UK TRIP 2022 – PART VIII

May 14, 2022

Scotland to Belfast, N. Ireland

We both slept a bit better. After breakfast, we decided to do some laundry since nearly everything was in need of cleaning. After our previous experience with not getting our wash back on time, we decided to go to a self-service launderette and not let our clothes out of our sight.

We Googled the nearest one and discovered the Majestic Launderette. It was over a mile from the hotel, so we loaded our items into one of our wheeled cases. Good choice! It was much easier dragging the case than it would have been to carry the other bag.

We located the place without too much difficulty. The couple who ran it were most helpful. We got change for the machines and for soap. It took over an hour, but in the end, all our clothes were clean.

We went down the street to a cute little restaurant. It was either called N. 1082 or Villa Toscana. I ordered the ham and cheese omelet, and Larry had the open-faced poached egg with salmon. Both were delicious. I ordered a diet coke and Larry a vanilla shake. They had gelato, and it looked wonderful. Larry ordered a scoop of Scotch tablet, and I had Belgian chocolate. Terrific food!

Fortified, we made the trek back to the hotel. We found an easier route on the way back, so, it went a bit faster on the return trip.

We repacked our bags for the next day’s flight and then wrote, answered email, checked in online for our flight, and watched TV. Then to sleep, ready for yet another adventure.

May 15, 2022

After breakfast, we went to the car park to get the car. We had collected the discount ticket from the hotel desk, so we paid the bill using the kiosk. The discount was 50%, so it wasn’t too bad.

After loading our bags into the trunk, we got in. Larry tried to start it. Nothing. He tried again. Same. He did everything he could think of with no success. He got a message that the key fob needed a new battery.

We finally called the rental agency. They said they would send someone right away. When we explained that we had a flight to catch, the lady on the phone said she would make it a priority.

We decided if the assistance hadn’t come in half an hour, we’d drop the key at the desk of the hotel and hire a cab to take us to the airport.

However, the roadside assistance guy came within fifteen minutes. He got behind the wheel—and the car started immediately! He laughed. “Magic fingers.”

We didn’t care what made the difference. The car was running.

Larry asked him how to reach the motorway to get to the airport. Instead of explaining it, he said, “Follow me.” He led the way to the motorway and got on ahead of us going the right direction. He waved as we passed him. We were on our way.

After returning the car, we made our way to the terminal. No hassles this time.

Since we had some time, we decided to eat. It was after one, and every restaurant was packed.

While we waited for a table at Frankie and Benny’s, Larry went to the bar and got us a couple of diet sodas. We had quite a long wait for a table, but we finally got one. I ordered the wedge salad, and Larry got a cheeseburger with fries. The salad was pretty good, except it was LOADED with chopped onions mixed with chopped tomatoes. (I had them leave off the other stuff like olives, but didn’t see onions listed.) I scraped it all off. Still, it wasn’t bad.

After a nice rest, we moved to the waiting area.

Like the last airport, they didn’t post the departure gates until right before the call for the flight. As has been our pattern, our EasyJet flight was delayed for close to an hour after we reached the departure gate. It also boarded with a roll-up stairway, not a jetway. This meant we had to carry our bags onto the plane while climbing a ramp. Larry took his up and then came back for one of my bags. At least, we had reserved seats.

Short, easy flight into Belfast.

We reversed the process of removing our bags via the stairway and walking into the terminal. Then took the long hike to the Hertz car rental desk, only to discover that, although our flight went to the INTERNATIONAL airport, the car was reserved at the Belfast CITY airport! (Cars have been the bane of our existence on this trip.)

The only automatic they had left was a Toyota hybrid—at a premium price. (Like car rental companies throughout the world, the ones there had sold off their fleets during the pandemic. With the shortage of chips, new cars were not available at any price. So, everyone was short of cars to rent.)

We had no choice—again. So, we took the one they had. Since our departure flight would leave from the City Airport, they made the return for there. We hoped it would work.

