.
20140506 to IAD .... PhotoLink-O ..... PhotoLink-D

Intentions: Taxi to Paddington, HX to Heathrow, fly IAD, get car, then drive to BWI area hotel for the night.

Actuals: Coffee & biscuits in room, loafing. Checked out of hotel but left luggage there. Took a walk to Buckingham Palace (not far).

There, we stumbled into the daily-in-May Changing of the Guard ceremony. Lots of redcoats and bearskin hats. Two squads of Guards from two different regiments and the bands of each regiment. Various participants marching all over the courtyard in front of the Palace. The outcome was that they replaced two sentries with four sentries (signifying that the monarch is in residence). Could have done the same thing with five guards and a jeep, but one must have ceremony.

Back to lunch in the hotel pub, then we picked up our luggage and caught a taxi for Paddington Station (please take care of this bear). We used the Heathrow Express to get to T5. We used the services desk to get a wheelchair after checkin, and went through security with it. Then onward to T5B by underground tram, and a glass while waiting to board.

Boarding went well, and the flight went well. Boring. Best kind.

We’d applied for a wheelchair at IAD as well, and a person showed up with one. He whipped us through immigration and customs to the rental car shuttle rank. The bus took us to the Hertz lot. Our name was not on the board, so we had to follow ten other people whose names were not on the board into the “Gold” shack. When we reached the front of the line, an indifferent employee issued us a Santa Fe with CA tags.

We drove to Manasass and to the City Grill (old Pargo’s), to meet Pat & Val. We had drinks but had to stop before we would have since they have to be up at 5:30 for a flight to Puerto Rico. They’re trying to talk us into an Azamara cruise in Feb 2015 from Bali to Osaka, Japan.

Then we drove next door to the Quality Inn (not great but convenient). Now to sleep.


20140507 to Home

Intentions: Leisurely morning, turn in car, fly home.

Woke at 0700, so we decided to stay awake to begin getting accustomed to EDT. Coffee machine in the room, so we started with that. The idea was to stay in Manassas until the morning rush into DC was mostly complete, then dash for BWI in Baltimore for our Southwest flight home. We went to breakfast at the local Bob Evans and parked about where the “sniper” did when they were terrorizing the DC area. The traffic to BWI wasn’t bad; we had time to snoop around.

The flight to Jax Bch was fine. Landed on time and Lana picked us up. She drove to their house and we drove home to unpack, wash clothes and relax.

Glad you could come along for the trip.

20140509 Update: Dr says Dolores suffered a sprain and told her to exercise when it doesn’t hurt. Aquarobics is also good.

Bye!!