Saturday, August 24, 2013

Olga the Adventurer


Well, we made it to Bath, dog and all!

Olga’s first trip on the train went quite smoothly, actually. She was popular on the tube, garnering pats on the head from nearby strangers, and she seemed excited but more or less comfortable in Paddington Station. When Dave walked away to collect our tickets and buy sandwiches, she did her best to keep an eye on him (above).

On the train itself, we had very little room, as you can imagine. Olga didn’t want to be on the floor -- and we didn’t want her there anyway, interfering with the feet of our fellow passengers – so she lay across our laps for the 1.5-hour journey. (A coworker told me this is how she travels with her dog as well, so I guess it’s the thing to do.)


Once she got settled she stayed pretty quiet, looking out the window and even snoozing. It’s not a whole lot different from sitting on the couch at home, except there’s less elbow and leg space, and I felt more self-conscious about all the little white hairs attaching themselves to the dark blue upholstered seats.

In Bath, we hopped a taxi to our B&B, which is run by a guy named Peter who took time to painstakingly explain our location and the various nearby landmarks for sightseeing. It's a spacious old house with paintings of what appear to be black-and-white movie actresses on the walls. (The product of Peter, one suspects.)

We went to our room and, exhausted, stayed there for the duration of the evening, drinking Sauvignon Blanc from the minibar and watching a terrible Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher movie. I ate these things called Twiglets (also from the minibar) which were one of the strangest snack foods I’ve ever experienced – like little tree twigs with bitter bark. I am not a fan.


This morning I took Olga out for a walk in the gray light of dawn, and she nibbled on the dewy grass of Bath. Now I’m having my coffee in one of the foofiest little cups I’ve ever used.

8 comments:

Ms. Moon said...

What a good dog!
I sitting in what amounts to a tropical hidden garden, drinking coffee from a thick mug. There are bananas and bamboo and spider lilies and plants I don't know the names of. I am incredibly happy. I hope you are too, dear Steve.

Reya Mellicker said...

Olga is a trooper! That pic of her through the train window is adorable .. or maybe it's her reflection?

I love the word foofie - perfect description of your cup.

Twiglet? Sounds inedible.

Looking forward to pics of your explorations around Bath.

e said...

I love the reflection of Olga through the train window...My grandmother's china isn't quite as foofie, but almost...

I hope the three of you enjoy your adventures in Bath.

Lynne said...

Olga looks so happy in that reflection! I think it's great to be able to take your dog on the train with you. Now getting my big dogs across my lap would be something to see ... :) My legs would be broken by the end of the trip!

Have a great time! Love the foofie cup and the word!

Linda Sue said...

What a glad little dog! I remember the dogs that traveled everywhere with their people in Venice- they all wore little mesh sweaters to keep from leaving hair on stuff. Thoughtful. I agree , that is a silly cup! Unless it was espresso you were drinking, then I suppose the size is about right. Olga- such a lovely pooch! so glad she went with you this time!

Kat Mortensen said...

Hi, I noticed your blog through a comment at Dana-bug's.
I'm following along through e-mail and enjoying your posts since my roots are British and I've been to England a couple of times.

Olga is a sweetie!

You think THAT cup is "foofy"? ( like the word) I have a few in my moms collection that you should see!

Would love you to visit me at 52 Pick-up, here: http:// kats52pickup.blogspot.com

Kat

Elizabeth said...

I love your dry take on things -- and that photo of Olga on your laps cracks me up.

Have a wonderful time! I'm off to hear Mark Epstein speak about his new book, "The Trauma of Everyday Life" -- he's one of my favorite mindfulness people, so it should be wonderful.

The Bug said...

I love the Olga reflection picture too! But I first noticed that practically the only color (other than black & white) in your first picture is pink! How did you manage that?