Weekly Recap
Thursday July 28- August 3
page 75 - 122 (47 pages)
For all parties involved, it would be better off if I were not wearing a baby doll T.
NEW CRUISERS
Sorcerer-Mickey -
Natasha
In the past, I traveled on the Maiden Eastern Transatlantic. Now, I'm looking forward to bringing the Magic home. I will be traveling with my long term boyfriend/partner
Erik. ...A little about ourselves. We are from Fort Collins, CO USA and will not be traveling with our son this time. He can not miss three weeks of school. We are flying out of Houston, TX on 09/07/11 on British Airways to London and then onto Barcelona, Spain.
CONGRATULATIONS
Namsupak - "Yesterday was my last day of school! Now I start working in the real world on Tuesday and making real world money" -
Lauren
KEEPING IN OUR PRAYERS
karentan - "we're going through something similar with gary's dad at the moment, he's still alive, but not coping and recovering very well from treatment for a recurring brain tumor, we think its back again as he's going downhill rapidly and not responding to anything anymore."
OUR CONDOLENCES
liesbeth1012 - "My father is passed away this week. Nothing dramatic. It was a releave, because he had very much pain. He was 88 years old and broke his hip and shoulder a couple of weeks ago. And after an operation, a new hip. But they couldn't do anything on the shoulder. And he was dementing too.
My sister en me have made all the arangements for the funeral so now I have some time for the forum. I can now focus on the cruise."
WE CHATTED ABOUT
- Cabin Assignments
- Adult Cabaret in Rockin' Bar D
- Drive from Orlando to Miami
- Dexter
- Cape May Clam Bake
- Jeans in Main Dining Rooms
- The Lion King on stage
- FE gift exchange sign-up closed on August 1
- Scrapbook Exchange sign-up closed on August 1
- Packing Cubes
- Sweater, shawl, jacket?
- What to visit in Barcelona
- HOHO Bus (Hop On Hop Off) in Barcelona
- Seasickness & Remedies
- Insulated Mugs/Cups
- Funchal On Your Own
VILLAINS' NIGHT MASK
INTERESTED IN A GROUP BRUNCH AT PALO?
Hey New Cruisers! Want to meet some other people from this forum?
You can enjoy a lovely Champagne Brunch at Palo on one of the Sea Days.
$20 per person (same price if you could get a small table).
The private dining room has a table for 12-14 people (see above); otherwise, the food & beverage (champagne included) are the same as the main Palo dining room.
Old cruisers are welcome, too.
WHEN YOU GET YOUR STATEROOM ASSIGNMENT
Please, please PM
birkner (Noel) if you are on the lanyard, lanyard pin or Madeira tour with your stateroom assignments so my spread sheets are current.
WHICH TERMINAL IN BARCELONA FOR MY AIRLINE?
http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/airport/airport-barcelona.html
FLUBBER
Adults invaded the lab on the EBTA
- make flubber
- make foaming volcanoes
- do the cars piston cup challenge
- animation cells and invade the lab
"What is Flubber?" you ask:
Flubber is this amazing substance that was featured in "The Absent Minded Professor" long ago. There was a remake of the movie with Robin Williams as the professor, and flubber became even more magical. When applied to something, it gave the object the ability to fly. In the kids' lab, I believe that flubber is green and bouncy. Basically, fun.
CANDY SWAP
I told Jacqueline not to worry about sending me the information that she has regarding the candy swap.
So I would much appreciate if everyone signed up for the swap would PM me the followering information.
- Number of people in your stateroom
- Ages of people in your stateroom
- Room number (if you have it)
- Likes/dislikes
- Allergies
- How big a group you would like to participate in
A document will be set up on the FE Google Groups page after the cutoff date. Is everybody okay with a cutoff date on August 15th?
- I think I'm going to make groups of 10 stateroom. That way I can grant everyones wishes regarding group size.
I will PM everyone that I haven't heard from, so I can start making the groups, but I will not post the groups until after August 15th. Is yhat OK with everyone?
