Eastbourne, again...

There is a lot to see here.

This morning, we completed our phone SIM card research and decided to wait until we get to Spain to get our new SIM cards.  Vodaphone was recommended to us as one of the best services to use.  We compared them with Tmobile EE UK and found that 1) we wouldn't be able to retain our phone numbers with Tmobile EE, 2) the Vodaphone "Pay as you go" plan/SIM card only was much more generous than Tmobile EE (4 G, 3000 talk, unlimited text, 20 GB data) for L30/mo each, 3) Vodaphone is all over Spain and the rest of Europe (TEE is not), and 4) we don't want to sign up for a 30 pound month if we are only going to be in UK for a few more days.  Our current service is not great, but it is working slowly.  [Also, if you do not have an in-country address and an in-country bank account, you can't pay your monthly bill online.  You have to physically go in to the shop to pay each month.]  Any other (cheaper) plan would require at least a 12 month contract and we didn't want to do that.  Since we will need a SIM card for each country we go to, we are going to wait to get a pay as you go plan in Spain - that's where we plan to stay for about 3 months and the exchange is better for Euro to Dollar (1 USD  = 1.19 Euro).

So, we didn't make it to London today.  We'll probably just do one trip to London tomorrow, leaving early and get the most out of it.  The train from Eastbourne will cost us 23 pounds each, which by our choice includes free use of the underground and buses for the day.  We plan to find a red double decker tour bus asap and do the circuit, stopping to check out various sights.

However, we did visit the Eastbourne waterfront again after breakfast at the Roots Cafe (where they serve locally grown ingredients) and our phone shopping.

The Eastbourne Bandstand has been there since the 1930's, replacing the original built in 1893.  I understand that one of the bandsmen from the Bandstand orchestra was in the band that went down on the Titanic.

The Grand Hotel, built in 1875, is known as The White Palace and is the only 5 star hotel on the English coast.  Our host says it looks like a wedding cake and I agree.

Beachy Head is huge chalk cliff headland near Eastbourne.  It is the highest sea chalk cliff in Britain.

Beautiful gardens that start at the Bandstand and go all the way down to that last hotel.

Our host told us that the shingle beach material was brought in because the original sand beach was washing away.  They also put up these vertical bulkheads to limit the erosion.  It seems to be working.

As you can see, the weather wasn't ideal.  It as been overcast, rather cold, and rainy off and on since we arrived.  Of course, that is what we are used to and we dressed accordingly in layers.  But, really, we want to feel the sun and find a warmer place.  So, after London and a bit more exploring, we are going to head to Spain - our planned destination - and see if we can camp out for 3 months or more.

The agony of travel and retirement plans

Arrowhead Towne Center in Glendale, AZ is the largest shopping mall this side of Phoenix.  It has two levels and appears to have hundreds of stores and eating establishments.  We, however, were in search of the Apple Store to get my iPhone unlocked.

Tmobile, my cell phone carrier, told us that we would be able to use their services internationally for as long as we were customers.  However, that proved to be a shorter time than I was originally given to believe. It turns out that Tmobile's services will slow down to almost nothing after 3 months in Europe and we plan to stay longer than that (and told them so from the beginning).  So...  we must get our phones unlocked before we leave the country in preparation for eventually using a new cell service in Europe.  Apparently, you can't unlock them outside the country of origin.

Tmobile has changed their story about this a few times and I have dragged my feet on doing the final unlock.  My service has been unlocked for a few weeks, but I was told that iPhones are special, in the way that very complicated, frustrating things are special.  Tmobile can unlock your service, but your actual, physical phone also needs unlocking.

The instructions for unlocking are completely different for my iPhone than they are for my husband's Android phone.  He, lucky duck, gets to bring up an app on his phone called something like Phone Unlock, hit unlock and he's done.  Tmobile did their thing and he did his.

For iPhones Tmobile told me, you have to go to iTunes, move all your Stuff into iTunes, completely wipe your phone of everything, turn the phone on, and then get all your Stuff back from iTunes, before it is actually unlocked.  Simple, but to me, terrifying.

So... I went to the Apple Store and asked if they would walk me through this "move-wipe-move back again" process so I don't lose any of my Stuff.  You know what's coming don't you?

The Apple guy patiently looked up the details for my phone on his tablet computer (what's with that, anyway?) and found that my iPhone 6s is already unlocked for multiple providers.  Although there is nowhere on my iPhone where that is stated, he said, "No, problem. You don't need to go to iTunes or wipe anything. You can just pop in a new provider's SIM card now (tempting!) or in Europe."

