Quiz Night...Again

Pubs here have something called "quiz night." Basically you create a team (anywhere from 1 to 10 people...Just me 'n' Char in our case), and then as the host calls our questions (or plays music clips) you write your answers. At the end of the round you switch with other teams for marking. You then have to holler your score at the host... Char and I always name our team "The Canadians" so everyone knows why we lose (Most of the questions are UK-based questions). But today we didn't lose! Our goal was always to just beat one team and we did! We were actually tied for last place, but the host took pity on us and gave a toss up question. "Who is the prime minister of Canada?" hahhaa. So I blanked for a second out of nerves but we got it obviously. And so we won a bag of crisps and hobnob biscuits! Yayyyy! And not last place!

3-2-1-Greece!

We're headed for the Greek island of Crete on Thursday for 2 weeks. Backpacking (flight + hostel) was ultimately the most expensive as an all-inclusive + flight is only 29 British pounds per night...So it's time to fatten up on unlimited food, drink, and sunshine.

Pubs done right

Besides the beer - which is wonderful - pubs in England are just run much better. Even after a week I'm completely adjusted and am starting to appreciate the differences. Here's a quick overview of what I've noticed:
1) NO WAITRESSES. At first it seems strange. After a few days it just makes sense. You want a drink, go to the bar. If you want food, go to the bar and tell them what you want + your table number (all tables have numbers in pubs here). All the other stuff like sauces or napkins is either self serve or comes with your food. It's a much better system overall. You don't have to wait for some whiny waitresses to bring you things and you don't have to tip her either. In the end it's more convenient and proves what I've always suspected: pub waitresses are completely unnecessary.
2) Very few TVs. If a pub does have TVs, they are only on during important matches (cricket, football, etc). They are not constantly running crap and instead sit dark and silent awaiting the next match.
3) Working as a bartender is a starter job for college kids or kids just turned 18. And when I say kids, I mean kids. They look about 12 years old. It's not a job that makes you ridiculous money (as there are no tips) so it seems virtually no one really wants the job except for kids starting out or semi-retired old ladies. Again, this seems a better system as you just get your drink from a real person and not some ed hardy nightmare who thinks he's the coolest dude ever just because he can pour a beer.
4) Most washrooms (toilets) have 2 doors to enter. For some reason most of them have one door and then another right away at a right angle. I'm not sure why, but it just seems the norm here. Also, the washrooms are not usually very clean
5) No "pint premiums". If you were to go to a bar overlooking a harbour or even a bar on the beach in Canada you would expect to pay a premium for your beer. However, that's not the case at all here and some of the more expensive places have been the ones lacking views or amenities while pubs actually on the beach have been slightly cheaper than average. It all seems backwards to me. Overall pint prices don't fluctuate more than 30p unless you're in Wetherspoons (where they're always $1 or $2 cheaper)

Phew....longest entry yet, but hey it's me and it's about pubs.

Oh right...also, there was a fox.

It's all on CCTV

So. Winchester Cathedral today. Yes, it's nice. Amazing amounts of detail. There it is. Not much to say. If you've been to one I'm sure you've been to them all. Still, totally worth the trip. And, despite popular misconceptions, I didn't burst into flames as I passed through the entrance.
Winchester is also a really cool little village with a bustling market. The military museum, however, is quite empty. We weren't sure if you were supposed to dress up and pose with the exhibits, but it was just too tempting. Similarly, you're likely not supposed to lay down on tombs to have your picture taken, but we just couldn't resist. Thankfully it was a Wednesday so there weren't too many tourists around the Cathedral.
In other news...Pubs: Awesome. Thanks to Bren for suggesting Wetherspoon pubs. It's tough to stay sober now! If you are drinking at a Wetherspoon pub, it's pretty much the same in Canadian dollars as drinking inside a Canadian liquor store...Except you can drink pretty decent English beer. I counted the beer taps today and there were 27! (Char is drinking a 550ml Newcastle Brown...2GBP or about $3.15 CDN). And of course, the entire excursion was captured on over 140 CCTV cameras as Britain is CCTV crazy.

New Forest

There's a national park within walking distance known as the New Forest.
It's full of wild horses and (not so wild) cattle.
Really quite strange to walk through a forest full of horses...

English Breakfast!

Yes! Worth every penny

Another sunny day on the coast

I didn't know England had such nice beaches! Cold water and no sand, but very picturesque (And yes, I am holding a beer...why not?)
This pic is from Calshot beach with the Isle of White just barely visible in the background (not so much from this photo)

Beach Weather!

Best thing about England so far? You can buy a pint from a pub and then walk along the beach and drink it! Awesome. (That and the no tipping thing...)

14 hours from YVR to Hythe, UK

After a few teary goodbyes we were on our way...
I had to take off my pants in front of everyone getting through security at YVR..Still not sure why.

British Airways was pretty good...Free booze and blankets etc plus 2 good meals. When we landed we had to bus to the terminal. I gave a plastic bag to a lady who had just enough time to reply "oh god thanks" before she barfed into it...I let her keep the bag.

Got the bus from Heathrow to Southampton then found the ferry to Hythe. The "coach" was alright...like a run-down westcoast express coach with a bathroom that was 200 degrees and dirtier than a construction porto-potty.

Everybody we asked for directions was really rude...Maybe they think we're American?
Arrived 6pm UK time, had a few beers and then went to sleep. Already adjusted for UK time...

New Blog tool...

Picked up this little netbook for $200...Char and I split the cost as we'll both be using it to upload pics to Picasa and blog. A pretty sweet deal...I'm amazed at how much computer you can get for a few bucks...And if it gets lost/stolen/damaged then it's not the end of the world...