We're here! After two years of anticipation and planning, and after many hours of deliberation and studying TSA guidelines about what you can and cannot pack in your carry on bags, and check-in bags, weighing and reweighing suitcases to make sure they're under the 50-lb limit--the check-in process and security check at the Hotlanta airport for transporting a firearm on a plane was a breeze! We arrived safely at Gatwick airport in London this morning and George Arnold, Match Director, was kind enough to pick us up and transport us to the National Shooting Centre/Camp Bisley in Woking, Surrey. If I had any ideas of hiring a car in England, those ideas are DEFINITELY a thing of the past. We'll stick to trains and buses! We're settled into our room at the North London Rifle Club. Tomorrow we'll venture into London to do some sightseeing. We've already made our first ATM transaction to get British pounds and did our first grocery shopping at the local store. I could spend a month just in the cheese section! And there's an entire aisle for tea :)) Everyone is so friendly. No pictures yet. We mistakenly packed our camera in the check-in bag on the plane but we'll get busy taking pictures and have some to post tomorrow.
Our son Bryan advised us NOT to sleep when we got here. To try and stay up all day and get on our normal routine, even though we were basically awake all night on the overnight flight. I must confess I didn't quite make it. I snuck in a 1 hr nap this afternoon :)) But Ed's still going strong!
For those of you who asked for more details about why we're here--Ed is on the US Long Range Muzzleloading Team and is competing in the World Championships at 300, 500, 600, 900, and 1,000 yards. He is SO excited! We've been looking forward to this for two years. After the competition, we're going to spend a week in Ireland and a week in Germany to research family ancestors and do some touring. We'll be in West Ireland (Galway, Connemara, Roscommon, Ennis) and in the Black Forest of Germany (Baden-Baden, Freiburg, Karlsruhe for ancestry research, Rhine River cruise and staying in a castle).
Any suggestions for places to eat and listen to good music are welcome!
Oh! It's time for tea. They take that very seriously here in England.
Keep your powder dry.
Ed and Arleen
Found it and I'm here!
ReplyDeleteHere's wishing all Our Guys the very best of luck!
Got to read up on how all this works- but be assured I'll be hanging on every word you post! Thanks so much for doing this.
Remind Ed to 'follow through' and When in doubt, FAVOR CENTER! ( or at Bisley, he will most probably have to FAVOR CENTRE!)