Once again, the car had no GPS, and we had no wi-fi or Bluetooth. And, of course, the car rental company had no paper maps. We did have our Rick Steves guide book on Ireland, and it had a map. It showed the major routes. So, we were able to get on the motorway into the center of Belfast. The book also had a city map of Belfast. We located the Europa Hotel, BUT with all the one-way streets, we couldn’t figure out how to get there!

Once again, we called the hotel. This time we reached the concierge, Philip [Leckey]. Thank God for him! We told him where we were, and he quickly and efficiently talked us right to the door, where he came out to greet us.

My “sis,” Kathleen, had named her first son Philip. I felt as though she had sent our Philip to us! It felt like a good omen.

He also took care of valet service for us.

[During out stay, he purchased a copy of Book 1 of Larry’s sci-fi series. Before we left, he told us he had enjoyed it. He was a lifesaver during our stay in Belfast!]

It had been a long day, so we got ready and went to bed, glad to be started on the last leg of the trip.

UK TRIP 2022 – PART VII

May 13, 2022

Scotland

We ate breakfast and then got ready to meet Amanda at the Johnstone train station at eleven. The night before, she had emailed the schedule and suggested the train we should take. The ticket process was straightforward and quite easy. Then we located the correct platform.

A train was already there, so we boarded. Two stations down, we got off and walked from the platform to the nearby street where we assumed Amanda would pick us up. We were about five minutes early, so we waited. The weather turned cold and blustery.

At about eleven-ten, Larry walked back to the tracks where he could see the station on the other side. No sight of Amanda.

He came back, and we waited a while longer. The weather grew colder. The wind howled. And the mist increased.

We finally decided to cross over the tracks to the station looking for warmth and possible wi-fi. Success on both counts.

I checked my messages and found one from Amanda. She was running late but would be there shortly. We continued to wait.

I finally decided to ask what kind of a car she drove and ask the color. She responded: yellow. We figured it would be easy to spot. No yellow cars in the lot.

She messaged a few minutes later. There were “diversions” (detours) all over town. She was parking a bit away and was walking over.

At last, we saw her coming across the car park.

She was frustrated, and we felt sorry for her. The entire area around the station was torn up and under construction.

We reached the car and got it. Larry was surprised when a head came over the back seat. Calley, Amanda’s dog, had waited in the car.

She took side roads to get back to town.

At last, we reached the Old Beith Cemetery, just as the wind and drizzle picked up. Amanda went online to the registry to try to locate the family graves. No luck. Only one McAulay listed, and he was not related. Our McAulays were nowhere to be found. Still, we decided to look around. Until we got cold and wet and realized how huge the cemetery was.

We noticed nearly all of the original stones had been standing ones. Many were knocked over, and some were face-down. Others were broken. Many were so worn they were unreadable. But none had the names we were looking for.

We finally decided to get back in the car.

Amanda called the registry and left them a message with the names and dates. We hoped to hear back from them while we were still there.

We drove down the coast to Amanda’s parents’ house in Troon. It was delightful to see them again.

We met their dog, Bracken, a cavalier King Charles spaniel, my brother’s favorite breed. She and Amanda’s dog, Calley, got along well.

We decided to take a walk at the shore before dinner, so we went with Sandra and Eric. Amanda took Calley with her.

We arrived at the beach and left the car. Amanda hadn’t arrived yet. It was cold and overcast, and the wind continued to blow. Eric decided to go back to the car and wait there.

We saw Amanda pull up. She got out with Calley and joined us. She was excited. She had stopped to take a call from the registry. They were sending the burial records we had asked for.

Sure enough, my great-grandfather, great-uncle, great-grandmother, and great-grandfather’s second wife WERE buried in the cemetery. However, there was no marker. We finally got the coordinates for the location. There may have been a marker at some point, but the broken ones were being removed. If no family members were known, they gave no notice. (My great-grandparents’ survivors were all female, so their names changed. And they moved away from Beith.) We believe there probably was a marker at some point, but many in the cemetery were missing. I would love to get a flat marker put in the spot with the names and dates. I’ll look into it.

