Left home just after 10:00 AM with Meg, and we took the train together to West Ham where I got off to go to Westfield Stratford. Meg went home today, unfortunately. I thoroughly enjoyed our visit together.
Ticket to Plymouth: tried to buy it from an agent on the platform at Stratford station, but the credit card machine declined my card. I was concerned that my bank in Canada was again blocking my purchase, but when I went to the ticket booth, the machine processed the card with no problem. Meg gave me a rail credit of US12 so my fare was reduced by that much. Paid $85 for return train ticket London to Plymouth for Sunday, September 20. This is a Super Off-Peak ticket, meaning I can't travel before 9:30AM. I can take any one of a number of trains after that time - one goes every hour - am not obliged to take any specific train at any specific time. Am told this does not apply to evening trains. UK97 was the cheapest fare available. The train agent in Barking had told me that it was possible to get even lower fares by buying an advance ticket - the farther in advance, the cheaper the ticket. Can look for fares at www.trainline.com, but they charge a booking fee, so it's best to research on that site, then select a train company, and book/pay on their website. But, this is a problem if using a Canadian Visa card from my bank because foreign online purchases are automatically denied, if done while abroad. Only certain train stations in London sell advanced tickets. Stratford does.
Finding the ticket wicket took some doing, as the area is large. The agent I first approached to buy a ticket was located on a platform inside the tube station system, but since the machine denied my credit card, I had to buy it from the ticket office. Only two tickets here, but there wasn't a line up.
Walked outside onto one of the streets and found a few vendors selling various items. Bought 3 watches. UK3 each, with a large bin of watches for UK1 each.
The watches do work, but for how long? This is cheaper than at a street vendor's in Singapore.
Lunch: inside the "village" of shops, not in the main mall - small bargain shops, hairdressers, manicurists, a few small restaurants. I found one offering British food, and decided to have roast chicken, fries and salad. Staffed by Eastern Europeans. This is the third time this has happened, and in my experience, there is a lack of knowledge about Western-style service. No smiles, no acknowledgments, no conversation. No niceties. I think language may be a problem, but they don't even smile!!!
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| UK4.50 = $10 The meal was fine. |
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| There was a brief shower while I was indoors. Here's the bus terminal. Also is a taxi stand. All part of the Stratford transportation/mall complex. |
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| Went to Marks and Spence store and bought some clothes. I'd forgotten how much more variety there is in a city the size of London. Far more to choose from than at home. And prices are reasonable. I'd say that even though we pay double the sticker price, we're still paying a reasonable price, because in general, clothes are more expensive in Canada. Stores are still selling white linen pants. |
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| Had to have a coffee break at Nero's in the mall. I have a loyalty card. Reasonable prices for pastries. Spoke to an Australian fellow who had met his Canadian wife online, then moved to Edmonton to live with her. Lived there several years, now divorced. He's been in London 4 years, moving soon to Scotland, as London is too big for him. With him was a young woman from Edmonton who had just moved to London to work for a year, then travel in Europe. I didn't tell her about traveling around Europe on $5 a day in the l970s. Frommer's Europe on $5 a Day was the bible. Those were the days. |
A long long day. Home at 6:30. Exhausted. Shopping is tiring.
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