It's A Small World - A Never-ending Pre-trip Report

[Flossbolna]

So sorry for that awful experience!!! This really does not sound like a sensible beginners program at all!! However, I am impressed how dedicated you are. I am not sure if returning there makes a lot of sense since it does not sound like you are getting the support you should be getting. 400 meters running in one go for a beginner. To put it into perspective: I am an average runner in my opinion and it would take be between 2.5 and 3 minutes to run 400 meters. For a beginner speed, I would think 4 minutes for 400 meters is already respectable!! And no way is running 4 minutes, walking one minute a good beginners rythm! I am really quite mad at the people organising this as things like that are just the best way to keep motivated people from actually taking up running!

I hope you had better success with the app that you got. And remember: it does not matter how slow you are now, you will get faster just by getting out there and training. And as soon as you start out on your run you are already one big step ahead of all the people who did not make the effort to go on a run!

 

[jedijill]

That's runners group is crazy! Experienced runners shouldn't be in the couch to 5K group! I'm glad you are sticking it out! Good for you!

Jill in CO

 

[dolphingirl47]

t also sounds like the instructor was not timing things correctly?

I think he had the issue that the majority of the group would have been bored out of their minds if we had stuck with the program we should have followed. On the other hand, they knew what they signed up for and it was their choice. The store does offer all kinds of different programs and I am sure there would be more suitable ones for them.

However, I am impressed how dedicated you are.

This is something that I promised myself for a long time, but for one reason or another, it never happened. When they announced the inaugural Run Disney event at Disneyland Paris, this was too good to pass up. Once I have made up my mind about something, I tend to follow through.

I am not sure if returning there makes a lot of sense since it does not sound like you are getting the support you should be getting.

You are probably right, but as I am pretty optimistic by nature, I am kind of hoping that this was a one off.

I am really quite mad at the people organising this as things like that are just the best way to keep motivated people from actually taking up running!

I can definitely see this happening. I have to say I was ready to throw in the towel there and then. Fortunately I am made of sterner stuff.

I hope you had better success with the app that you got.

Yes, I did. I really enjoyed my run this morning. I timed it just right as well. It had obviously been raining not long before and just after I got back, we had a real downpour. My phone was playing up and would not let me access my music, but hopefully on Friday I will have music as well as instructions.

And remember: it does not matter how slow you are now, you will get faster just by getting out there and training.

That is what I figure. At the moment I am just happy with actually doing it. I figure once I have built up some stamina, I can worry about the speed. I still have just over 6 months to pull this off so there is no need to push myself too far too soon and either get totally demotivated or worse still, pick up an injury. At the moment everything from the waist down hurts, but this is just lactic acid build up and should get better soon enough if I keep going.

And as soon as you start out on your run you are already one big step ahead of all the people who did not make the effort to go on a run!

One of the other beginners said something very similar to me on Monday and this really struck a cord with me.

That's runners group is crazy! Experienced runners shouldn't be in the couch to 5K group!

I could not agree more.

I'm glad you are sticking it out! Good for you!

I so want to get that medal and the only way I am going to get it is by sticking it out and giving my best.

Corinna

 

[dolphingirl47]

I had every intention to posting an update tonight as all kinds of things are happening at the moment, but I have run out of time as I have a very long day ahead of me tomorrow. Fortunately I had the foresight to pack before work this morning. I also did online check in for the airport hotel in Paris where we are staying tomorrow night and did the online check in for our respective flights. Graham will fly out from Birmingham and I will fly from Manchester and then we will meet in Paris. I am really excited to get some Disney time. See you all at the other end.

Corinna

 

[Pinkocto]

Safe travels and have a fabulous trip!!!

 

[jedijill]

Have a fantastic trip!

Jill in CO

 

[dolphingirl47]

Safe travels and have a fabulous trip!!!

Have a fantastic trip!

Thanks to both of you. I have decided to treat myself to an airport lounge. I had some supper and a gin and tonic and now I am catching up online while I am pondering having a second.

Corinna

 

[jedijill]

Thanks to both of you. I have decided to treat myself to an airport lounge. I had some supper and a gin and tonic and now I am catching up online while I am pondering having a second.

Corinna

Go for it!

Jill in CO

 

[dolphingirl47]

Go for it!

Jill in CO

I think I probably will.

Corinna

 

[franandaj]

Loving your pictures from DLP!

 

[dolphingirl47]

Loving your pictures from DLP!

I took quite a few. I will get the Coast to Coast trip report finished and then I will do a mini trip report about Disneyland Paris.

Corinna

 

[dolphingirl47]

Time is flying and things are falling into place left right and centre. As I thought, plans are evolving from what I originally thought they would be, but this is all good and I am sure that this will continue for a while.