At least we had some answers. One of the important ones was that my great-grandfather did remarry. I don’t believe my grandmother was ever told. She was living in California at the time, and her sisters probably knew she’d have had a fit. His second wife was considerably younger than he, and he outlived her.

[I have since added all four of them to the Find a Grave site, listing the coordinates we were given.]

We walked the seashore with Christine and Amanda. Bracken trotted along with us while Calley chased her ball. Such energy! Wish I had as much.

It was blowing and blustering with occasional mist. Not enough to break out the umbrellas—even if we’d had them with us. I wore my jacket, but Larry didn’t. He was chilled by the time he got back into the car. He told Eric he should have stayed with him.

Just a short drive back to their house, where we warmed up quickly.

Before long, Christine Pollard and her daughter, Jill, arrived. Christine and Sandra are sisters, and they certainly look alike. Jill and I have been friends on Facebook for a couple of years. It was nice to finally meet in person.

Last to arrive were Nicola and Cameron with their dog, Maisie. She is a puppy with the high energy to prove it. All three dogs were cute.

Christine, Lorna, Sandra, Larry, Eric, (center) Jill, (front) Nicola with Bracken, Amanda, Cameron with Maisie

Sandra had prepared a real Scottish spread. I had never had some of these foods before. Disclaimer: my Scottish grandmother was a terrible cook. She did not season anything. I hated most of what she made. However, Sandra was a great cook, and I enjoyed everything.

We had a great time catching up and comparing memories. Christine not only remembered hearing about my great-grandfather’s second wife, but she said she might have a photo of her. She also has some other items she’ll email.

What a great afternoon. I adore all of them, so we shared many laughs. Amanda is lobbying for a “girls’ trip” to California soon. I’m all for it.

It stayed light until late there, so it was far later than we had realized when we finally left to go back to the hotel. Even though we had return train tickets, Amanda volunteered to drive us all the way because of the mess near the station. We were very tired, but so happy to have seen everyone.

UK TRIP 2022 – PART VI

 May 12, 2022

Glasgow

Another sleepless night. Noise from the rail yard directly below our window made it sound as though trains were running through the room all night.

Went down to breakfast. The buffet provided many choices. However, the scrambled eggs were watery and tasteless. (I suspect they were made from powdered eggs.) The sunny-side up fried eggs were rubbery. Instead of the flabby, undercooked “bacon” we had expected, thinly sliced ham, browned a bit, was available. Much more edible. Also, we could choose baked tomatoes, roasted mushrooms, hashbrown patties, baked beans (what we would call pork and beans), or English sausages. (These are not the smoked sausages with which we are familiar.)

Hot porridge, cold cereals, fresh fruit (mostly melon with a bit of pineapple), yogurt, several juices, and small bottles with fruit smoothies were offered. Most days, they had small plain croissants and chocolate ones. The first morning, we saw small baguettes. However, we never saw them again. Each day, they had white and brown bread for toast as well as bagels. A couple of days, they also had crumpets (English muffins). I tried a half one day and found it dry and tasteless.

Most days, I focused on the yogurt and pineapple since I don’t eat melon.

Of course, Larry tried nearly everything.

On our way back, we stopped at the desk and asked if they could move us. They said they had people checking out and would have another room available in an hour or so.

Sure enough, we got the keys for a different room on the other side of the hotel. Thank God!

After getting resettled, we decided to check out the area near the hotel. We also wanted to find somewhere to eat lunch, hopefully with salads. We asked at the desk, and one of the guys suggested the steakhouse around the corner. So, we set out to see the area.

We found the steakhouse, and the sign outside looked promising. Even though I don’t eat beef, the sign showed a couple of salads. And it would probably have been perfect if it hadn’t been closed for maintenance.

