A spectacular view of Buttermere in the Lake District.

It shocks more than a few people that I have never been to the UK. Believe me, it’s on the list! Even though I can’t tell you anything first-hand about traveling in the UK, I fortunately have some people who can. Guest writer Amanda Andrews shows us the more rural and adventurous side of the UK in this post. Caving? Hiking? Biking? Yes!  Enjoy, and take a few ideas from Amanda. -Wandering Justin

I didn’t really know much about the English Lake District until recently. Now, it’s near the top of my must-visit list. It’s known for being one of the most picturesque areas of the country, with the quaint little towns and the stunning scenery of the famous lakes, but it’s also a haven for the adventurous. There’s an activity for every traveler.

Walking

The Lake District is time and again listed as one of the top UK destinations for hiking, or just walking as the locals call it. There’s no end to the trails and routes that you can take on a walking holiday in the area. There are trails here for every level of walker, so you can take a leisurely stroll across green fields and around the lakes. Eager for a more substantial challenge? Try The Cumbrian Way or The Coast to Coast walk, which is 191 miles long and takes you from the Irish Sea to the North Sea through three National Parks!

Biking

On two wheels is really the way to see the Lake District. The area again caters to all experience levels. Cumbria is a quiet, rural county so it’s great for travelling around on bike - you’re unlikely to be chased off the road by speeding cars, and travelling the country lanes by bike is a great way to see the real Cumbria. If you’re looking for something a little faster moving then check out one of the local bike shops and sign up for a mountain biking course, or just grab a map if you want to give it a go solo. With a combination of bridleways and man-made tracks criss-crossing the county there is something to suit everyone. From low valley trails to high mountain passes, this is the place to test your biking mettle in the UK.

Climbing

The Lake District is considered the birth place of modern mountain climbing and has been the training ground for many with Everest aspirations. It doesn’t matter if you’re a complete novice or a fully fledged crag-rat: The adventures are endless. Don’t let their modest height fool you. Many of the climbs in the Lakes are incredibly technical. And it’s not a bad idea to head out with a guiding company at first just to get the lay of the land.

If you’d rather go down than up, try caving and canyoning. Both of these give you a completely different perspective of the landscape and allow you to explore areas of the world that most people have never seen. Just one warning: Claustrophobics need not apply.

By Water

Open water swimming, canoeing, gorge walking, kayaking, wind surfing-being that the area is famous because of its lakes it isn’t surprising that water activities abound! Lake Windermere is the venue for the Great North Swim, the UK’s biggest outdoor swimming event, and holds ½ mile, 1 mile, and 2 mile events and is currently open for entries. What an amazing way to spend part of a holiday in the UK, jumping in the water with some 10, 000 other swimmers from around the world! Don’t expect tropical water temperature here though, it’s the north of England and you won’t want to hit the water here without a wet suit.

Where to Stay

Now that your appetite has been sufficiently whet, you want to know where to stay on your trip. There is no shortage of accommodation in the Lake District and there will be something for you no matter what your budget. Camping and hostelling are probably your cheapest options, though the weather in the Lakes can be a bit unpredictable so camping might not be to everyone’s taste. A great option if you’re looking for an outdoor based trip is renting a self-catering holiday cottage in the Lake District and the cost may be less than you’d expect. Splitting the cost between a group of friends can really cut down the individual cost and if you’re looking for a really great deal then travelling in the off season can save masses. Web cottages are an online holiday cottage rental agent with independently owned cottages throughout the UK and Ireland and are a great option if you’re looking for Lake District cottages.

All of this makes the Lake District a must-see location on my next trip to the UK. The area is ideally located to stop at when you’re doing a trip around the little island of Britain, it’s just north of Liverpool and Wales and not too far from the Scottish border. If it’s as good as it sounds I think a holiday in the Lakes won’t soon be forgotten.

Amanda enjoys traveling and has traveled extensively both in the UK and abroad. Amanda writes regular travel articles for Web Cottages and its partners, including blogging about interesting travel news/stories when they crop up. Her experience traveling and excellent ability to research means her articles are both informative and enjoyable.

This post is featured by Web Cottages. 

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This great photo by Dave Dunford shows the majesty of Pen Y Fan.

It never fails – before the afterglow of my latest trip wears off, someone asks me “where are you going next?”

