27 Comments
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Maite Chaves Penna's avatar

What a lovely travelogue!

Joanne Rossmassler Fritz's avatar

I love reading your detailed notes about your adventures. Lovely photos too!You’ve probably learned by now that what we call the second floor, the Brits call the first floor. What we call the first floor, they call the Ground floor!

Ramona Grigg's avatar

Yes, we did finally learn that! The first floor is an "O" on the elevators. 😏

Jack Herlocker's avatar

At our rented flat in London, the lift had a "G" for ground floor — so I immediately assumed there was an underground garage. And the first time we came back down we got off on "1", of course, and were totally gobsmacked. Eventually we got it sorted.

Ramona Grigg's avatar

I think I saw that, too. So confusing! We got off on the wrong floor a couple of times. At one hotel two elevators next to each other had three stairs between them but they ran on the same button-push, so every time we pushed to go down, the other one down the stairs would open. I didn’t want to have to maneuver those steps, so we waited. A long time.

Lorraine Devon Wilke's avatar

Thoroughly enjoying your travelogue, Ramona! I can almost taste the clotted cream! :)

Janice Walton's avatar

I am so enjoying your trip. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Rona Maynard's avatar

You make me want to visit Keswick--and watch out for stairs. As we age, we've learned to scrutinize hotel and AirBnb listings for stairs. No more upper-floor digs without elevators.

Ramona Grigg's avatar

Yes, we thought we were so careful about staying in places with stairs. (Not knowing that the first floors are really the second floors.) The Edwardene had no elevators, either, and I was on the 'first floor' and Jeff was on the third! But we couldn’t resist the charm!

Cali Bird's avatar

I'm enjoying your travelogue. I haven't been to Keswick for years. Looking forward to the next episode

Ramona Grigg's avatar

Isn't it beautiful? I'm glad you were able to experience it, too.

Anne Gunn's avatar

What an adventure you and your son are having. Oban is a personal favorite. If you go to a restaurant in Oban and Sticky Toffee Pudding is on the menu, order it. My friend Emily and I traveled in Scotland. We had many samples of the Pudding but we never got around to having t-shirts made with the restaurants and our ratings, but there was a clear number one. Sorry, neither Emily and I can remember the name -- old age is definitely not for the faint of heart!

Elizabeth Ratkovich's avatar

Is Sticky Toffee pudding similar to Banoffee pie which my husband and I discovered in Ireland? Maybe without the banana? Now a family favorite.

Ramona Grigg's avatar

I don’t know. It all sounds marvelous!

Anne Gunn's avatar

"Pudding" in the UK is typically a cake like dessert without icing on top. In thus case liquid toffee (with other ingredients) is liquified and poured over the cake. This particular "pudding" batter is filled with chopped dates and possibly walnuts. You can Google a recipe. I've never had Banofee. Sounds interesting.

Elizabeth Ratkovich's avatar

Banoffee pie is a toffee made with condensed milk, butter and brown sugar poured into a digestive biscuit pie shell topped with whipped cream and sliced bananas.

Anne Gunn's avatar

Sounds delicious. Next time I’m across the Pond, I’ll give it a try. Different foods are always a holiday bonus. Thanks

Ramona Grigg's avatar

Sorry I missed the Sticky Toffee Pudding. I did see it on the menu at the Oban Fish and Chips place. Too full!

Elizabeth Ratkovich's avatar

I’m pretty sure I would have been tempted to stay longer in Keswick just for the pencil museum.

Ramona Grigg's avatar

A local asked us if we’d been to the Pencil Museum and we asked him if we should go. He said, “Only if you like pencils”. Well, I do, but there was so much to do in Keswick we decided to move on. 😏

Suzanne Carlblom's avatar

Thank you!! Because of health, I can't travel right now, so I'm enjoying Great Britain vicariously!

Michael Jensen's avatar

Looks like a lovely trip! And I want some of that goulash!

Elizabeth Beggins's avatar

All those stairs! Doesn't anyone in the UK get bad knees?! 😅

A delightful recounting of this part of your journey, Mona. I do hope Paul stays in touch. Coincidentally, we have a town called Royal Oak just 5 miles from where I live.

David W. Friedman's avatar

What a delightfully lovely story. Thank you.

linda's avatar

Ramona, I love reading your travelogue! A glimpse into your magical mystery tour was fun. It’s a wonderful escape from all the things. Blessings and well wishes to you during this time of healing and recovery♥️

Mary Kellogg's avatar

I'm reading this long after you wrote it (my usual state augmented by the current chaos - never mind). Thank you for your travelogue!

I learned, when I lived in Europe, that the floors are numbered by how many floors are raised above the ground. The French call the ground floor "rez-de-chaussée" (rez meaning something like "level" and chaussée a paved road). The Germans call the ground floor "Grundstock" and and each level raised above becomes "1. Stock". "2. Stock". Tell your friends before they pack!

I would'd hazard a guess about which floor(s) your room belonged to! How many buildings were combined to make it? Doesn't make suitcase-bawling any easier, although talking about the storeys are good for stories.

Hope your treatment is going well.