Windsor, what?
Vivi and I live at 38 Windsor Park:
We do
not live at Windsor Park:
Nor do we live at Windsor Avenue:
But today we got to know each of these Windsors.
First! Our apartment!
Fancy! Wait! It's so fancy, it's fanceeeeee.
Next: Windsor Park is a national football stadium very close to 38 Windsor Park. Now that I know how close it is, I'm going to look into getting tickets. Go, Northern Ireland!
Aaaaand then there's Windsor Avenue. Let me back up to the bus. What? Yes! The bus! Guess who suggested we hop on a bus? Vivian. That's right.
To begin at the beginning, I finally woke up Vivian at noon, Belfast time. Her hair was a corona of static and bedhead so we spent a good while trying to tame it, then got coats and the big backpack and set off for Warnocks, the school uniform go-to place. Google Maps said it was 1.1 miles and since my goal is to walk as much as possible -- to Vivian's chagrin -- I figure that's no big deal.
There was a fine mist of rain, but no wind. It was lovely. We held hands and walked along the sidewalks, smiling at each person who passed us. But they looked at us askance. Hmmmm...what's that about? Oh, who cares? We're in Belfast! And walking! And there's beautiful mist! And, oh! Look at that mountain behind the buildings! OH! WAIT! I spent 44 years walking on the right side of the road. RIGHT is now WRONG! Clearly, we were getting odd looks because I tried to politely get out of the way by going right...and getting more in the way of people.
Let's add this to the column of Cristi Face-Palms. Already on the list? Doorknobs. And locks.
Pretty stuff to look at:
We made it to Warnocks without knocking anyone into the street and it's a beautiful building with two floors; the first floor is a men's shop and the upstairs in a school uniform shop.
Edna, the lovely woman who helped us, sat us on an old, perfectly worn leather loveseat and got to work putting piles of clothes in front of us and Vivi got to Pretty Woman her heart out. I sat in a wave of nostalgia remembering getting ready to go to horse camp. My mom took me to a shop -- maybe in Connecticut? -- where I tried on all the pieces I'd need, from shirts to breeches to boots to a hat. It was bliss. Looking at Vivian, I saw the memory forming in her brain, ready to be pulled out later in her life as a moment of preparation.
Warnocks is located on Lisburn Road and I've discovered that we live between two major roads -- Lisburn and Malone -- and both are fairly posh. Lisburn Road is the place to go for great restaurants, cutting edge salons, and boutique clothing shops. I was soaking it all in, Viv's uniforms stowed in the backpack, and we had the following conversation:
Vivian: "Why are we walking so much?"
Cristi: "It's the best way to meet a new place!"
Vivian: "There's a bus! Let's take the bus!"
Cristi: "Aw, c'mon! Live a little! It's a beautiful day! What better way to see the neighborhood?"
Vivian: "Through a bus window."
Cristi: "Checkmate. Hop on."
In Belfast, ask anyone for help. Every single person we have spoken to has been friendly and accommodating and helpful and pleasant and warm and slightly protective. The bus driver said to find a seat and pay at the next stop. I struck up a conversation with the couple sitting across the aisle; they were on their way to see a movie about Jackie Kennedy. They gave me all the help about when to get up to pay the driver, that Vivi wold be free (what! I know!), how to push the button to tell the driver I want to stop, and that YOUR STOP IS RIGHT HERE!
Off the bus we got and up the road we walked. "Oh, look, Vivi! There's the Tesco we went to yesterday!" Viv stopped walking. "Oh. Right. We're back that way a little."
So back we walked a half block and up Windsor Avenue (yes. You're right. You figured it out before I did. Windsor Avenue. Not Windsor Park. Face-palm.). Riiiiiiiiiight. Hmmmm...I don't remember that Tennis Club. Hey, Google Maps, where am I? Oh. One block away. So up to the end of the block to hang a right onto Malone Road.
There's always a silver lining. A
gas petrol station! I needed to top off the gas and electric cards, so we stopped in there, picked up a few things for the apartment, forgot a lot of things I needed (like a comb), topped off the gas and electric cards, then told Viv to push the cross walk button. Those change fast! I couldn't believe how quickly the light turned so we could cross. Yay! I felt like doing the Leo strut.
Back to the
apartment flat and a spot of tea.
I spent a few hours grading final exams and it was a good reason for us to see how cyber grading would work. Despite grading from over 3,000 miles away, I still felt part of the classes and their work. I had already started missing all of the students and staff and this gave me the opportunity to feel connected and needed.
After grades were submitted, Viv and I put all her school uniform apparel on to make sure I could recreate the order Edna had done at Warnocks. Here's the girl!
Happier with the scarf!
And guess who had to look up how to tie a tie? Yep, this girl.
Now it's bedtime so we can go out and about tomorrow. Viv has requested a toy; given her adventurous spirit about all this change, I'm good for a toy.
and I started doing laundry. Along the way, I set up the clothes drying rack in the bathroom and figured I'd turn on the radiator in the bathroom to dry the clothes quickly. Yay!