My official answer? “Hey, give me a chance to savor Korea and Japan … if not the flavor of the boiled silkworms.”

The truth is, I’ve already thought about my next trip. I’ve never been anywhere in the UK before, and as a soccer fan it’s definitely on my list. But where to go? Yes, London is the obvious choice … which means it doesn’t really suit me.

But Scotland intrigues me. I can picture swinging further north and checking out some Glasgow hotels. There, I could take in Celtic versus Rangers if I timed it right. And I could finally bring my five-year quest to eat haggis to a final and successful conclusion (really, all my failed attempts to eat haggis are worth a post of their own).

What else might Scotland have for me? Well, the scenery looks spectacular. I’ve seen photos in FourFourTwo that really made me want to visit Scotland. Oh, and let’s not forget BrewDog, the crazy craft brewery that does insane things like release limited-edition beers stuffed into a squirrel carcass. Oh, and a little break from Arizona’s angry sun would be nice. Sometimes I forget that clouds and greenery occur naturally in other places.

Glasgow looks like a nice city for some strolling - with a warm jacket!

I could also head an entirely different direction … Wales. Word is that it’s an up-and-coming destination with castles and hiking drawing visitors in. I’m sure I’d satisfy my itch to hear interesting new languages. I’ve heard bits of Welsh and really enjoyed its sounds and cadence.

And Pen y Fan looks like some incredible hiking. Better yet, the Pen Y Fan race in mid-July takes runners straight to the 2,907-foot summit in just 3.5 miles. A cool t-shirt or medal for finishing would put this right on the list with the Hi Seoul Marathon or the Miđnæturhlaup in Reykjavik.

No matter where in Cardiff I’d stay, it would be pretty easy to get to a Swansea City match to check out some Premier League action. And there’s still Cardiff City in the League Championship. Either way, I’m bound to catch some enthusiastic fans in a great atmosphere. Of all the hotels in Cardiff, though, I’ll admit the St. David’s Hotel & Spa wins some points for having the word “spa” in the name.

So, U.K., I might be headed your way soon. Save me some haggis and lobscows!

This post is featured by eurobookings.com, which helps travelers find hotels in Europe – at the lowest rate possible. Browse more than 140,000 hotels in thousands of locations in Europe and across the globe until you find the hotel that is right for you.

Comments

• January 11, 2012, Nichole L. Reber writes: Alrighty then, where's the post on haggis? Bangers & mash? Blood pudding? Sweet meats? Yikes! I'm envious you're going to the UK next. I'd totally dig seeing Wales, and while like you as a contrarian traveler, I'm a city girl so I'd simply have to do London.
• January 11, 2012, WanderingJustin writes: Ah, I keep forgetting to write that haggis post! I just created a file to get it started. Thanks for the reminder!

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Relaxing in a room at The Inn at Northrup Station

My three nights at the Inn at Northrup Station in Portland, Oregon, took me back to New Zealand. The Kiwis have no shortage of quirky hotels with all the comforts of home. Here in the U.S., this is just a rarity.

What makes it stand apart from other hotels in Portland? And in the country, for that matter?

First, there’s an in-room kitchen. A stove, four burners, a full-sized refrigerator. Now, Portland has all the restaurants you could ever want. So why bother with a kitchen? Because of the abundant farmer’s markets. Sarah and I went to a Saturday market … scored some morel mushrooms, fresh pasta, crab, baby bok choy. We turned it into an awesome feast.

Even the outside looks pretty slick.

The neighborhood also stands out. It’s right on the Portland streetcar line, which connects to the MAX lightrail (to the airport and many other points). You’re walking-distance from Jeld-Wen Field (home of the Portland Timbers MSL team), the Pearl District, an uncountable number of shops and restaurants. And yes, brewpubs.

Baby bok choy cooked up just right.

And give Northrup Station style points. No bland beige or institutional furniture. Purples, yellows, reds … I know plenty of people who’d like their house to look like a room at Northrup Station. It oozes “hip,” but not “hipster.”

The service is far more personal and friendly than average. The staff members are friendly, ready to print your boarding passes, give you free tickets for the street car or directions to just about any cool spot. You also get a free if unspectacular breakfast. Didn’t bring a computer? Just slide behind one of the Macs.

