I wake
up at 5.00 am. When I open the curtains of our cabin, I'm excited to
see twinkling lights across the bay – land in sight! Reg gets up
to have a look, and we realise it's the Isle of Wight in the
distance. We enjoy seeing land more and more clearly as we draw in to
Southampton Docks. We are back in England!
The
restaurant opens for breakfast at 6.30 am, and there are people
queuing up before this – everyone who is disembarking wants to make
sure that they are ready in good time. Those leaving the ship at
Southampton, like us, have to vacate their cabins by 8.00 am.
Just as
we've done so many times before when leaving hotels and hostels in
America, we put on our backpacks and trundle our suitcases along the
carpeted corridors of the Queen Mary. Down in the lift for the last
time, and soon we are checking out at the gangway, and then are on
English soil! The passport showing was done a few days ago on the
ship, so disembarking is a very seamless, easy process. We have
nothing to declare at customs (interestingly, the “red” customs
point where you would go if you did have something to declare is
unstaffed!).
Inevitably
we are going home with a little more luggage than we came with, but
it all fits into the taxi which will take us to the train station.
We hadn't realised that we'd be able to disembark this early, and
rather than wait for the later train we are due to catch, we decide
to pay the extra and take the 9.54 train to Abbey Wood, Bristol.
The
train only has 3 carriages to start with, then another carriage is
added later on; it is jam packed for most of the journey. We manage
to get seats and it's lovely to see the English countryside – you
forget how beautiful it is.
When we
arrive at Abbey Wood, we have difficulty getting off the train with
all our luggage, because the train is so crowded. A woman has to get
off with her suitcases, let us off, and then let us back on!
Elaine
is waiting for us on the platform! It's wonderful to see our
daughter after 2 months away. She has driven to collect us, and
within a few minutes we are home – and soon George, Marianne, 5
month-old Arlie, and Jasper the dog are at the door, too, to welcome
us back – what a lovely homecoming.
It feels
good, but strange, to be back home, and we know it will take us a
while to re-orientate ourselves. Even as we savour the joy of being
re-united with our loving family, our homecoming turns bitter-sweet
when we are told difficult-to-hear news of illness in families we
hold dear.
This is
the last blog of our star-spangled journey, where we've visited some
wonderful places, and met some lovely people, travelling around
America by train, and then crossing the Atlantic Ocean on the Queen
Mary 2.
Thanks
to those who have dipped into this blog now and again – and to
those who have followed us the whole way! I said I would list a few
things about America and Americans which struck us as being different
from the UK – these are listed below. Those of you who have
travelled to America will already know most of them!
- The prices on American goods are before tax; it comes as a shock at first to pay more for everything than the price you see on the label.
- Sometimes you feel unsure using your credit card eg for car hire – as the amount can be left open – you don't always sign for an exact amount.. Using your pin is not yet that common in the USA.
- The tipping culture is big in America. You need to be prepared to add a tip of at least 15% on meals and drinks out – more if you've had exceptional service.
- The service in the hospitality industry in USA is generally very good indeed. The pay is only just over $2 an hour, and waiters and waitresses rely on tips to make up their wages. When thanked for service, they will nearly always say, “You're welcome.”
- You will usually be brought iced water when you eat out, as a matter of course. Americans are a little obsessed with ice. There is usually more ice than liquid in soft drinks. In the sleeper carriages on American trains, there are “drinks posts” with free coffee, fruit juice, and a coolbox full of ice. Some Americans even carry their drinks onto the trains in a coolbox of ice.
- Lemonade in America is an uncarbonated drink, made with lemons. Our “lemonade” is called “soda” in America.
- Meals in American restaurants are often of much bigger portions than we would expect in the UK.
- The food on American passenger trains, where there are sleeper carriages, is excellent (eg you can often order steak) – and it's included in the ticket price.
- The toilets on Amtrak (the American passenger train service) are generally lovely and clean. On many trains there are toilets for disabled people.
- The toilets in America have a higher water level in the bowl than toilets in the UK – this means they stay cleaner (you may need to think about that one!)
- American “freeways” warn you of “roadwork” - not “roadworks”.
- Coming up to a zebra crossing, you will often see the sign “ped xing”.
- “No entry” is sometimes indicated by the words “wrong way”.
- Many towns and cities in America are built in “blocks” - “the launderette is 2 blocks down” etc. Often at a crossroads there is either a red hand which turns white when it's safe to cross – or the red hand turns into a second counter as you cross the road.
- There aren't that many roundabouts in America – although a few towns have several. Some Americans have told us that they find the concept of a roundabout difficult when driving abroad,.
- There are numerous billboards, or advertising boards, with photos of lawyers who will help you to sue following an accident.
- Seen on a billboard over a freeway - a dentist advertising “4 wisdom teeth out for $899”
- The American long-nosed lorries always seem very clean. We once noticed a line of lorries queuing up for a “lorry carwash”.
- The electric current is 110 volts instead of our 240 volts. This meant that our trusty travel kettle took 15 minutes to boil and my travel hairdryer emitted very little drying air!
- Electric light switches work the opposite way to ours – down for off, and up for on.
- Americans are mostly very proud of being American – and of their country. The American flag – the “star spangled banner” - is displayed in many more places than the Union Jack is in the UK.
- Americans are mostly warm, friendly people. We found it funny to be greeted (especially in the Southern United States) with “How are y”all” - even when there are only 2 of us – or even 1!
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