London at last...

Up at 3am, thought about going back to bed, but just as well we hadn’t as we were just ready when Alf arrived to take us to the airport. I was just pulling on my boots. We had cleaned the van all except the floor, but he didn’t even look at it! My ankle was much improved but I still had difficulty walking. I could put weight on it, but not push off with it, so in the process of getting up into the van to go to the airport, I hurt my shoulder. I’m a walking disaster area. Poor Ross carried everything. It was pouring rain and we got very wet getting from the van into the airport.

I was hobbling along and Ross spied the wheelchairs and decided to ask for one for me. The staff members were ever so helpful and we went through check-in, security, and immigration without having to wait in a single line! I was wheeled to the coffee shop where Ross took over. We were 2 hours early for boarding so had a coffee while we waited. Our flight was called, and Ross wheeled me right down to the plane where I hobbled to my seat. Poor Ross had all the bags again. After takeoff, the hostess moved us to the seat in front, which gave me room to put my leg up on the spare seat. In no time at all, we were landing.

That’s when the “fun” started.

*Three other ladies and Ross and myself were loaded onto a rectangular box which was raised to the level of the aircraft.

*We were lowered to ground level where we sat for a while waiting for a car to come to get us.

* We were transferred to a minivan where we sat for longer waiting for one of those airport terminal vehicles to come and get us, but only one guy turned up with a single wheelchair.

* The minivan drives into a building where we are transferred to the airport terminal vehicle..

*We then drive to immigration where we had to fill out landing cards and wait for clearance.

*Ross and I were questioned.

* Then we were driven into the arrivals area where we spy Joe and Eli waiting for us.

* We have to give descriptions of our suitcase to the driver who’s describing them to a guy in the baggage area.

*Our suitcases are finally delivered to us.

* Ross goes to find a trolley, but doesn’t have a pound coin for the slot so has to ask several people where he can get a one pound coin from.

*He is finally referred to a money-changer to change a 5 pound note. After waiting for it to be processed formally through the computer, he comes back with a trolley.

* A full two hours after landing, we walk out of the terminal and into the carpark.

So smooth at one end, and so complicated at the other!

Joe drove us to out airbnb accommodation where we were met by Cillian and Orla, and offered a cup of coffee. We pulled out our cranberry and white chocolate biscuits to share, and the whole packet disappeared. We are not the only ones who like them!

Ross put a load of washing on, while I had a bath ,and we headed out to eat. I was starving. Apart from that biscuit, we had eaten nothing since 4am this morning. We walked down to the bus stop, but stopped at the Milford Arms pub down on the corner as I was too hungry to wait for a bus. We shared a mixed platter of onion rings, chicken wings, crumbed mushrooms, chips and garlic bread before enjoying a delicious chicken breast wrapped in bacon and coated with cheese and barbecue sauce (me) and chili con carne. (Ross)

We walked back to our home away from home for the next 6 days, up the stairs and straight to bed. It was just after 8.

We were awake at 5.30. Woohoo! I slept all night! Up and breakfasted on all-bran, showered, dressed, and of to Joe’s. As I exited the front door, I discovered it was raining and had to go back to get my poncho. Set my maps for the half-hour walk to Joe’s, but made in less. We were walking fast to reduce the level of wetness! I must have stepped in a puddle as I had one wet foot to dry out at Joe’s, (two wet socks) as I chose to wear my Jack Wolfskin hiking sandals. They are just so comfortable it’s hard to wear anything else.

We all headed to the local pool just around the corner so Joe, Angela and Eli could have a swim in the 33C heated pool. Ross and I had to miss out as our togs were back at our airbnb, so we had a coffee and shared a Panini at the Terrace Café while the family enjoyed their swim.

Back to Joe’s for the family to rug up before heading to lunch at the White Horse Inn at Richmond. Angela had booked a table 3 weeks ago, but when we arrived, they tried to seat us on high stools. She remonstrated, and we left. We stood outside while she tried unsuccessfully to see if anywhere else had vacancies for lunch. One of the waitresses came out and said some of her regular customers would be leaving in about 20 minutes so we accepted her offer of their table.

