From New York city to old London town (no Rio but lots of other places)

[VPS]

I really do want to write a full TR but I'll give you a summary of what I've done so far.

Virgin ADL MEL J

Qatar MEL DOH MAN J (rewards)

4 nights in Manchester

1 night in London

Eurostar to Lille for 3 nights

Train to Tours and 7 nights in the Loire Valley (Superb)

Train to Strasbourg for 4 nights

Train to Colmar for 3 nights and visiting some of the Alsace villages (Fantastic)

Train and Eurostar back to London

A few days in London then quick trip to Nantwich to collect a bag overnight there and then one night near Cambridge to visit friends.

Back to London then J reward on AA LHR to JFK (in the interests of research I visited all one world lounges at LHR)

8 nights in NYC then the QM2 transatlantic for 7 nights. The attraction here was the Cheltenham Literary Festival at Sea (all of the links are now defunct) but I just wanted to post some highlights and lowlights

 

[VPS]

A summary of my Cheltenham Literary Festival at sea on the QM2 - if you're not readers then this may not be of interest.

Before the cruise I did see Mick Herron and Charles coughming at a bookshop in NYC and also had a quick chat to Adrian McKinty.

The literary part of the cruise was fantastic although you had to make lots of choices because there were so many things on at the same time.

Every morning Richard Rogan, who is the editor of the Times cryptic crossword, used to have a session where he would go through the cryptic crossword of the day. One morning, I sat next to Alexander McCall Smith and he told me I was clever when I got a clue, but I told him that I had actually got it from somebody else. He has a great sense of humour and giggles at his own jokes.

I also went to a session of about eight people (including Ian Rankin and his wife) where he showed how he worked out the grid and then how he worked out the clues.

The main people I wanted to see it were, Ian Rankin, Charles coughmings, Mark Billingham and Mick Herron. They were all delightful and happy to chat.

Prue Leith was there, and she was amazing for someone who is 82 and she certainly doesn’t look it. Her husband mentioned he used to work at a town near where I grew up, so we had quite a chat and he gave me their card with all their details and invited me to visit them in the Cotswolds if I was going past. It's so tempting to just pop in

Other authors I saw were JoJo Moyes and Rachel Joyce. There were a few others that I saw that many people may not know as they are mainly English including Ed Balls, Mary Beard, Rachel Johnson (Boris sister) and Matt Chorley. Lionel Shriver was there but I saw her a few years ago and she was so titchy I didn’t bother going to see her.

I didn’t get to see Simon Winchester and only saw Simon Armitage very briefly. Others were Bernadine Evaristo who I only saw briefly but there was one young man called Okechukwu Nzelu who used to be a teacher and he loved Jane Austen. I’m going to find one of his books when I can.

Very enjoyable

 

[VPS]

Now to the QM2

The QM2 itself was quite underwhelming.

The room was a good size and I had a restricted view (that is a lifeboat just outside my window but that was fine because there weren't any views except the sea and I wasn't in my room a lot).

The bed was two singles pushed together which I dislike. The room stewards were all great and it was the best service on the ship but they did overservice. I'd only used a hand towel a couple of times during the day and it was replaced in the evening.

The bar service was mainly mediocre and the food was quite ordinary. There was only one meal that I thought was OK. Drinks were horrendously expensive. They don't cope with single travellers in the restaurant well and were very offhand. Different waiters for food and drinks and sometimes you had to wait ages to get a drink.

Internet was hopeless - it wouldn't upload my photos to the iCloud even though I paid extra that said you could stream (it barely opened a web page) I did complain and they only charged me for the lower plan.

A couple of times I was given canapes and I said I had a fish allergy and they said no fish miss (yeah what about that great lump of roe on the top) - Oh sorry

Having said all that I had a ball but would have been very disappointed if I'd gone on it just for the cruise.

 

[VPS]

That's it for now but I will add more details and photos when I get the time.

 

[drron]

Sorry to be picky but you couldn’t have gotten into all OW lounges in LHR. The Concorde lounge would not have allowed you in. We got in once and I sat next to David Walliams.
But I am looking forward to all your adventures.

 

[VPS]

Sorry to be picky but you couldn’t have gotten into all OW lounges in LHR. The Concorde lounge would not have allowed you in. We got in once and I sat next to David Walliams.
But I am looking forward to all your adventures.

Yes you are being picky

 

[voulez]

A summary of my Cheltenham Literary Festival at sea on the QM2 - if you're not readers then this may not be of interest.

Before the cruise I did see Mick Herron and Charles coughming at a bookshop in NYC and also had a quick chat to Adrian McKinty.

The literary part of the cruise was fantastic although you had to make lots of choices because there were so many things on at the same time.

Every morning Richard Rogan, who is the editor of the Times cryptic crossword, used to have a session where he would go through the cryptic crossword of the day. One morning, I sat next to Alexander McCall Smith and he told me I was clever when I got a clue, but I told him that I had actually got it from somebody else. He has a great sense of humour and giggles at his own jokes.

I also went to a session of about eight people (including Ian Rankin and his wife) where he showed how he worked out the grid and then how he worked out the clues.

The main people I wanted to see it were, Ian Rankin, Charles coughmings, Mark Billingham and Mick Herron. They were all delightful and happy to chat.

