Our first outing

OK let me take a moment and just say I hate technology! Before I had Internet access I typed up several blogs so that all I would need to do was copy and paste from the word document into the blog. I have done this before in the states, typed it elsewhere then just copied it into the blog, but for some unknown reason it will not let me do that here. I can copy paste into any other Internet source just not the blog...what's up with that??? Oh well on to a happier topic, and maybe it will be better written the second time around.
Our first outing was a bus tour around the 3 bases here, and the surrounding towns. It ended in a town about 30-40 minutes from here called Bury St. Edmund. It is considerably larger than the towns close by us, and had a lot of shopping to do. We all went to the Queen's Head pub for lunch before we headed in our own directions for the afternoon. An interesting fact about ordering food in the UK, is that there is proper etiquette depending on where you are. For instance if you go to a pub/restaurant that has table cloths on it you order at the table and leave a tip for the server. However if the place is just a table with no covering (as was the Queen's Head) you choose a table. Each one is numbered and has menus to look over. Once you know what you want you go to the bar and place your order there and give your table number so they know where to bring your food. Also in this sort of establishment you do not tip your server, it is insulting to do so...go figures! We were both excited to try some "local" cuisine. I was not too adventurous, but hey I was just getting over being sick the last thing I needed was to get sick from some new meal. I chose a chicken salad sandwich, with crisps, and a salad...YUM and Brandon decided to go traditional with an order of fish and chips! Brandon being the gentleman he is offered to place our order for both of us, so I told him what I wanted, and he grabbed a menu to take up with him, as he stepped away he turned back and pointed to an item and said, "just double checking this is what you want?" I was already chatting it up with the couple we were sitting with and just said yeah without actually looking at what he was pointing at...oops! Well Brandon go what he ordered, Fish, chips (fries) and peas, but I didn't get what I was expecting. First off I got a chicken and ham BBQ sandwich thing, chips, and a salad. OK so where to start on my meal, well the obvious it was not what I wanted but I decided to give it a go anyways, it was OK at first but each bite got worse and worse. It was super salty, the BBQ had a weird flavor and the ham was fatty. So first disappointment, second was the chips I had misread the menu thinking I ordered chips not crisps, so I thought I was getting fries which I love, but potato chips are fine so I ate those. Now on to my final item a salad, which usually I love a salad, but at this pub they serve salads dry, meaning no dressing at all! It tasted like I was eating grass, needless to say I was not thrilled with my meal, luckily Brandon hates peas so I at least had peas and chips to eat. Brandon of course loved his meal :)

After lunch we opted to walk around the shops instead of going on the tour of the church, because we were needing to get cell phones and the cell phone place we needed was in Bury St. Edmund. Plus I wanted to look at what sort of shopping was available there! As we walked around looking for the phone place we kept passing these little bakery's and they were just calling to me! I was good and waited till after taking care of the phone issue before making a b-line for this one bakery with amazing looking pastry's in the window! I chose a doughnut filled with chocolate cream, topped with a layer of chocolate frosting, then another layer of chocolate swirls! YUM that totally made up for the gross lunch I was in HEAVEN!!! Brandon had a more simple glazed doughnut, but trust me mine was much better!!

I didn't take my camera on this trip since most of our time was on a moving bus, so no pictures again...sorry folks. The next post wont have pics but the ones after that should.

Overall it was a great day, the weather cooperated and it didn't start raining till we were getting back on the bus to head back to base. Almost a whole day without rain...not a common occurrence here!