We walked all around the vicinity. Although there were lots of small eateries, they all served pasta, pastries, or sandwiches. Nothing keto-friendly.

We covered a large area, and finally returned to the spot they call “four corners.” It has fast food restaurants on every corner: Tim Horton’s, KFC, Pizza Hut, and McDonald’s, plus Taco Bell and others down the street. We checked them out, but finally settled on McDonald’s. It offered a “grilled chicken and bacon salad.” Larry ordered chicken nuggets with sweet-and-sour sauce with a side salad.

Both salads contained ONLY frisee—which I loathe. Larry did not get his dipping sauce. The chicken tasted boiled. It looked as though brown stripes had been painted on it to make it look like it was grilled. The salad had the undercooked floppy bacon I always expect here. Of course, Larry ate it on his own salad.

The only dressing they carried was balsamic. Not a favorite. I ate the tasteless chicken.

The good news was that Amanda was going to meet us for dinner, so we didn’t need much for lunch.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped in a little store where Larry bought a t-shirt with the train routes on it. I also got some keyrings to use for Christmas ornaments.

We passed the train station. It was only a few blocks away. If we had taken the train, it would have been very convenient. However, since we knew we would be visiting family, we thought we’d need a car.

Back in the room, we washed some underwear as we were getting low.

I took a short nap.

Amanda was coming on the ferry from Arran and said she would meet us a the hotel. She messaged me when she arrived, and we went downstairs to meet her.

She led the way on a nice walk to the Ardnamurchan Restaurant, where she had made reservations. Even though we were early, they seated us. We enjoyed our beverages while we caught up.

The menus provided several good choices. Amanda and I both chose the grilled wild chicken breast with honey mustard sauce. They were served over mashed potatoes (Which I didn’t eat) and steamed broccolini. Larry ordered the cod with haggis. Larry can’t remember what else came with it.

The food was fabulous—the best meal we had eaten on this trip. Of course, Larry and Amanda each ordered sticky toffee pudding with ice cream for dessert. I ordered the blood orange sorbet with fresh raspberries. DELICIOUS!

We discussed our plans for the next day. We would take the train to Johnstone Station, where Amanda would meet us with a car. From there, we would drive around the area and visit the Old Beith Cemetery to try to find the graves of the McAulay ancestors.

By the time we left the restaurant, it had started to drizzle. We hadn’t taken our umbrellas, but we wore our USJ jackets. They are waterproofed, so they shed much of the water.

We went into the train station with Amanda, and she pointed out where to get our tickets.

We waved good-bye and walked the three blocks to the hotel. The rain increased, and we were pretty soaked by the time we got there.

Once in our room, I toweled my hair and wiped down my jacket. Larry did the same. Our pants were pretty soaked, so we hung them to dry.

It was late, so we went to bed looking forward to the next day and seeing my cousins.

UK TRIP 2022 – PART V

 May 11, 2022

London to Glasgow, Scotland

I couldn’t sleep all night, anxious about what would happen if we didn’t receive our laundry before we checked out in the morning. We were promised it would be delivered to our room by seven a.m. So, we set our alarm for six-thirty. Got up, showered, and dressed. Then waited—and waited. Nothing by seven-thirty, so we went down to breakfast.

Erika was off. (No wonder since she must have put in at least twelve hours the day before.) We said good-by and thanked the rest of the staff.

Thought about checking with the concierge desk again, but decided to go to the room first. When we got there, the laundry had finally arrived. Thank God!

We finished packing and got ready to leave.

The night before, we had checked in for our flight to Glasgow. Our original flight was supposed to be in the morning. However, just before we left California, Julie told us it had been changed to a five-p.m. flight, and everything had been adjusted accordingly.

We had tried to contact Hertz the night before, but they NEVER answered their phone, despite several attempts. We also had tried to contact them via their website, but there was no way to directly connect to anyone. Since we had been told they had been informed of the change and would be prepared for our arrival, we weren’t too concerned.

