May 19, 2022
Belfast to London to L.A.
We slept fitfully worried
about what our day of travel would bring. We were awake well before our alarm,
so we showered, dressed, and finished packing. All the dirty clothes went into
my suitcase, while nearly everything else went into Larry’s. I carried most of
the souvenirs and gifts, along with my computer, in my under-seat carry-on.
Larry had his usual stuff and his iPad in his backpack.
We joined a large tour
group in the dining room for breakfast. Then we returned to our suite to brush
our teeth and make a last check before we went downstairs to check out.
Recovered our car keys and
loaded the bags. Then one last trip, this time to the Belfast City Airport. Once
again, Larry had written down the turn-by turn directions, and these were easy
to use.
We followed the signs to
the Hertz car return. No one there yet, but fortunately, there were written
directions. We left the car and made our way into the terminal. We located the Hertz
desk and turned in the key.
Then we tried to check in
for our flight, but it was still nearly three hours before the scheduled time,
and they didn’t begin check-in until two hours ahead. So, we found a place to
sit and wait.
Finally, we got in line to
check in. (The flight was showing a fifteen-minute delay from the schedule.
Situation normal for flights on this trip.)
While we waited, we decided
to check our two rolling bags all the way through to L.A. rather than put them
in the overhead storage. This meant we only had to carry our under-seat bags.
This turned out to be a good choice.
The actual check-in was easy
and relatively quick.
Then we went through the
security check with the normal hassles…
Flying is NOT fun anymore.
Just like the other flights
we had been on in the UK, the departure board did not list the departure gate
until right before it began boarding. So, we sat around and waited for the gate
listing.
They announced the gate,
but it wasn’t listed on the board. We moved with the crowd toward gate four.
Finally, about five minutes later, the gate number finally appeared on the
board. Fortunately, it was Gate 4.
Of course, this gate was
the farthest from the waiting area.
When we arrived, they told
us to have a seat since they weren’t actually ready for us. Half an hour later,
they finally called for boarding. We discovered this short flight to London boarded
via a stairway rather than a jetway. Once again, we were happy we had decided
to check our rolling bags all the way through.
We reached Heathrow an hour
later than scheduled. We were originally scheduled for a three-hour layover. But
they didn’t have a gate for us.
They finally found one, but
we were stuck on the plane for another half hour because the gate we had been
assigned was for international flights, and our flight was domestic…
They called for “coaches”
(busses) to transport us to the correct terminal where we could get our
connecting flight. Of course, there was another very long walk to get to the
international terminal, followed by another security check since we were now boarding
an international flight.
When we finally reached the
departure lounge, we discovered the flight would be delayed. (No surprise.) The
gate number had been posted, so we took the connecting train to the “B” gates. It
was another long hike to our gate—once again the farthest one.
Of course, when we got
there, we were told to have a seat…
The flight was ultimately
delayed well over an hour. Finally, they began allowing us to go down to the
jetway. Thank God we were allowed to use the jetway this time, although some
passengers had to use roll-up stairs. With all the walking, our decision to
check our larger bags was supported. (Ours were still pretty small. Several
others brought much larger bags onto the plane.)
Once again, Julie had reserved
the first row at the back with only two seats on the side. Great place to sit.
Just the two of us together.
Again, we watched movies
during the flight. We actually saw the same ones at the same time. (Jumanji,
Back to the Jungle and Super Intelligent, which we both liked.) Then
we each watched different films. I sat through Licorice Pizza, which I
HATED. I also watched Can You Ever Forgive Me. Interesting true story. I
also started a couple of other films, which I gave up on.
We ate lunch. I gave most of
mine to Larry.
Near the end of the flight,
we were served another meal. Once again, Larry got a lot of mine.
Because we were near the
back of the plane, we were among the last to exit. Then we had the long, long
trek to passport control. It certainly went much faster than the last time we
were there. We spent about two hours in 2016. This time, the lines moved
quickly. We then had another long hike to baggage claim and a bit of a wait for
our bags.
Larry called Danny of
Angel’s Transport. He was waiting outside the airport for our call. We still
had to wait about fifteen minutes for him to reach our location.
Finally, we had our bags
loaded and were ready to make our way home.
About halfway there, Larry
started sneezing like crazy. Fortunately, I had a pack of tissues in my purse.
We both figured his hay fever was acting up. However, by the next day, it had
developed into a full-blown cold. [The lady in front of us on the plane coughed
quite a bit during the flight. I suspect he caught it from her.] Larry took a
Covid test the next morning. It showed negative. So, it was just an ordinary
cold.
By the time we got home, it
was after ten o’clock the night of the 20th. Since we had put in a nearly twenty-three-hour
day, we were more than ready to climb into our own bed. Boy, did it feel good!
Last Thoughts
1.
Traveling isn’t as much fun
anymore. Flights are a hassle, and everything takes much longer. Every airport
has different rules—the ones in Glasgow surrounding liquids were absurd.
2.
Cars were the bane of our
existence on this trip. Almost nothing went right.
3.
Seeing my cousins was worth all
the problems. Love them!
4.
We were able to fulfill our
promise to take Kathleen’s ashes back to Ireland, and we were glad we were
finally able to do it.
5.
Afternoon tea in London was a
great treat.
6.
London is a great walking city. We
only took the tube once, and that time mostly just so we could say we’d done
it.
7.
We probably won’t be making
another long trip any time soon. (But then, we say this nearly every time we
come home.)
