FlyForFun

BACKGROUND

Back in June of 2011, I booked flights from DFW to LHR on AA for a quick trip over Labor Day for my mother and for me. I had to work late on Thursday night so we could not leave until Friday, September 2, 2011. The best airfare that I could find on AA from DFW to LHR required a change of planes in Raleigh Durham; the connection time was less than one hour. AA's flight to LHR was on a 763 and seats 20 H & J were available (I know that a lot of people do not like these seats but if I cannot get row 21, these are OK). Routing through RDU would result in more miles, possibly allow us to fly the first segment in first since we are both Executive Platinum on AA, and I could add a new airport to my list since I had never been to RDU. I was able to book AA 79 non-stop from LHR to DFW on Tuesday, September 6, 2011. Advantages to this flight included the departure time of 3:15 PM and the availability of seats 31A and 31B on the 777.

I purchased the the tickets and pondered whether to upgrade. We each had two SWUs available but decided to save them for flights home from Europe later this year. I can never eat all of the food offered in business class on the flights from the US to Europe and have problems sleeping even in a semi-flat seat converted to a bed. I prefer to use my SWUs on flights home when eating, drinking, and video-viewing are a higher-priority.

I found a good rate at the Citadines - Trafalgar Square. The first night's rate was 108 GP and the rate dropped to 95 GPs for the next two nights. The rate was non-refundable and required advance payment. The location of this apartment/hotel is fantastic; it is on Northumberland Street between Embankment and the Strand. The hotel is being refurbished so the rates were discounted by over fifty percent. We booked a studio suite with twin beds (converted from the couch), a kitchenette, and full bath. I really like the combination of an apartment and a hotel. Daily maid service is available at an additional charge but we did not require this service. I did bring an extra towel since only four are provided for two people to use for three days. The kitchenette includes a stovetop with two electric burners, a microwave oven, dishwasher, pots and pans, dishes, glasses, bowls, cutlery, toaster, and a coffee maker. Coffee and tea were available 24 hours a day in the lobby for free. Computers were also available in the lobby as was free wifi. The rooms had internet connections, flat screen televisions with about 40 channels, and a small stereo with CD player.

FLIGHTS FROM DFW TO LHR

Shortly before this trip (while hiking in Alaska the week before), my mother pulled a muscle in her leg. This minor injury hampered her ability to walk comfortably at all times. I grew a bit concerned since she was supposed to sit in the exit row. I looked at the seat maps and discovered that no seats in coach were available for her to move to. I figured either her leg would improve or she could trade seats with someone.

Our upgrades to first from DFW to RDU cleared early Tuesday morning for our Friday afternoon flight. The only seats that I could get together were 3A and 3B so I moved us to the bulkhead. I checked-in on-line about 23 hours before departure and then learned a lesson. An hour after I checked-in, seat 21 H and seat 21 G became available. Seat 21 G is not an exit row seat so my mother could move there. I could not change the seats on-line so I called the Executive Platinum Desk and was told that they could not change the seat assignments; they could only be changed at the airport.

I had a night meeting on Thursday so I worked until about 9:00 PM and then headed home to finish packing. I was totally wiped-out by the time that I finally got to bed and just as tired when I got up on Friday.

My mother met me at work and we travelled to DFW. Before leaving, I jokingly asked her if she had her passport and she affirmed that she did. Since we knew that we would be arriving home at Terminal D, we parked there even though our flight was scheduled to depart from Terminal C. We got ready to go through security and my mother realized that she did not have her purse with her passport. She swore that she had it in the car, so I walked back to the car, got her purse and passport, and returned to the terminal.

We made it through security and to the TRAAIN at DFW to transfer to Terminal C. We headed to the Admiral's Club and I immediately redeemed my coupons for premium white wine. I had not eaten since Thursday afternoon and drinking a glass of wine on an empty stomach was not too bright but I was still shaking from the lost purse incident. My mother then told me that she had to get another boarding pass from the Admiral's Club agent because she had already lost hers. I then drank the rest of her wine. I was able to get the agent to move her from seat 20G on our flight to LHR to 10A. I kept my seat.