Just to make myself clear (darn language barrier). I will make groups of 10. But everyone that PM'ed me, that they would like to have 20 staterooms or more, will be put in more than one group (like the FE-groups).- Just love Eeyore (took over for goofieslonglostsis)
Christina -
Just love Eeyore
BARCELONA PORT
This is the address posted for us to use to get to the ship.
Portal de la Pau, 6
Moll Adossat, Terminal "c"
Barcelona 08039
However, that address does not correspond on Google maps to the actual location of the ship for docking in 2010, or as shown on the Barcelona Tourist Guide map. (plug it into google and you end up farther west in a more industrial pier).
The street address would be Passeig del Comte de Barcelona Joan de Borbó, Barcelona, Espanya
Those who sailed on the 2011 EBTA, do you remember the pier being somewhat near the Columbus statue and drop off/pick up area for the HOHO buses (that would correspond to the map above).
...According to the
DCL site, "The Disney Magic will be berthed at Adossat Terminal (Moll D'Adossat), Terminal C."
The location on the above map is the Quai Adossat (which would be the Adossat Quay) - so it looks like the same location as 2010.
LANYARD LIST UPDATE
I have had a few questions about the lanyard list for both regular and team members so here goes.
I will be posting an update toward the end of the week once I get caught up on some Madeira planning.
Each DIS member will get a PM from me confirming their info before I order the lanyards on August 15.
Any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to PM me.
For anyone who has not ordered a lanyard, here are the details:
Let the sign-ups for lanyards Continue!!!
birkner
HOW MUCH MONEY TO BRING?
If you are going to buy anything in Barcelona at the terminal like alcohol, you may need a few extra Euros. Are you not spending the day in Barcelona before the cruise? We bought all of our items except from street vendors with our Euro credit card. 50 Euros each should be fine if you are not buying much.
attention all cruisers taking the airport to port minibus
"i'm about to send PMs out to all of you with details of how to pay, it looks like the bus will likely be picking up from terminal one. the ones of us that get in early will have plenty of time to walk to terminal one, but the people coming in latest fly into terminal one, so it makes more sense to have the pick up there to cut down on time.
also the company allows one hour waiting time from the scheduled pick up in case anyone is delayed"
MADEIRA TOUR MISC.
If you are touring in Madeira, you may need extra money for the cable car, toboggan, lunch or wine unless you plan to use your credit card for all but toboggan. The toboggan is 12.5 euros each, plus they take a picture and there is a CD available, cash only.
______________
What the West tour includes is transportation and the guide.
1. Cable Car (one way) - Adult: 10 euros; Child from 4 to 14 years: 5 euros.
2.Toboggan Ride - 12,50 euros per person.
Check out this video for an idea of what the toboggan ride is like.
Toboggan ride
Lunch will be a cost of 12 Euros per adult and 9 Euros per child plus tip.
Here is the menu link:
Menu
______________
I prepaid the tour to Daniel Taxi on Paypal as a "gift" so for two it was 60 Euros. However, you can pay that day with a credit card.
We take the cable car one way only one way as we take the toboggan to where the driver will pick you up to continue the tour. I paid for the cable car and the toboggan rides in Euros and site for cable cars does not indicate if they take credit cards. If you want, I can email Daniel Taxi to ask. Please let me know.
Cable car
I want to let everyone know that they can ONLY prepay with credit cards on PayPal before the tour as the drivers are not going to have credit card machines. If you don't want to prepay, then please be prepared to pay in Euros the day of the tour.
If you have any questions about paying on PayPal, please send me a PM. This information has been available on the link but I took it off for a few days while I am updating both lists.
At one point, I thought we might be able to use credit cards that day but that has not materialized.
Everyone on the tour will get a van assignment soon via PM and I will post on the DIS when the assignments are complete.
Cutoff to sign up for either Madeira East or West tour is Saturday, August 27.
Answers to a few questions that have come up about payment etc. My questions in blue and Eusébia's answers in red.
