There are several things we don’t want to forget that has occurred to us during our trip thus far:
*Often when you are in a restaurant, you go the bar to order your food rather than a waitperson coming to the table. Also, it’s not unusual to pay for your food when you order it. So tipping is not expected.
*One of the beverages offered is “still water.” That means it’s tap water. Numerous other kinds of water are available at a charge such as mineral, sparkling and bottled “still water.”
*In every eatery we’ve been in, one of the first questions asked is: Do you have any food allergies? Or Do you have a booking (reservation)
*Bottled water has a cap that is hard to separate from the bottle. It’s like opening a lid that stays attached. It’s been hard to learn to drink with the cap still partially attached. We’re guessing it’s an environmental thing.
*In public places pigeons abound. And, in places to eat such as train and subway places that’s open to pigeons, they are always flitting around looking for food. In one restaurant at the Edinburgh train station, two pigeons were on a table fighting for the scraps on the table.
*In each hotel where we’ve stayed, the toilet does not have a tank. There is a flushing mechanism on the wall behind it. Those mechanisms typically have two flush modes—big and little. And, by the way, there are no bathrooms, they are called toilets. And the hotels we’ve stayed in so far have not furnished wash clothes.
*Every road crossing is marked: look left or look right. And, if you don’t look the right way it’s easy to almost get run over.
*Bicycles are a big means of transportation. Nearly every road has bike lanes. In London we found what was called a “super bike lane.” It was nearly as wide as a regular car lane.
*Roads here that are under repair don’t have detours. They have diversions.
*If food is ordered to go, the proper term is “food to take away.”
*There are very few “exits,” but many “way out” signs.
*We’ve encountered several pay toilets. They take credit cards, just tap at the terminal before going in. The prices we’ve seen range from 9 pence to 20 pence. But, when you gotta go you don’t mind paying.
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