We arrived at the departure gate for AA flight 1204 just as boarding began. We stowed our carry-on bags and plopped in seats 3A and 3B. We did receive a pre-departure drink. I selected water and my mother asked for diet Sierra Mist since she was feeling a tad nauseated - great all I needed now was for her to get ill. After an on-time take-off, we were provided with warm nuts and a beverage. I selected another glass of white wine and ate all of my nuts except for my almonds; I cannot easily eat almonds because a year ago, I had braces put on my teeth to correct a small spacing problem. A year later, I not only have metal bands on my teeth but rubber bands also. We both selected the chicken salad for our lunch entree; the salad was accompanied by pita chips and hummus. Lettuce is not easy for me to eat either so I basically spent the entire flight trying to finish my salad; I found that white wine helped it go down. I was a little anxious about our connection time so I was really relieved when we landed a little early and a little inebriated. The one cookie that I had for dessert did not help me sober up.

We were the first passengers off the plane and my mother was walking quite well - I guess her glass of wine erased some of her pain. We heard two announcements as we exited the plane. One was from the gate agent for AA Flight 174 to LHR stating that they still needed one person to volunteer a seat for an $800 voucher and a flight tomorrow. If two seats had been needed, I would have volunteered but I could not abandon my my mother. The next announcement was the gate agent paging the two of us. My mother's walking ability improved so much that she ran to the podium and returned with our new boarding passes for seats 4C and 4D. When she told me that we had been upgraded, I exclaimed halla ----inglooya! My mother was not too shocked. She ran on-board (so much for her leg injury) while I searched for my passport in my purse. I joined her on board after cramming my carry-on bag in the overhead bin and collapsed in my seat. The FA greeted us with champagne or orange juice and my mother grabbed a glass of each and mixed mimosas and then gave me one. I have to admit the flight is a little blurry after that mimosa but I will relate the details that I can.

We did get menus; I will post the menus later but I do remember eating more cheese that really adhered to my braces, the salmon and shrimp appetizer, the chicken, and a hot fudge sundae (my mother had to beg the FA to give me one). I wisely stopped drinking wine and switched to water while I tried to watch the movie "Bridesmaids" but kept falling asleep. We did receive the new amenity bags but did NOT receive pajamas. I do not recall seeing any of the other business class passengers wearing them so I do not think that they were distributed on that flight. My mother watched several movies, ate her sundae, and enjoyed her flight. I slept better than I ever have on a flight and only woke up when I was told to put my seat in an upright position and prepare for landing. I totally missed breakfast.

After we exited the plane, we headed towards customs and immigration. I had managed to complete my landing card and my mother's landing card and still had my fast track pass so all was good. It was still quite early since our plane had landed around 7:00 AM. The lines were atrocious - even the fast track line. My mother finally pulled out a cane that she had in her bag; the cane has a small seat attached so she can sit. That cane got the attention of one of the officers who immediatley whisked both of us to the front of the line. We were through passport control in minutes. Rather than spening money on Global Entry - just purchase a cane and practice looking pathetic - then you too can zoom through passport control. Since we had no bags to collect, we headed straight to the AA AArivals Lounge. we were greeted and handed keys to two of the shower rooms. I must confess that l lay on the cold tile floor for about thirty minutes trying to get my head to stop pounding. I also used the shower facilities; brushed the salmon, nuts, and lettuce out of my braces (and remembered that my rubber bands had snapped while I was chowing down on my entree much to the disgust of the FA); re-applied make-up; dried and fluffed my hair; and changed into clean clothes. I found my mother eating scrambled eggs in the lounge. She generously gave me one of her pain pills and my headache finally disappeared. I saw computers in the lounge and checked to make certain that AA had really given us operational upgrades and had not deducted SWUs from our accounts. Our miles had posted and our SWU balances were correct.

We reluctantly left the arrivals lounge and headed to the Tube. It only cost 8 GPs each for a one-day travel card from Heathrow to central London. We were able to ride in relative comfort on the Piccadilly Line from Heathrow to Piccadilly Circus; we then changed to the Bakerloo Line and rode two stops to Embankment. Our luggage was very manageable and the Tube was not crowded. My mother had a small backpack with wheels and a messenger bag/purse. I had my LV Flanerie bag and my LV backpack. I carried her backpack up and down the few flights of stairs that we encountered. It took about an hour to travel from Heathrow to Embankment. We walked less than three blocks to our hotel - the Citadines Trafalgar Square. I was shocked that we were able to check in before noon. We rested for a bit and then went sightseeing.

