Orlando to London

Well today is the day.  It is June 2, 2016 and I am headed off on my European Vacation.  Shari picked me up at 12 noon and transported me to the airport and then we said our goodbyes for a month.  I walked into the terminal and she came running in and said turn around so I can take your picture.  Thanks Shari for posting on Facebook, didn't even think about it!

I am flying first class this trip (thanks to Peter for telling his parents, Pete and Faith last fall that there was a one day sale for business/first class seats).  Upon arrival I quickly check in (no waiting line)  and head to the Delta Sky Club for the two hours before my flight.  I brought along some ziplock bags so I can haul away some of those great cookies they have in the club for later!

My first leg of the flight is from Orlando at 3:30 p.m. to Atlanta.  We arrive around 5 p.m. and I walk from the A Terminal to the E Terminal then off to the Delta Sky Club for about an hour and a half before I need to be at the gate.  I get to walk right on board when I get to E18.  Everyone is on board and the door is shut in plenty of time for us to have an on time departure, but then the captain comes on and tells us the grounds crew has to shift some of the cargo so we are balanced in our weight.  I always find this interesting when it happens that they know how much to move around.  I have been on commuter planes (Sky West) where they have made all the passengers move into the first rows to re-adjust the weight of the plane. 

I have a Westin Heavenly Comforter, a full size bed pillow and some real nice headsets (no Elaine, I did not get to keep them, they collected them at the end of the flight). The menu is on the left and my little bag of cookies and brownies from the Sky Club is in the picture.  I end up with 3 extra bottles of water from my flight attendant so I can save purchasing water while in London.

As soon as the doors closed to the airplane I check out the movies and decide to watch Eddie the Eagle.   I remember from growing up watching tv on Saturdays on ABC Sports.   I think of Eddie as the ski jumper during the opening of the show when it says "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat" and the ski jumper crashes coming down the ski jump.

I was curious to see how close the movie was to the real story so I went on the Smithsonian magazine website today to see what Eddie is up to.  He is now 50 years old.  This is one of  things it says about him: "By the time Edwards arrived in Calgary—where the Italian team gave him a new helmet and the Austrians provided his skis—he was legendary as the jumper who made it look difficult. Others flew. Only the Eagle could launch off a mountain and plummet like a dead parrot. “I was a true amateur and embodied what the Olympic spirit is all about,” he says. “To me, competing was all that mattered. Americans are very much ‘Win! Win! Win!’ In England, we don’t give a fig whether you win. It’s great if you do, but we appreciate those who don’t. The failures are the people who never get off their bums. Anyone who has a go is a success.”

However this is the connection to the cruise and why I am adding this.  The article also stated: "Edwards regularly travels on cruise ships, entertaining passengers with motivational speeches and his inimitable winter’s tale."  Wouldn't it be great if he came on the Disney Magic!  Anyway, it is a very inspirational movie and I highly recommend it if it is one of your choices as you fly over to London for your cruise. 

I enjoyed learning about his background and his persistence to be in the Olympics.  As Walt said  "If you can dream it, you can do it".  It is amazing what an individual can do when they set their mind to it.

We finally get cleared for take off about 45 minutes late.  While watching the movie, dinner is served.  I had salad and fruit and then for the main course chicken, veggies and steamed rice.  Dessert was a wonderful berry cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  I started watching Zootopia (2nd time to see this one as I thoroughly enjoyed seeing it a couple of weeks ago) but at about half way through, I decided to recline my bed and go to sleep.  Was able to sleep for about five hours.  We landed around 9:30, a little late, but my ride is scheduled for 10:45 so I am okay on time.  The morning up in the sky is beautiful and the sun is shining.  The screen on the plane says it is 52 degrees at 2000 feet in the air.  However once we go through the clouds at 1500 feet we are in typical overcast London and the temperature on the ground is 48 at landing.

I have a Fast Track pass for Customs and Immigration at London Heathrow, but honestly the lines weren't more than 15 minutes.  By the time I got through Customs my luggage was already on the turnstile.  Remember, for international airports, the luggage carts are free, where unlike in the USA you have to pay about $4 to "rent" them.  Got my luggage and then headed out to the arrivals hall for my transfer from Heathrow to Gatwick.  I am staying at the Hilton in Gatwick so when Pete and Faith arrive tomorrow morning I will be right where they arrive.  My room is ready when I arrive, so I take a quick nap from noon til 2 and then get up and take a hot European shower (and yes, my track record remains, I still get water all over the floor in the European bathrooms.) But this time I know how to work the faucet since I stayed here last July. 

Here is my question though for you Europeans that I truly don't understand.  Why do you not have face cloths/wash cloths to use in the bathrooms?  I don't understand why I have to use a huge hand towel to wash my face.  I ask the hotel, but they don't have any but give me a couple of extra hand towels.

