Tuesday, March 14, 2006

London Arrival

Interesting first day.  I thought I was supposed to be flying "World Traveller Plus" on British Airways.  But when I got to the airport, they said I was in business class, checked me in and then sent me to the club room for dinner (it was "sleeper service" - so no full dinner on the plane itself, though they did serve a good sandwich and salad).  This was doubly good as I got to the airport about 3 hours early and the plane left about an hour late - so lots of time to enjoy the dinner and amenities.  I'm just hopeful that I didn't pay for this upgrade as I did go on the website and check what an upgrade would cost - but never confirmed the transaction (I hope!)

 

The seat was one of those new cubby-hole style where half the seats face backwards and all fold flat to make for a "real" bed (which I have been wanting to try).  Very spacious and very private - and at less than $400 for the round-trip, truly a bargain regardless of whether I get the same treatment coming back.  Sleeping was possible - but the 2 double-espresso's I had in the lounge made it more of a challenge than it should have been.  And - while better than trying to sleep in a seat, I still woke up sore.

 

No trouble on arrival into London.  Being a bit late wasn't an issue because I figured I wouldn't be able to check in right away anyway (which proved correct).  So, I found Euston train station and got my ticket to Dublin for tomorrow and then headed out to London Tower and Tower Bridge - two of the things that I wanted to do last visit but ran out of time.  The crown jewels were a bit of a letdown - they put you on a conveyor to ensure that you keep moving (but no crowds, so this wasn't really an issue).  From the tower area, I climbed to the top of the monument and then ventured to Starbucks where I type this.

 

Weather is cloudy with a slight drizzle.  Also quite cool - and since my jacket is in my bag which I left at the hotel, walking has been at a brisk pace!

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