Saturday Sightseeing in London

The Circle Line and parts of the District, Hammersmith, and City Lines were closed because of planned engineering works so we took the Northern Line north from Embankment to Leichester Square and changed to the Piccadilly Line. We then travelled to South Kensington Station and walked through the pedestrian subway to the Victoria and Albert Museum. The fashion section was closed due to renovations but we really enjoyed the sculpture gallery (the Rodin sculptures are amazing), the Rafael Cartoons, and other exhibits. I even made a brass rubbing (it was an activity for children but no one was around and I always wanted to do it). Did I mention that the weather was absolutely glorious? Having spent most of the summer in hotter-than hades north Texas (110+ F most of the summer), we were thrilled with the 70 degree and sunny temperature. We saw adults wading in the fountains at the V&A and lots of people lying on the grass enjoying the sunshine. After the V&A, we went to the Museum of Natural History. I have to pop in to see the taxidermied Giant Panda, the panda skull, and the whale exhibits. I am truly fascinated by the drawing of humpback whales mating especially since mating of this particular whale species has never been documented by any human. After leaving the museum area, we decided to take a bus to the Sainsbury's grocery store near Glouchester Road. We hopped on the bus and went about four blocks, hopped off, and walked about four blocks.

I love Sainsbury's in London. We usually stay at the Citadines - South Kensington and the Sainsbury's store is fairly close. It is a huge grocery store with every kind of food available and at very reasonable prices. We purchased Diet Coke (in 2 litre bottles), potato crisps, biscuits, and some vegetables for less than a meal at a fast food restaurant. We took the tube from Glouchester Road to Embankment and returned to our lovely room. After watching television and eating a light dinner, we climbed into our respective twin beds and conked out for the night.

FlyForFun

Sunday in London - a Visit to Buckingham Palace and Clarence House

I woke up around 7:30 AM feeling quite refreshed. Ten hours of good sleep really helps as does a great shower and about a liter of Diet Coke.

I had a rather bizarre experience when I decided to iron my clothes that morning. I had crammed my linen jacket into my bag and wanted to freshen it by removing the wrinkles. An iron and ironing board were included in the room. I ironed my jeans and tee shirt with no problems, but while ironing my blazer, the iron crackled and flames engulfed the cord. I reached down and unplugged the iron and carried it slowly to the bathroom. I extinguished the flames. I left the iron at the front desk on the way out. I was just glad that I was there when it burst into flames.

We had big plans for the day and I did not want to be late. A few weeks before our departure I made reservations for us to tour Buckingham Palace. We have only been to London one other time when the palace was open for public tours. Because of work and airfare costs, I usually travel to Europe from October through May; my busy time at work is during the summer and that is when airfares to Europe are a lot more expensive. I had purchased tickets on-line for the 10:00 AM tour for Sunday, September 4, 2011. We were advised to be at the ticket office 45 minutes before the tour time to collect our tickets.

Sunday just happened to be the day of a huge bicycle event in London and many streets were closed to automobile traffic. There was not a really easy way to get to Buckingham Palace by tube from our hotel, so we planned to walk. My mother was still having some difficulty walking so we got up early so that we could walk leisurely past the Horse Guards and through St. James's Park to Buckingham Palace. It was another glorious day - a little cooler but still wonderful. We headed towards Trafalgar Square and then towards the Horse Guards. We would not be able to watch the changing of the guards at either the Horse Guards or Buckingham Palace since our tour was scheduled for 10:00 AM. I really prefer to view the changing of the Horse Guards and highly recommend this event if you are visiting London (it takes place every day, is usually not crowded, and you can get up fairly close to the ceremony). St. James's Park was ablaze with color. The flowers were still in bloom, the waterfowl were enjoying the ponds, and the cyclists were zipping through the streets and park trails. I posed by my favorite sign in the park - it identifies the various birds that you can see throughout the year and one of the species is the Great T-ts. Every time that I walk through the park, the song "Badge" by Cream plays throughout my brain. I did see Eric Clapton in concert when I was a teenager (way after Cream but he was still mighty fine). The line about the swans that live in the park always runs through my mind; however, this time no swans were there. A few years ago when we were in London, one of the articles in the paper was about one of the pelicans that was seen eating a pigeon in St. James's Park; unfortunately that sight also goes through my mind.

