Jamaica 2018 - Part II - Resort Life - The Water

I had a partial ocean view room which was lovely. The room itself was spacious. For some reason, none of the room photos turned out except for the welcome gift picture. It was a nice room, though. Large and airy. One thing, though: why are hotels and resorts starting to put scales in their rooms? Who needs that sort of stress when on vacation?

The resort itself had lovely pools, including a small pirate themed water park. The one thing that was a problem with the resort was a critical, chronic shortage of pool/beach towels. Bringing your own might be advisable. The pool bar is lovely, and the service is good. The one thing I did find was that it was only in the water park that the music wasn't loud. They didn't have a quiet pool.

The beach was lovely, and I seldom had a problem finding a lounger under the shade, as long as I went far enough out. Considering that was near the jerk stand, and the beach bar, it wasn't a terrible situation.

Next: Part III - Resort Life - The Rest of It

Jamaica 2018 - Part I - Getting There

I wanted to go swimming in a warm sea, so I decided a nice trip to Montego Bay was in order. I love Jamaica, and I found a resort that wasn't too far from Sangster airport. Having travelled further afield before,  I know that I wanted somewhere I could get to affordably by taxi. I'll never forget the trip where we waited on the bus for half an hour at a hotel stop on the way to the airport for a bridal party that had lost an aunt (misplaced, she wasn't dead). Worse, the seat in front of me was broken, and I had a dickens of a time getting the grandma sitting there to understand that she was actually reclining onto me and needed to sit up. Not doing that again.

So, I found the Sunscape Splash, which is conveniently located on the bay. And, of course, I booked my flights Premium Rouge, since that was the most comfortable direct flight I could find.

On to the airport. UP Express (Toronto's train to the airport) is very convenient for me, so I just haul my wheely bag over to the station, and I'm there in under 45 minutes from my door, and far more cheaply than a taxi or ride-hail.

As part of Premium Rouge's fare, I get priority check in and lounge access.  What a lovely, relaxing way to start a vacation.

The Air Canada Lounge

Comfortable Seats with Complementary IPad

If you're flying into Sangster, you can book Club Mobay in advance. If you have a Priority Pass membership, this is free, otherwise, it's around $50US for the meet and greet service, and around $30US for when you're flying out. Deals can be had, so it's worth it to do a bit of comparison shopping. The meet and greet service has someone meet you when you get off the plane, and escort you through expedited customs. You can then sit in a nice lounge with tasty Jamaican beer and snacks until you're ready, or your transfer is ready, to go to your resort. I am a huge believer in stress free travel, and to me this is a fantastic service.

In Club Mobay -- Don't I Look Relaxed?

When I was ready, the staff arranged a taxi for me, told me the price, and off I went. Check in went well. They had had a past guest no-show, so they put me in her room, and I got her amenities. I wasn't complaining.

Welcome back gift

After this, I relaxed for a bit and settled in. I don't have any pictures from dinner, but it was in the Asian restaurant, and I enjoyed it. I just forgot to record it for posterity.

After that, I went for a walk and enjoyed the warm, beautiful Jamaican evening.

Next -- Enjoying the resort.

England 2018 - Part IV - In Which I Return to London and Meet up with my Sister from Another Mister

I woke up feeling pretty refreshed after the lovely storm. I checked out of the Mercure, and got a taxi back to the station for my train ride back to King's Cross Station. I had a bit of luck there. The train I was supposed to get was cancelled, but the earlier one was slightly delayed, so I caught it instead. At King's Cross, I was to meet Lisa. We met on a Disney fans site, and have been friends ever since.

I don't normally post pictures of bathroom fixtures, but the ones at King's Cross were pretty fancy.

After meeting up with Lisa, and grabbing some lunch, we headed to our new hotel. The Marriott Hotel West India Cay that we stayed at has since become the London Marriott Hotel Canary Wharf, so I can't speak to what it's like now, but it was a very nice hotel when we were there. One thing we did notice was that the windows overlooked a courtyard, which looked directly into the rooms across. Not the best design, really, but the room was comfortable.

The Marriott

Privacy is So Over-rated

After we got settled in, we went out exploring the neighbourhood.

It was warm enough that we found a nice patio to snag some fancy cocktails.