So, I went back to the Tmobile store and said, "Is this Apple information correct? Am I already unlocked and ready for Europe?"  And, of course, they didn't know.  They only unlock on their end, but how could they know if my physical phone is unlocked unless I followed the instructions?

After much back-and-forth, it was agreed that I should perform a test to see if it was unlocked.  So, I went to the Verizon store in the Mall, where there were no customers waiting, and asked the counter person to take my SIM card out, put a Verizon SIM card in, and see if it worked.  Yesss!  It did work; it showed Verizon as my carrier on my phone.  After the short-lived elation, though, she put my SIM card back in and told me that the phone is unlocked in the United States, but it may not be unlocked in Europe.

Back to Tmobile's phone rep and we nailed down two things:

• Yes, my phone should be unlocked in Europe, if it is unlocked in the U.S. (amazingly, without following the "wiping" directions) and
• If there are problems, I now have the international phone number for Tmobile who can fix it even though I will be in Europe.

After two months and at least 10 phone calls, that (and a few other things) is finally resolved.

This is just an example of what can go mildly and sometimes bizarrely wrong with travel plans and, in my case, retirement plans.  (I've been retired for a month and everything is still not completely set up.  VEBA (use of collected sick leave for health ins payments) is a strange beast.)

One of the only hard and fast rules seems to be that every representative of an organization does not know what they are talking about.  Do your homework, don't believe everyone (trust, but verify), and check/re-check.  After you get what you need, for sanity's sake let it go.  Let the frustration, stress, anger, etc. go.  Life's too short and there are too many other enjoyable things to do, like find a place to live in Spain and take the train into Barcelona for the day.

Tomorrow will be a trip to St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church for noon Mass.  Why, you ask, is an avowed agnostic (possibly atheist) going to noon Mass?  It is a beautiful church, very like a cathedral, in downtown Phoenix.  I love the architecture of these churches and plan to visit cathedrals all over Europe.  My brother is Catholic and used to be a congregant at this church, so he's going to give me a brief tour after the 20 minute mid-day service.  I hope they let me take photographs!

Oregon beaches, Siuslaw National Forest and Brookings, OR on the Calif. border

Florence, Oregon is a quiet little town on the Pacific Coast Highway.  My parents lived in several places in Oregon including Florence after they retired and quit the jewelry show circuit business.  [We are a gypsy family at heart.]  The beaches along the way after Florence were gorgeous.

We camped for the night in the Siuslaw National Forest (50% for Seniors with the National Park Card, friends) at the Sutton Campground.  Camping was not bad at all.  We set up at a site directly across from the bathrooms (running water, but no showers).

The cell service appears to be iffy for those with ATT and Tmobile on the Oregon Coast.  I'm told you need Verizon out here.  So, we have been off the radar for a few days.  Since I have Tmobile and ATT is the provider for the "bars" that I am finally getting right now, my service is very slow and uploading photos is not happening.  The scenery is outstanding and I will do a photo dump when I can manage it.

I'm sitting in the car (resting my healing, but broken toe) and looking at the beautiful beach at Harris State Park right now.  Those beautiful Oregon rocks are strewn just off the coast.  Steve is walking the beach and taking photos.  I am walking the sidewalk and doing the same.  (Sand and toe lacerations do not mix, not yet.)

Steve driving.

Steve in front of Harris beach.

Beach without Steve.

We spent the night in a great little RV resort near Brookings called At River's Edge.  They rent RV parking, little cabins, and tent space.  For two nights, we are renting one of their cute little cabins.  Ours could sleep 4 people, but it looks like a "tiny house".  They are clean, have a front porch and electricity, and best of all they are a short walk from bathroom and shower facilities.  They even have washer/dryers.  Heaven!

Indeed a "little house" and it's close to shower/toilets, too!

With the scent of dead sardines in our nostrils we ate our dinner in Brookings, OR and watched pelicans feed.  If you look really hard you can see pelicans all over the second jetty.

Tomorrow morning early, we make a run for the border.  As long has we don't have any produce we should be fine.  We've already crossed once because, oddly enough, you can't seem to buy a California road map outside of California.  (Believe me, I've been trying for 100 miles.  We are only a couple miles from the California border here, but Fred Meyer and two other places do not have California maps.)

False alarm.  We stayed one more day in Brookings (the sun belt of the Oregon coast) to explore its potential.  Steve definitely didn't want to leave.

As I finished packing, Steve gazed off into the misty banks of the river.