At 3:30 p.m. I head out to the train station which is located right across the street in the Gatwick airport.  There is a train strike today by the workers so once I get there I find out there is limited service to Victoria Station.  I am not in a big hurry although I do have reservations at the Sky Garden at 4:30 so I will be a little late.  I purchase a one day unlimited pass for 16 pounds 30 pence which allows me to go to and from Gatwick to Victoria station on the train and then on the Tube/buses in London.  I know they also have Oyster Cards you can purchase but figure this is the best option for me.  You can use a credit card right in the machines, so cash is not necessary.

The train finally rolls in at 4 p.m.  I head off for the 30 minute right into the city and then transfer over to the Central Line on the Tube to go to Monument Station.  At Monument Station you exit to the left, take the first right and the building is up a block on the left.  You can't miss it.  I get there at 5:10, my reservation time is from 4:30 to 5:30, they don't question my arrival time and I head up the elevator 35 floors for the views overlooking London.  The place is packed.  They have a bar at the top for refreshments and lots of tables if you want to sit and visit.  However, there are no tables available, you almost have to stand by a table to wait for a group to leave so you can grab it.  However, I don't need a table.  There is also a restaurant up one more floor if you want to eat, but I believe reservations are taken and I would highly recommend that if you want to eat there.

As usual, from my previous trips here, it is an overcast day and for the life of me I can't get warm.  It has been cold since I landed.  Pack a sweatshirt.  You will probably need it.  You can get your free tickets to the Sky Garden online at their website skygarden.london about 2 weeks before your visit.  You have to have tickets for entry. (When booking tickets, you must start you telephone number with the country code 01 or it will keep giving you an error.)

The Thammes River in the picture:

The London Eye off in the distance and then zoomed in with the camera.

Next I jump back on the Tube and head to Picadilly Circus and window shop while walking to Leicester Square to go to the Red Ticket Booth (think New York) to see what shows that have going for tonight.  On my way I see this guy outside one of the souvenir shops trying to entice you to go shop in their store:

It was 6 p.m. and I go by the Swiss Glockenspiel located in the square.  It was actually removed in 2008 and then redesigned.  It is a musical clock, featuring 27 bells and 11 moving Swiss figures, and was rebuilt by Smith of Derby in collaboration with Swiss artists.

The 32 ft  high glockenspiel was originally gifted to the City of Westminster in 1985 by Switzerland and Liechtenstein as a token of centuries of friendship.  The 11 Swiss figures move when the clock chimes on the hour as if they are a merry go round.  Don't know if the clock chimes at any other times during the hour since I was only there at the top of the hour.

The ticket booth for those that need to know what it looks like

At the ticket booth they have a screen showing the shows they have available and the prices.  I decided to purchase Wicked.  I have seen it in Los Angeles and New York numerous times, but never in London, so anxious to see what I think of the London production.  If you zoom in on the performances you can kind of get an idea of pricing.  They had Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, Showboat and many others to choose from and tickets ranged from about 18 pounds to over 60 pounds.  They accept credit cards and pounds.  I brought cash so paid with pounds.

There is an M & M's store right in Leicester Square also.  I didn't have time to backtrack to go to The Disney Store since Wicked is all the way back at Victoria Station.

I then get back on the Tube to go back to Victoria Station because that is where Wicked will be playing, at the Apollo Theater, right outside the train station.  Just a note, in New York, most of the shows start at 8 p.m. to the best of my recollection, but in London most all the shows begin at 7:30 p.m.

After I locate the theater I have about 45 minutes so I go back in the train station and purchase a Chicken/Bacon Pasty (I call them meat pies).  They are yummy.I think mine was 3 pounds 95 pence.  I am getting some coins in my bag and I really can't tell one coin from the other so I just lay them out on the counter so the girl at the register can take what she needs.

My view once inside the theater.  Elphaba and Glinda are fabulous and had incredible singing voices.  The theater was beautiful.  I was 15 rows from the stage.  Not bad at all for a last minute ticket

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I highly recommend going to Wicked at least once in your lifetime.  It gives you a different perspective on the Wizard of Oz, that's for sure!  Although, I would think around 6 to 8 years old would be the youngest to go to this show, depending on the maturity of the child and if they are scared of flying monkeys and will have nightmares.

I just wander back across the street to Victoria Station.  Once again because of the shortage of trains, the usual 15 minute Gatwick Express trains are not running. So I have to wait for 30 minutes before a train finally comes in and depart at 11 p.m.  I get back to the Gatwick Airport about 11:30 and take the five minute walk from the train station/airport terminal to the Hilton.

Figure I better type what I did today before going to bed because a) I have free internet and b) if I wait too long I will forget what I did!

I check on Facebook and get a message from Faith that their flight is delayed, so instead of arriving around 6:30 in the morning they will arrive at 8:30 or so.  Good news for me, I will get a couple of more hours of sleep before I have to get up to meet them in the morning.

So it is now 1 a.m. and I am headed to bed............as usual..............Goodnight from the Hilton Gatwick in London (I can't wait for my typical closing line once I am on the Disney Magic!)