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Food. We’ve got to have it. But have you ever noticed how some people think of food a lot more than others?

Our first day in London we went to the ATM. On the way, I said, ‘Hey, we’re really close to the Underground.”

“That’s nice,” said Mae. We kept walking.

The next day, we were on a bus. As we passed a downward staircase, Mae said, “Look, there’s another one of those Underground’s you saw. It's down stairs.”

“Yep,” I said, “they’re everywhere. It’s the most popular public transportation here.”

Mae looked at and started to laugh. Her eyes watered. When she recovered I asked what was so funny.

“I thought that was a food place,” she said, still giggling. “That’s why I thought they were everywhere.”

That night in our room Mae noticed our carpet looked like rows of corn-on-the-cob. I think she has a one-track mind, and told her so.

I wonder what she will ‘see’ tomorrow.

You can learn a lot about yourself...

The thief was slick. He just stood there, lingered - in such an annoying way - I should have realized it.

Then he grabbed it.

In a flash my beautiful camera was gone. I didn't notice it right away, but in a minute or two someone from our group came up to me and asked, "Where is your camera." I thought it was a joke.

It wasn't.

He had seen my camera slide off my knees onto the floor while we ate. He told his wife he should keep his eye on it. I wish he had just come and told me it was on the floor.

Oh well.

The security guard asked some questions. I knew it was my fault, and that they probably wouldn't find the man or the camera, but I answered them. I was just glad that I didn't have anything really important in the case, like money, or my passport.

Well, I did lose my lipstick.

And my pictures. That's why there are no pictures today.

No great loss is without some small gain though.... Mae had told me earlier she hated walking on my left side because that 'big 'ol thing keeps knocking into me." That is no longer a problem. :)

Keeping me happy

Mae puts up with me. She doesn't even complain too much about it, either. But sometimes I have things I want to see.

This time it was the Tower of London.

It is old. So old, in fact, William the Conqueror was still living. He, in fact, built it in 1078. That is 930 years ago. That's old.

Visiting the Tower of London was the one thing I really wanted to do. Of course, that meant we had to find it, and it did take us a while, with me navigating.

The 'Tower' is actually a castle which includes a total 13 towers inside. The original 'tower' is formally named the White Tower. It is actually inside the castle, surrounded by a curtain wall, built by Richard the Lionheart in the 12th century.

The castle is located on the east side of London, just next to Tower Bridge, which you see behind us.

I got my way, getting to visit this castle. I love castles. I should warn Mae that it probably isn't our last one.

Then again, maybe I won't. She might think of a way to get out of it.

Wonky Women

If we had awoken, we may have been less adventurous. The trouble was, we never went to sleep.

Somehow, the lack of sleep gave us the energy we needed to run all over London after a night on an airplane and far too much food.

I thought Mae might want a nap. I thought wrong. Mae had more exciting things in mind. She wanted to ride a ferris wheel.

Not just any ferris wheel either. This one is 450 feet high, the largest observation deck (moving or not) in the world.

Did I mention it was moving? Yep, it never stops, not even while boarding.

The ferris wheel is called the London Eye. I guess that's because, from its highest point, you can see all of London, and London can see it. It goes in a complete circle, taking about 30 minutes to do so. If you want to board, you have to be prepared to move quickly - even jump.

Mae's only complaint was that it moved too slowly; not for boarding, but after it got in the air. She was looking for a thrill. I guess being 450 feet up, in a suspended car wasn't enough. The view made up for the lack of excitement, especially this view of Parliament and St. Stephen's Clock Tower (a.k.a. Big Ben).

Teeth Brigade

I am vain. It's a sad thing to admit.

I hate it when I discover that a piece of food has taken up residency between my teeth and no one has told me. I am not comfortable enough to walk up to a random stranger and ask, “Excuse me, but do I have food in my teeth?”

Nope, not going to happen.

It’s refreshing to find a travel companion as vain as I am. And one who is worried about the same type of thing; her teeth.

Mae scolded me today for not telling her that she had lipstick on her teeth. She said it was my job to tell her because she can’t see it. I agreed on one condition.

We developed a secret signal to notify one another of unwanted teeth ornaments.

Just like misery, vanity also loves (and appreciates) company.

After I took this picture she asked to see it so she could see if she had any food in her teeth. Apparently, she doesn’t trust me.