We made it to Buckingham Palace with lots of time to spare. There was no line to collect the tickets. The line for purchasing tickets for tours that day was not very long either. The tour included an audio player at no extra charge. It was quite well-done and provided excellent explanations and descriptions. Photography was not allowed. We saw the state rooms; the throne room; Kate's wedding gown (the smallest waist I have ever seen is a dress), her shoes, and wedding cake; and the royal family's collection of Faberge. Even though we toured the Palace years ago (I think the first year that it was open to the general public), it was nothing like I remembered (or else I have seen so many palaces since then). We thoroughly enjoyed our visit. At the end of the tour we found out that if you sign the back of your ticket, print your name, and have an official stamp it - then you may return as many times as you like over the next twelve months; we are already planning next year's trip. We toured the perimeter of the gardens on our way out; photos were allowed. After exiting, we discovered that we were on the other side of the palace and had to walk forever to get back to where we started - not so great when one person is having mobility issues.

While walking around the palace, I saw a sign informing visitors that Clarence House was open for public tours from August 4 through September 4, 2011. Today was September 4 so we headed towards Clarence House - the former residence of the Queen Mother and the current residence of Charles, Camilla, and Prince Harry. I made my mother sit on a bench while I searched for the entrance; I found it and confirmed that tickets were available. It started to drizzle as I returned to the bench where I had left my mother; she had an umbrella and was fine. We walked to Clarence House and arrived at 1:29 and were allowed on the 1:30 tour - not too bad of a wait. Our guide was great! Photos were not allowed. The residence was truly a lovely home. It was comfortable, warm, inviting and not too pretentious despite the Monet paintings, the signed songbook by Noel Coward on the piano, and the photos of the family. We were able to enjoy the gardens since the rain stopped while we were touring the house. Our tickets were converted into annual passes again, so we will have to return next August if we want a free tour.

After these two excursions, my mother was getting tired so we walked to the hotel. I ate a light lunch (I lose my appetite when I travel so I usually do not eat a lot - another good reason to stay at a hotel with kitchenettes and not spend a lot of money at restaurants). I left my mother so she could rest and I continued my sightseeing.

I walked to the British Museum. The rain had stopped and the walk took about thirty minutes. At the British Museum, I saw the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles, the cat mummies, the Portland Vase, and other favorites. After a couple of hours, I walked back to the hotel. I window shopped and people watched along the way.

That evening we dined in the room; my mother cooked a lovely dinner of chicken and pasta.

We did receive a replacement iron.

Monday in London

Not many people know this but the Courtauld Institute is free on Mondays from 10:00 to 2:00. My mother walked slowly towards the Courtauld via the Strand. I had an extremely important errand that I had to run and promised to meet her there as soon as I finished.

I wanted to get tickets to see "Anna Christie" but all of the performances were sold out. I knew that at 10:30 ten seats would be sold as well as twenty standing room places and any returns. I had slept later than I intended so I arrived at the theatre just minutes before 10:30. The line for tickets did not seem too long and I managed to get the 16th out of 20 standing room places for 7.5 GB. I lucked out because the guy in front of me left and two other people did not want standing room. I knew that my mother would not be able to stand for over three hours so I bought only one ticket and felt really guilty about that. Oh did I mention that Jude Law was one of the actors starring in the play.

I made my way to the Courtauld and had to disappoint my poor mother by telling her that only standing room places were available. She said that there was no way that she could stand for that long. She did manage to stand for that long several years ago when we saw "Guys and Dolls" with Ewan McGregor and even two years ago when we saw "Oedipus Rex" with Ralph Finnes. We enjoyed the paintings by Manet, Monet, Van Gogh, and other artists during our time spent at the Courtauld - made even better by the fact that it was free.

We returned to the hotel, after stopping at Boots to purchase some pain pills for my mother. After a quick lunch of sandwiches, crisps, and biscuits. we rode bus # 15 to the Tower of London.

To be continued... BTW I ended up less than three inches from Jude Law's semi-bare chest...