1. Are we still prepaying as a gift to Daniels PayPal account address: jd-taxi@hotmail.com
Yes, better pay as a gift, so as to avoid any taxes. Daniel's Paypal address is still jd-taxi@hotmail.com
2. Do you send out confirming emails when people pay?
Yes, of course. As soon as payment is finalized, I send out a confirmation email to the people concerned.
3.
What information do you want people to put in the PayPal notes, Noel's tour?
Yes, "Noel's tour" will be perfect.
4.
Is a cutoff date of Saturday, August 27 ok with you? I can send you a list of the van assignments before then if you need it
Saturday August 27th is fine.
5.
I assume the drivers still do not take credit cards, is that still correct?
That's correct, it's not yet possible to pay the drivers with credit cards, however they'll be very pleased to stop by an ATM if necessary.
6. Do you know if the cable car takes credit cards? I also assume the toboggan drivers only take cash, is that still correct
Yes, the cable car takes credit card, but not the toboggans, though.
I think I'm going to ask if you're still interested in adding a visit to Blandy's at the end of the tour. I did also put down a note about the visit to the supermarket.
I will be making the van assignments soon and sending everyone a PM. Please be sure to sign up for Blandy's if you want to do the tour as I would like to get a count. Either tour can end with a tour at Blandy's.
The Old Blandy Wine Lodge is in downtown Funchal and is where you can taste and take a tour of who Madeira wine is made.
Here is the Old Blandy Wine Lodge Link
If you decided you want to tour, please sign up for the 4:30 PM tour and let me know so I can note my spreadsheet.
What types of wine do they sell? Can my eight year old come with us? I think we would be interested as long as we do not have to be on the afternoon Santa Maria Cruise and the tour was not super expensive.
"Last year the tour 5 Euros per adult person when you make your own reservations on the site. You do not pay on the site. This is a reservation only site and you pay on the tour. Minimum age for tasting is 18 and was confirmed by Eusébia who had called Blandys about children being allowed to take part in guided tours with their parents, they said Yes, they are and they even added that from the age of 6 till they are 15, children pay only 2.50 Euros, under 6 years of age is free. From 15 on then on they pay full price.
As far as I know there in only Madeira wine for sale. If you go the
Old Blandy Wine lodge site you can educate yourself about Madeira. Last year John and I bought wine, wine glasses and a honey cake.
All this and more info is available on the West Madeira tour link I made. Link is pretty large so it may take a minute or so to load."
West Madeira tour
- Please PM me if you want to go directly back to the ship or if you want to go shopping. Noel
- I know I've seen some of you following this thread about the EBTA, but if you haven't been, and you are interested in seeing some awesome pix of Madeira from someone who went on a Daniel Taxi tour, check this out
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2737891&page=8
EASYJET - HAND BAGGAGE
Hand baggage what goes in and what stays out?
You can take one piece of hand baggage into the cabin with you; maximum dimensions are 56 x 45 x 25cm. Hand bags, briefcases, laptops and laptop bags are all counted as one piece so if you have a hand bag and a laptop bag for example, you might want to consider putting one inside the other.
Remember to plan your hand and hold baggage in advance though; if you bring too many items of hand baggage to the check-in desk, staff there will insist that they be booked into the hold; youll be charged £25 per item, as we will have higher handling costs if we register your hold bag only at the airport. If you checked in online and bypassed check-in and you arrive at the boarding gate with too many items of hand baggage, theres a charge of £40 per item if we need to book them into the hold at this stage. We charge this high fee to avoid delays at the boarding gate and ensure a smooth boarding process.
And, even though its tempting, please dont try to sneak two items past our gate crew: theyll have to put one of them into the aircraft hold and charge you for it. It will delay yours and everyone elses journey!
Liquids in hand baggage
There are a number of rules to remember about what to put in your hand baggage and what to leave at home. Importantly, the word liquids has a wider meaning than you would perhaps think in the first instance. For example: lip balm, lip sticks, hand creams, deodorant, and hair spray are all considered liquids in this context.
