20130605 Wednesday ...to Heathrow Terminal 5 Sunny, warm.
Owen-Photos
Dolores-Photos
The lovely weather continues today. We arose at eight and made our way to the Robert Scott room for a continental breakfast. Scott was given a farewell dinner in this room before he got underway for his ill-fated South Pole expedition.
We returned to the room and prepared to leave. A little after ten we went to reception to check out. Then we walked, pulling our rolling carryons, to the railroad station a block and a half away.
The information people told us what each of the eight little cards we'd received by mail meant, since we'd not travelled by rail in the UK. It turns out four of them were receipts, two are the actual tickets, and two show our seat reservations in first class. We were told how to get to the first class lounge on the platform level.
We waited in the lounge for an hour since we'd arrived plenty early. The train came along and we boarded. The seat numbering is confusing but we found our places after a few minutes.
The train left promptly and reached speed quickly. A trolley came along the aisle and the attendant gave us the diet cokes we requested. We stopped soon after departure at Newport, Wales.
After leaving Newport, we reached top speed, then went through a long tunnel, then slowed for a stop at Bristol Parkway (stop for Bristol, England). Leaving Bristol Parkway there was an announcement that was nearly understandable. Dolores said some of it may have warned passengers to keep an eye on their luggage. We caught the last part of it, next stop Swindon.
We stopped at Swindon after passing through a long and a short tunnel. I'll have to look at a map to figure out the topography here. Leaving Swindon we thought a glass of Shiraz would be beneficial; the attendant furnished a pair of French shiraz for £9. I'd just opened mine when we stopped for Didcot Parkway, whatever that is. I started a solitaire game on this machine and continued it through the stop at Reading. Now it's 15 minutes into Paddington, so I'll put the computer away and get ready for the transfer to the Heathrow Express.
Later: After stopping, we walked forward on the platform, then bought tickets on the Heathrow Express. We boarded it and waited 10 minutes or so, and were off to Heathrow. After getting off at Terminal 5, we found (follow the signs, walk a mile) the Sofitel Hotel and checked in. We were given room 2201 and a porter took our luggage there; he instructed us on the details of the room (very nice, as it should be for the price).
I did the photos (not many today) and I'll finish this. Then I may find the bar. After 6pm, we'll find the restaurant.
D & I went to scout the place. It’s a French-owned chain, so the top restaurant’s menu looked very high and was probably worth it if we were in the mood. The lighter French restaurant was our selection. We had a cocktail in the champagne bar, and came back to the room. At 1800, opening time, we went to the restaurant. We ordered a Malbec and for D, a rib-eye with asparagus and salad; I had a side salad and a chicken breast around an olive-pesto thing. The restaurant is an open concept place, so you get to see the kitchen staff interacting and putting out the dishes. It was very interesting watching the huge Chef dealing with the staff.
We split a chocolate cheesecake for dessert, then D said she’d had enough and went to the room. I went to the ordinary bar and had a Jameson’s with water on the side and talked with the barman when he had a moment. There were lots of suits drinking with each other, buying rounds and talking, which reminded me of my IBM days. It’s more fun traveling and drinking with D. So I took two small port wines to the room.
There, I’m going to take a long shower in the canny little glass-enclosed shower and pack for tomorrow’s 0955 flight to Dulles.
G’nite, all
20130606 to Baltimore, MD
No Photos
Another lovely day at Heathrow. In looking ahead, we found there's a tropical storm in the southern Gulf that is currently predicted to traverse Florida and pass over our condo. We might have a bit of bother getting home.
We got our act together and rolled our luggage to Terminal 5. We got our boarding passes, checked our luggage and proceeded to the BA lounge. There, we took some fruit and rolls. We waited a bit and went to the gate, where we boarded and settled into the same seats we had coming over, 13J&K.
After takeoff we had our cocktail as we selected our lunch items. I watched Wales and then Ireland fall behind us. Lunch was served and consumed, cold chicken on salad for me and salmon for D. We both had viognier with it and found it all quite good.
Then I flattened my seat and napped for a bit, waking up as we did landfall near Goose Bay, Labrador. Now it's time to compute the bleeping costs of items we're bringing into the states for the dang customs form. More later.
Later: I computed our customs items. They're mainly gifts for a certain grandson (go figure) and well under the amount we'd have to pay duty on. During that time, the plane progressed to the Bay of St Lawrence and is about to enter Quebec. We still have two hours to our destination, per the screen in front of me.
Then I started collecting the left-over pounds and distributing dollars. Found a receipt for a clothing purchase in the pounds D gave me, so I re-computed the customs stuff for clothing.
Time to put stuff away preparing for landing.
Nice landing, then the chaos started. Getting through immigration wasn't too hard but hundreds of people came in behind us – we must have been the first plane in from Europe. We had to answer for putting “we were in pastures” on our form and explain it. No real problem, just time-consuming. We picked up a Kia SUV from Avis (much more than we needed).
The plan was to go to the motel at BWI in early afternoon to avoid traffic. We left in early afternoon, but there was still a bunch of traffic on the MD side of the beltway. Oh, well. We checked in and got a room in our usual wing. We loafed for a while then went to dinner, which was good for a motel.
We went back to the room and did things. I faded about 2200. Good to be back in the USA.
20130607 Baltimore to Jacksonville Wet at BWI
No Photos
We woke up at 0500 local time, not too bad for the first day back on EDT. We loafed until 0630, then went to breakfast in the hotel. Rain. Back in the room we watched the weather. Traffic is a mess on I-95, glad we came over here yesterday.
The local weather-weasels say that Andrea the tropical storm is in South Carolina and zipping NE. They figure to get 2-4” of rain up against the Blue Ridge mountains as the moisture is taken off the water and shed as the clouds rise up the mountainside.
People at the gate here at BWI say they're staying on schedule despite the rain, which isn't all that heavy right now.
Jacksonville weasels say it'll get to 89* today, mostly sunny, 20% chance of a rain shower. So we're going to be ok, given that the plane arrives to take us there.
Lana & Jamie picked us up at the airport, Jamie in his Super-person cape. D gave him a little Southwest jet and he chattered all the way to the condo. Lana & Bill are down with colds that Jamie brought home from pre-school, so we just waved goodbye and let her go recuperate.
We entered the condo and started doing laundry.
Thanks for coming along for the ride.