Friday, October 29, 2021
Nicola and I had appointment to get our PCR test for Covid in the town of Carlisle which was about an hour and a half away. Then, when I looked up the exact location where we supposed to get the test, I discovered that it was in a mall in Newcastle, a little over an hour further away than Carlisle however, I guess when you choose to have your test in Carlisle, that’s the closest outlet.
The mall wasn’t a whole lot different than any other mall we’ve been in the world, larger than normal, two stories throughout and with three wings spreading out from a central hub. Nicola and I went looking for the “Express test” outlet while Jordan and Dave took Winston for a walk. It didn’t take long so we were there a good half hour ahead of the appointed time however they had no problem giving our test early. Nicola told me she didn’t gag although it gets me every time.
After the test, we met Jordan and Dave to search for a whisky store located in the mall. The place was packed with kids and families. The fall break that started the previous Friday would be over on the Monday. Surprising and disturbing was the complete absence of masks. Besides the four of us and the store clerks, we might have seen a couple of older couples wearing one. The contrast with Scotland was stark as we were just across the border in the Northern environs of the U.K.
The whisky store was a bit of a disappointment because it wasn’t dedicated solely to Scotches. That said, it did have many we’d never seen here in Canada. I was going to leave without a purchase however Nicola persisted by asking the clerk for assistance. He asked what kind of whiskies I liked and I told him I liked Scotches that were smoky like Lagavulin or Talisker but not as smoky as Laphroig. He seemed to understand and selected a whisky only on their second batch that was smoky with sweet undertones and, even though he didn’t like smoky whiskies, it was a customer favourite. So we bought that; Ailsa Bay (Release 1.2 – Sweet Smoke.)
Our destination for the day was Teabay in the Lake District. The original plan had been to complete a hike in the area but with our Covid test being in Newcastle, there just wasn’t time. We stayed in “The Old School,” house, an old-style bed and breakfast. The common seating area with lots of padded sofas and chairs and, most importantly, a raging gas fire. It was warm in there and our room was not. Nicola reminisced fondly of the coin fed heaters or the past. They would have been nice in here. However, masks were mandatory in the seating and who wanted to wear a mask any longer than necessary.
Teabay is just a street in the country so we drove to Kendal for dinner. Dave or Jordan had chosen “The Factory Tap” that sold a variety of beers (on tap of course) with a food truck out front selling thin-sliced pizza.
Being Saturday, I guess it’s no surprise the place was packed. The pub proper was full however we were able to find a table in the covered deck out back. We ordered beers while Dave went out front to order pizza. When he returned, he told us that the pizza would be delivered. We asked how and he said the waitress will know. Again, how?
Quite a creative bunch of beers were on tap. I believe I had a cherry sour or maybe strawberry. Anyway, the first few sips were very good and then the attraction waned from there like my typical reaction to a Nanaimo bar. The pizzas were thin crust and creative and delivered to our table. Amazing! This was not a small place.
Of course, Winston was with us as he was practically everywhere we went, very much different from our experience in North America. Some places are starting allow dogs on the patio but almost never inside.
Afterwards, we did a little wander around town. It’s pretty and quaint and filled with sports shops with hiking gear. Surprisingly little evidence of mountain biking.
 |
| The Factory Tap |
Saturday, October 30, 2021
We dropped Dave off at the bus station in Kendal so that he could attend a Ceilidh and marriage celebrations from one of his old teacher friends in Seven Oaks. From there, we find a parking spot not far from “The Factory Tap” where we’d been the night before. We followed the river into the town and, with all the rain, we noticed that water was alarmingly high.
Jordan and Nicola did much shopping for clothes and other miscellaneous items. Often, I would wait outside with Winston and we would walk up and down the street which was quite busy. We watched the meeting of three King Charles spaniels. They all seemed to know one another and I couldn’t help notice how much huskier they were than Isaac.
Jordan parked the car closed the Kendal Castle and so we took a walk up the hill for a view. It based back to the 12th century and is basically in ruins. Nevertheless, we were able to climb one of the semi-intact towers for a rather fabulous view of the town and its environs.