Finally, the price is reasonable. Less than $150 a night in the beginning of summer – with all the fees and taxes. Just try equaling that in Seattle or Vancouver.

A hotel room with a kitchen - a must if you want to try local flavors (like morel mushrooms) cooked your way.

When I return to Portland, I’ll stay here again. I’ll try scoring a room on the third (top) floor … some people have heavy footsteps.

But if all I get is a second-floor room, I still won’t complain. Not with all the other factors adding up to a great and unusual hotel.

Follow the Inn at Northrup Station on Twitter or like it on Facebook. And you can follow Wandering Justin on Twitter while you’re at it!

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• June 20, 2011, Kish@business travel companies writes: The mushrooms look sumptuous and not bad for the price.

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An aerial view of the Gagudju Holiday Inn of Jabiru, Australia. Photo courtesy of Tourism NT

You can count on seeing all sorts of crazy things in Australia – termite mounds, bizarre rock formations, sharp-beaked and cantankerous cassowaries, just to name a few.

But it might be a hotel that leaves you scratching your head most.

I’d have to rank the Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn as one of the craziest hotels in Australia. Just being in the deep Outback town of Jabiru in the famous Northern Territory puts it on the list. Being built in the shape of a salt-water crocodile takes it into the upper echelon of wacky. And it surely has to be the most unusual Holiday Inn ever.

So is it kitschy or cool? I can’t say first-hand since I only drove through Jabiru with Wilderness Adventures guide Amy and a crew of other loons. We stopped long enough for wallaby meat pies and some oil for The Possum before heading back out. While images of kachinas, cowboys and Kokopelli statues raise the hackles of Arizonans like me, Aussies are more laid-back about embracing the touristy elements of their area. So they probably get a few laughs out of it.

As for you … if you’re staying in Jabiru, I say go for it. The Gagudju Crocodile could be a really fun departure from the usual bland hotel experience. It’s also owned by indigenous people, so you may get some insights from the staff.

While you’re in the Top End, think about adventuring into the Kakadu National Park, which is 60 by 120 miles of rugged territory filled with wildlife. It’s definitely one of the Northern Territory’s main attractions. I don’t recommend renting your own car and going off into the Kakadu, though. It’s best to grab a knowledgeable guide to navigate the trails – and to know where the crocs are lurking!

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Comments

• August 31, 2011, Kevin writes: Immediately I saw this photograph I thought of the kind of shapes that are often used in Australian native art. I tried to finds the architect on Google but discovered only that the guy from Darwin that designed it worked very closely with the native people when doing so. It certainly shows... what a wonderful place.

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A valley on our way to Kirkjubaejarklaustur.

Wandering Justin’s Note: I’m woefully behind in my Iceland travel diary. No time like the present to start getting caught up!

I’m on a bus. It’s sliding backwards down a steep, muddy slope. Toward a drop-off, naturally.

I rarely think about my mortality. This is one of those times.

We slide to a stop before the precipice.

The driver drops into the lowest gear and guns the engine. And our backward slide resumes after we gain just a few feet.

Fat raindrops splatter against the bus. Droplets of mud have kicked up everywhere and obscured the view on the windows.

The driver halts are backwards descent again. If not for his nonchalance, I’d probably fetch my backpack and start walking. He produces a shovel from nowhere, Bugs Bunny-style, and gets out of the bus. I hear the shovel working against the ground.

View from the cliffs near our "rest area"

I weigh the options. I have little idea where we are – just that we’re somewhere in Iceland’s highland interior. It’s devoid of life and unforgiving. I only see the occasional incomprehensible sign. I have my GPS receiver, but that can only tell me where I am and where I’ve been – not where I’m going.

I decide to trust this bus-driving madman.

He climbs back into the bus wordlessly. He starts the engine. Guns the throttle. We move. We come to the trouble spot. We slip ever so slightly. The air pressure in the bus seems to drop. Finally, the wheels take hold of the slimy, sodden ground. I finally exhale as we crest the hill. We have a brief stop near a river, and everyone gets out for a brief hike (with the Europeans grabbing a chance to smoke). The rest of the trip to Kirkjubaejarklaustur is uneventful.
Our day started early, I think. It’s tough to tell in Iceland’s late June – especially when the overcast has yet to break. We woke inside a tent, unable to tell the time of day. We broke camp before the rain could return. And we retraced our path from the previous day – about eight miles encompassing endless fields of obsidian, rhyolite mountains, banks of snow dusted with ashfall from the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, fumaroles venting volcanic gas into the air. The word “surreal” is the best description. It’s the vista of an unformed planet.

