Day 1
Today was a travel day. Left Spartanburg made our way to Charlotte Airport where we flew to New Jersey to catch our overnight flight to London. Because we splurged a bit and bought business class tickets so we could get the lie flat seats, we also got access to the United Polaris Lounge. I have to say, it was nice. The chairs were comfy and they had some pretty nice free food and drinks but Newark Airport is really nice and I think I would have been just as happy in the main terminal. Live and learn.
Got on the flight, tucked in and much to my surprise I was able to get a pretty good nights sleep! Normally for me I can never get to sleep on a plane. It’s frustrating because I’m tired but I spend hours in that weird half awake half asleep state eventually giving up and just staying awake but being very tired. This time it took a little while but I got to sleep and felt pretty good on landing. Unfortunately Dena had a night like I normally do and was pretty exhausted all day. But we marched on.
Got to London Heathrow made it through all the stuff, customs is so much easier nowadays, took the Underground to our hotel (the Hampton Inn London Waterloo), then spent the rest of the day wandering around doing touristy stuff. Saw Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, wandered around Westminster Abbey, saw Trafalgar Square and from there on to Piccadilly Circus. I’m unimpressed with that last place, too touristy. Finally, we tried to find Diagon Alley.
When we were all here in 2006, We took a walking tour and the guide showed us a little road that many say was an inspiration for Diagon Alley. I wanted to go there again so we searched google and the maps apps. We kept circling around where it says it should be but we could never find it. I think that without the kids with us, we just weren’t magical enough to find it to be able to enter. Bummer.
That’s the end of Day 1. Yes, that was actually two days but it really feels like one big long one. Back at our hotel, going to relax and crash and hopefully get a good nights sleep. Then off kinda early tomorrow morning to catch a train to Glasgow to begin our hike on Wednesday.
JIm