In Familiar Surroundings

After we both had some more coffee and breakfast, and I took a shower,
at the arrival lounge, we hopped the fast Heathrow Express for the 15minute ride from the airport to London's Paddington Station. When we rode the same train at about the same hour of the morning on a weekday three years ago, there were few passengers. This time it was full of "suits" ---- businessmen in pinstriped suits, button down shirts, and silk ties. Unless these gents were all bankruptcy lawyers, you would get the impression that the UK's economy is no longer in the doldrums if you rode this train.

A short cab ride from Paddington brought us to The Sumner Hotel in the
Marble Arch area of the city, just two blocks from Hyde Park. Our room wasn't quite ready for us, so we dumped our luggage in the lobby and took a stroll around the neighborhood. New restaurants seem to have sprung up, but, alas the hole-in-the-wall Italian place whose only so-so-food, but casual character and reasonable prices attracted us, is no longer around the corner from our hotel. But now that smoking is no longer permitted in pubs, the Mason Arms at the end of the block may be
worth a try. Last trip, the reek of cigarette smoke drove us out of the door and into fresh air before we could even order and down a pint of beer.

Touchdown!

We were headed for a landing thirty minutes ahead of schedule, but then
along with several other planes, we were stuck in a holding pattern.
The little airplane on my video display kept spinning around, and
around, and around, going no where at 500 mph.

After touching down at Heathrow, we got into a parking queque, then took
a driving tour of the airfield. Right now where lounging in the
arrivals lounge, with Dick in another queque to use the showers. (In
2006, United had a sparsely used lounge of its own; this time it shares
the facility with several other airlines and the place is busy with
First Class and Business travelers whose flights landed in the early
morning.

Partly sunny skies greeted us, but rain in is the forecast for later today.

Nearly There!

After dozing more than sleeping than night away, we were awakened by the
flight attendants around 5 am London time. We've now traveled 5,554
miles from San Francisco and should land at Heathrow, 223 miles to the
east, in about 45 minutes.

Due to some oven malfunction, our breakfast omelettes arrived on hot
plates, hot on the outside, but cold on the inside. Perhaps it was
"Icelandic" fare (we were flying some distance south of that island,
famous for its rugged scenery and geothermal power plants) with a frozen,
herbal cheese-coated, Atlantic fish in the middle? Sacre bleau! The
rigors of flying in First Class!

Dinner and A Movie On High

Now a little over three hours since departure flying along at 35,000 feet and at nearly 550 mph over Wisconsin. I just finished watching the movie The Class (French with English subtitles), all about the travails and frustrations of teachers getting little respect for their efforts to teach a multicultural group of students in a Paris middle school.  The cabin lights have been turned down and I'm typing on my netbook aided by the reading light on a flexible stalk next to my seat.

Our five course dinner started a dual appetizer plate:  Cumin-scented Braised Beef empanada with Shaved Fennel and Kumquats, alongside a Poached Lobster Tart served on a bed of Spanish Chorizo, Tiny Corn, and Olive Oil Poached Tomatoes.  Curry Tomato Lentil Soup, and Fresh Seasonal Greens with Plum Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Seasoned Croutons followed.

The main course choices were:  Grilled Sea Bass and a Cardamom Carrot Galette with Three Onion Ragout (which I opted for), Wild Mushroom Lasagna, Pan-Seared Filet Mignon with Green Peppercorn Sauce (Cindy's choice), or Sate Spiced Chicken.  Both of us washed down the meal with a nice Artesa 2005 Napa/Sonoma Meritage blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, poured from a full bottle by the flight attendants, not self-served from those tiny bottles that get passed out at the back of the plane.

We passed on the Red Grape and Cheese dessert option (not a separate course as would have been the case in France) for good old American ice cream sundaes.  The meal ended (for Dick) with a class of port and a chocolate truffle.  The food preparation was quite outstanding and a far cry from the best of the "good old days" when coach passengers were served a full (albeit TV dinner style) meal.

As the bird in those Western Airlines commercial used to crow:  "This is the only way to fly."

It's now 12:15 am in London and only a little over six hours until we land.  Breakfast will be served in five hours or less, so it's time to sign off, shut down the computer, hit the "Bed" button on my seat and sleep lying flat as we continue eastward towards the Atlantic.

Flying Up Front at 33,000 Feet

Publish Post

While waiting to pull back from the gate, we sat comfortably in our
First Class cabin sipping champagne. Everyone was aboard, so we left 10
minutes early and began a long, slow taxi southward along the tarmac.
Finally, at about 12:45 pm West Coast time, the captain turned onto
runway 28 Left, gunned the engines and were were off and running towards
London.
We're now about thirty minutes post-takeoff cruising along at 33,000
feet presumably still over California although not for long. Flying time
to London is a little shy of 10 hours. Dinner is about to be served, so
I'll write another post later.

Fasten Your Seat Belts

In about five minutes or so we'll finish our champagne and the plane
will pull back from the gate. Next posts will come from London!

All Aboard for London

We're at SFO enjoying the peaceful First Class lounge and will be
boarding our flight soon.