The rules:
The liquid is in a container with a maximum volume of 100ml
All containers must comfortably fit into a transparent, re-sealable 1 litre plastic bag, measuring no more than 20 x 20cm
This plastic bag must be removed from the hand baggage and shown separately to airport security
SPEAKING OF PACKING
ATMs IN TORTOLA
Are there any ATM's in St Maarten & Tortola where you can withdraw $$'s cash near to where the ship will be docked?
According to http://www.bvitourism.com/atms-banking, BVI uses the US $ as its legal tender. These banks have ATMS in the downtown very near the pier:
Banco Popular Main Branch, Wickhams Cay I
First Caribbean Main Branch, Wickhams Cay I
Scotiabank Main Branch, Wickhams Cay I
First Bank Main Branch, Wickhams Cay I
Google map of Roadtown, Tortola
EXCHANGING CURRENCY ONBOARD
In addition to providing assistance with your cruise inquiries, the Guest Services Desk also offers foreign currency exchange and personal check cashing up to $100. - DCL
"Yes, I actually called DCL this week and asked them, they said they can sell Euros, but I'm afraid the exchange rate will be awful, or if they run out I am scared. Plus I need some for Barcelona they day before the cruise anyway..."
"I thought the same thing. During our DCL Med cruise I found out they have euros at the same rate as you get on the streets (I spent 2 hours in the bank in Naples exchanging US $ to euros). When I returned to the desk, I asked them their rate, and it was the same or better. (the exchange kiosk had the worst exchange in Naples when you factor in their service charge)
Trouble is, GS may run out. I would get my $ the night before or first thing early in the morning of port day before the line up gets too long (before 7am)"
Secret Mickey Exchange
Please could everyone participating in the secret mickey exchange please check this post and make sure all your details are correct, especially room numbers.
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=41711729&postcount=2
if your room number isnt on there but you know it already, please let me know.
I currently have about four or five people unassigned, if you haven't had your recipient yet but would like it, please PM me -
karentan
BARCELONA SHOPPING
Wanted to share with everyone a great place to buy wine and water and even health and beauty aids in Barcelona if it hasn't been mentioned before. Last year we stayed at Silken Ramblas right around the corner from the Carrefour and the Bouqueria on les Ramblas. The water was ridiculously cheap! We bought a 6 pack of 1.5 liter bottles of water for 1.27 euros (that's 21 cents a bottle) It was really good too. Just be careful to get still water. They love fizzy water there. We also bought Cava Champagne which is a specialty in Barcelona. We bought 3 small bottles (about 3 glasses each) for 3 euros total. The Cava is delicous. It came in handy as one of the people at our table was celebrating his birthday and he was very touched when we wrapped it up and gave it to him. A few of the other bottles we used one night to share with the other 14 people at our table. Anyway, we frequented the Carrefour for the 3 days we were there before the cruise. I remember when they were in the states and loved the store. It was fun revisiting it, especially for their croissants! It's like 10 of them for a little over a euro. They had an extensive array of food and beverages. We loaded up on drinks and brought them on the cruise with us.
GIBRALTAR ALCOHOL SHOPPING
If you are going to buy liquor, it will cost you about £12-15 GBP for a litre bottle. However, Morrisons isn't the cheapest! The best place to buy any drink is the far end of Main St. The rule is, the further up Main St you go, generally the cheaper it gets!
GIBRALTAR & VAT
Gibraltar is a VAT (Value Added Tax)-free jurisdiction. VAT is a tax on goods and services in many countries of Europe; often 15-20%
If you PM'ed me for the Jost VanDyke trip or Pajama Breakfast in the past two weeks, please double-check you are now added to the list on Page 1 - MandyGirl
READ YOUR NAVIGATOR - TALK WITH YOUR SERVER
The ship had a "clam bake" for the last sea day lunch at topsiders on the 10 nt med! They had shrimp, crab legs, stone crab legs, I think sushi too though I'm not a sushi eater. They were also grilling steaks and what looked like fish in the back outside topsiders. The grilled steaks were not mentioned on the navigator so unless you happened upon them, you wouldn't have known. I had lunch after doing my Alone Time spa treatment and DH was napping. I told him about the steaks and he went up but it was 2pm and they had just closed the grill down.
