London – Day 1 – Shirley's Journeys

Here it is August of 2022, and travel is unpredictable. Do we mask: do we not mask? Do we test: do we not test? Do we fill out a health form and report our list of most recent cooties? Right now, the entry requirements for the UK are OK. Whew. One less hurdle in the… maybe post-pandemic world.

Heathrow has been in the news for cancelling flights, airline strikes, long lines and all kinds of issues: Heathrow / death row for luggage. So, we packed a big bag of optimism and left home on Wednesday to catch our overnight flight to Heathrow.

Hate is a strong word, but I STRONGLY dislike overnight flights. Some people love them; they have no trouble sleeping sitting up. I just can’t do it. I arrange my pillow; snuggle into my blanket; close my eyes, and sit as still as possible. As soon as I start dropping off to sleep, I jerk awake. But I am not about to pay $11,000 (Yes you heard that correctly) $11,000 for a first class, lay-flat seat from Nashville to London. I can sleep later.

We followed the crowds to border control/immigration and then to baggage claim. We found our bags, and yes, I did a little happy dance.

They have a Hoppa bus system for airport hotels, but we did some YouTube research and determined that the cost would be comparable for a taxi or Uber since we are traveling with another couple. The taxi line seemed convenient and easy and we were too tired to fool with Uber. Price was 20 British pounds, and we got to the hotel much quicker.

The Hoppa bus would have taken 45 minutes and we would have had to wrestle our own bags onboard. The taxi took about 20 minutes AND the driver loaded and unloaded our bags.

The Renaissance hotel is clean, convenient to the airport and a good option if desiring an airport hotel. They even let us check in early.

We took a little nap and then walked to a nearby McDonalds to grab a quick breakfast/supper. It was 2PM here but 8AM on Central stomach time. (I have my brother-in-law, Don, to thank for that time zone designation.)

We chose our usual fries, but they had some unique sides. Cucumber or melon bag, anyone?

Our little group of four decided to book HoHo bus tickets for touring London. Not Santa, but hop-on-hop-off busses. The ticket we purchased is good for 48 hours. We arranged for an Uber into downtown (which was about the same price as four people people riding the train, but it would drop us off directly where we needed to go.)

After the Hop on Hop off bus, we walked around a little on search for a local fish and chips restaurant with good reviews.