Paris and London: The Aftermath

When we left off, our merry travelers were contemplating their last morning in London as well as the long trip home. Here's how that day (yesterday) went:

Enjoyed our usual complimentary breakfast at the hotel (London is so expensive, it is always best to stuff oneself when food is free) before setting out for Hyde Park. We took the Tube to the opposite side of the Park and figured we would meander our way back towards the hotel. It is walkable, but a long walk - but hey, we're nothing if not seasoned walkers at this juncture.

The Tube was PACKED with morning commuters (we always manage to ride during rush hour) and literally had to cram ourselves onto the train. It gets incredibly hot and more than a little uncomfortable to be THAT close to perfect strangers. Plus, when it's that crowded, I can't sneak peeks at the ridiculous newspaper headlines about Michael Jackson's love child with Brittney Spears or whatever the gossip du jour happens to be. Those newspapers are EVERYwhere. There are usually multiple newspaper people in front of every Tube stop just handing them out to passersby and the Londoners LOVE them. 

Anyhoo, we hopped off the Tube and walked into the lovely world of Hyde Park. I intentionally wanted to enter from the northeast end so that I could get a glimpse of Speakers' Corner - though there was sadly, no one orating as it wasn't Sunday. People are encouraged to bring a ladder and whatever is on their mind to share with the crowds that gather on Sundays. In any case, the Park is just beautiful and Londoners are lucky to have it.

Walked to the lower end of the Park and exited to take a quick side trip down to Harrod's. Do not ask me what possessed me to think that I, an avowed "non shopper" (unless it's shoes and purses) would be able to appreciate the shopping circus atmosphere that is Harrod's. Seven floors of merchandise with countless "salons" per floor. I truly got claustrophobic the minute I entered and felt more than a little anxious until I got the hell out. We did manage to briefly ride the Egyptian staircase and see the memorial to Diana and Dodi Fayed - more than just a little weird - why on earth does Dodi's statue have his shirt unbuttoned? Eesh. 

Walked back towards the Park and entered at about the juncture of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. Wanted to pop back in long enough to see the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. It was lovely and we just sat and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere for a spell. Loved the circular design of the fountain.

We still had a bit more time on our hands before we needed to head to the airport, so we made a quick stop at the Natural History Museum. It's another phenomenal free museum - London is full of them. Worked our way through the Blue Zone, which was chockablock with dinosaurs and mammals. A really cool "working" T-rex made one poor little boy inconsolable. (Scared me just a little, too.) 

When we entered the museum the weather was quite nice, but upon our departure, it was raining steadily. No surprise there. Popped open my umbrella and went on my way - just like all the locals. Had our final walk back to the hotel, gathered our luggage and began the trek to Heathrow. Our hotel was right on the way to the airport, so we jumped back onto the now familiar Piccadilly Line and were there in no time. 

My husband had warned me, and he was right, that Heathrow is a very odd airport. I absolutely HATE that they won't let you near the appropriate gate until just before the flight is boarded. They basically keep everyone herded together in a central area - albeit with shopping and dining options available. I was just a tad anxious since Sam and I hadn't been able to procure seat assignments in the online check in process NOR at the ticket counter. We were told to get our seats at the gate - presumably along with far too many other people - all attempting to stay away from the "hot potato seats" - those in the middle of the row of 5. 

So, when the magic board posted our gate information, we literally ran-walked the entire way. We were feeling pretty positive until we were randomly selected for "additional security screening" - thus nullifying much of our lead on our seat competitors. In any case, we finally made our way to the gate staff and got our assignments - in the next-to-last row of the airplane. Any later and I suspect we would have been assigned seats on the wing. I was just glad to be heading home - and to be able to actually sit for more than a ten-minute rest. 

Flight home was uneventful - always a big plus for me. Being in the back row, we were nearly the last passengers off the plane. Apparently we were the final international flight of the day, and they didn't want to drag over any more "mobile lounges" - so we were crammed into just one - and I mean ridiculously crammed. While we waited - standing, sweating, those in charge were milling about waiting for stragglers. Turned out there was one other bus, which a few smart people had gotten on. Finally our driver climbs aboard (over people, over luggage, etc.) and lowers the vehicle. Then...nothing. It wouldn't go into gear. He tries several more times and then has to radio to the other driver to wait because our bus "wasn't going anywhere." So...we all had to trundle off bus #1 and then get on bus #2 - only add a few MORE people. Fortunately, bus #2 had (shocking!) working ac, which made the quick trip positively pleasurable.

Immigration and customs were a breeze and before we knew it, Sam and I walked out of the international arrivals area to...no one. We had been texting Tony to keep him apprised of our status. He had taken Joe and the girls to Cinnabon to wait and we managed to get through customs before they got back. I went off to look for them, and in the meantime, they appeared. It was fantastic to see their faces - even though it had only been a week I missed them all terribly. Claire, true to form, kissed me, hugged me, told me she loved me and missed me, and then asked what I had brought her. 

And THAT ends the final chapter of our saga. I am hoping to do one additional post, sort of a listing of "what I'll miss" and "what I WON'T miss" about Paris and London. Sam and I were working on it yesterday, but it still needs a little time to percolate. Also hope to have a link to pics in the next day or two.

Ciao! (oh wait, that's the NEXT trip...)