We have now booked all the hotels. 3 out of 4 have ended up with what I thought from the beginning. Unfortunately in Barcelona, I was overruled. I really wanted to stay in the city centre this time and I thought that the hotel that I had found ticked all the boxes in terms of location and cost. However, Graham was pushing for the Holiday Inn Express in one of the suburbs that we stayed at during both of our previous visits. I have to admit I was sulking a little, but Graham does know which buttons to push. Not only has he essentially given me free reign in terms of the Gaudi sites that I wanted to visit, but he actually suggested a couple of others as well. The Gaudi architecture is very much my obsession and it is not really one that Graham shares, but he is willing to humour me on this one. In the end I had to admit that paying the same for three nights at Molins de Rei than we would have paid for one night in central Barcelona was a pretty compelling argument. To make up for the fact that we have to commute into Barcelona, we decided to get an earlier train from Narbonne to Barcelona so that we have a half day in Barcelona on the Saturday. So the rough plan for Barcelona is:

Saturday
Either La Pedreira and Casa Batllo in the afternoon followed by Tapas and the Montjuic Magic Fountain or Park Guell in the afternoon followed by Tapas and the Montjuic Magic Fountain

Sunday
Sagrada Familia
Gothic Quarter with Cathedral
Either Park Guell or La Pedreira and Casa Batllo
Tapas dinner
If we are doing La Pedreira on the Sunday, we may get a combo ticket that allows us to come back at night for Gaudi: The Origins, which is a neat projection show.

Monday
Whole day tour to Colonia Guell and Montserrat (booked)

My preference is that we do Park Guell on the Saturday as this is quite far out and then we have the Sunday to just pootle around the centre of Barcelona.

We have also booked all the long distance trains now apart from Narbonne to Barcelona. I would have booked this earlier on today, but they have an issue on the website that I normally use. We got a fantastic deal on the Manchester to London stretch and ended up paying only £10 each when they had a sale on recently.

We have not really had a look at the details for the ports yet, but once we have nailed down all the details for Barcelona, we can switch our attention to this. We do know what we want to see with the possible exception of Piraeus and we have booked a tour for Petra so the rest will fall into place when it is good and ready.

Corinna

 

[dolphingirl47]

I forgot a few updates about the cruise part of the trip. I suppose it kind of makes sense to keep them separate anyway.

On Monday was our final payment date and I paid of the balance on Saturday. I have now also completed our online check in and finally managed to add Graham's Crown and Anchor Society number. I have to say the Royal Caribbean website can be challenging at times, but then again, the same can be said about the DCL website. We can board any time between 12:30 and 20:00. I think we will probably board as soon as we can.

The Ovation went through the river Ems conveyance over the weekend and at the same time, some photos were released. The ship is coming along nicely. I suppose she better had as the first cruise is now less than a month away. There is still a distinct lack of information. A couple of things that have transpired though is that the Ovation will have the Dreamworks Experience and it also looks like we will have the Coca Cola Freestyle machines. Both of those titbits make me very happy.

We are still waiting on news regarding what entertainment will be on offer. However, this is not a very big deal for me as I don't tend to go to the shows anyway. I am however hoping that we can book certain activities like Northstar and i-Fly online before we leave.

Corinna

 

[Pinkocto]

Sounds like everything is coming together nicely sorry about the veto on the Barcelona hotel, but 3 nights for the price of 1 sounds like a better deal. How far is the commute from the hotel you booked?

Whenever I pay in full it always makes it feel actual 'real' that a trip is happening. That and buying airplane tickets. Very exciting!

I like the sound of the DreamWorks Experience. I am a fan of lots of the DreamWorks movies.

 

[dolphingirl47]

sorry about the veto on the Barcelona hotel, but 3 nights for the price of 1 sounds like a better deal.

I had to grudgingly admit this.

How far is the commute from the hotel you booked?

A thirty minute train journey each way.

Whenever I pay in full it always makes it feel actual 'real' that a trip is happening.

I feel the same way.

That and buying airplane tickets.

I won't get to do this for this trip. We get there by train and then I we are flying back standby.

I like the sound of the DreamWorks Experience. I am a fan of lots of the DreamWorks movies.

I was so happy when I found out that this would be available on our cruise. I loved all the Shrek movies and also Madagascar. I got so excited when I found out that there is a good chance I will get to meet Puss in Boots.

Corinna

 

[dolphingirl47]

I just realised with a lot of excitement and with a bit of trepidation that 6 weeks from now we will be in London and this trip will have officially begun. Time will fly between now and then. So I suppose I better think about finalising stuff for this trip and also get the pre-trip report updated.

Hotels

We have gone for cheap and cheerful this time round. We figured that we are not going to spend much time in the respective hotels anyway. Most of them have been handpicked for location as well as for value. The exception to this is the hotel for the Barcelona part of the stay.

London

This is probably the most upmarket hotel of the lot being a full service Holiday Inn, but I got a great travel industry rate for this. We were a little torn on where to stay the first night. The first highlight of the trip is a visit to the Harry Potter Studios. They are actually in Watford, which is a 20 minute train journey from central London. We then have a lunchtime train from London to Paris the next day. We have no intentions to do any sightseeing in London this time so staying in Watford makes sense. The fact that the price is about a third than the cheapest hotel near St. Pancras Station helps as well. The hotel is very close to the railway station so we can drop of our luggage there before heading back to the station to get the shuttle bus to the Harry Potter Studios. There are also a bunch of restaurants nearby, but we may just opt to eat at the studios.