We see absolutely no people until the last mile before returning to the Landmannalaugar trailhead. There, we eat

The Hotel Laki Efri-Vik

some MRE rations and wait for the bus that would take us southeast. The day gets colder and rainier. If you visit Iceland, bring your rain gear. It’s a must.

I’ve really lost track of time throughout the bus ride.

The sun emerges just after we arrive in Kirkjubaejarklaustur. Sarah and I finally get a hold of the Hotel Laki Efri-Vik. The manager comes to pick us up to drive us the three miles from the bus stop. She’s pleasant, but perfunctory. There’s a certain stoicism to many Icelanders 40

The hotel's friendly dog-at-large - with bits of Vatnajokull ice cap in the background.

and up, it seems. It’s rare to get much more than a já (pronounced “yow”) followed by a short sentence from her.
The drive gives us time to assess the terrain. The entire local landmass formed when a massive sheet of lava flowed into water, creating a seemingly never-ending slab of steam explosion craters and peaked bubbles. Only hardy scrub grass seems to thrive. There are few trees.

We arrive at a very Scandinavian-looking structure and check into our room. Then, there’s the shower to scrub the mud away. Dinner comes next, followed by a walk to and around a nearby pond. As we head toward the pond, a cheerful dog trots up to us. She’s not much interested in petting, but she gamely poses for photos with the Vatnajökull ice cap in the background.

We finish our walk. And then it’s time for the kind of sleep that comes from hiking more than 16 miles in 24 hours, sleeping on obsidian-covered ground and eating backpacking rations.

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• January 7, 2011, Katie Hawkes writes: i'm about 90% sure you made up the name of that city/place by pounding on your keyboard...
• January 7, 2011, admin writes: Ha, ha! You're close ... the cat jumped on the keyboard!

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Monkeys hang out down the road from La Mansion Inn - the presidential suite was booked on the night they wanted.

Nothing livens up your breakfast like having a monkey come flying in through an open window and stealing a banana from a nearby table – all before shimmying up a telephone pole, crossing the wire and sharing the bounty with his troupe.

This isn’t the sort of thing that happens at luxury hotels. That’s one of the reason I prefer low budget.

But  I saw a place in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica (where this monkey business took place), that made me open to the idea of some luxury accommodations now and then.

La Mansion Inn is surrounded by jungle and ocean. At night, it’s dark and peaceful. It has a bar called The Bat Cave for people who want a high-quality beer (not easy to find in Costa Rica) and a taste of La Mansion’s luxury.

How luxurious is it? Well, presidents have stayed there. It lives up to the name, with a flavor more like you’ve stumbled into someone’s private estate than into a hotel. But it was also friendly – none of that “are you here to steal the silverware?” vibe from the staff. That might come from what are some pretty reasonable prices: $125-$295 for a standard room, depending on the season. The presidential suites, though, run $650-$850.

The views from the pool and balconies are amazing. La Mansion is up on a cliff, so you’ll have lots of visibility. You can also get hooked up with a tour or a deep-sea fishing trip.

I’m certain I’ll get back to Costa Rica one of these days. After spending a day or two in San Jose to take in a Saprissa match and load up on pupusas, I will head right back to the airport and catch a flight to Quepos, followed by a brief taxi ride to Manuel  Antonio.

Even though the odds are against your breakfast fruit getting pilfered by a primate, you can get your fill of monkey and iguana encounters just by taking a quick walk down to Manuel Antonio National Park. Check out the trails, lounge on the beach, grab a fresh coconut – and watch for the monkeys!

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• November 9, 2010, HeadingThere.co.uk writes: [...] La Mansion Inn a Great Place for Costa Rica Luxury from Wandering Justin [...]

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A view from the Red Agave Resort in Sedona.

Someone needs to explain what’s so great about “bed and breakfasts” to me.

I listen to so many people go on and on breathlessly about some quaint little bed & breakfast inn they found in their travels. Their descriptions invariably involve the word “cute.”

I don’t much cotton to cute.

