo there


(RJR) in brakets

I do envy you this trip, but it would do me in! That's a very intense and full itinerary. Mine would pretty much consist of 'Go the caff: Go to the pub: Go to the restaurant: Go to the pub: Go to bed. Repeat daily until unable to do it any more'

You have allowed at least three days rest once back home to recharge, right?

Also when at St Ives, don't miss the Hepworth house/museum. It is fantastic

I shall check my social diary to see when we're free.

<>

I'm afraid you're going to miss it this time, too... it's closed until November.

Yay! I was just thinking about this.

We'll be there for the Zoo, and almost certainly some of the other London stuff. The Mass, for example, and the walk. Well. I'll come on the walk. The Star will be in bed. And whatever the meet's afternoon activity is. And Brighton too, maybe. And... Woohoo!