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

If I went to Dublin I'd have to get another 2 hour train or bus home. And get to the train or bus stop from the ferry port. and the trains and buses aren't that frequent. Whereas arriving in Belfast is a 5 minute taxi ride to my house

I'm sure there'd be hootooers who'd help you if you went to Dublin, though.

Ah. That makes sense. We just thought maybe you didn't want to 'go through Samaria'.

You have inspired me. I am reading up about Ailsa Craig. Who knew it produced all the curling irons?

No I'm frequently in Dublin and other dots south of the border for work and pleasure! Crossing Dublin, even if a friendly hotooer helped, is a nightmare. Here's Stranraer

Sure it isn't curling stones?

yay free wifi at stranraer!

have signed out of Mu Betas email and mrs Zen's account

You're right, KB. It's curling stones. I think curling irons are something different...

Yay for Stranraer.

How long until the ferry? And how long will it take to cross?

Re: NCP

We sponsored a Kosovar family during the conflict there. Due to health issues with one family member we were often at one or the other of the city's hospitals. The hospitals here are notorious for the cost of parking (it is one way of making money, since the government is so stingy in funding). The daily limit is $22 and you can easily pay that much for only a few hours. Unlike the past, they don't stamp your ticket if you are in Emergency... You pay the full amount.

AND the Ottawa Hospital, which is the umbrella for most of the hospitals in the city does not have a way of giving you credit for having used the daily limit earlier in the day... If you visit in the morning and are there for 5 hours, you lay the full limit... and pay again if you visit in the evening. As a result, we generally use the Queensway Carleton Hospital which has a carry-over when you pay the daily limit.

After a few visits to the hospital, the father stated that if and when when they got back to Kosovo, they were going to get back land in downtown Pristina taken from them by the Serbs and turn it into a car park.

They figured that if they charged for parking the way it was charged, they would be millionaires within a short time... When they did return home, they did open a car park. I don't know if they struck it rich, though. It is probably doing its share in providing a steady income, though.

Parking space at hospitals is expensive here, too. That results in all the small roads around them being totally filled with parking cars, or drivers dropping the patients off at the front door, then go back home until they get a call they can fetch them from hospital again.

Hi lurkers!

Am on the ferry now, and very civilised it is too. I was getting dizzy from lack of food, so went to the restaurant first and had a passable chicken tikka masala. Have now found a lovely little cafe bar at the back of the boat (that's the sternum, right) where I have got my at-sea wifi connected, and a large glass of chenin blanc beside me. There are big windows looking our behind the boat at the dusk starting to pink up the mountains surrounding Loch Ryan.

I was chatting to the barman about how remarkably unbusy it was - he revealed that all other sailings today had been full, carrying 1,500 passengers. Our sailing only had 500. So no mad rush for seats, and although they had run out of sandwiches, all other food was available.

All in all it's been a pleasant trip! One of my fellow train passengers said that with the Virgin train taking just 4 1/2 hours between London and Glasgow, she uses that as it's quicker than flying, door to door.

Glad you are almost home Bea, you have had a long trek. I should think you will need a good rest after that.



Websailor

You're nearly home now, not starved and even have some wine and internet, so it doesn't sound too bad.

Bea

Glad to hear your on the last (but one taxi) leg.

I've had a couple of meetings in Glasgow where I got there faster by train (& back) than I would have with the extra time to the airports and hanging around.

Sounds like a good day for the ferry trip, every time I went across from Stranraer it was hissing down and no view.

[BB]

Ooh, bask in being cool, lady. You world traveller, you.

I can't believe there's a Loch Ryan...that sounds so, so...weird...like naming a planet 'Bergen-Enkheim'....

But me and my true love will never meet again, on the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Ry-an....

Nope.

There's a Cairnryan as well! It's a ferry port right at the end of the wee peninsula.

Taking the train to London from Goettingen worked out quicker for me than flying last year!

I had checked ticket prices for trains, but it was even more expensive than flying.

Bea, if there's any consolation - I was walking the dog down by the coast, and it looks like a beautiful evening for crossing!