Paris

This time round we have decided to stay in the centre of Paris rather than at our usual hotel that we stay at when I go to Disneyland Paris. I am still planning to spend our full day in Paris at Disneyland Paris, but Graham will spend the day sightseeing in Paris. We will also arrive in central Paris and leave from central Paris so this makes the most sense. The hotel I have chosen is the Hotel Trianon Gare de Lyon. I have picked this for location and value, but also because of some quirky features that appeal to me. Gare de Lyon is the perfect location for what we are both planning. I can pick up the RER train to Disneyland from there and it is very close to the area that Graham is planning to explore. Gare de Lyon is also where we will get the train to our next destination.









Narbonne

This again was chosen for location and value. Appart'city Narbonne is very close to the railway station and a short walk from the city centre. As we are mainly using Narbonne as a base to explore the surrounding area, being close to the train station is a distinct advantage. This looks decidedly minimalistic, but this actually appeals to me.













Barcelona

This hotel is the only hotel we have stayed at previously. We ended staying there on both of our previous visits to Barcelona. The hotel in question is the Holiday Inn Molins de Rei. Molins de Rei is a small town about 15 miles outside of Barcelona. It takes about 30 minutes by train into central Barcelona, but the advantage is that since we last stayed there, they have extended the line and this now goes directly to Plaza Catalunya, which makes things a lot easier. The hotel is nice and clean. It is situated on an industrial estate, which is about half a mile away from the local station. It also includes breakfast, but I doubt that we will have time for this apart from the final morning as we have a lot of ground to cover while we are there.

 

[franandaj]

The hotel's all look very interesting. I find it odd how many European hotels have the beds right smack up against the walls. All of them look fresh and modern. I know most people say that the hotel doesn't matter since they hardly spend any time in the room, and that's great, but I've found that for us it is very different. We haven't left our room since we received the keys last night! Traveling just takes so much out of us, we need a comfy bed to recharge. I can't believe your second RC cruise is so close! I'm already following along on that TR you started yesterday.

 

[Pinkocto]

All these hotels look fun. I really like the carpet in the Watford one.

 

[dolphingirl47]

I find it odd how many European hotels have the beds right smack up against the walls.

Do you mean the top end of the bed? Our bed at home has the top end of the bed right against the wall as well.

All of them look fresh and modern.

That is what I liked about them.

I know most people say that the hotel doesn't matter since they hardly spend any time in the room, and that's great, but I've found that for us it is very different.

I think on this trip, this will definitely be the case. We want to see so much stuff and have limited time to see it in. On the flipside of the coin, I am looking forward to just chilling on the ship. On the first day we can board at 12:30 and the plan is to have some lunch and then find a lounger in the solarium and a cocktail. I doubt that we will emerge from the solarium again until dinner time. We can check in until 20:00 so I assume the safety drill is after late dinner as we do not set sail until midnight.

We haven't left our room since we received the keys last night! Traveling just takes so much out of us, we need a comfy bed to recharge.

Sometimes we do the same. However, this trip is different. We will travel by train so this is less time intensive and less stressful and I think the longest trip is three hours with most of them being around the 2 hour mark.

I can't believe your second RC cruise is so close!

Nor can I. It is now less than 50 days before we set sail.

I'm already following along on that TR you started yesterday.

There should be a couple of updates by the time you get back.

All these hotels look fun.

I thought so.

I really like the carpet in the Watford one.

Do you mean the carpet in the bedroom? I love the colour of this.

Corinna

 

[dolphingirl47]

Harry Potter Studio Tour

This has been on my bucket list ever since it opened, but for one reason or another, we never got around to it. It only takes us about 2 hours to get to London by high speed train, but for some reason we rarely make the trip. The last time we were in London together, we had other plans and could not fit the Harry Potter Studios in.

I had not seen this coming for this trip either. I was not quite sure what we would do to pass the time between getting to London and before we leave again, but this did not even enter my mind. Early in the planning process, we were on our respective computers in different rooms plotting what we were hoping to see and do. Suddenly I got an email from Graham stating that this was my belated anniversary present and the attachment contained tickets for the Harry Potter Studio Tour.

The Harry Potter Studio Tour is not actually in the studios where the films were made. They are still very much working studios. However, the Harry Potter Studio Tour is next door and covers two sound stages and a backlot. It contains a lot of the original sets from the films. I can't wait to see this with my own eyes and I am particularly looking forward to standing in the Great Hall and the Griffindor common room.









Fortunately they allow photos in almost all areas and I am sure I will take plenty of them. They also sell Butter Beer and even Butter Beer ice cream. I will definitely have to try the Butter Beer and probably the ice cream, too.