|
Things the average American takes for granted- but you can't in England
After our trip to London I learned a few things that I would never have considered. Major cultural shock time!
First, wash cloths are not provided in most three star hotels. Yup, the little ol' washcloth that everyone takes for granted is not a staple item of hotels. The folks who stayed in the four star properties did get them from what I gathered in casual conversation, but three star hotels don't!
Ice machines are also not often found in three star hotels. Forget having the big ice machine on every floor. Our hotel (and from what everyone was saying) most three and two star hotels simply don't have any or at best minimal ice supplies.
Screens on windows. Our hotel did not have air conditioning so we opened our windows. No screens which was a major shock. We found out that there does not appear to be many flying bugs in England! (Gasp!)
Hotel rooms. SMALL. Even when you think you know how small small is, be ready for a surprise. In many hotels if you have a path around three sides of the bed, it is an anomaly. Think in terms of the ship cabins and remove the extra space.
Mass transit. Unbelievable. It is so convenient, is frequent, and seems to go everywhere. Forget about private transportation and cabs. The tube is the only way to go (be prepared for a bit of walking and stairs, though. Say two blocks walking everywhere). And safe. At 11:30 at night we were on the Tube coming back from a play. Lots of people, adults, businessmen, and teens were still taking the Tube around town.
Walking. The English walk. And climb stairs. Get ready for some exercise. But, all considered, that is NOT a bad thing (we saw very few overweight people using the Tube)
Mind the Gap.
London is remarkable! I loved it, such a mix of old and new all intermingled right next to each other.
|