Random Thoughts and Impressions

My Sunday roast at The Woodman was absolutely scrumptious. It's beyond me how anyone can still levy that old criticism about British cooking, especially when I know I can get a decent vegetarian meal almost anywhere in England and yet in the US I'm lucky to find the unimaginative veggieburger on the menu. The vegetarian roast was a mushroom Wellington in a flaky puff pastry with tomato/chestnut sauce, roasted herb potatoes, parsnip puree, perfectly cooked medley of cauliflower/broccoli/peas and carrots, and a Yorkshire pudding. I will definitely be returning to try the other vegetarian options before heading home.

The local parks seem to be full of free-range dogs of every type. These happy little critters run to and fro with their legs pumping and tails wagging, sniffing everything in sight, splashing into the water's edge, chasing birds, and greeting each other and strollers with abandon. It amazes me to see them all getting along, never wandering too far from their people who call them back with a soft word. My experience with dogs in the States hasn't always been a happy one and it seems dogs in our parks are required to be restrained unless supervised at a special dog park or dog run. Even then, there often seems to be a fuss among the dogs. Are dogs in the UK trained differently? Is it that they are trained at all and we generally don't spend much time teaching our dogs manners?

When I first started visiting NC it took some adjusting to how friendly strangers are-people wave as you drive by, smile and nod or greet you as you pass on the sidewalk. These are not things you do in NY unless you know each other. Four years living in NC and I realize I have become one of those strangers who wave and greet people. However, that doesn't always translate very successfully here. Women have been more inclined to respond to my greeting than men, and I've gotten a few surprised smiles and a couple of brief exchanges. Walking through the park I've noticed people will engage when I comment on their dogs, and other 'dog people' acknowledge each other.

Overheard at a shop window, a 3-4 year old little girl's sing song voice, "Mummy, may I have a tutu please?"

I see my mom in so many faces here. Her pale grey/blue eyes, her light freckled skin. And I see my uncles in many of the men who pass me on the street. Maybe genetic memory is responsible for my strong attachment to England. While I always identify as a New Yorker (and so did Mom), I think my heart is in New York, but my soul is in England.

Settling In

It seems everyone I've spoken to who's flown over the past year has had particularly bad experiences, from lengthy delays to overnights spent on the floor of airports. Unfortunately mine can be added to the list. My flight from ILM to Charlotte was fine, but the connecting flight from Charlotte to London (only one flight a day) was delayed four times due to "mechanical issues." By the third delay I'd lost confidence and the desire to fly the US Air Airbus 330. The quandary then was whether to secure a seat on the flight for the following evening, with no idea where I would sleep for the night, or to wait for US Air to officially cancel the flight and issue hotel vouchers. The latter choice could result in chaos as travelers scrambled for a new booking and the vouchers.

My decision to wait secured vouchers for a meal, hotel room and $800 good for a year for another flight. So, I spent a night in a local hotel and caught the flight the next evening with virtually no hitches. Arrived pretty exhausted and a day late which has made the jet lag particularly bad, with interrupted sleep and late risings for three days. But, now I'm sorted and am making the most of beautiful warm days.

Since I'm relying on public transportation and my aging feet to get me everywhere I plan to go, my itinerary has already been adjusted with untenable two-hour commutes to a few places I'd hoped to see this trip. I'm pretty content to take local buses to nearby villages to explore, popping into old churches, shops, cafes and strolling through the ubiquitous parks.

My first visit to London was 43 years ago this month. It always amazes me to experience the same sensations each time I've visited, from the way the air smells (minus the coal from that first visit), to my delight in small differences (high doorknobs). But London, always a cosmopolitan city, no longer feels quintessentially English. It seems there are even more foreign accents here than in New York including Russian, Arabic, Japanese, Italian, German and French heard in this small northern borough.

Twice I've been in London during significant political events-the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 which ended 30 years of sectarian fighting in Northern Ireland; and an upcoming referendum on Scottish independence which could upturn the 307-year-old union with England. This week should prove to be pretty emotional for those on both sides of the issue.

But today, a sunny Sunday, I will put on a cute new top I bought at Pearson's Department Store in Enfield yesterday and stroll through Grovelands Park to watch children feed the ducks in the lake, after which I'll have dinner at The Woodman Pub.