A LITTLE SOUVENIR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHrSX0gHX_8
DO NOT TRY TO BE A PIRATE, BE A PIRATE
9/11 MEMORIAL
I was wondering if anyone had any plans to do a small memorial for the tenth anniversary of 9/11.
It will be the first 'at sea' day of the cruise, and DH and I are thinking of doing something.... even if it's a moment of silence or a group hand-holding or something.
I don't want to have everyone think that this is a 'downer' event for the cruise- we just don't ever want to forget, and hope that there are others that feel the same way.
If you do, and don't want to be 'public' with your memories- that's fine. I just wanted to find out if there would be any interest.
I had to call and ask DCL about something, so I also asked them if they had anything special planned for 9/11. She said that they have it down as "Patriot's Day" and there will be something to commemorate it, although she is not sure what exactly. She did say they have live news stations and we could probably watch a memorial service (I believe she said in Promenade Lounge or maybe Cove Cafe).
It looks like the memorial service at Ground Zero will start early so as to mark a moment of silence for when the first planes hit. With the time change that should be right after lunch on the ship.
- the attacks occurred at 8:45 and continued til 10:28.
- We will be 5 hours ahead; that will be 1:45 pm
FLAMENCO
There is Flamenco every Friday night at 9pm at this place (we had lunch here) close to the Pablo Picasso museum in the Gothic Quarter:
www.restaurantenervion.com
Not sure how authentic it is but they have show and a cerveza (beer or glass of sangria) listed for 12 euro, 2nd drink 3.5 euro. Show plus menu is 35 euro.
Maybe something to do after the Hard Rock Cafe meet!
A FEW DAYS IN BARCELONA
"Last year when we did the Med, we arrived by overnight train and had a few hours to kill before going to the port so we asked the taxi driver at the train station to tour us (we negotiated a price beforehand). We toured the outside of the Sagrada (walked completely around it taking photos) while he waited with our luggage. We then went to Park Guell and was there for about 45 min. He dropped us off right at the entrance. We then went to see the Olympic stadium, followed by the Castle in Montjuic where we got some great photos of the Magic. After that, he drove us along Passeig de Gracia, where we stopped to photograph the exterior of the Gaudi houses, then drove down the Ramblas to see the activity there, then he dropped us off at the ship. All this was free, so our only cost was the cab and it gave us a great overview of the city. We paid him 120 euro plus tip for 3 hours.
After the cruise, we toured the Ramblas including the boqueria and we also went to the cathedral in the Gothic Quarter (its free to get in in the am). DS got a haircut while DD and I shopped for some really nice ceramics. We headed back to the ship in the afternoon to continue a B2B. DH got his luggage and checked into a hotel for his early flight back the next morning.
This year's med, we spent 2 days before and 2 days after the cruise. Pre-cruise, we stayed north of Placa de Catalunya at the Hotel Continental Palacete and really enjoyed its location to the Gaudi homes and shopping on the Passeig de Gracia. DD and I shopped all morning the day we arrived while the boys slept, then in the afternoon we went to Casa Mila (Pedrera), one of the Gaudi homes. Loved it, esp the roof! In the evening, DH and I had a very nice dinner in Barceloneta at 7 Portes. Its very close to the metro stop and the metro was very easy to use. We met another american couple while waiting for a table and asked if they wanted to join us. Had excellent rich mans (or was it called poor mans?) paella and a few pitchers of sangria with our tablemates!! We wound up closing down the restaurant so DH and I took a taxi back since the metro had stopped running. Its a very different crowd that walks the Ramblas late at night. The next day, we visited the Picasso museum (free for kids under 16 so we only had to pay for DH and I). I loved the museum and they have a fantastic museum shop. We ate lunch at a place nearby close to the metro
www.restaruantenervion.com and they handed us a tourist menu but they also sold bocadillos (sandwiches) and pizza (neither was on the menu they gave us) so that's what we ordered. I had wonderful churros and chocolate for dessert. We wound up getting 2 more orders of churros only, they were so good and hot! YUM!!