And I’ll tell ya what – I’m not much for enforced intimacy with other people, whether they be travelers or innkeepers. Given the choice, I will always take a hotel over a B & B. Hell, I’ll take a backpacker’s hostel over a B  & B.

See, I prefer anonymity. I’ve only been in one B & B ever that was as laid back as a hotel. Every other one I’ve experienced has felt way too much like I was visiting an aunt’s house – and she definitely wants me to skip finding the local microbrewery and play Scrabble with her and her 13 cats.

I once stayed in a B & B where my wife and I were the only guests. It felt more than a touch awkward, despite being one of the coolest houses I’ve ever seen. Had it been full of guests, I might have felt a little less nerped out about the whole thing.

If you’re super-gregarious and don’t mind the fishbowl feel of a B & B, that’s up to you. Me? I’ll be at a place where I check in, and they forget about me unless I drop down to the front desk. I like service that’s there for me, but in an unobtrusive way. That’s a happy medium that very few B & Bs really have.

If I had to give you some perfect examples of that happy medium, I’d say Ann’s Volcanic Rotorua Motel (Rotorua, NZ) and the Red Agave Resort (Sedona, Ariz., USA). Ann’s was terrific; I haven’t got to stay at the Red Agave yet, but I took a tour and loved the place. Most of the cottages are separate, but there’s a communal gathering space for hanging out under the stars. Nice!

By and large, I’ve also found B & Bs to hit the wallet harder.

I’m not completely against the B & B, but they start the game with strikes against them.

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I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve stayed at the Travelodge on Butler Avenue in Flagstaff, Ariz. It’s been a haven for its reasonable price, hot tub, sauna and proximity to good food.

But it’s time to pull up stakes and find a new place. I think the low prices have pulled in a new sort of clientele that doesn’t seem to have any clue how to behave in a hotel. I didn’t think “don’t put your dog in the hot tub” would need to be among the written pool rules. The band of hillbillies during my last visit, however, proved me wrong.

Even worse, the staff didn’t seem interested in doing anything about it. I didn’t even see any sign that they cleaned the hot tub after learning that some people mistook it for a dog bath.

A bummer, that is. I was really looking forward to a good soak after a day on the slopes. But I got deprived of an amenity I always enjoyed. But now, I kind of regret my frequent trips to the Travelodge hot tub. I can’t help what else has floated in there unchecked over the years.

See ya, Travelodge on Butler. It’s been a good run. But no more. If you’re headed to Flagstaff, don’t be tempted by the price. Unless you’re comfortable with the possibility of splashing around with someone else’s hound.

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Living in Phoenix in the fall and winter is pretty sweet. I’m just now starting to forget four months of scorching, unrelenting summer heat. I can go outside without fear of dehydration!

But still, I needed a change of scenery. That lead Sarah and me to Tucson to hike a bit and check out the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum (a post on that is coming up soon). We wanted to spend the night, and I got online to find a decent place the morning we left – the day after Thanksgiving, no less!

I quickly found the InnSuites Tucson Foothills, which is owned by Best Western. The often-handy (but sometimes maddening) GoogleEarth helped me find it. I wanted a place a little farther from the University of Arizona, and a little closer to hiking trails. Here are some bits you need to know about this hotel:

1. Hiking trails are about 10 minutes away. Not bad! And it’s actually a really good system. The Pima Canyon trail can keep you occupied all day. The scenery is striking and varied.
2. The rooms all seem to have comfortable beds and decent lighting. They all appeared to be clean and well-maintained. Each room had its own region-inspired name, which was kind of funny. Ours was the Show Low Suite, or something like that.
3. Try to get a room on the second floor. The tiled floors downstairs make a racket in the morning once all the housekeeping carts depart for their rounds.

Now, this last one is the big one:

4. Do not, under any circumstances, stay in room 146. Here’s why:
-It’s right next to the headquarters for the hotel’s cleaning staff. So you can always hear the jet engine-like whine of the commercial-grade laundry facilities. You can also hear the staff talking and loading up. And those carts I mentioned earlier on the tiled floors? Yeah. This does not equal a good night of sleep.
-When we were there, we could hear the strangest noise coming from one of the walls in the bathroom. It was almost like a dripping sound, but there was no reason, rhyme or rhythm to it. The sound would speed up, slow down, disappear for a few moments, then come back with a vengeance it’s not a big deal if you have the TV on. But it really sucks at 3 a.m.