Glensea

Great TR so far. I love London and also travelled with my mother from the time she was 66 till just before she died at 88. So your sensitivity to mobility issues mirroed mine.

I didn't know about converting the day ticket at Buckingham Palace to an annual one -- thanks for that!

If I had been 3" from Jude Law's chest, I would have tried to close the gap.

mad_atta

An amusing report. I always find that the best flights are those which pass in an amiable blur of mild intoxication... ^

Looking forward to hearing about Jude

FlyForFun

Sorry about the delay - I had computer issues at home. I am now posting the menu from my flight in J from RDU to LHR. I did remember to take the menu with me when I departed the plane.

Dining Service

To Statrt

Warm mixed nuts
or
Marinated cheese antipasto

Appetizer

Smoked salmon and herb marinated shrimp

Salad

Fresh seasonal greens and an assortment of fresh vegetables offered with classic Caesar dressing or premium extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Bread Basket

Assorted gourmet breads

Main Course

Boursin Crusted Beef Fillet
Grilled tenderloin of beef with a Boursin crust presented with wilted spinach, balsamic grilled tomatoes and whipped potatoes

Oven-roasted Halibut
Oven-roasted halibut accompanied by mixed lentils, haricots verts and a roasted tomato-harissa chutney

Red Thai Curry Chicken
Breast of chicken simmered in a creamy red Thao curry and coconut milk broth, accompanied by jasmine rice

Cheese Tortellini with Romano Sauce
Homemade tortellini stuffed with three cheeses, topped with tomato, mushroom and mozzarella sauce, Parmesan cheese and parsley

Dessert

Ice Cream Sundae
Vanilla ice cream with a choice of hot fudge, butterscotch or seasonal berry toppings, whipped cream and pecans

Fruit and Cheese
A selection of gourmet cheeses offered with fresh seasonal fruit and assorted crackers

Breakfast

Select From

Yogurt
Creamy fruit yogurt

Cereal
Kellog's cereal with milk

Breakfast Breads - A selection of breakfast breads

Pre-Arrival Beverage

For Your Enjoyment
Chilled sparkling or still water with a fresh citrus garnish

FlyForFun

Continuation of Monday

I had purchased two one-day travel cards for zones 1 and 2 so we showed these cards to the bus driver when we boarded bus # 15 at Charing Cross Station. My mother was able to sit in one of the priority seats at the front of the bus; I sat next to her; however, had anyone needed this seat, I would have relinquished the seat. One thing about travelling with someone who has mobility issues is that I very quickly appreciated being able to stand and became much more cognizant of the importance of letting someone sit who really needed to sit - a consideration that many young and able-bodied people do not get. This route continues on the Strand and passes Fleet Street, the Royal Courts of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, and the Monument to the Great Fire. We exited the bus at the Tower of London.

I have been to London more times than I can remember. Years ago, I realized that it was not essential to actually purchase a ticket and enter the grounds of the Tower of London. Every three or four years, I do actually purchase a ticket and tour the Tower; 2011 was not one of those years. My mother and I enjoyed strolling leisurely around the outside of the Tower. We stopped along the Thames to admire Tower Bridge. We thoroughly enjoyed eating the ice cream cones with a Cadbury flake that I purchased from one of the vendors. Ice cream, sunny day, and views of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge - this combination of things made me quite happy - even without alcohol or pain pills. My mother really enjoyed herself. We had a bit of a chuckle when an organized tour group of Americans were rushing to the group entrance of the Tower; one man chastised his wife for stopping to take a photo. I'll put my Pollyanna hat on now and say that one thing good about my mother's injury is that it forced us to slow down and to appreciate what we were seeing and doing.

We left the Tower area and boarded another bus # 15 that was going back toward the Strand. Again, my mother was able to sit in the front row of the bus. We exited at St. Paul's Cathedral. We walked around the cathedral and did not go inside; we have been inside many many times. Today was a gorgeous day and it was so nice to be able to walk outside and admire the work of Sir Christopher Wren. We re-boarded bus #15 and continued to Charing Cross. We then transferred to bus # 11 that was headed towards Westminster. We exited at Westminster Station, crossed the street, and walked towards Westminster Abbey.

