Visit over, back to work.
Apr. 19th, 2006 12:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
castaliaAfter quite a nice week, mother is on her way back home. I put her on the train at 6:30 this morning (argh) and her flight would've left about an hour ago. I've slept all morning b/c I'm still absolutely exhausted, but it's been a really fun week.
We took a drive through Snowdonia on Monday courtesy of Marie, which was lovely. Stopped off in Betws y Coed for a bit to look at the shops, then went to Llanberis and walked up part of Snowdon. By that time it was starting to rain so we had tea in a little shop on the way back down.
Rant mode on: Ok, so, this is the first time I've had any issues with Americans getting possibly less good service than we would've done had we not been Americans. I let mother do the ordering that time and the guy gave us a pot of tea and instead of proper cups he provided styrofoam. My latte came in a styrofoam cup as well. Both myself and Marie were all "WTF?" and began musing on whether or not they were out of proper ones. Marie had been waiting outside at the table, so when he brought out the latte, he acted all surprised and asked where she was from, then said something about oh good, someone from Chesterfield to be with the two Americans.
I should've said something, but Marie obviously didn't want to so I didn't. I did note that other people who came along and ordered after us did indeed get proper china cups. The idea that he might've thought we wouldn't know the difference is both insulting and rude. And I felt bad for mother b/c she hates how those cups make tea taste. They're bad for the environment to boot, and were in serious danger of blowing away.
This is the first time I've run into such an attitude over here (usually people will tell you to expect more anti-English sentiments in North Wales than anything else, and I have seen quite a bit of that). As a long-time tea drinker who knows exactly how to make a proper cup of tea, thank you very much, I'd like to avoid running into it again in this particular form or I will say something or ask for my money back. At least the Welsh cream tea the other day was done up properly. They even warmed the teacups like you should. /rant mode off.
Tuesday was spent mostly in Bangor. We had tea and scones at Bangor Pier, shopped along the High Street, and had a marvelous and very filling late lunch at the Yates's Bar. The afternoon had to be spent unpacking the spring clothes she'd brought me and repacking all my heavy winter stuff that I won't need anymore. I did keep one heavy coat and a few hoodies as it's still a bit chilly here at night. We went back over to Menai Bridge later so she could take some nighttime pictures, then we had dessert at the Wetherspoon's b/c we were still too full for an actual dinner. I had a lovely treacle sponge (suet pudding, mmmm), though it was too much for me to finish.
I'm a bit sad that she's gone and I won't see her again until at least September, but I do admit a week is about the right length of time. That much concentrated time spent with anyone is all I can take and I wouldn't have wanted to get cranky or snappish or anything had she stayed longer. Besides, phone calls and emails are nicely adequate.
*sigh* Back to coursework. I should finish soon so at least I'll have the weekend to relax before lectures start back. Should get time to catch up with House, watch Dr Who, and there's a Sharpe movie on ITV4 tomorrow night, whee!
We took a drive through Snowdonia on Monday courtesy of Marie, which was lovely. Stopped off in Betws y Coed for a bit to look at the shops, then went to Llanberis and walked up part of Snowdon. By that time it was starting to rain so we had tea in a little shop on the way back down.
Rant mode on: Ok, so, this is the first time I've had any issues with Americans getting possibly less good service than we would've done had we not been Americans. I let mother do the ordering that time and the guy gave us a pot of tea and instead of proper cups he provided styrofoam. My latte came in a styrofoam cup as well. Both myself and Marie were all "WTF?" and began musing on whether or not they were out of proper ones. Marie had been waiting outside at the table, so when he brought out the latte, he acted all surprised and asked where she was from, then said something about oh good, someone from Chesterfield to be with the two Americans.
I should've said something, but Marie obviously didn't want to so I didn't. I did note that other people who came along and ordered after us did indeed get proper china cups. The idea that he might've thought we wouldn't know the difference is both insulting and rude. And I felt bad for mother b/c she hates how those cups make tea taste. They're bad for the environment to boot, and were in serious danger of blowing away.
This is the first time I've run into such an attitude over here (usually people will tell you to expect more anti-English sentiments in North Wales than anything else, and I have seen quite a bit of that). As a long-time tea drinker who knows exactly how to make a proper cup of tea, thank you very much, I'd like to avoid running into it again in this particular form or I will say something or ask for my money back. At least the Welsh cream tea the other day was done up properly. They even warmed the teacups like you should. /rant mode off.
Tuesday was spent mostly in Bangor. We had tea and scones at Bangor Pier, shopped along the High Street, and had a marvelous and very filling late lunch at the Yates's Bar. The afternoon had to be spent unpacking the spring clothes she'd brought me and repacking all my heavy winter stuff that I won't need anymore. I did keep one heavy coat and a few hoodies as it's still a bit chilly here at night. We went back over to Menai Bridge later so she could take some nighttime pictures, then we had dessert at the Wetherspoon's b/c we were still too full for an actual dinner. I had a lovely treacle sponge (suet pudding, mmmm), though it was too much for me to finish.
I'm a bit sad that she's gone and I won't see her again until at least September, but I do admit a week is about the right length of time. That much concentrated time spent with anyone is all I can take and I wouldn't have wanted to get cranky or snappish or anything had she stayed longer. Besides, phone calls and emails are nicely adequate.
*sigh* Back to coursework. I should finish soon so at least I'll have the weekend to relax before lectures start back. Should get time to catch up with House, watch Dr Who, and there's a Sharpe movie on ITV4 tomorrow night, whee!
