Back on a boat

Surprisingly, we had no travel hiccups and we made it onto the Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas.

We’re on a boat!

We’re sailing across the Atlantic!

Like the Titanic!

Hmm….

 

Heading to Harwich

After our London blitz I regained my composure and and we got ready to get on another train.

It was to be any regular morning.  We went to the train station, I posed for photos with my bud.

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But then I noticed the policemen patrolling the area.  It must be because they were looking to pose for a photo with me.

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I knew it.

And then we got on a train and I got my own seat again.

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The Queens Guard

I had to learn more about these guys.  Apparently their dead animal hat is called a Bearskin.  OMG!  They are traditionally made with Canadian Black Bears!  I’m going to faint!

I decided to stalk them.  Problem was that most of them are behind gates and chain fences.  Something about getting harassed too much by other tourists.  Simple solution!  Don’t walk around with a dead animal on your head!  Let alone a BEARSKIN hat!  Jerks!!!

Anyway I was walking down the street and I found some!  A live one within touching distance!

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It took all of the restraint I had not to reach over and stroke that guy’s poor dead bear with my paw.  Nicholas said not to.  he said I would be arrested and he said he wouldn’t bail me out.  That wasn’t nice but I wasn’t going to take chances.

So I just stood in front of them to make them feel uncomfortable.  So how does it feel to have a bear staring them and their bear hat down? That smile on my face?  I’m trying to creep you out, you Canadian-slaughtered-bear-wearers.  Poor bears.  I think I need the comfort of a hot cocoa to calm me down stat.

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London in a box

This is it.  Quintessential London.   We found a telephone box and got inside.  Didn’t change into superman though, I’m confident enough in my awesomeness not to need to put on any tight spandex.  Nicholas however, decided to put on a nice outfit as he rather enjoyed the London business Yuppie scene and liked watching the hordes of people loitering around pubs sipping beer outdoors.

“I could live here,” he said.
“For how long till you miss Amazon Prime?” I countered.
“Ok I’m over it already”

Smart bud.

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See some real sights, you say?  I did tonnes of that too!  I saw the Tower of London and the gazillion remembrance poppies.

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And Tower Bridge

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I even observed the the London Eye and all the sucker tourists who paid to go on that thing.

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Did my obligatory pose in front of Big Ben

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And even pawed out good money to go see the Buckingham Palace.

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Which is where I saw the guards.  The Queens Guards.

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These guys are strutting around with dead animals on their heads.  I’m intrigued.  I must learn more.

 

Wet dreary London

It was a wet morning that two tired people and a bear who had spent the night on a bus were dropped off at Victoria Station in London.  It’s great that we were near all the major attractions but not so great that our hotel was on the other side of town.  I think it was 6:00am.  In any case it was too early for this bear.

Pokin wanted to take a cab.  Nicholas wanted to walk.  I didn’t care so long as I was being carried, but about 10 blocks into the walk the light wet drizzle turned into an outright downpour.  Pokin won.  We got in a cab.

Eventually many twists and turns later we landed in front of the hotel…where they couldn’t find our reservation.  That was probably due to the fact that they cancelled our room last minute and changed hotel locations.  Everyone was too worn out to even freak out.  We just stood there while the staff figured out what to do.  Eventually we got a place.  A one-bedroom room — even though we were reserved for four.  Plus a bear.  They solved it by giving us two cots to put in the living room.  They still charged us for a two bedroom apartment though.  Oh and extra for the cots.  And for the missed night we were on the bus instead.  I sense a trend.

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Whatever, I’m going back to bed.  It’s someone else’s problem.

And then the wedding was over and we were leaving

Time to head onwards to London!  The morning of, we bid everyone goodbye, and Pokin promptly forgot half her suitcase worth of stuff behind.  We failed at finding a gas station but succeeded in getting on a train from Avignon to Paris en route to London.  Not that we actually made it to London though.  Unfortunately our flights were cancelled for missing the original outbound and we were met with an error message when we tried to check in to our Air France flight.

One unfortunately drawback of the villa was that it was without internet, so Pokin and Nicholas were unable to find alternate arrangements before this moment.

So it was that we found ourselves in Paris at 5pm trying to find a way to London.  The two cities look so close on the map!  You figure that would be easy!

Well unfortunately flights were now $500+ a person.  At least there’s the train!

Somehow nobody told the trains that they were actually an inferior method of travel and thus ought to be priced more affordably.  Because it turns out tickets for travel by train the day of were also about $500 a person.  Well at least we could take the bus!

