Innocent Abroad

Ithaca!

It took Odysseus ten years to get back to his hometown after an eventful journey. And I, for what it’s worth, am about to embark on a trip to another Ithaca,in upstate New York
(you know,those americans and their love for old-world-town-names-duplicates ) By the way, just discovered that there is Jerusalem, NY some fifty miles west of Ithaca - that would have been fun

My own private Odyssey should last twenty-four hours door-to-door, hopefully with no cyclops, sirens or sea-monsters involved



There are some new experiences involved in this trip (most notably first time on BA First, hence also my first visit to the Concorde Room in LHR T5) and some other interesting issues hence decided to write (yet) another trip report but I do hope there isn't such a thing a serial trip-reporter

Anyway, I am leaving for the airpot in a couple of hours so in the meantime I thought I will share with you the opening part of beautiful poem by the modern Greek poet Constantine Cavafy entitled - how not - Ithaca:

As you set out for Ithaca
hope the voyage is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
wild Poseidon—you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you….

I love this poem and since I am going to Ithaca to participate in a conference on Byzantine literature at Cornell University I find it most fitting

Stay tuned; more soon….

offerendum

I stay tuned

benberg2013

Subscribed as usual. ^

Madone59

Please tell me you will be having Pizza at The Nines while you are in Ithica, and please tell me you will be posting pictures of it . I am looking forward to your TR.

callmedtop

Say hi to campus for me! Enjoy Ithaca...I'd tell you to make sure you go to the Chapter House bar but unfortunately I believe it burned down a couple years ago, a real shame.

Grab a sandwich at CTB (Collegetown Bagels) and enjoy Ithaca in the fall!

CHOPCHOP767

The Classics major in me loves your introduction, Innocent Abroad! Have fun on that connection in PHL, LOL

arlflyer

Best time of the year to visit Ithaca, in my opinion! Seconded on Nines and CTB.

But what brings you there?

ClementiTotoro

OP said, "I am going to Ithaca to participate in a conference on Byzantine literature at Cornell University".

Ithaca is Gorgeous, 'nuff said. Glad that there are fellow FTers who have experienced this beautiful place as well.

Innocent Abroad

I covered the TLV-LHR leg on BA J just a couple of months ago so I will not bother you with two many details... So just a few snapshots from the trip so far.

Today is the first day after the Jewish New Year so I was expecting a lot of people in Terminal 3; well, there weren't too many and a fleet of buggies were parked as you enter air-side waiting for some work:



The entrance to the DAN+ lounge BA uses is right next to the synagogue so the morning service was at full power:



Somehow I was able to lose my boarding pass between security and the lounge and since only paper boarding passes are usable in TLV I had to look for the email from BA.com to enter the lounge; that was quite embarrassing I will have to go to the gate earlier than expected to get a new one printed out.

In the lounge the customary pomegranates for the holiday:



And my double espresso that will help me stay awake for the next sixty minutes (I hare those early departures ):



My onward flight to PHL is already delayed for 45 minutes but that's a good thing right now - more time in the CCR

Innocent Abroad

Innocent Abroad

I was already sent to Moosewood so I add this one to the list ^ I love photos of Pizza

Innocent Abroad

I am very much looking forward to visiting Ithaca; first time there.

Innocent Abroad

Route: TLV-LHR
Airline / Flight number: BA162
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200, G-YMMF
Date: October 5, 2016
Miles: 3593
Flight time: 4:54 hours
Scheduled departure: 7:15
Actual departure: 7:54, RWY 26
Scheduled arrival: 10:40
Actual arrival: 10:48, RWY 09L
Class: Club World
Seat: 5K

As I mentioned earlier I wrote a detailed report about travel in J on BA162 in this TR from last June so nothing much to add this time around. Back then I was supposed to be seated in 5K but because of a last minute aircraft change (from 772 to 773) I was moved to 16A in the “dorm” configuration of Club World on the 773. I think that 5K is nicer and that the overall configuration of CW on the three-class 772 is much better (five rows, a galley then three more rows).

Anyway, service was good and finally there was a different menu for breakfast



I began with the Israeli breakfast and continued with the Spanish frittata - both were nice:





The flight was suppose to be swift - at least according to the captain’s announcement after departure - however it was quite bumpy for a spell of the flight over central Europe. At the end we landed in LHR at 10:48 in T5C.

As I almost always do I existed through the ePassport-Gates in order to get back air-side through South Security Fast Track (as it is usually much quicker than going through Flight Connections). I did have to go through the dedicated counter to get my documents checked as I am traveling to the USA. In the photo you can see how close is that counter (labeled H1) to South Security:



This time I did not pay a visit to the Arrivals Lounge as I usually do since I only had two hours until my onward journey and I was about to visit the Concorde Room for the first time. When using South Security you get to use the “magic door” that leads you straight into the CCR, whereas otherwise you have to make a long detour to access the Galleries First lounge, my usual grazing place This is the “Door”:



There was no way I was going to miss this door, which for too long was a promised land I could not enter Moreover, in a few months this door will no longer be needed as BA are building the “First Wing”, a dedicated check-in area for First travelers, BAEC Gold Card holders and Oneworld Emeralds with a separate direct access to the GF / CCR. So here I am sitting in the CCR, a pleasure I will write more about in the next installment of this TR. My flight to PHL is delayed at the moment for 45 minutes but no worries here since I have more than enough time before my flight to ITH leaves, but again we will discuss that in the near future

Innocent Abroad

A quick update - the flight to PHL was wonderful and I will write more on that later on or tomorrow. My flight to ITH leaves at 21:00 and initially I was hoping to get on the earlier flight (at 17:15). However the delay of BA67 and the eighty minutes it took me to clear immigration and security made it impossible. I turned to the BA lounge to find some consolation but was denied access (this was discussed elsewhere on the BA and AA forums) so I am sitting at the moment at the AC in A-West and having a vegetarian chili in paper cup and a plastic spoon

arlflyer

Sorry, I started skimming over once the poetry began - my fault.

Oh, and it's "Ithaca is Gorges", since you seem to be one for the details.