After a delicious breakfast of pain au chocolat and muesli and smoked salmon with creamy scrambled eggs, it was time to pack up and check out of the Bibury Court. I honestly did not want to leave. The only thing that pushed me on was the knowledge I would be meeting up with (and meeting, period!) my friends Amanda and Judith back in London, and tomorrow morning we would be on our way to Paris. The trip back to Milton Keynes in the Corsa was uneventful. I did realize, though, that I had purchased enough stuff while I was with HM and when shopping in the Cotswolds that it was time to ship some things home. Before I turned the car in, I found a box and ship place in Milton Keynes and took advantage of lightening my load. It was not cheap but necessary. The next time, I'll simply bring an empty suitcase to carry back purchased goodies.
Turned the car in to Hertz, then a nice young man drove me to the train station. We had a great conversation on the way over. Turns out he was from Latvia. He, his girlfriend, and another friend had come to England to find a better way of life. Evidently, there weren't many opportunities for young adults in that part of the world. At the Bibury Court, I had spoken with the young man who carried my suitcase to my car--he was from Romania. He had a degree in electrical engineering but couldn't use it in England. They required him to work in the hospitality industry for two years before he could apply to do anything else. Then he had to take additional schooling in England before they would let him work as an electrical engineer. His fiancée was still back in Romania working as a dental assistant until he was able to send for her. He told me when I had the opportunity, I should visit his country as it was very beautiful and the dollar would go far there.
These stories really touched my heart about how it is so difficult in certain parts of the world that young people will leave everything behind in the country they love to go elsewhere in search of a better life for themselves and loved ones. They all asked me about the United States, and said they would love to come visit one day. These conversations with various people were some of the best highlights of my trip.
The train ride from Milton Keynes to London was uneventful. I claimed my excess baggage and hailed a taxi to take me to the B&B (Euro Hotel) where Judith, Amanda, and I would spend the night. Amanda had texted me that they would arrive around 8:30 to 9:00 that evening. I enjoyed an early dinner just around the corner and down the block from the Euro. The name of the place was Yo! Sushi. The food was decent enough, but the portions were small for the money paid. Yep. I was back in London. Don't get me wrong! London is wonderful. London is also very expensive. After I finished my overpriced sushi, I returned to the Euro and sat on the front steps to wait the arrival of my friends.
A few minutes after 9:00, here came two wonderful ladies down the street, both pulling medium suitcases behind them. I recognized them from their photos I had seen on various postings online. What a special, special moment!! We had been looking forward to this trip for months, and now the time was suddenly upon us. I had the key for their room; we went up so they could get settled. They were starving, and I was tired from my long day. I explained where some fairly close restaurants were. Then they headed off to eat. I went back to my little room to sleep. A 4:45 am alarm was going to ring all too soon for me. We had a 6:15 am EuroStar train to Paris to catch.
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