It isn't easy being me

I am intimidated. Packing for a two week trip with a bus load of strangers, to visit a country where I am neither wanted or admired, I am at a loss. But it isn't the packing that has my feathers ruffled, nor is it the strangers I will encounter. My intimidation is brought on by my traveling companion; my wonderful and lovely Aunt Mae.

Mae always looks good. She has an elegant air about her that few can match. Least of all, me.
It isn't fair.

Mae is always well liked. She doesn't make enemies. She is, without exception, well groomed and dressed. Her hair is forever in place and the smile on her face is sincere.

Me on the other hand? I scare people. Not intentionally, it just happens. Probably because the look on my face says what I think. Or perhaps it's because I don't put up with crap.

Did I say crap?

That's another reason Mae is so well liked; she doesn't insult people.

So perhaps you understand my trepidation.

Can vs. Do

Years ago I had this friend, Ann, who was a travel agent. She didn't make a lot of money at her job, so as a result, she didn't work very hard to satisfy her customers.

One day Ann got tickets to go to Washington D.C. and invited me along. I thought, because she had been there, she would make nice arrangements and give me useful advice about what to take. After all, I wasn't a 'customer.' I assumed that, because of our friendship, she would help me have the best time possible.

Assumptions are rarely reality.

It was November. A quiet time to see the capital city, but uncomfortable wearing a dress with high heels. It was windy, rainy and about 40 degrees. And our hotel was 12 miles from 'town.’
It isn't like there is a shortage of hotels in D.C., so to stay 12 miles out seems silly, at least in hindsight. But, there's always the subway - and it works quite well if you take it in the right direction.

I remembered this story while planning my trip with Affordable Tours, the agency I used. Those memories rushed back when I asked my travel agent a very simple question about our flights, which he could have answered - if he had been familiar with the tour, or if he just read the details. But he didn't, and that was when I remembered Ann.

When our documents arrived the first thing I did was check the flight details. I researched our planes (using SeatGuru) and found that Mae and I had been assigned the worst possible seating - the very back of the planes in seats that didn't recline. To top it off, we left Nashville at 10 am only going as far as Atlanta with a 6 hour layover.

That would not do. I got on the phone and called Delta myself, knowing that my 'Ann' would not want to work out these details. I managed to choose better seats, change our meal preferences and discuss the options of altering our departure time to something more suitable.

I should do this for a living.

My D.C. trip was nice, but it was not without problems. I want this trip to be - not just nice - but fabulous. And I am the only one who cares about making that happen.

Someone who is able to do a thing isn't always the person who actually does it.

Chronic Condition

When I was eight years old I became infected. I was bitten by an invisible invertebrate, causing a condition I would live with always. Over time, it would implore me to discover, lure me to explore, beckon me to see. I still do not know its name, but it is real; very, very real.

It happened when my grandparents took me on a trip to the American south; Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. Growing up just outside Detroit, I had never been further than the Irish Hills, 50 miles southwest of my home town.

I was never the same after that.

From that time until now I have been compelled to traverse like a gypsy across the globe, in search of, but never reaching, a final destination.

My condition has intensified with age.

It has also improved my life. The more I feed it, the better person I become. I am learning, through travel, to explore other cultures, a challenge to my otherwise sheltered life.

Americans are unique people, but in our uniqueness, we sometimes forget to appreciate the similar uniqueness of others. As glad as I am to live in this country, I have found it is not the only wonderful place on earth. And we are not the only wonderful people.

So I continue to nourish this chronic condition. I also hope to spread it.

Perhaps that is why I plan trips, like this one, with people I love. I hope to pass my malady on to them, as my grandparents did with me. It is the best gift I have to give.

My mother always said...

My mother always said that, to be happy in life, I should be independent, follow the rules and marry a man with straight teeth. That advice used to confuse me. People who are independent don't follow rules, do they? I can't remember her actually telling me which rules she had in mind as being important, so I am still shopping around. Sometimes I make my own rules....well, truthfully, a lot more often than sometimes.

I wonder if my mother had insight on who I would become?

When I recently told her I was going on a guided tour in Europe, she asked "Won't that challenge your independence?" Then she immediately wanted to know if I would have trouble obeying the rules.

Taking a guided tour challenges nearly all my mother's advice. Then again, perhaps it will give me an opportunity to heed it. I guess only time (and this blog) will tell.

About marrying a man with straight teeth? Well, it hasn’t exactly made me happy, but it hasn’t hurt either.