Down South - Day One...

Day One - Getting from A to B

I'm the kind of person who prefers, if possible, packing on the day OF a trip, rather than the night before, though I always organize everything beforehand. For two reasons: one is the most obvious and that you don't have to fiddle with the stuff you've packed using it the night before and day of journey (toiletries especially) - since otherwise it feels I have to keep track of "already packed but just used and will need to pack again" items. The second is a way of a check list - as I use each item I pack it away, ensuring I don't forget anything. That plan worked well this trip, apart from forgetting my hair brush. You say "oh well, big deal" but I didn't know until after I'd arrived at my hotel and ready to take a shower (and then brush my hair when drying!) and with Sunday trading hours, shops were all closed. Some nice girl at a petrol station which was sort of a mini-mart too asked me if I had found everything and when I told her I couldn't find a brush, she found me one itty bitty one - but it'll do until tomorrow. Note: in this pic, the hair dryer is normal size and scale…so my brush is like a "mini-me" brush. But it's worked!

Abby is so cool, she could see something was going on as I was packing the car and closing all the curtains, doors etc. But putting her in the car to take her to Lesley's, she just stuck her head out the window and all was well. OH - can I say how much I love driving!!! Yes! I have a rented car just like my company car in model etc., but this one has A/C, thank goodness and a few other little upgrades, so to speak.

On the Road…


I was torn between two nicknames "Black Beauty" but alas she's dark blue and then "Blue Steel" but somehow knew that'd already been coined (damn that hilarious Derek Zoolander!) so decided on Blue Beauty, you can call her "B.B."

I set off at 1pm and just stopped for potty breaks and grabbing a few snacks but apart from some slowing around Birmingham, made it here easily and effortlessly.


I guess when the "attendants" are on another (and surely secret) bathroom mission so they send the highly trained "Operatives" in their place.


This was really cute, all four of these woman were wearing these HOT pink scarves to keep their hair from blowing. I wish I could've gotten a shot as I passed them, they all had chic sunglasses on and were having a good time (perhaps a road trip like mine!) but it was too dangerous to do both (and I know my Mom thanks me for remembering "Safety First").


I do love my snacks

Hotel:

So far, I'm completely satisfied with this hotel (booked on Expedia), it's an "Express by Holiday Inn"…you know what I love about hotels? Their showers. Apart from one hotel room I recall (in Dumfries, the shower was lukewarm and no pressure), hotels always have good showers. And this one was great, I kept notching up the heat bit by bit. As I type, I'm still pink and wrinkly from that shower! Turns out this hotel is in between Hedge End and Botley. It's next to the Rose Bowl. Not to be confused with the American college football game, the Rose Bowl here is for the Hampshire Cricket Club. The pics (from my iPhone, I hadn't unpacked my proper camera) look dark as it was dusk but it was a lovely evening and I saw many fans leisurely leaving it at 5 (cricket is so civilized, don't ya know).

From my bedroom window.

I asked the Receptionist where to go for a bit of a walk, my intention was getting some fresh air (and locating a hair brush!) As advised I headed towards Botley and there I met Ned and Bessie - damn they had HUGE heads.

While Ned seemed to be standoffish...

...Bessie just seemed more "present", you know?

Botley:

I only went to the main little village area (and took an incidental turn - we don't say "wrong" turn as you never know what can happen - that included the street of brightly painted garage doors) and decided this was a village that wasn't boastful, it had true humility…and I have proof…

Exhibit A: Notice that they really want the consumer to know they have greeting cards, two signs in this picture alone, notice how they describe them…yes, they don't claim to kick-ass in the greeting card department of have an impression selection, instead they humbly but succinctly tell you they have a "unique" collection of (here's my favorite part…wait for it…) of "good quality" greeting cards.


Exhibit B: This is a picturesque pub right in the heart of the village and as most local pubs have, they have a Quiz Night (think Trivial Pursuit in teams) and they choose not to oversell it. Rather than boasting about their quiz in the context of surrounding areas or even Hampshire, they only simply promise to be the "best in Botley" (note: population of the Parish of Botley is just 4000). And they don't ram an oversell down your throat with anything as pushy as advertising meal deals, new menus etc., ohhhh no, not this pub, they quite simply put forward a question, "Why Not Eat First?" Why not indeed!

Finding Home:

I mentioned that the hotel was situated between Botley (which I've covered) and Hedge End. Hedge End when I first met it many years ago had started out as a simple commuter village with easy access to motorways to Southampton and Portsmouth (and in my case, Bournemouth). I decided to have a wander (in the car) since the walk in Botley was so short-lived and started to feel a sense of familiarity. I found the "village center" and while the shop fronts may have changed, I swear it hasn't changed in size at all! And I knew, just knew, the way to the house I lived in for a year (my only home purchase to date) was nearby. While the center hasn't changed, Hedge End is allll about superstores (think predictable strip malls in the states, always the same with Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, Home Depot, Starbucks) except here it's different superstores. I decided I'd try to find my way to the old house (couldn't even remember the address, I've lived in THAT many places!) I backtracked to where the M&S superstore is and where I spent two months employed there one holiday season (polyester uniforms…shuddering to think about it) and from there it was easy to just follow my senses. And as I turned on the last roundabout , recognizing the area I wished I had somebody in the car to tell "I found it! I found it!" Words that were a tad premature. I found "it" but it "it" probably had 5 times the number of houses crammed in every nook and cranny of the development. I had bought the house (with my then-boyfriend) brand new so there were only a few houses built at that stage), I remember it being posher than it looked tonight in general, but eventually keeping in my mind's eye what the front looked like, I found it and thankfully I snapped a pic with my phone without anyone noticing (don't want to make anyone nervous!) I enjoyed living there, but was only there a year before life led me in a different direction.

Here she is!

So it's 9pm now, I'm starting to settle into the hotel room (the first night is always a bit odd to me), I've just had modern Godzilla movie (with Matthew Broderick) on the TV (funny how they didn't make a sequel…NOT) and now Rush Hour has started (well I can get into that at least but still prefer Chris Tucker in The Fifth Element!) The only negative (as I'm no longer brush-challenged) is my mouth. I don't know why/how but I seem to be having allergic reactions on my tongue to highly acidic or spicy foods. Why? I think it started when I ate too many hard candies the other night (that had fizzy middles) and it's like they just burned the crap out of my mouth. But I was eating a salad that had pesto salad dressing tonight and my mouth was simply burning, on fire! Tongue, lips everything. Does that mean that for this week, where I'll be having most of my meals out, I have to eat bland foods? Weird. Not comfortable. Actually painful and especially in the wee corners of my mouth, where my lips meet in the corners, OUCH. I had to get a diet Pepsi and kind of let the Pepsi sit in my mouth burning the areas because afterwards there was some numbness then. Weird weird weird.

Just heard from Lesley, she and Abby just got back from a walk, so all is well. Tomorrow I am meeting Tonia in Salisbury - will break out the REAL camera then!