Coming full circle
The last two days were back in the UK.
In the morning, I was off to Cambridge. I got a smile in the shower, when I noticed that the adjustable-height spout was set to the absolute maximum up near the ceiling. I imagined that perhaps the previous room occupant was one of those classically tall Dutch men. (What do they put in the water here? Why are so many men about 6’4”? Perhaps because the country is below sea level and they have to make up for it).
Amusingly, I had one of the same cab drivers as yesterday!
I flew RyanAir, the Southwest of Europe. The ticket cost, literally, 1 cent. But the airport taxes came to 29 euros. Heck of a cheap ticket! I’m not sure how they can stay in business, given that they have to buy the same expensive jet fuel as everyone else. But they do the same trick as Southwest, flying into smaller airports. I hear also that they have accepted some restrictions on flight times, such as not offering evening flights out of Eindhoven. This forces people to stay overnight rather than fly in in the morning and out in the evening. The hotels and restaurants are happy, and perhaps pay RyanAir some thank-you for this.
My British colleague picked me up, and we did a couple of meetings. Between them, we had lunch at a cute, traditional English pub near Cambridge. It had wooden tables, a large hearth, a dartboard, trophies on the mantle, and plenty of ale on tap. Too bad it was lunch or I would have ordered one. He told me that as many as two or three pubs per week are closing around Britain, due to lack of clientele. At least we helped work against that trend, munching on sandwiches and crisps. Driving around, we passed through very British-sounding places like “Biggleswade.” Don’t you love that name?
One company we visited was setting up a cleanroom. They wouldn’t let us inside, but did show us all the equipment they have by letting us watch as they flipped through the views from the numerous security cameras all over the lab. There were about 20 cameras! It’s a fine British tradition to set up cameras everywhere and keep an eye on people. Don’t get caught wasting time in the cleanroom! Or scratching your behind, or grinning too much.
My colleague then drove me to a hotel near Heathrow Airport so it would be easy for me to depart. In fact, it was very near the airport—my room overlooked the runway! Luckily, the planes don’t fly between about 11 pm and 6 am, so it’s not too loud for sleeping.
I finally got to have a Boddington’s on tap. That’s a fine beer, and it was served a bit warmer than beer in America, as is the way in Britain. It’s probably best for getting the full flavor. Dinner was a decent buffet at the hotel restaurant. Like many places in the UK, it included several Indian selections. That seems to be pretty much standard now. British food is improving—I enjoyed the Thai fish cakes, okra Provencal, and couscous with blueberries and spices.
I slept 10 hours. After all that running around, I really needed it. One annoyance I’ve really noticed on this trip is the staggering price of hotel breakfasts. The typical breakfast buffet now costs more than $20, and this place was about $30. Come on. All I want is some cereal, fruit, and yogurt. Luckily, I noticed that my hotel offers a small “breakfast on the go” for a mere $14 that includes cereal and juice. Sheesh.
In the morning, I was off to Cambridge. I got a smile in the shower, when I noticed that the adjustable-height spout was set to the absolute maximum up near the ceiling. I imagined that perhaps the previous room occupant was one of those classically tall Dutch men. (What do they put in the water here? Why are so many men about 6’4”? Perhaps because the country is below sea level and they have to make up for it).
Amusingly, I had one of the same cab drivers as yesterday!
I flew RyanAir, the Southwest of Europe. The ticket cost, literally, 1 cent. But the airport taxes came to 29 euros. Heck of a cheap ticket! I’m not sure how they can stay in business, given that they have to buy the same expensive jet fuel as everyone else. But they do the same trick as Southwest, flying into smaller airports. I hear also that they have accepted some restrictions on flight times, such as not offering evening flights out of Eindhoven. This forces people to stay overnight rather than fly in in the morning and out in the evening. The hotels and restaurants are happy, and perhaps pay RyanAir some thank-you for this.
My British colleague picked me up, and we did a couple of meetings. Between them, we had lunch at a cute, traditional English pub near Cambridge. It had wooden tables, a large hearth, a dartboard, trophies on the mantle, and plenty of ale on tap. Too bad it was lunch or I would have ordered one. He told me that as many as two or three pubs per week are closing around Britain, due to lack of clientele. At least we helped work against that trend, munching on sandwiches and crisps. Driving around, we passed through very British-sounding places like “Biggleswade.” Don’t you love that name?
One company we visited was setting up a cleanroom. They wouldn’t let us inside, but did show us all the equipment they have by letting us watch as they flipped through the views from the numerous security cameras all over the lab. There were about 20 cameras! It’s a fine British tradition to set up cameras everywhere and keep an eye on people. Don’t get caught wasting time in the cleanroom! Or scratching your behind, or grinning too much.
My colleague then drove me to a hotel near Heathrow Airport so it would be easy for me to depart. In fact, it was very near the airport—my room overlooked the runway! Luckily, the planes don’t fly between about 11 pm and 6 am, so it’s not too loud for sleeping.
I finally got to have a Boddington’s on tap. That’s a fine beer, and it was served a bit warmer than beer in America, as is the way in Britain. It’s probably best for getting the full flavor. Dinner was a decent buffet at the hotel restaurant. Like many places in the UK, it included several Indian selections. That seems to be pretty much standard now. British food is improving—I enjoyed the Thai fish cakes, okra Provencal, and couscous with blueberries and spices.
I slept 10 hours. After all that running around, I really needed it. One annoyance I’ve really noticed on this trip is the staggering price of hotel breakfasts. The typical breakfast buffet now costs more than $20, and this place was about $30. Come on. All I want is some cereal, fruit, and yogurt. Luckily, I noticed that my hotel offers a small “breakfast on the go” for a mere $14 that includes cereal and juice. Sheesh.
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