Travel to England & Arrival in Penrith
- Drop off at Uptown Station by husband
- Board Peoria Charter
- Ride bus for three hours
- Arrive at O'Hare
- Security at O'Hare
- Wait in airport for around five hours
- Board flight and take off
- Fly eight hours
- Arrive at Heathrow
- Take Heathrow Express (fast train into central London) to Paddington station
- Wait for delayed Tube for 30 minutes (everyone was confused because the Tube is generally on time); run up to see if a taxi is faster because I have a train to catch at a certain time that was prepaid; taxi line is long; run back down to Tube in hopes I didn't miss it
- Take Paddington Tube to Euston Tube
- Walk from Euston Tube to Euston rail station
- Take train from Euston rail station to Penrith rail station (originally meant to be three hours long, but had to be diverted because of an issue, so added an extra hour)
I can't get any meaningful sleep on a plane. I dozed for maybe 30 minutes. I sat next to a man and his daughter who were visiting London for their first time. They asked for recommendations, but also said they weren't into history or museums or Harry Potter or theater or palaces, so I just kinda looked at them and told them to have a great time. The flight did go pretty fast and they were good seatmates.
I had pre-booked my train ticket because it's cheaper to do that rather than buying a ticket on arrival at the station. Unknowingly, the ticket I got was without a window. The train wasn't super full, but there were many stops so I was afraid if I sat in a different seat with a window, I would have to move. I like keeping my luggage with me rather than on the luggage rack at the end of the train car, so moving my body and my bags (even though it's only a carry-on) felt like too much to negotiate. So I was on the train for four hours with no window which was a bummer because, through slivers between seats, I could see the scenery was beautiful once we got nearer to the Lake District.
But I was barely hanging on for these four hours. I couldn't believe the train ride ended up being delayed by an hour. It was for a super sad reason, though. There was a fatality that morning on or near the rail tracks at a station in a city on the route from London to Penrith. Tragic.
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| I thought it quite random that there was a Tim Hortons in Penrith, England! |
The walk from Penrith rail station to Norcroft Bed & Breakfast was about 15 minutes. I was still a little early for check-in, but I had messaged them asking if I could drop off my bag prior to check-in. They had said yes, but luckily they were able to let me actually fully check-in. I was so grateful!
I didn't take any photos of this bed and breakfast because, honestly, it wasn't too special. I had booked it because of the price; it was very cheap for also including breakfast -- $217 total for three nights! But here's a picture from TripAdvisor.
I think it was a married couple that owned the place. It was kind of a typical English townhouse with a narrow foyer when you walk in and stairs on the side. The kitchen was towards the back on the first floor and when the man was grabbing my key, the woman came out and asked if I wanted a slice of homemade lemon drizzle cake. Yes, please! What a sweet gesture.
I was shown my room and ate the cake (delicious!). I could not understand the man when he was asking me a few questions. It's always so embarrassing when you have to ask someone twice to repeat themselves. Originally I thought he was Scottish since Scotland is so close to Penrith, but he told me the next day he was from Oxford, so maybe it was just my sleepless delirium that was making things difficult. I think in the end we understood each other.
The room was very basic, but completely adequate. Incredibly small with a twin bed and barely any room to move around. The smallest three piece bathroom in existence. I knew this going in, so it was all good. Here's a picture of the bed in that room that I found on the interwebs.
I am now regretting not taking photos just so I can have them to remember it by. I can see it in my mind's eye, but having a photo just makes a difference. I will remember this for next time! Not every photo has to be something special.
From here, I think I thought about taking a nap but decided to walk and take in Penrith. It's got a cute town center with lots of shops. I was out for about an hour, but I did not have the energy or interest to go into any stores and I needed food, so I found Ken's Fish & Chips and took it back to my room. It was yummo! A good first meal in England.