Prue Leith was there, and she was amazing for someone who is 82 and she certainly doesn’t look it. Her husband mentioned he used to work at a town near where I grew up, so we had quite a chat and he gave me their card with all their details and invited me to visit them in the Cotswolds if I was going past. It's so tempting to just pop in

Other authors I saw were JoJo Moyes and Rachel Joyce. There were a few others that I saw that many people may not know as they are mainly English including Ed Balls, Mary Beard, Rachel Johnson (Boris sister) and Matt Chorley. Lionel Shriver was there but I saw her a few years ago and she was so titchy I didn’t bother going to see her.

I didn’t get to see Simon Winchester and only saw Simon Armitage very briefly. Others were Bernadine Evaristo who I only saw briefly but there was one young man called Okechukwu Nzelu who used to be a teacher and he loved Jane Austen. I’m going to find one of his books when I can.

Very enjoyable

Wow what an absolute dream!!

 

[ellen10]

Wow! What a trip. I have been enjoying your photos that you have posted on other threads.

 

[VPS]

Just another note on the QM2 and it's slightly petty. On the UK to USA leg the times changed in the middle of the night and they obviously gained a hour on 5 nights

On the USA to UK leg they changed the time on 5 days at noon. This was hopeless because they had things advertised for 12 noon and 1p and obviously this was the same time. I'm not sure about the logic of this but it was right royal PITA

 

[MARTINE]

A summary of my Cheltenham Literary Festival at sea on the QM2 - if you're not readers then this may not be of interest.

Before the cruise I did see Mick Herron and Charles coughming at a bookshop in NYC and also had a quick chat to Adrian McKinty.

The literary part of the cruise was fantastic although you had to make lots of choices because there were so many things on at the same time.

Every morning Richard Rogan, who is the editor of the Times cryptic crossword, used to have a session where he would go through the cryptic crossword of the day. One morning, I sat next to Alexander McCall Smith and he told me I was clever when I got a clue, but I told him that I had actually got it from somebody else. He has a great sense of humour and giggles at his own jokes.

I also went to a session of about eight people (including Ian Rankin and his wife) where he showed how he worked out the grid and then how he worked out the clues.

The main people I wanted to see it were, Ian Rankin, Charles coughmings, Mark Billingham and Mick Herron. They were all delightful and happy to chat.

Prue Leith was there, and she was amazing for someone who is 82 and she certainly doesn’t look it. Her husband mentioned he used to work at a town near where I grew up, so we had quite a chat and he gave me their card with all their details and invited me to visit them in the Cotswolds if I was going past. It's so tempting to just pop in

Other authors I saw were JoJo Moyes and Rachel Joyce. There were a few others that I saw that many people may not know as they are mainly English including Ed Balls, Mary Beard, Rachel Johnson (Boris sister) and Matt Chorley. Lionel Shriver was there but I saw her a few years ago and she was so titchy I didn’t bother going to see her.

I didn’t get to see Simon Winchester and only saw Simon Armitage very briefly. Others were Bernadine Evaristo who I only saw briefly but there was one young man called Okechukwu Nzelu who used to be a teacher and he loved Jane Austen. I’m going to find one of his books when I can.

Very enjoyable

That is absolutely fantastic. I love literary festivals but this one really sounds like The Holy Grail. PS - I never could do cryptic crosswords!

 

[VPS]

That is absolutely fantastic. I love literary festivals but this one really sounds like The Holy Grail. PS - I never could do cryptic crosswords!

It really is a matter of learning how to do them. I'm still fairly cough but last week I did finish the Times quick cryptic all by myself

 

[RooFlyer]

Just another note on the QM2 and it's slightly petty. On the UK to USA leg the times changed in the middle of the night and they obviously gained a hour on 5 nights

On the USA to UK leg they changed the time on 5 days at noon. This was hopeless because they had things advertised for 12 noon and 1p and obviously this was the same time. I'm not sure about the logic of this but it was right royal PITA

How did you go on the Snowball Jackpot Bingo? I assume Richard Rogan read out the numbers cryptically.

 

[VPS]

How did you go on the Snowball Jackpot Bingo? I assume Richard Rogan read out the numbers cryptically.

I avoided it

 

[Anna]

@VPS is there a next instalment in a different thread?

 

[VPS]

@VPS is there a next instalment in a different thread?

No. I’ve just been very busy. I’ve got a TR written mostly but sorting photos takes time. I also got a very nasty lurgy that laid me flat for a couple of weeks but currently in Lisbon about to take a Mediterranean cruise for 10 days so very little internet. Realistically it will probably be when I get home in March

 

[VPS]

OK -it's going to be 34 in Adelaide tomorrow and I'm watching everyone either in cool England or about to go so I thought it might cheer me up to look at my photos. This is going to be very photo heavy. These are from December 2022 in London

Covent Garden - I did a Christmas lights bus tour but to be honest I wouldn't do it again because it was quite hard to see out the window. The highlight was that night after the tour finished it snowed. I was very happy



Trafalgar Sq

 

[VPS]

More Covent Garden

You can see the snow starting to fall

By the time I got off the tube it was very white


Walking home

And this was my view from my friend's place the next morning

 

[VPS]

Oxford St

 

[VPS]

One night I went to see Cabaret - they wouldn't allow photos inside so the inside photo was from the web. Excellent production

 

[VPS]

Around Berkeley and Grosvenor Square



Annabel's nightclub Annabel’s - A Birley Club - Private Members' Club in London Every time I've been in London it has been decorated as something fancy. Must cost them a fortune