My wake-up call came at 6:00 am, but I figured two hours of sleep just wasn't enough, and since I was sleeping I figured I'd milk that for all it was worth, so I went back to bed. Only be be woken by knocking on the door. It was the cleaning crew. Who cares, right? Let 'em knock, knock, knock all they want. I had the hotel dead-bolt locked. Well... apparently, when they access the room it not only opens the main lock but the dead-bolt as well. I quickly let them know someone was in the room.
Idiot hotel. WHAT is a dead-bolt for if not to keep people out? You can't bolt the dead-bolt unless you're IN the room. So... if the dead-bolt is BOLTED then you should ASSUME someone is IN the freek'n room! So why issue keys to the housekeeping staff that opens both locks? Idiots.
One really good thing about the Holiday Inn is that the water pressure ROCKS!! There is enough water pressure to rip the skin right off your bones, if you want it to. This is actually odd, in that most motel water pressure in the UK is pretty lame. Also harsh, just like the water pressure, is their brillo-pad toilet paper. I haven't used it yet, but this stuff looks crazy-harsh. Next time I'm looking to wax my bum I'll just use this stuff instead.
I finally got around to going to work. Here is a photo taken outside the Symantec Reading Campus.
Here is another photo, taken from the same spot as the previous photo, but looking south-south-east at some big fan-looking thing. I'm tired, so I can't even remember what they're called. But it's cool, regardless.
After work I headed back to the Holiday Inn to drop my things off. I thought about taking a long travel somewhere, but decided against it, since it was already 6:15 pm and I was a bit tired (and had nothing to eat). So... I just walked downstairs to Callaghars Pub -- the Holiday Inn's pub.
Standing outside the pub you can look across the street and roundabout to some rather 'common' looking buildings (or, at least they're common around here).
I had a couple pints at the pub, the decided to get a quick bite to eat. I was going to be lame and just grab some more KFC so that I could snap photos of their stuff and berate their food preparation, but I decided to get crazy ad actually go somewhere cool and unique (since I can get KFC any old day of the week back home).
I remembered a place down the road about 15 minutes that I passed by on Sunday when I was just roaming around. It was way out of my way, but I always try to explore a new road every time I got someplace -- it's the only way to get to know where things are. So... every day I explore a new aspect of Reading I've never seen before (as well as some I have).
Anyway... I went south on A23 and came across The Jekyll & Hyde pub. Great place.
Everywhere you looked, even on the strangest walls (such as the outside of the building, or on your way to the bathroom) were written all sorts of sayings.
Finally, the food came. I ordered Leek Soup followed by Gammon Steak. Both were most excellent and I would order them again.
The Gammon Steak is a steak pounded modestly flat and seared and grilled so that it almost tastes like bacon. Well, not exactly the same flavor, but almost -- and almost the texture (a little crispy, without being charcoal or dry). No... no pork is used... so I'm just making my best guess as to what it taste like. Anyway... Gammon Steak comes with an egg on top (extra yum) a side of peas and some fries. I ate the whole thing. Oh... and there is a CRAZY-TASTY mushroom under one side of the steak, and a CRAZY-TASTY tomato under the other side. I'm not sure what kind they were, but they were both VERY good. I can't wait to try this dish again.
If you want to know how long each dish took to arrive at my table, just look at my stopwatch (the Guinness pint).
For your pleasure, here is an interactive Google Map of today's photos. Reading, UK - Day 02 - Monday
1 comment:
Wow.. now that sounds like a wonderful dinner.. the beer I hear tell, is very good stuff. cant wait to try it myself. Reading looks like a very interesting place, and the pubs are problable going to be the place we eat at most. I hear you dont tip the bartenders in Ireland, as thats an insult, but you can ask for a beer, and then tell the bartender.. one for me and you, and he will charge you for both, but you are not suppose to expect he will drink it with you, but insted at his choosing. Is it anything like that in England?
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