The Abbey closed for public tours at 3:30 PM so we were not able to visit. We did enjoy walking around the abbey and looking at the stained glass windows from the outside. Years ago, the Abbey was open for free on Tuesday evenings; photography and videoing were allowed. You could leisurely wander about the Abbey. Those days are long gone.

We walked across the bridge to get a great view of the Houses of Parliament. The amusing thing was that the bridge was not crowded with pedestrians. We usually visit London in the winter months and it is almost impossible to get a good photo from the bridge because there are so many people.

We decided to walk along the Thames back to the hotel. Just as we reached the gardens of Whitehall, the weather changed to a light misting rain. It was quite refreshing and caused us to pick up the pace a bit. We did have umbrellas with us.

Back at the hotel, I waited to use the computers in the lobby to see if I could change my mother's seat on our flight home. The wifi in the lobby was a little slow and I only had my Nook so I waited for a computer. I was able to change her seat to one close to mine that was not an exit row seat. The seating chart showed a number of empty seats.

I had about an hour before I needed to leave for the theatre, so I started to get ready. Years ago, I would bring a dress or a nice outfit to wear to the theatre, but it seems like most people do not dress-up for the theatre anymore. I did change out of my jeans and tee shirt to a pair of pants, a light-weight cashmere sweater, and my linen jacket. After a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner, I headed to the Donmar Warehouse. The rain had stopped so I walked; it only took about fifteen minutes.

I had only seen one other play at the Donmar Warehouse. Back in 1989 my mother and I saw a performance of "The Rover" at this venue. A young actor named Jeremy Irons was starring along with an actress from "Dynasty" named Stephanie Beacham. Just looking at Mr. Irons was well-worth the 4 GPs or so that we paid over twenty years ago. His character was a bit of a swashbuckler and waved a sword around quite a bit. His shirt revealed a fair amount of chisled chest. I was totally smitten and became a huge fan. I must confess that I made an error when I originally posted this trip report; we saw "The Rover" at the Mermaid Theatre.

I made it to the theatre just as they were opening for seating. I lucked-out and got the center standing spot. The man next to me was with his wife; they were able to get one of the returned seats and one standing spot. She was griping about her seat and asking the usher if she could sit in the usher's seat; he told her no. A lady with gray hair stood next to me. After all of the walking that I had done that day and the day before, I started to wonder how I was going to stand for over three hours; I had worn really comfortable shoes.

Just minutes before the play began, the usher asked the lady next to me if she would prefer to sit since a seat had become available downstairs. She said that she would and started to leave. He then asked me if I was alone and if I too would like to sit. I grabbed my purse and jacket and followed the usher. We were led to the main floor to the third row from the stage. I had the aisle seat. The other old lady and I were grinning like idiots. I said that I had been upgraded on the flight over and now this - she stopped smiling and glared at me.

The audience members were told not to get out of their seats during the performance and I soon learned why. The aisle just inches from me was used by the cast to enter and to exit the stage. When the performance began, I realized just how close the cast was to the audience and then started to think about who would soon be making an appearance - the gorgeous and talented Jude Law, an actor almost young enough to be my son if I had been a really bad girl in my early teens.

Jude finally made her appearance by being pulled on stage by a very large rope. He played a half-drowned seaman who was rescued. Half-drowned means sopping wet and wearing only a pair of damp and clinging pants. The pants were so low-slung that his pelvic bones were on display. His chest was bare for most of his initial appearance; it looked like his skin was coated with baby oil to achieve a slick, slippery, and wet appearance. His hair was long; he had a beard; his chest was au-natural with a sprinkling of chest hair. Speaking of his chest - it was the perfect combination of muscle-definition and sleekness. He was not too bulked up just amazingly well-defined. Did I mention that I am almost old enough to be his mother? Maternal feelings were not what I was experiencing.

At one point, he donned a wet, dirty (in a good way dirty), and quite small undershirt (similar to a wifebeater). I swear even the straight males in the audience hissed their disappointment when he put on that shirt. The shirt still exposed most of his chest so I was still able to see the best parts when a wet, hairy, and barely-clothed Jude Law exited the stage down my aisle less than three inches from my seat. I was so in awe of his magnificense that I sat reverently as he passed.