Patio Cocktails

After that we wandered through the Crossrail Place roof garden. Entry was free.

Cross Rail Place Botanical Garden

We got drinks and snacks at the Big Easy. It's a Cajun themed restaurant/bar, which is kind of a fun idea when you're in England.

The Big Easy

Drinkers at the Big Easy

After that, it was time to get on the bus to Whitechapel for our Ripper Tour. We arrived early, so we went into The White Hart for a pre-tour beverage. Please note, the above link, and the tour, are not for the faint of heart.

A Cool Bar with History

The tour met outside the Whitechapel Gallery. As tours go, it was interesting, taking us to the murder sites, and giving some background about Whitechapel at the time. The tour guide had a projector, and would show relevant pictures on handy walls. The only disappointment was that he was a believer in the Freemason conspiracy theory of the Ripper murders.

Both Lisa and I are huge fans of Tiki culture, so no trip to London would be complete for us if we didn't go to Trader Vic's. It was everything I had dreamed of: lovely ambience, and fantastic cocktails. The pupus were pretty good, too.

Trader Vic's London

Lisa takes the Throne

Trader Vic's 1944 Mai Tai

The Loo was Massive

It had been a long and liquid day, so we decided to take a taxi back to the hotel.

London Taxis have Jump Seats

The next day, I flew home. It was the usual good Air Transat Club Class service. Would I come back to London? Definitely!

Coming up - Summer 2018 trip to Jamaica

England 2018 - Part III - In Which I go to a Concert

My stomach was still slightly off, so I made sure to have a nice Mexican veggie lunch with more beer. I'm sorry about the choice, Corona wasn't such a bad word back then.

It was time to say good-bye to the Premier Inn, and get on a train to my next destination, Hatfield.  It left from King's Cross Station, of Platform 9 3/4 fame.

I had booked a room in the Mercure Hatfield Oak Hotel. It was walking distance to the concert venue, the Hatfield (Hertfordshire?) Forum. I got a taxi to get there. It seemed easiest, and sometimes, that counts for a lot.

Once I got settled into my comfortable room, I went back to the lobby to see about food and drink.

The Lobby Bar

While I was in the lobby, getting a drink, and enjoying the day, I saw a couple wearing band t-shirts. I asked if they were going to the concert. They were. We made friends.

It was a lovely afternoon, but soon it was time to go to the venue to meet up with someone I had met through Facebook after advertising for a concert buddy on the event page. Doors open was at 4:30, since there were 4 acts, and I don't think any of them wanted to stay up too late. My buddy Melanie and her friends were very nice, and the show was promising to be terrific.

The first act to take the stage was The Beat (called The English Beat in Canada). They were terrific, and both Ranking Roger and his son were on stage. Sadly, this was the last opportunity I had to see Ranking Roger before he passed away. I didn't think to get a picture after they started, but you can see we were right in front of the stage.

The Beat

Me and My Concert Buddy Melanie

The next act was Buzzcocks, and again the memory is kind of bittersweet because I would never be able to see Pete Shelley perform again. They were, of course, fabulous. My new friends told the roadies that I had come from Canada to see the show, so they gave me one of the set lists. That was so nice.

Buzzcocks

For me, the real attraction of the show was next. Stiff Little Fingers is my favourite band in the world to see live. And it's wonderful that no matter where they perform pretty much everyone in the audience can and will sing along with every song.

They were, of course, amazing, and the highlight of the show for me.

Stiff Little Fingers

The last act of the evening was The Selecter, and they were good, although I saw them at a distance because I had had enough of crowds. I moved to the back, and got myself a nice drink.

The Selecter

After the show, I staggered back to the hotel, pleasantly exhausted and starving (no food at the venue, and the concert started before dinner hour). When I enquired at the bar, the bartender was apologetic that the kitchen was closed, but told me sandwiches were available. Perfect! I wasn't the only person who was going to come back hungry.

As I sat in the lobby, eating my late supper, I discovered that Buzzcocks were staying at my hotel. That was a nice surprise. When Steve caught my eye, I told him "Great show!".

The day wasn't finished giving me treats, though. As I lay in bed later, the most fantastic thunderstorm I have ever seen raged outside around me. It was the perfect end to a wonderful day.

Next - Part IV - In Which I Return to London and Meet Up with my Sister from another Mister