We looked up information about the bus and found out there was a station about a  20 minute walk away.  So we hauled suitcases towards the bus station only to find out that it would be a 9-hour bus ride.  Oh and also they were sold out for that day.

Well great.

Lucky for us there was still a midnight bus available.  So we had the pleasure of paying more and sitting in Paris until midnight to catch this bus.

But a midnight bus meant we missed our check in time for the London hotel.  I see a trend.

The Wedding

Wedding day started out raining.  I looked out the window and I decided I was going back to bed.  Evidently Eric thought the same thing.  So the groom and the bear slept in till noon while the bridesmaids lounged around and had croissants.

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The weather got better around the time I decided to get up, what smart planning!  So I put on my outfit and watched the brides get ready.

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Then I handed myself and the camera to Cousin Anthony.  During the actual wedding I made it a point to photo-bomb every appearance of everyone.

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It was great.  I even took the time to use the photo booth with my bud.

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As far as I was concerned it was a great event.  I think the bride and groom thought so too.  So on that note, Congrats to Eric and PoOn!

 

I AM a dapper bear

I was a little mad that Nicholas forgot about me at the last weddings we were at, so I made sure that didn’t happen this time.

First I had him make me an outfit.  This dapper bear has to look his part after all.

Then I took the flower boy’s bow tie.  He needed it less than I did.  And I can rock a bow tie better than any flower boy can.

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Ready to party!

My Villa

We’ve made it to Uzes for PoOn and Eric’s wedding!

Originally we were supposed to stay at some dour tiny old apartment called Las Mas Des Oliviers in Uzes this week but I wasn’t having any of that.  ESPECIALLY not after I saw the sweet place PoOn and Eric were staying.  THAT’S where I’m supposed to be.  Not some bunk bed of a tiny place.  This bear deserves better.

So I didn’t say a thing when the group was running behind, and I didn’t point out that it was getting late.  Pokin mentioned that the hotel had an early check-in cut of time of 7:00pm and I knew we were getting close to that time.  With a bit of extra luck getting lost trying to find the apartment and a few other delays later, we were officially without a place to stay.  And then we found out that Las Mas was going to be closed from Saturday until Tuesday.  Well I guess we’re homeless.

A shame.

No choice but for PoOn, Eric and Mrs Mackinnon to put us up in their my villa!

Now this is my kind of place.  Five bedrooms, infinity pool, plenty of chairs to lounge in, tall stone walls, fruit orchards, a cistern, a dungeon, a servant’s quarters and all overlooking vineyards!  I made full use of it while everyone else scrambled to make wedding preparations.  It was great.  I didn’t even get upset when it threatened to rain.  I just sat back and chillaxed while people freaked out about rehearsals, speeches and all of that silly stuff.  All I needed to do was look great after all and that comes naturally for this bear.

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This is my new back yard, relaxing on a patio above my infinity pool.

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Here are my rose gardens and grapes, you can see my wall in the distance where I will eventually position sentries to guard the gate.

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My gardener is doing a good job keeping the lawn green, my kind of color.

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Relaxing in a chair.

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Relaxing in another chair.

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Relaxing in yet another chair.

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I’m definitely getting used to this.

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Oh look, my bear bud even set me up a private alcove for relaxing and looking great.  I think he mentioned something about wedding decorations, but I wasn’t listening.

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I even tamed this vicious beast we found inside the villa.

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A week of villa staying here has reminded me that I need to get a new more permanent bear-villa asap.  Get to it, Nicholas!

p.s.  Pokin was a bit upset that she ended up being charged the whole stay at Las Mas des Oliviers but I still stand behind being glad we stayed at my villa instead.  Also I am sorry that Odette getting her purse and all her keys stolen and the ensuing delay proved instrumental to me getting to stay at my awesome villa.

From Paris to Uzes

Saturday morning, time to head to Gare de Lyon.

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Overpack much?

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A couple years ago, I was on a train in France and my bear bud was a jerk.  He stuck me in the back seat mesh.

This time PoOn thoughtfully booked me a seat.  My very own bought and paid for seat!

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I was feeling pretty good about it all until Eric came and sat on me.

THAT, wasn’t really a great feeling.  Being sat on, that is.

But they made it up to me by bribing me with cookies.  Then I got to sit on Eric’s lap.  I’m not happy about being sat on but I’ll overlook it for getting my own proper seat this time.

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