In the acts after that, he was fully-clothed but still amazing - especially when he tossed furniture around, stomped his feet, and slammed chairs on to the floor.

At the end of "Anna Christie" the cast (including Ruth West) received much enthusiastic applause from a very appreciative audience. My hands were still pink hours later from my clapping.

I left the theatre and headed towards Covent Garden. Some young people were yelling at each other so I decided to take the tube back to the hotel. After I changed to the Northern Line, I had to dodge a puddle of puke to get to my seat. I did make it back to the hotel safely and slept quite well that night.

FlyForFun

Tuesday - Departure Day

Check-out time for the hotel was at 11:00 AM. Our flight from Heathrow was scheduled for departure at 3:15 PM. We estimated that it would take about an hour to travel via the Tube from Embankment to Heathrow; we had access to the AA Flagship Lounge at Heathrow so getting to the airport early would not be a hardship.

We were packed and ready to leave by 9:15 AM. We left our bags in the room and headed to Trafalgar Square - a five minute walk from the hotel. The fountains were being cleaned so we admired the statues of the lions and the statue of Nelson at the top of his column. Then the first real rain of our trip started to fall. We sought shelter at the St. Martins, the church across from Trafalgar Square. I found it really hard to believe that we had never entered the church. Since the church provides assistance to the homeless, we saw a few downtrodden people resting in the pews of the church, but focused more on the beauty of the building.

At about ten minutes until ten, we left to take photos from the steps of the National Gallery and to say hello to the statue of George Washington. Quite a number of people were waiting to enter the National Gallery, but we managed to take some good photos of the Houses of Parliament and other London landmarks. At exactly 10:00 AM, the doors opened and a guard said that we could enter. I headed to the rooms that held the collection of paintings by French Impressionists. For about three minutes, I was alone in a room filled with paintings by Monet, Renoir, and Degas. I find it strange that the National Gallery and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts both label paintings by Monet as being by Claude-Oscar Monet (National Gallery) and Oscar Claude Monet (Boston MofA), since his tomb in Giverny shows Claude Monet. The paintings by Monet and the other Impressionists displayed are fantastic. It was really a thrill to be able to stand in the middle of the gallery and to walk slowly towards the paintings to watch them change and develop. I found my mother in the room filled with paintings by Van Gogh. We spent about forty minutes relishing our favorite paintings - thrilled by the lack of crowds and the richness of the works.

We headed back to the hotel, collected our bags from the room, and checked out minutes before 11:00 AM. I checked our flight status and noted that AA Flight 79 was scheduled for an on-time departure of 3:15 PM from LHR to DFW. I also noticed that no seats were available in coach and I had moved my mother to a row where we hoped she would have an empty seat next to her. Oops - maybe I could get row 20 at the airport for her.

We walked to Embankment Station and purchased two singles to Heathrow at a cost of 5 pounds each - not bad since a single in zones 1 & 2 costs 4 pounds. We only encountered two small flights of stairs on our way to the Piccadilly Line at Leichester Square. We were really careful to make certain that we boarded a train with Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, and 3 as the final destination. The train was remarkably uncrowded - especially for 11:15 AM on a Tuesday in September. We were both able to sit comfortably for the duration of the trip. As we neared the split - where the Piccadilly Line goes to Heathrow or goes the other direction, an announcement was made that our train would be terminating at Hatton Cross. We stayed on the train until it terminated, disembarked, and boarded the next train to Heathrow. The total travel time was less than one hour. We left the Underground Station and headed to Terminal 3. My mother found a luggage cart and used it to support herself on our hike to the terminal.

We found the AA FLagship check-in area; we were the only passengers checking in. I asked the agent about moving my mother's seat and he said to check at the gate. We took our boarding passes and headed towards security; we did not get a Fast Track invitation. The lines for security were the shortest that I have ever seen at LHR. We were through in less than two minutes; my mother's cane trick was not required. I stopped at Boots to purchase some pain pills for my mother and then we headed towards the AA Lounge.