We contacted our transport company and verified a pick-up for one p.m. We were transferred to a couple of different people and weren’t entirely sure they really understood the change in time.

Check-out time was noon, so we went downstairs at about eleven-forty-five. Larry took care of the checkout. They only charged us half the price for the laundry because of the delay. Seemed fair.

Petra came out and greeted us. We had our photo taken with her and said good-by.

We decided to wait in the lobby until our pick-up time. We watched several groups arrive, including what appeared to be a wedding party. Some ladies, in their fascinator hats and party dresses entered. They appeared to be a group of friends gathering for a shower or ladies’ luncheon.

A mother and grandmother arrived with three little girls in party dresses and tiaras. They were obviously there for a “princess tea.” So very cute.

Our van arrived about ten minutes later than our scheduled time, but we were happy to see it.

The ride to the airport was without incident, even though many of the streets were under construction and were closed.

Went through the usual security checkpoint hassle. I was exhausted after two sleepless nights, so I felt more stressed than normal. And I had forgotten to get out my passport before we got into line. But I located it and got it out.

Our boarding passes were sent to our email. Because Larry’s phone had died the night before, I could access his on my phone. However, for some reason, I couldn’t open mine. Fortunately, Larry could open mine on his iPad. So, I checked him in, and he checked me in.

By now, it was after two, and we needed something to eat. It had been over six hours since breakfast.

We walked—and walked—and walked. We finally found a place that had something other than sandwiches and pasta. Well, sort of. I got two hard boiled eggs with about four leaves of spinach. No salt. No mayonnaise. Nothing. I also picked up a small container of mixed berries with a bit of yogurt and granola on top. Since I don’t eat nuts, I scraped the granola off the top with some of yogurt. Larry ate it.

Larry got an “egg salad” sandwich (hard boiled eggs with mayonnaise and a few sprouts—nothing special). But it was food.

I was nearly asleep on my feet and felt terrible. I had a raging headache, despite having taken half an extra-strength Excedrin.

Half an hour before boarding time, they finally posted the gate number. We walked over and waited—and waited—and waited. Boarding began nearly an hour late.

The flight was without incident. When we arrived, we went to the car rental center. No one at the Hertz counter where a sign directed us outside to the Hertz location there, about a quarter mile away. It was a bit of a walk, but we found it—locked up tight with no one anywhere around.

So, back to the rental center. Outside, we found one gal (from Avis). We asked about the Hertz people. She said, “Oh, they go home at four.”

WHAT?

We explained our dilemma and asked if she had any cars. “No, but Europcar might have some left.”

Since we had no choice but to find another rental car because we planned to visit family in the Glasgow area, we went to their desk. The clerk was busy for quite some time with another couple.

While we waited, the young couple, who were from Oregon and who had sat in front of us on the plane, came in. They had reserved a car with Hertz, too, so they were in our same situation.

He asked if we had a safety pin or a paperclip so he could change out the SIM card for his phone. We didn’t, but we asked if a staple would help. Our documents were stapled together, so we removed one. He was able to straighten it and use it to replace his card.

We explained about Larry’s phone, and he said he could create a hotspot Larry could use to reset it. And it worked! Well, at least he could log in with Google. However, when he tried to retrieve his backup, his phone only found mine. So he was without a few of his apps and shortcuts.

I called and left a message for our AAA travel agent about what had happened and what we intended to do.

Larry was finally able to talk to the Europcar representative. He had three cars left: a BMW for £2000 (uh…no), a manual transmission one for considerably less (again, no), or a Toyota hybrid at a premium price. Since this was the only reasonable choice, we took it. (We assumed the young couple took the manual transmission one since Larry would have in his younger days.)

We soon discovered our car had no GPS. And since the youngsters had already left, we no longer had access to wi-fi. Which meant, we couldn’t get to Google Maps. Which meant, we couldn’t figure out how to get from the airport to the hotel.

