Rest Stop

Rest Stop

It is Sunday, our free day. After showering and being served breakfast, we brought our laundry to the Laundromat to get the washing done. Each washer cost two pounds, a bit pricey. We had two loads. The dryer was twenty pence each cycle and a cycle lasted for about eight minutes, so after pumping in one pound forty, we were headed out the door with our clothes folded and packed in our vacuum sealer travel bag ready for the suitcase when we returned.

The town is half dead on Sunday. All of the regular stores are closed. The only places that are open are the News Agents, the tiny supermarkets, and of course the pubs. Oh, yes, two exceptions, Woolworth is open. There was a Woolworth in London, one in Scotland and now one here. They are doing a brisk business even if they could not do as well in the States. The other store open is the little junk store where they are selling a very reasonable prices, every imaginable type of Halloween decoration, make-up, costume mask, and accessories that we have ever seen in one store.

We stopped at the News Agent to get a couple of post cards for our album and a Sunday paper. For psychological reasons, I bought a Mars bar ice cream. It was merely to placate me in not feeling totally deprived, but as I was eating it, the lack of tastefulness just accomplished the opposite. My resentment rose to a zenith at all of the tastes that were passing me by, many of which I may never have an opportunity to sample.

It was then back to the room to balance the checking account statement that I was able to retrieve from the bank online service. Unfortunately, EasyEverything in Glasgow does not have printing services, so Ron had to write down each transaction as I read them to him while I was online. Now we balance the books from our notes. With that completed, we can read the paper, relax and watch television. We passed a pub called The Dublin Port that offered a Sunday lunch until 3:00 pm for 3.99 pounds. So we many come back for a late lunch and then skip dinner.

When 2:30 came around, we headed out for the lunch. I have no appetite, so we only order one. Since beer is cheaper than soda or mineral water, beer is again my drink of choice. We always order the most strong flavored beer for me. Ron ordered the lunch special which were two types of potatoes, carrots, peas, lamb, and brown gravy over all of it. There was no reason for me to order a dinner, since three bites would satiate me. Ron’s plate could satisfy my now meager needs without him feeling deprived.

Welsh seem to love their pubs on Sundays, at least in Holyhead. The pub was crowded. It seems to be a family place to congregate not only for the liquor, but for the food too. There were a number of families with young children there eating their Sunday meals. Of course being a pub, there are also a fair number that were there simply to drink. One of those fair fellows came over to Ron and introduced himself. He shared his life history with Ron and took the time to question Ron’s origins as the same time. I had my nose buried in the paper, having a low toleration level for the inebriated. Ron’s new found friend, Andrew, did recognize my existence by asking me if I was from California also, but then gave his full concentration to Ron. He was pleasant enough, but we had intended to have a beer and read the paper.

With our stomachs satisfied, we were ready to have a luxuriant daytime nap. It was wonderful. It was not until later this evening that we ventured out once again for a beer and a couple of bags of chips and peanuts, which will slake our appetites until breakfast where we will get fortified for our take off tomorrow.

It is no surprise to me that I am losing weight, but it does not seem to be at an unhealthy rate. Since my buds have gone, this is a natural side effect since my eating is a fraction of normal, but it seems this would happen even if I were eating normally since we are exercising a great deal more than I had at home for the last six months.

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