I received the Wi-Fi code for the holiday home, courtesy of Karen's 'hotspot', overnight. Now we are properly up and running.
The first task, for today, is to pay for the pool heater. This will be by electronic transfer.
First Bank - I select the international payments page - "Something went wrong, clear your cache and try again - you can call us". I re-tried, with VPN in my country - no difference. Of course, I can't call them, that would cost me more than the pool heater, because calls from America to UK are stupidly expensive - 25p / minute, with my provider. This is just profiteering.
Second Bank - No problem, I just need all these details - and on and on, which I don't have. I send the request for details to the owner, who wants to try another way.
So, both UK banks (I only have two with me) and my phone provider have conspired to make this IMPOSSIBLE. This is typical of my experiences with banks when I'm oversees.
I have been travelling to America for over a decade now, and these simple things are still just as difficult - nothing changes.
Finally, Karen paid the fee, and I paid her in Sterling. That may sound OK, but it has transferred the currency conversion risk to an innocent third party.
We had lunch in the British Pub, which also had a British food and drink section, where we, at last, get some proper tea. The food was very good, and served by a lady from Bishop Aukland.
The main event of the day is Legoland.
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| The entrance to Legoland |
It was a good time, although tiring and hard on my limited legs. The children bough Lego brick keychains with their names engraved on. We went on various rides - them more than me, of course, and got a little damp as the rain started to fall gently. A good time was had by all.
In the evening, I stated to catch up with my blogging.
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