Larry went back inside and asked for a map. The only one they had showed England on one side and Scotland on the other. Neither was a street map. The Scotland one did show the major routes, including the one into Glasgow.

So, we headed out on that one toward the city center. I called the Jurys Inn hotel and finally reached someone at the front desk—not an easy accomplishment. Unfortunately, NONE of the people were drivers and could not tell us how to get there. Their only suggestion was to go to the city center and locate the hotel once we got there.

I hung up, and we kept on to the center of the city.

Once we were off the motorway, I called back to the hotel and this time found someone who actually drove. BUT she said she didn’t know the street names. (And finding them is a real challenge anyway. IF they exist, they are shown on the side of the building, and you can’t read them until you are already there, when you can’t make the turn. And this was at night.)

It was now about nine-thirty. We were tired and beyond frustrated.

We kept calling out landmarks we passed for about fifteen minutes, changing direction from time to time, until we saw a landmark she recognized. The issue became more complicated because so many of the streets were one-way.

However, our navigator finally managed to get us to the hotel—in a somewhat dodgy area of town, judging from the graffiti on the walls.

We pulled up in front, registered, and dropped our bags in our room. Then we went back down and followed further complex directions to get to the car park facility across the street. (Of course, this involved going several blocks, taking a road in a loop to get back to a street near the hotel. Then another couple of turns until we finally found the entrance to the car park. We had to follow the route twice because we missed the entrance the first time.)

We finally got to our room after ten, thoroughly exhausted and hungry. We made instant coffee and ate protein bars before getting into bed for the night, thoroughly frustrated and totally worn out.

UK TRIP 2022 – PART IV

 May 10, 2022

London

Another lovely breakfast at the Rubens. Erika, the breakfast room manager, has been absolutely wonderful. She asked if we enjoyed our tea the day before. We told her the young lady who served us, Petra, was a delight. She smiled. “She’s my daughter.” We told her how much we enjoyed her and wanted to get a photo with her before we left.

We returned to our room and prepared for the afternoon’s visit to The Wallace Collection. Chris and Guy had suggested it when we saw them on Sunday. The current show was called “Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts.” Since we are Disney fans, this sounded like something we’d enjoy.

I had thought we’d walk, but Larry checked the route and thought we should take the tube. Another adventure!

Actually, it was quite simple and reminded us of the subway in Japan. Unfortunately, the ticket machine decided to eat Larry’s ticket. We found someone to open up the machine and free it. The gentleman smiled. “It happens.”

Once he was free to go, we found the right train and were on our way. Only two stops from Victoria, where we started. Then we had about a ten-minute walk to the location.

As expected, the exhibition was fascinating. However, in the middle of it, Larry’s phone went off. The only way to stop it was to turn off the phone.

After the show, we decided to eat lunch at the café. I thought about the quiche, but it was salmon. I don’t like salmon. Nothing else appealed, so I ordered the mixed leaf salad. Larry had an egg salad sandwich (eggs, mayonnaise, and sprouts—not original but edible). My salad, on the other hand, was primarily frisse, dandelion greens, and others I don’t care for. The dressing tasted like straight oil. I picked out the spinach leaves and left the rest. I also ordered a scone, which I never got. Not a great lunch.

We walked through the rest of the museum. Larry loved the huge arms collection, especially the weapons and horse armor.

We found our way back to Victoria, where we wandered a bit before returning to the hotel.

Our laundry was supposed to be back by five o’clock since we had taken it down to the concierge desk at about six the night before. It was nearly five. Our clean clothes weren’t in our room, so we went down to the New York Bar for a couple of cold diet cokes and dessert. Larry ordered rum vanilla ice cream. I had limoncello sorbet. Delicious and refreshing!

While we ate, we noticed Erika serving in the tea room. As she went through the bar area, she spotted us. I commented on her long day and asked about Petra since I didn’t see her working.