Ross and Angela took Eli to play in the children’s playground right beside the pub, while Joe and I chose to sit in comfy chairs inside where it was warm and dry. We ordered drinks, and to our surprise, were told they were complimentary. Thank you, White Horse Inn, for the pint of cider. It was delicious!

We were ushered to our table with very comfy chairs, and ordered our meals. As I had seen the size of the meals, I decided to skip entrée, and wait for my roast lamb, roast vegies and the hugest Yorkshire pudding you’ve ever seen. I was pleased I’d foregone an entrée, even though they looked delicious. For dessert, I opted for the sticky toffee pudding with sauce and salted caramel ice-cream with a little jug of crème anglaise on the side. Mmmmm! The bottle of Malbec that Angela ordered topped off a perfect lunch.

Replete, we walked into Richmond and had a look at the shops, but I didn’t buy anything. Angela bought some presents for Eli at W.H.Smith, where I resisted buying Brian Cox’s book for just £6.

In the House of Fraser, we tried some perfumes and colognes. I really Valentino Uomo, for men, and of course, they had the widest selection of Bulgari I had ever seen.

We left Joe and Angela and headed on to Waitrose to buy a few groceries. I remembered I had left my Thai bag in the boot of Joe’s car, but he discovered it when he put in Eli’s pram, and swung past Waitrose to hand it over to Ross. I went to the toilet there and, as we were leaving, I realized my sunglasses were no longer hanging from my shirt. I wanted to cry! I couldn’t possibly go back to all the shops I had gone in, so faced the fact I would have to do without them for the next 6 weeks! If this weather keeps up, I won’t need them anyway. ( I ended up finding them in the bottom of my Thai bag; I hadn’t even taken them in to lunch!)

We came through the alley to find a H37 stopped so ran to catch it. This is where the ”fun” started.

*My oyster card scanned but took a couple of times to work, but Ross’ paywave card just would not work, so we were not allowed on the bus even though I had already paid, and he didn’t give me a refund!

*We tried to get another oyster card. We walked back to Richmond Station where we bought oyster cards last trip, but were told they didn’t sell them!

*The shops were all shutting and we could find nowhere to buy an oyster card, so decide we’ll just have to get a taxi as it’s too far to walk.

*We walked to the first taxi and asked did he accept credit card. No, he didn’t but the one behind him did. This rigmarole continued until we gave up after the seventh refusal!

*We walked back up to the Barclays ATM and withdrew money after first pressing the wrong button. ( It was dark and the buttons weren’t lit at all!)

*We hopped in a cab, told him the address and couldn’t get the seat belts done up even though there was a sign saying it was mandatory.

*He drove us the bumpiest way imaginable, either that or the suspension in this cab was shot, and at the first big bump, Ross’ back went out and he was in agony the rest of the way home.

* He drove us way past our address and we had to walk back. Not normally a problem but Ross could barely stand, let alone walk.

* I cheered him up immensely, unintentionally, by trying to get through the closed gate right beside our gate which was wide open. I tried to get out of it by saying I did it on purpose to cheer him up, but he was having none of it. He knows me too well.  He enjoyed it so much he had me re-enact it so he could get a photo.

So what should have been an easy bus ride home turned into a saga. On arrival, we stored our goodies in the fridge and cupboard, showered and climbed into bed. Ross remembered he hadn’t taken his pills, and as he reached up on top of the headboard, he knocked them off behind the bed, so I had to crawl down to retrieve the container with my walking stick. Of course they had fallen right under the bed, and you guessed it, the some of the compartments had popped open and there were tablets strewn everywhere.  In the process of getting up from my prone position, I hurt my knee, and couldn’t put weight on it, to climb over Ross to my wall position, so sort of dragged myself across, trying not to hurt him or me. We both collapsed in laughing in agony. What a day!