Photos
We had breakfast at 7am and the CIE transfer bus departs for the airport at 8am. We are back handling our own bags now. We were up early again and took a walk down to the marina area. We both just ate from the buffet this morning. We shared the bus to the airport for about 45 minutes with only one other couple from our tour. They were flying back to the US today, but we were both on Aer Lingus from Terminal 2 Dublin Airport.
We had breakfast at 7am and the CIE transfer bus departs for the airport at 8am. We are back handling our own bags now. We were up early again and took a walk down to the marina area. We both just ate from the buffet this morning. We shared the bus to the airport for about 45 minutes with only one other couple from our tour. They were flying back to the US today, but we were both on Aer Lingus from Terminal 2 Dublin Airport.
Our flight is at 11:30am so we were here hours early. We
cleared security and tax/duty/VAT refund processing 2 times for 2 different
procedures and still had an hour to kill before our gate would be announced at
10:40am. We bought me some Butler’s hot chocolate that is like Argentine Submarinos. Well, the gate should be announced in about the next 5 minutes and
then it will be time to move on. I’ll sign off here and be back later from
London for a final entry from Europe.
Our flight was alright. It only lasted an hour. It was 2
rows of 3 on each side. We were in 7 window and middle, but no one was in our
aisle seat so Clay moved over. Aer Lingus doesn’t even give a free little cup
of water on their flights. We remembered that and had filled my bottle with ice
water at Burger King after security.
The line to enter UK was quick and all they did was collect
our boarding passes to let us enter. They did not warn us of this on the flight
so of course there were people who had not kept theirs and I don’t know what
they did about them later but they were standing them aside there and telling
them they could not enter the UK without a boarding pass.
We bought tickets on the Gatwick Express and it cost almost
as much as the flight from Dublin and took half as long. I don’t know why you
can’t use an Oyster Card like for coming to and from Heathrow. It’s very inconvenient.
We had no stops between Gatwick and Victoria Station. We are
staying at B+B Belgravia about a 4 minute walk from Victoria Station. It is £135
a night for the 2 of us. We are in room
4 which is very near the front door and lobby, but down 4 steps. It is hotter
than a fart in here. In the lobby and in the room. Clay opened the window over
the bed and now we can’t close it but we are still broiling in here. It is
crazy. This is the smallest room yet with the largest closet and smallest
bathroom. It is in all white with one big bed. There is a towel warmer in the
already close, hot bathroom. The bathroom only has a shower stall, but it is
not the smallest one we’ve had.
We had great weather today. Overcast and about 65 to 60F. We
walked to Westminster Cathedral and ate a Cornish Pasty on the way for lunch.
Then we went to the Royal Mews and took a guided tour. It cost £7.75 for Clay as a senior and £8.50 for me as an adult. Then we walked on around
to Buckingham Palace and got there in time to watch a changing of guards. Then
we started back and ate at an Indian restaurant again. This time it was Buckingham Balti House. It was good.
We have had a long and tiring day and will go to bed early
since we have an early start tomorrow. They include breakfast here but it
doesn’t start until7:30am, so we’ll miss it. Our flight leaves at 11am, but we
need to get to Heathrow 3 hrs early and we have to take 2 Tube lines to get
there so Clay says we need to leave here at 7am.
That’s it tomorrow we fly home direct LHR to RDU.
