April 23 - Hounslow, England

It’s Sunday morning and I’m here at the Sofitel at Terminal 5 at Heathrow airport.  I arrived yesterday close to noon after an uneventful flight from Richmond to Newark and then onward to London.  I had high expectations for my layover at Newark because I had read on some travel websites that the United Polaris Lounge there was “about the best in the US.”  My standards must be different.  Oh, it was big and had lots of seating and places to plug in.  I had read that they had great food there and I was determined to try a new tactic to attempt to get so some sleep on the plane.  I would eat dinner in the lounge and then declare lights out when I boarded.  I wasn’t expecting Michelin star food, but what was there was just bad. That plan went out the window. Sadly, the food on the plane was worse.  Needless to say I haven’t gained weight on the first day of my trip.

Anyway,  the flight was uneventful; my bags came quickly.  I found a black taxi, that’s what they call official ones here, and had him drive me to my hotel at another terminal.  This place is so big that it took about 20 minutes driving.  There is a train that’s free, but there is no way I could manage my suitcases and get on and off a train.  I learned an interesting thing about black taxi drivers. In order to get a license they have to pass what they call a “knowledge” test. That includes obvious things like learning city streets and the surrounding suburbs.  But it also includes being able to converse about world affairs to some extent.  My driver had an accent that would have done a performance as a cockney in My Fair Lady proud.  As soon as we took off he engaged in a conversation about the state of American politics as compared to those in Britain. I won’t tell you what his thoughts were, but he was a very interesting “chap” to listen to.

After I checked in and took a little nap, I got cleaned up and went to the club they have here and met my friend Toni.  We met on the last cruise and she drove down and spent the night in the hotel too.  We talked from 3:30 until 11:30 last night about all sorts of things.  Along the way we had dinner (fish and chips which were quite good) and caught up on things.  She’s a widow like me with only one son who lives in Thailand and I think she gets pretty lonely.  I can relate to that.

After a decent night’s sleep, I’m getting ready to meet her for breakfast and then we’ll say our goodbyes – she to head back to somewhere in the country about an hour from London and me to Dover to board my ship.  On the ship will be another friend I met going around South America and the fact that we’re staying in touch is one of the most wonderful things about cruising.  I’ve made some lifelong friends in faraway places.

I’ll write more later when I’m settled aboard.