UK TRIP 2022 – PART XII

 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.)