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Comments

• December 1, 2009, Hotel Kortet writes: oh, Thanks for the information. We never stay in room 146. lol
• December 1, 2009, admin writes: Good idea!
• September 20, 2011, Fred M. writes:

  Living in Phoenix in the fall and winter is pretty sweet.

  I can imagine. The weather there must be perfect during that time of year. Thanks for the tip about room 146.

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Recently, The Cranky Flier wrote about the airline El Al (which seriously sounds like it should serve flights to the planet Kypton) creating a super-low economy section by charging for services normally offered for free. This “unbundling”, as it’s known in industry parlance, would charge for things like snacks and drinks. I’m assuming there’s no upcharge for seat belts and barf bags.

And I just complained about the ludicrous prices of hotels in much of the First World – the United States is my most egregious example, but western Europe is hardly a bargain.

Why not put the ideas together? That is, unbundling hotel services. I can’t take credit for this idea – it was the ever-practical wife’s suggestion when I told her about El Al.

I’d completely be willing to forgo telephone services, irons in the room, cable TV and a bad continental breakfast. Hmm, I guess “bad continental breakfast” is redundant. I’ve always thought that first a pastry is a pastry – then it gets stale and becomes a “scone.” Once the scone solidifies into a rocklike mass surpassing diamonds on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, it winds up on a tray in a hotel’s continental breakfast spread; only the brutally acidic coffee on display is caustic enough to break it down for consumption by some humans. But I digress.

That seems a nifty solution to what I consider the really poor values that are most hotels.

Here’s a question for you: What standard hotel services would you forego to knock some bucks off the bill?

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Comments

• August 30, 2009, Stace writes: Daily maid service. I don't need my toilet cleaned every day. This would save a ton of money, given that maids are paid around $20 per room.
• August 30, 2009, Sarah writes: And I have to say, people complain about the airline fees for luggage and soda, but I am really okay with it. Why should I, brining one carry-on bag, pay the same as someone who is brining 2 huge suitcases? I don't agree with charging for water though -- as dehydrated as we get on planes, water should continue to be free.
• August 31, 2009, Tyler writes: Someone actually did that! Found this article last week: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/aug/20/19-dollar-hotel-without-bed
• September 1, 2009, Nick Bensema writes: This is why I often stay in youth hostels when traveling. They generally offer little more than a bed, but they at least charge accordingly. It's cheapest to stay in a dormitory with a bunch of strangers, but the option is often there for a private room, which generally offers little more than a bed and a sink. Another thing you have to do by yourself is research, because if you just take the first bed you find, it may well be crusty as all hell, or has only one private room and puts everyone else in a huge barracks with 12 beds. And you know what? The "extras" often end up being there, but cheaper. For one, hotels are all about maximizing revenue once they've got you in the room, putting lots of stuff in the room that they'll charge you for if you touch, and laundry is so expensive that you might as well not ask. Hostels are the opposite. WiFi is more likely to be free (though often limited to the common areas); food and drink is often available from vending machines at reasonable prices, or you can buy food at the supermarket and cook it in the kitchen. There are coin-operated laundry machines. Also, it encourages travelers to make friends with each other, go out together, exchange stories, come out of our shells. The most consistent thing you'll find at hostels is a friendly atmosphere. Even the ramshackle mattress-on-the-floor hostel with the plumbing problems will have a campfire out back with Australians enjoying some beer out back and trying to talk the Japanese guy into taking his guitar to an open mic night. But that dynamic won't go away just because you're staying in the sparkling hostel in Seattle with the giant common room and kitchen overlooking Puget Sound, right next door to Pike's Place Market. They have a TV room, but I don't think anyone's ever down there. Every so often I think I've gotten too old to stay at a hostel, but then I spend a few nights in a hotel and it's just me alone in a cavernous room with a bottle of water that they'll charge me $3 for if I open it. I think you've reminded me that I need to go to Seattle again.
• September 1, 2009, Adam writes: I could do without the daily maid service (every other day would do), phone service, iron/ironing board, or a fridge full of a bunch of over priced stuff I won't eat. I do like having the cable tv though as it is sometimes nice to watch tv while the fiance gets ready in the morning or just before going to bed.

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