Erika said Petra was celebrating her birthday by having tea with her best friend as a guest. I told her again that we wanted to get a picture with Petra before we left.

We stopped by the concierge desk and asked about our laundry. They said they would check again and guaranteed it would be delivered by seven o’clock that evening.

It wasn’t. So, we called about seven-thirty. They told us housekeeping was gone for the night, but everything would be delivered by seven in the morning.

Larry tried to restart his phone, but it wouldn’t sign on to the hotel wi-fi nor would it allow him to sign onto Google (because there was no wi-fi). We hoped he could get it to work once another wi-fi source was available.

We packed the rest of our stuff and decided to eat a couple of protein bars before retiring for the night. We hoped our laundry would arrive in the morning so we could finish packing before leaving for our flight.

TRAVELS WITH ELSA (QUEEN ELSA OF DANA POINT)

 At the end of June, we took our first trip in Elsa to San Luis Obispo for the funeral Mass for Larry’s cousin’s wife. It was the first time we had gone anywhere at any distance since the beginning of the pandemic.

We charged her up the day before and stopped at the outlets in Oxnard at lunchtime. Elsa charged while we ate. Then back on the road to the Apple Farm in San Luis Obispo.

My brother- and sister-in-love had arrived the day before, so they were already in their hotel.

We haven’t been to the Apple Farm for quite a few years. Originally, it was decorated with Laura Ashley floral fabrics and charming country prints. It was one of our favorite hotels. In the interim, it has been redecorated. The beautiful floral carpets have been replaced with wood plank flooring. Makes a lot of sense for upkeep, but it isn’t as warm and cozy as it used to be.

The restaurant, another of our favorites, had been closed for many months, and was just reopening with a very limited menu for breakfast and lunch.

We met Casey and Lucy, who suggested going to Pismo Beach for dinner. They knew about a terrific restaurant, and we had a delicious meal with them. We really enjoyed spending time together as we hadn’t seen each other much during the previous year, so we treasured this time.

After breakfast at the hotel restaurant the next morning, we attended the funeral Mass for Larry’s cousin’s wife, Claudia, at the mission church. We were so glad we had decided to go. His cousin, Jim, told us we were the only relatives from his side of the family, and he appreciated the support.

We enjoyed meeting his kids and grandkids. What lovely people they all are.

I especially enjoyed the priest. He made the entire service about Claudia. He clearly knew her well. He used a lot of humor to paint a picture of what a special woman she was. Nurse, friend, neighbor, wife, mother, grandmother—in each role, she gave of herself with love.

Afterward, we went to their house for a great reception. We had more time to spend with Jim and his kids, a thoroughly delightful day.

Casey and Lucy left for home in the afternoon, and we went back to the hotel. In the evening, we drove to the Madonna Inn, where they have a charging station. Elsa charged while we ate dessert.

The next morning, we left early and stopped in Solvang. We had intended to eat breakfast, but the town was very busy, and the restaurants were packed. We found a bakery, bought pastries and coffee, and ate outside. Some of the stores were still closed, and we decided to leave for home.

We stopped at the Marriott Hotel to top off Elsa’s charge. Then back on the road home.

