Departure

The next morning we get all ready to go. Then mom realizes, as I am about to go out and get bread, we are still on Continental European time. So, we’re an hour early getting ready. I wait until 08:00, when the shops open on Sunday, to get bread. We have a bread, honey, and cheese breakfast. We check out and are off to the Gloucester station, where mom heads toward Victoria to take the Gatwick express as we head back to Heathrow. Bye mom! :-(

We all make it to our airports just fine. But Kaitlyn and I arrive at the airport just one hour before take-off. Virgin airlines has a one hour cutoff. Luckily I ask about our position in the huge check-in line and they put us in the must-check-in-quickly line. We rush through baggage check and are directed to the must-pass-through-security-quickly line. Even so, it takes about 20 minutes to get through security.

While we were in Venice, there was the incedent of the 21 terrorists caught leaving from London to the US. Since then, the security has lightened up a little, so we are able to take carry-ons. But I take only the laptop on board. Kaitlyn travels light, too. The only things we are not allowed to take are liquids and cosmetics—or so we think. There is a security check not only at the regular checkpoint, but also at the gate. It is at the gate where they do the full check and confiscate Kaitlyn’s lactose intolerance pills because they are non-prescription. It’s unfortunate, because they serve ice cream on the plane later.

The plane ride is great. Both our video monitors work perfectly. And, because the flight is daytime the entire way back, we decide to stay up and have a 5 or 6 movie marathon.

We arrive and don’t realize that Susan is waiting outside in the car until Kaitlyn calls Cynthia. All is well; Susan graciously gives me a ride home; Kaitlyn has her ticket back to Seattle from San Jose; and I think she even gets a chance to see April before she flies home.

That’s it. It’s over. Darn it all. I can’t wait to do it another time!!!

Cheers!