DD and DH were tired so they went back to the hotel, and DS and I took the metro to the Arc de Triomph to visit the Chocolate Museum. That area is very nice too strolling the park there. Well, we spent almost an hour looking for the museum and actually walked right by it, beside it, around it, stopping several times for directions from locals. We wound up in a local plaza in a nearby neighborhood close to the Gothic quarter and sat down to get our bearings. I saw 2 boys running with an open backpack, then a few min later, a family frantically running trying to find them. The boys headed down a narrow alley and I pointed the family that way. Don't know what the outcome was, but be careful of your stuff. Do not lay things down, even for a minute. Wear your backpack (or better yet, don't carry one). DS 14 wore a sling bag across him - he was in charge of carrying water bottles, snacks, the umbrella and guidebook (Frommers Barcelona Day by Day, an invaluable resource) . I had my small camera, iphone, and cards/money in my pacsafe purse that I wore across my body. We finally found the chocolate museum and DS 14 said that was one of his favorite things to see in Barcelona! I think he also enjoyed the fact it was just he and I and he didn't have to compete with DD 15! That night we went to Taller de Tapas for a Dismeet tapas dinner with 42 people! Fun times!
After the cruise, we stayed at the Fira Palace in Montjuic (I picked this because of its location to what I had planned for the next 2 days). We dropped off luggage and headed to the base of Montjuic. At the grounds where there was the National Museum of Catalunya, we stopped to take in the views of the city and listen to a guitarist. I wished we had time for the museum but we wound up hiking up to the Castle again (it was a hike - we rested on the way). Got great photos of the Magic once again, then took the cable car down to the base of Montjuic. That evening, we went to Poble Espanol to see the flamenco dancing at Tablao de Carmen. You get free entrance 2 hours prior to the show (we did tapas and show). The tapas were plentiful enough that we were stuffed! The flamenco dancing was good - the show lasted about 1 hour. We saw the first show of the Magic Fountains on our walk back to our hotel. It was still light at 9pm though in July and is much more spectacular in the dark.
The next day DD was not feeling well so DH stayed behind while DS and I went to Montserrat. There was a huge Harley festival going on with at least 10,000 bikes parading past our hotel that morning! We walked thru the festival to the Espana station, and purchased our train tickets. We opted for the cable ride up (you have to decide once you buy your ticket). We had just missed the train so we went back to enjoy more of the Harley festival.
Since it was Sunday, a service was going on in the basilica. DS did not want to visit any churches (guess he had his fill after 10 nts of cruising) and the line to the Madonna was very long so I did miss that. And the boys choir was on vacation for the summer. We took a second cable called the Joan Muro to another part of the mountains. DS really enjoyed the cable cars.
We got back and had dinner with DH and DD. Most restaurants don't start serving till late, so we got some bread and chees at a local shop to hold us over. After, DS and I went back to the Harley festival to hear a band, and I went to buy a shirt for a friend. We fiinished our last night by seeing the Magic Fountains around 10:30pm. They were much more spectacular in the dark! If you want, FB me (put in the comments that you are on this cruise so I know who you are), and you can see my photo album - its called DCL Barcelona 2011.
OK, this sounds like a trip report!!! I loved everything we did but was not a big fan of the lower Ramblas other than the Boqueria. Once down was enough. My personal don't misses are Sagrada (at least the outside), Casa Mila, Park Guell, Picasso museum, and find some good paella and sangria!
IN CLOSING
The Pamplona thing reminded me of a funny story. It is kind of long..