She is very comfortable to ride in, and Larry took advantage of the cruise control.

~~~

A couple of weeks later, we headed to Las Vegas for the PSWA (Public Safety Writers Association) Conference. We were supposed to have gone last year, but it was cancelled.

We felt as though we were getting the hang of traveling with Elsa. We charged her at home before we left. Then, we stopped in Barstow in time for lunch. We recharged. Elsa did, too.

On toward Las Vegas, we stopped in Primm for a cold drink and a rest stop. We topped off Elsa, even though she didn't really need it.

The conference was held at the Orleans Hotel. We enjoy this one because we get to see some friends we don’t ever get to see elsewhere. We were the keynote speakers on Saturday morning, and we each took part in several panels. As always, we learned a great deal and came home with a few new books.

The night before we left, we contacted the hotel and requested they charge Elsa for our departure the next morning. They have a charging station right at the hotel. (We expect many hotels will be installing them.)

We made a stop in Yermo (near the Calico ghost town). We plugged in Elsa while we took a break.

Once again, Larry used the cruise control. He hardly had to touch the accelerator and never used the brake at all—even in stop-and-go traffic. His “driving” was mostly steering just to keep her in the lane. Elsa did the rest.

We aren’t able to listen to our iPod through the car’s speakers, but Larry hooked up a smaller speaker, so we listened to our favorite sounds during the trip. Most relaxing.

Even though Elsa has a 326-mile range, Larry follows the owners’ manual and only charges to 280 miles. (It is easier on the battery.) This proved to be no problem at all—especially since our old Fiero only had a 200-mile range. Charging stations are cropping up everywhere.

Elsa performed well, and we really enjoyed her. We look forward to more travels in the future.

France – Heading Home – 4/13/2018

Another lovely breakfast in the ancient wine cellar below the Millesime Hotel. Then back to our rooms to finish packing. We always carry an extra ripstop nylon bag with us so we can add a carry-on for the trip home if we buy gifts, etc. The good news: everything fit into our two carry-on rolling bags plus Larry’s backpack and my carry-on computer bag. No checked bags, thank goodness.

We went down to the lobby to settle our bills and wait for our airport transport. Another surprise: we had the same driver who picked us up when we arrived. Somehow, it felt comforting, like we were seeing another friend.

Larry and Bob both commented about how awful Paris traffic was. They agreed they were glad they weren’t driving in it. The motorcycles racing in and out of crazy traffic made the situation even more scary.

We arrived at De Gaulle, located the Norwegian Air terminal, checked in, went through security, and then found our gate. The boarding process was the usual hurry-up-and-wait we have come to expect. At last on the plane, we were relieved to see our equipment was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner as on our flight when we arrived.

Au revoir to France.

This time, our seats were near the back of the plane, but they were comfortable. The personal entertainment systems—with free access—provided quite a few choices. I was happy I had brought my noise-cancelling headphones. Larry brought a few sets of earbuds, so he loaned Bob and Bernie each a set for the return flight.

I had seen nearly all the movies I was interested in, so I listened to my iPod and read a book on my Kindle Fire.

Once again, we were served meals, included in the price of our tickets. Not great, but satisfactory.

We arrived in Los Angeles on time. The plane taxied for what seemed like several miles to a building far away from the main terminals. It looked like the same one where we boarded the plane for our departure flight.

Then, we followed the same routine as on our previous flight but in reverse: recover our bags, deplane, walk down the long, winding ramp to the ground floor, board busses. They took us back to the main terminal.

We found ourselves in one huge area. Instead of the separate customs areas we had seen on previous trips, everyone on international flights is now processed together in the same area. The result is several long, long, long lines.

We were routed to computer terminals where our faces were photographed, then to others where we scanned our passports. Then we moved onto another set of terminals were our passports were compared to the photos. And on, and on.

We finally approached the last long queue where our passports would be stamped. Bob and Bernie moved ahead, but we were rerouted to the opposite end of the building where those with foreign passports had been processed, Then, we waited, and waited, and waited.

Bob and Bernie finished and waved as they passed by our area.

One by one, the people in our queue approached the desk. One officer manned one station for all of us waiting in line. (The other area where Bob and Bernie went had several officers working.) So, our line didn’t move very fast.

It took nearly an hour just to get through this part of the process. Finally, two more officers opened additional stations.

Two-and-a-half hours after we landed, we finally reached the lobby, where Bob and Bernie’s grandson, Clayton, had been waiting. What a sight for sore eyes!

The trip home in the van went well, and we finally arrived—tired and on overload with the memories all our wonderful experiences.