Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

A trip today to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.  Convenient because it's a direct train.  And this does make a worthy day trip.  I was there for about 4 hours, and could easily have spent another 4 hours there.  The remains of the Mary Rose, HMS Victory, HMS Warrior - plus a bunch of other historic ships.  If you like your naval history, you'll love it here.  I have been here before - it must have been not long after my parents moved to Surrey because I went with both of them.  But that was a long time ago (I can't find a blog entry for it), and it was worth revisiting again.  Despite the extortionate entrance fee.  But my ticket is valid for a year, so if I'm back in the UK at Christmas (and that is a big if, since I'm having some second thoughts about whether I want to/need to/am prepared to shell out on another trip back this year) then I might well come back.  

Costco

My first time going to a UK Costco today, and I'm not going to lie - it was disappointing.  It was practically the same as a US store.  Similar layout, similar products, similar confusion as to why so many people love this place.  I don't really know what I was expecting from a UK version of the store - certainly a lot more British stuff, the kind of stuff that you can get at British supermarkets.  But nope, it was nothing special and there was very little that I couldn't get in the US.  Though I did notice that they had an 85" Samsung TV on sale for what seemed like a remarkably good deal.  That was kind of depressing to think about as I'm probably going to pay about 3 times more on a new (and smaller) TV in the US before the end of the year.  There must have been a catch - I wonder what it was.  Maybe it was just the floor model on sale?  I don't know.  I always thought electronics were cheaper in the US, but maybe that's not the case anymore. 

50

A significant milestone.  The half century.  When I Google it, the AI Overview states "Turning 50 is a major life milestone that marks the start of a new decade.  Many people celebrate with a big party or a special trip, while others use the time to focus on health, personal goals, and new habits.".  Far be it for me to criticize AI, but that sounds like any other birthday.  And as with any other birthday, I didn't really do anything special because I don't care to celebrate getting even older.  Especially considering how badly my body has failed me in coping with the heat during this trip.  But I did go out for a meal with my Mum today (that I paid for!) - does that count as a big party?  And I suppose the fact that I'm here rather than in the US does mean I have "celebrated" with a special trip.  Perhaps the AI is right.  All hail our artificial overlords.  

Dulwich

A random excursion today to Dulwich, an affluent suburb in South London.  A number of celebrities own homes here, for example Jason Statham and Tom Cruise.  And from my brief 4 mile foray, it did seem like a perfectly pleasant area.  But as I cross off some of the few remaining London walks in my book, the walks do tend to be a bit more obscure and less photogenic.  This was definitely one of those.  Most unusually, I hardly took any photos at all during this walk.  There just weren't that many "sights" in this walk, it was just a nice neighborhood stroll.  And for that reason, I'm not sure the walk justified the cost of traveling to Dulwich.  Which is a shame.  I don't want to think like that, but this was also another walk where I was suffering in the heat.  I don't know what is going on - I seem to be sweating profusely whenever I go out.  I don't have this issue in the US.  I think I need to get some better antiperspirant.        

British Food

Of the many things I miss most from the UK (though I have to admit that this list has somewhat shrunk over time as I've gradually become assimilated to the US), food is definitely up there.  Nothing beats a good fish n chips, a good curry, and a good Sunday roast.  And I've had all of them already on this trip.  Add to that the sweets (candy), the sandwiches (America doesn't really do good bread), the pastries (sweet and savory, that America doesn't do at all) and crisps (of which I have to take back loads to the US - though I've definitely noticed the decrease in size and contents of crisp bags).  Plus all the other little things that I cannot get, or at least cannot easily or cheaply get, in the US.  Thanks to my new suitcase, I've got a bit more room to take back more British food from this trip.  So now I need to decide how best to use that space...     

British Rail

After a very pleasant few days in Manchester, it was time to journey back to the SE.  My train set off on time from Manchester, but encountered some significant delays in the Midlands due to overhead power line issues, and arrived in London about 45 minutes late.  Not a big deal.  But I found myself once again struggling in the heat - the heat of a not very well cooled train, and the small but significant increase in temperature between Manchester and London.  I was able to get home on time, despite the 45 minute delay, because I was able to navigate London Euston, the London Underground and Waterloo very quickly to get the train I needed back out to Surrey.  But even rushing through it, I saw how busy Euston was.  It looked like a nightmare.  And apparently there were some serious disruptions today - and I was maybe very fortunate not to be as badly affected as apparently a lot of other people were by it.  I'm glad I went to Durham when I did, because the London-Durham line was the one that was blocked today.  Not a good sign when LNER - the operator of that line - advised passengers not to travel today.  Yikes.

Lyme Park

I'm in Manchester now.  And we went to Lyme Park today - a National Trust estate in the Peak District in Cheshire.  But it is perhaps better known as the location where Mr Darcy met Miss Bennett in BBC's Pride and Prejudice.  Hence why lots of people (mainly foreign tourists) were dressed up in period costume.  On a summertime weekend, this place was about as busy as you might expect.  But away from the crowds around the house and gardens, there were great views - including a great view of Manchester - to be had.