Misconceptions from a Foreigner

[lzyjo]

I have finally made a great realization. The large "shanty-towns" outside of Strasbourg and other European cities are actually allotments! While on foreign exchange in France I saw all these like little settlements and being naive I thought they were gypsy shanty towns!!!!! Each allotment had a substantial shed and when I saw the pictures of (Simon's?) shed in the plot thickens, with the potbelly stove, I finally realized. I think it's great y'all have those sheds that are nice enough to have tea in. Much better than community gardens here. My mum had a plot when I was a small, it was right rammed up against the railroad tracks.

I also love the London Heathrow airport. The signs remind me of Sherlock Holmes!!!

[HeyWayne]

My allotment is right next to the rail lines, and I don't have a shed. I must be a foreigner!?!

I would dearly love a shed, just so I could spend a bit more time down on the plot "tinkering". As it is, as soon as the rain starts, play stops.

Heathrow Airport is a nightmare of a place - hideous airport that is a pain in the @rse to get to, and away from. We have far nicer airports, honest.

[Shortie]

Oh my god, that's funny!!

It'll be my new phrase now "I'm going to potter down my shanty town for a few hours, see you later"

[Nicos]

Ha!!!...Love it!

[lzyjo]

Heathrow has a special place in my heart, after all you're not in Europe until the wheels actually touchdown in that place, besides, during a four hour layover it doesn't matter if it takes two hours to go from one gate to the next.

I swear I had nightmares about being run over by the MetroNorth train, of course I was a child and very impressionable, but all the joking about my dad tying me to the railroad tracks didn't help.

[kirsty b]

Dads are good like that.

[terrier]

Heathrow in EUROPE!!! There's a lot of people in the UK wish it WAS in Europe

[lzyjo]

See! I am FULL of misconceptions!

[bluemoon]

But you've got a really cute dog, so we forgive you.

[terrier]

Lol

[kernowyon]

we live almost under a 'stack' for Heathrow (about 16 miles away) special place is not a phrase often used around here we also live right beside a mainline train into london waterloo, rush hour (from 6am to 9.30!) trains every 6 mins (lovely)

At least my 'shanty town' is quieter

[Snadger]

Our allotments are twinned with Soweto!

[Claire72]

Must admit, we went to London for a holiday last year, and I loved looking at the allotments when we went past them on the train. They are a site to behold

[NOG]

Heathrow has a special place in my heart, after all you're not in Europe until the wheels actually touchdown in that place, besides, during a four hour layover it doesn't matter if it takes two hours to go from one gate to the next.

I swear I had nightmares about being run over by the MetroNorth train, of course I was a child and very impressionable, but all the joking about my dad tying me to the railroad tracks didn't help.

Sorry I am lost now...what has the wheels touching down in Heathrow got to do with Europe?

Europe starts 82 miles south of Heathrow.

When the Wheels touch down you are in England.

[zazen999]

See for me I love JFK Airport...well loathe might be more the word when queuing up for 2 hours to get through passport control - I love getting out of it anyway, and getting on the funny unmanned train to get to NYC. But I can see where you are coming from.