By then, it was time for the long drive back to Oxford which I believe Jordan did without a break.
That night Jordan took us to the White Pub about a fifteen-minute walk from her house, not quite as convenient as the Green at the end of their block but still not far. That said, it was worth the effort as they serve the food was some of the best we had on our two-week holiday. We remember the pork belly in particular which was fork-cut tender and rich and fatty in taste. The white IPA was also very good.
Sunday, October 31, 2021
On our last day in Oxford, we took Winston for in the field close to their house.
We don’t do the full walk today because the plan is to do some shopping. It’s a half-hour walk to the Westgate Mall which has many upscale shops and has a roof and open at both ends to the air. It’s packed with people as is the whole downtown area. Jordan and Nicola go into Uniqlo, the Japanese version of Gap only with better quality. They both buy some stuff.
We continue downtown and wander with the crowds. We go for lunch and then to Madeline College. Jordan feels that we should see at least one. We stop at the entrance where a gruff security guard asks us for proof of residency. Jordan gives him hers and then he asks us ours. Stupidly, we say here and then he grills us a bit more. Finally, he just lets us in without having to pay a fee even though Oxford residents are only allowed one guest.
It was built in the 15th century completely walled off from the rest of the city so the size of the grounds contained within was amazing. Much of them have been relegated as a deer park, of all things and no one’s allowed within and no one’s allowed on the manicured lawns. The epitome of elitism but wouldn’t it be great to be a student?
Outside the college, we meet up with Dave who’s returned by train from his wedding festivities. He and Jordan return home to make dinner while Nicola and I purchase shoes for me and search for a housewarming present for Jordan and Dave.
For our final meal in Oxford, we are served cocktails followed by another delicious meal by Dave. Then, it’s off to a stand-up comedian that Dave and Jordan have had tickets for prior to our plans for a visit but Dave’s be able to buy us tickets which was nice. Her name is Rachel Parris who became famous for her satirical comedy on the show, Mash Report. The theme of her performance is life changes. She recently married and gave birth plus issues related to COVID, entertaining despite this being her first performance and having to check her notes every so often.
The U.K. seems to be slowly embracing Halloween. During dinner, we had heard family-related festivities coming from the outside. Downtown, there were a number of young people dressed in costume. On Sunningwell Road, a number of houses were decorated with spider webs and pumpkins and one featured a doll house with ghoulish murders taking place in the different rooms. One character hanging from a rope and another covered in blood lying in the bathtub. Pretty cool.
Monday, November 1, 2021
Fearing traffic gridlock, Dave suggested we take a taxi to the bus station 45 minutes early. This was kinda funny because it took us about 5 minutes to get there so we had some time to stand around. The coffee shops didn’t open until 8:00 and the bus driver told me he was leaving at 8:15 whether I was there or not. I checked in at the Costa a few shops down. The barista was finishing up with a customer and there was one ahead of me so I returned to bht bus. The driver asked about my coffees and I told him it would take t00 long. He pointed at a convenience store and told me I could get some there. A coffee machine stood on the counter but it had only one button and the options included cappuccino so I asked the clerk how it worked. He came around the counter, pressed the button which filled the cup with coffee, then added coffee mate and stirred vigorously. Voila. He did the same with the other. That said, it was better than no coffee.
I’d purchased return tickets at a time I thought was a bit early as our flight didn’t leave until 1:30 and the drive to the airport is only supposed to take an hour. But, with all the various stops, the bus took about three hours to get to the airport, just enough time to check in and go through all the COVID procedures at the gate. We really had no time to check out the whiskies at the duty-free so it’s good we’d purchased them prior to leaving.
When we landed in Calgary, I arranged to buy winter tires for Hart’s car. A half-hour of driving later, I discover that they’re all season, not winter. Yikes, we still had a three hour drive ahead of us which would mean we were approaching 24 hours awake by the time we arrived home. I was bagged but not so bagged not to enjoy a beer with Hart before bed. I’d totally forgotten how good North American IPAs tasted.
No comments:
Post a Comment