When I was in law school I did a semester abroad at Oxford, taking classes, but mainly traveling and having fun. We had 3 day weekends and one weekend some of the students went down to Pamplona. One of the guys went down there on his own, not in a group (I don't remember his name, so I'll just call him Todd). Todd had a hearing problem, although not deaf, which made him kind of a "close talker." He was not very popular, I'm sorry to say, because the guys all thought he only did the "close talking" thing to hit on girls - and since he DID try and hit on the girls CONSTANTLY - they didn't like him too much either.
Sunday night comes, I'm sitting in the commons room, the lights are off and I'm watching TV. I hear someone arrive back at the dorm (turns out it is Todd) and he calls out to me from the foyer, asking if I can help him carry up his bag (this was a 5 or 6 story dorm with no elevator). Now Todd wasn't fat, but he was a big, husky guy so of course I think to myself, "Dude, why do you need me to help you with your luggage?" But not wanting to be rude, I didn't say anything but headed out to help him.
Todd was standing there with his arms and shoulders in a cast, his arms straight out in front of him propped up by rods embedded in the casts. His luggage was by his side (apparently a cab driver had dropped him off), and his jacket and shirt were just kind of haphazardly buttoned around his neck, with his chest and stomach exposed. He did, thankfully, have pants on.
Todd proceeds to tell me that he had been in Pamplona and there was some square with a tall statue (he said about 20 feet tall) and a huge crowd around it. Everyone, including Todd, was drunk, and people would climb up to the tower and jump into the crowd and "crowd surf."
So Todd decides that looks like fun and he is going to try it. Todd didn't speak any language other than English, and his hearing wasn't too good, and he had no friends in the crowd, and he weighed about (I'm guessing) 180-200lbs. I don't know if people warned him not to jump and he didn't hear, or didn't understand the language, or was too drunk to notice, but when he jumped, the crowd scattered and Todd splattered.
Todd was taken to a hospital where there was some major communication problems (and I get the sense from Todd that he wanted to stay at the hospital but they hustled him out fairly quickly) and somehow they patched his two broken arms and stuck him on a train back towards England. I know that this trip took the better part of the day and I'm still not sure how he managed it by himself or what strangers helped him along the way, but here he was back at Oxford.
By this time we're in his dorm room, I've hauled up his suitcase. He asks me if I can get him a glass of water. He mentions he needs to use the restroom. Then, can I unbutton his jacket? Then his shirt. At this point, I'm afraid what he is going to ask me to do next so I tell him I'm going to go get the class chaperone, a professor whose room was also in the dorm.
Up until this point, this professor was having the time of his life on a university-funded-all-expenses-paid vacation. He had brought his wife along and they were hanging out, sightseeing. He occasionally spoke at one of the classes (but didn't actually teach any). I get him, tell him and his wife what had happened, and head back downstairs.
About an hour later the professor comes down, VERY flustered and upset. Todd has the insurance we all had to purchase for medical emergencies that provides for transport back to the states, and the professor has called and arranged for someone to come tomorrow and escort him home. "He CANNOT stay here. He can't do anything for himself. I mean ANYTHING, and I am not going to..." his voice tapers off, very upset, shaking his head. "I can't do that again..." He didn't tell me WHAT and I didn't ask.
The next morning my roommate and I looked out our dorm window and there was Todd sitting in the courtyard. His belongings were all packed and he was waiting to be picked up. Todd was a smoker, and someone had taken a hanger and straightened it and put a loop in one end. There was a cigarette in the loop and Todd held the hanger in his right hand, at the end of his outstretched, immobile right arm, and slowly moved his right hand back and forth so that the end of the hanger with the cigarette in it went back and forth to his lips. That was the last we saw of Todd...
I wish I could recall where I saw that so I could give you the link - I'll try and find it.
(with our mental health!). I'm predicting around the 30-day mark, we poor unfortunates will be celebrating, too 
.
). Hope this helps. 
Poor thing is in agony but i've not stopped laughing. 
He was playing with the dogs when he got in from work last night and chased one of them who playfully ran off with his shoe, as he ran through the doorway he kicked the door frame. The best thing about it was I was filming it on my iphone at the time. 
It is very bruised & swollen this morning. 
