3. The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly, Then Great

Thursday, May 16

We last posted as we happily waited for our flight to New York to catch our first class flight to London. Well, we waited and waited because Air Traffic control at JFK would not clear us to land. By the time we left, we were sure we would miss our flight to London and would have to wait till the next day. When we landed in New York, we were in the very back of a hot crowded plane and had to stressfully wait our turn to  get out  with 15 minutes to RUN  to a different terminal to catch the flight. Bob sprinted ahead  and I jogged. It must have been a mile, but we made it as they closed the doors.

First class was incredible with plush recliner seats, blankets pillows, and a little bag with ear plugs eye mask, lotion, toothbrush etc. As we caught our breath, a stewardess asked if we'd like a glass of champagne. Are you kidding?! Once in the air the service just went on. We got warm washcloths to freshen up, warm nuts and wine to relax and a 4 course dinner including shrimp. Once again, are you kidding?!

An hour before landing, we  were served a lovely breakfast of fresh fruit, granola, yogurt and  pastries. This is the way to fly. We landed smoothly in London and were given a pass to fast track through customs.

Something went wrong and the fast track line finished long after the regular line. We hurried to baggage and found out our luggage had not made the flight. After a long wait and forms, they gave us a  little packet of deodorant, toothpaste, a sleep t-shirt, etc., and promised to deliver our suitcases the next day. By then we'd missed our tour guide  and had to wait for someone to get us. In a blur we finally made it to the hotel.

The sun came out, we got right into our room, freshened up and called our friend Steve Sirola. We headed out walking though delightful streets to meet Steve at Harrods. I LOVE London!

We  had the best time walking around with Steve. He helped us change money and learn how to use the Tube.

                                   With Steve by Harrods.

Us in front of Buckingham Palace.

We spent the day walking, sight seeing, and even took a boat taxi on the Thames with a beautiful view of London's skyline and Big Ben.

We finished with dinner in a little Pub and then Steve rode back to our stop on the Tube with us to make sure we made it back to our  hotel. We were overwhelmed by all we'd seen and felt very thankful for Steve.

The Tube.