At the Admiral's Club, I provided our passports and boarding passes and we were buzzed in to the Flagship Lounge. The last time I was at LHR, it was still being remodeled. We made ourselves comfortable by getting champagne, butternut squash soup, and other yummy items. The Flagship Lounge was fairly deserted - there were less than ten people. I checked the seating chart and discovered that coach had no seats, business had no seats, and first had a few seats. I asked the agent about getting a better seat for my mother and she put in a request. I also asked if the flight was overbooked but it was not. She asked if my mother needed assistance to the gate. My mother said no but did request a wheelchair for DFW (more about that later). The Flagship Lounge was quite lovely with a clean ladies loo, decent champagne, tasty white wine, yummy chocolate chip cookies, hot pasta salad, chicken dish, sandwiches, and lots of snacks. Unfortunately, I was still not hungry and I had learned my lesson about drinking. I limited myself to two glasses of champagne.

My mother was feeling better physically but was a bit apprehensive about her seat assignment so we left for the gate before any announcements were made. At the gate, she received a boarding pass for 30 G (the aisle in the center of the bulkhead). I still had my boarding pass for 31 A. We were just in the boarding area for a few minutes when boarding for first and business was announced. We waited until Executive Platinums were welcomed before we got in line but we were some of the first passengers to board with the Priority Access group. By the time that I made it to my seat, the man in the seat next to me had arrived and stowed his bags. I was surprised that the small overhead was still empty and my bag barely fit in it. I noticed that a nice man was helping my mother stow her bag; I swear I was about to run over and help her but he was a true gentleman. Just in case the man sitting next to me reads trip reports on FlyerTalk, I will try to be nice - but where has common courtesy gone?

I settled in my seat with my personal headphones, MP3 player, Nook, and puzzles. I turned off my electronic devices and stowed my stuff in the overhead when requested. The flight was delayed twice and we finally took off around an hour late due to weather in the area (it was just raining). After take-off, I tried to retrieve my screen. The man sitting next to me was nice and helped me. I almost said that I had only flown once in coach on an international flight in over two years so I had forgotten how to do the video but did not want to sound pretentious (I have no idea why I hesitated since I do pretentious so very well). I looked through the movies and waited for "Midnight in Paris" to start. The FAs provided an appetizer of a small packet of nacho chips; I had a Diet Coke to wash them down. The movie was better than I thought that it would be and just really made me want to go to Paris (I have not been since April 2011). For dinner we were offered a choice of chicken with rice or vegetarian lasagne. I selected the chicken - it was OK. Also served were a cold roll wrapped in plastic, a packet of cheese spread, two crackers, a small salad, and ginger cookies. I asked for white wine as my beverage and had my Executive Platinum card available. The FA said that the first drink was on her - a really classy gesture. The only difficulty that I had was getting my tray table out. The man next to me used the arm rest and even asking nicely would not move so that I could get my tray table out or back in. I knew that he spoke English because he was reading English and I heard him speak. I finally just grabbed the arm rest and opened and closed the tray table slot as needed. I did not want to be rude but he could have been a tad more helpful.

After dinner I watched other movies, listened to music, watched the flight map, and read on my Nook. I love my Nook! I started with the 3G Nook and upgraded to the Nook Color; my mother has my other Nook. All of my purchases appear on both devices as well as my computers. The only complaint that I have is that when I play games on my Nook, the battery does not last too long. I had specifically selected a seat with a power port so that I would not have to worry about draining my battery. The man sitting next to me used the power port for a couple of hours and then stacked his computer case and stuff so that it blocked the power port. I managed to plug in my Nook despite his efforts.

We did receive a snack mid-way into the flight. It was a plastic container with cheese, crackers, and a small candy bar. I had another Diet Coke.

I refused the pizza snack that was offered 90 minutes before landing. My mother said that her grapes were seedless and tasty. She ended up with an empty seat next to her; I think it was the only empty seat on the plane.

We arrived about an hour late at DFW. The good news was that no other international flights had landed at Terminal D for a while so there were short lines at immigration and customs. My mother's wheelchair was waiting for her so we literally zoomed through. We tipped the attendant $10.

I made it home around 10:00 PM and was up the next morning ready to go to work.

My mother is resting up for our big trip next month. We are going to China to volunteer at the Giant Panda Reserve. Thank goodness our SWUs cleared for the flights to and from Beijing back in July. I'll write a detailed report when I get back. Pandas are fascinating but they lack the animal magnetism of Jude Law. Hope that you enjoyed this report.