PSA: Triangle restaurant shout out

Do you live in or near Cary?  If yes, do you regularly eat at Cool Runnings?  If not, what is wrong with you?  Get over there ASAP!  I swear they’re not paying me or anything; I just love their food and can’t figure out why they’re not super busy.  Did I mention that it’s super cheap for the quality of food you’re getting?  A patty is only $2.50!  Add a side of rice and peas, and you have a perfect meal for just $5!  The entrees come with two sides and, at about $10, are also a great value.  We were there for dinner on Friday (yes, third time in one month), and we finally tried the bread pudding.  It is, as promised, delish!  It’s not your standard bread pudding, but you’ll love it if you have ever enjoyed even a bite of bread pudding anywhere.  Anyway, I’ll  stop obsessing over one of my new favorite restaurants (I’m also somewhat obsessed with Lilly’s Pizza) for now and let you get back to whatever you were doing.

Flights between RDU and – now – LHR

Beginning today, American Airline’s direct flights between Raleigh-Durham and London switched from Gatwick to Heathrow – score!  Heathrow is much closer to London than Gatwick, so getting to your hotel to dump your luggage is quicker.  Plus you can get to London from Heathrow on the Tube with your Travelcard (1 day, zones 1-6 from £7) or Heathrow Express (from £15 ow), whereas you have to buy a separate train ticket (Thameslink (from £9 ow) or Gatwick Express (from £17 ow)) coming in from Gatwick.  If you take a bus, it’s cheaper and faster from Heathrow too (from £8 rt v. £12 rt).

“There are just slightly more than a dozen cities in the United States that can claim nonstop service to London Heathrow,” said Jim Carter, American’s Vice President — Eastern Sales Division. “It’s definitely a ‘feather in the cap’ of any area to be able to say it is a gateway to London Heathrow. Heathrow is the preferred London airport, especially for business travelers going to London.”

-RDU

Image from Wiki.

Destination “Friday”: The Lake District

The Lake District is a rural area in northwest England and this week’s destination as part of my UK series. The area is famous for its lakes and mountains as well as its associations with famous literary types such as William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. It’s the perfect place for taking long walks and relaxing.

Ack! Even more cancelled flights!

“Delta Air Lines and American Airlines announced Thursday the cancellations of hundreds of flights so the companies can conduct inspections on bundles of wires in some of their jets.”  Read more at CNN.  I’m sooo grateful to have not been traveling on any of those flights. 

My airline/airport experiences last weekend: My Delta flights from Gulfport, MS on Monday went just fine other than having to jog to make the connection (we circled for, like, 30 minutes cuz ATL was backed up *rolling eyes*).  My Northwest flights there on Friday night were passable – only delayed an hour in Memphis waiting for some other passengers and the urine stench on the second flight in “first” class only made me gag about a half-dozen times.  I still dislike ATL; MEM was good – a few fun restaurants from which to choose; and GPT was easy and adorable (so tiny!).  Honestly, I was so grateful to have gotten to spend the weekend with some of my family that I didn’t mind a bit of it.  I didn’t even sigh and cringe about the teeny airplane seats.

Wildcats in Detroit

Just in case you didn’t already know, Davidson is one cool place to earn a degree.  Check out this email recently sent out by the pres (a friend forwarded it to me):

A cartoon

I had a great weekend in New Orleans, which I promise to tell you all about soon.  I need to get my photos uploaded first though.  In the meantime, here’s a fun cartoon from xkcd for your amusement.

TTT: Travel toothbrush

My travel tip for this Tuesday is to pack a toothbrush designed especially for travelling.  Not only do they take up a little less space than their standard counterparts, but they’re usually designed with at least a nod to hygiene issues.

Destination Friday: Cambridge

Cambridge, long an important university town in England, has inspired the likes of Darwin, Newton, Steven Hawking, and many of the Monty Python gang.  It’s a gorgeous little town steeped in history and tradition.  I really enjoyed my visit back in 2001, so it’s my pick for this Destination Friday. 

      

NTR: A sweet lion

A woman in Columbia rescued Jupiter, a lion owned by a traveling circus that did not treat him well.  She uses her teacher’s salary to run a shelter for animals like Jupiter, where she nurses them back to health.  Jupiter, at least, really appreciates it – check out the video here.

Image from White Light Black Light.

Can’t make it to Jerusalem for Easter?

If you want your prayers to be heard in Jerusalem (or another holy site) but can’t make the trip, check out the new POIP (Prayer Over IP) service via OnsitePrayer.org.  Through your cell phone, this company can stream your prayer to holy sites in Jerusalem, the Sea of Galilee, and Nazareth. 

Mt. Tabor image from POIP.