Bristol Day 1, World Cup, England Advances to Semi-Final

Aloha Everyone,

Today our main activity was to go to the Galleries Shopping Center located about 20 minutes walk from our hotel. We need to purchase a SIM card for our European phone so that I can call my Mother. Though I’ve been sending her emails, she prefers to hear my voice.

Our walk took us to Castle Park. We noted the brown lawn surrounding St. Peter’s Church. They are having an unusually hot summer and no rain.

Brits love dogs. Based on one national survey, 46% prefer dogs compared to only 19% for cats. The two of us saw some proud dog owners and equally proud dogs parading around which we assumed was in some sort of contest.

Football (Soccer in the USA) is huge and today England beat Sweden in the  quarter final. The World Cup being held in Russia was televised all over the city. J.J. and I watched in the comfort of our air conditioned hotel room. After England’s 2-0 victory, the entire country erupted in celebration. When we walked out looking for a place to dine, restaurants were either filled or sealed off for private parties only.

Next Wednesday, England will play against Croatia. We will be prepared with food and drinks to avoid street merriment that is expected — win or lose.

Aloha -- Cathi

To Bristol, England

Aloha Everyone,

We took the airport express train from Heathrow to Paddington Station where our Brit-rail Pass was activated. Our 8-day pass gives us 9 days use anywhere in the UK (United Kingdom). This spur of the moment trip came immediately after our Alaskan Cruise. Not having adequate time to prepare, the two of us are winging our itinerary per day rather than following a pre-planned route.

After about a 21/2 hours train ride to southwest England, we were back at the familiar Bristol Main station. A short taxi ride brought us to another Premier Inn. This hotel is located in the heart of the Old City just a stone’s throw from the River Avon.  

J.J. and I took a short walk around the neighborhood before dinner.

Aloha -- Cathi

To London via Paris

Aloha Everyone,

The quick Air France check-in followed by expedited security with TSA pre-check status gave us nearly two hours to spare at LAX.

Seats in premier-economy were comfortable. J.J. and I stayed awake nearly the entire 7 hours flight except for about an hour nap prior to arriving at Charles de Gaulle in Paris. There was a large selection of movies, news and TV series to keep us entertained. Both of us watched “Woman in Gold” starring Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds. Intelligent script and wonderful acting. We highly recommended it.

At Charles de Gaulle, airport security redirected passengers to another area about 300 yards away. Only explanation given was that there was an incident. After about 30 minutes of waiting, we were redirected to another security check point before getting to our domestic flight terminal. Flight to London was about 25 minutes.

Tonight we are staying at the Premiere Inn in Heathrow Airport. From Terminal 4, it was a 10 minutes walk using a pedestrian causeway.

Aloha -- Cathi

Happy Independence Day!

Aloha Everyone!

Wishing you a safe and happy 4th of July from LAX. The two of us are on our way to London. J.J. and I look forward to sharing our upcoming adventures in UK.

Aloha -- Cathi

Kumamoto Prefecture Annual Picnic

Aloha Everyone,

The Southern California Kumamoto Prefecture Annual Picnic was held at Liberty Park in Cerritos. Both my Mother and sister have served as the association’s past Presidents. The annual picnic is a socialization venue to bring families together. Some came from far to see friends and acquaintances.

As in any social gathering, there were speeches followed by picnic lunch and entertainment.

A particular interest to J.J. and me was Mikaela Kai Flamenco presentation. Led by Ms. Michiyo Ando, their Flamenco was beautifully costumed and performed with a clear overture of Japanese. Belatedly I found out from the business card she gave me, Michiyo is also a certified reflexologist and reiki master.

Aloha -- Cathi