Day 1 of our 13 day trip to England, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium has begun. We left SLC around 5:30 PM and headed to Phoenix. Since we bought the cheapest fare possible, we all were in different rows, middle seats. No big deal. We made it to Phoenix on time. Our flight to London, Heathrow left around 9:30 PM. We arrived around 2 PM into Heathrow. A couple of things about the flight across the pond....I’ve never been so crowded in my life. Denise and I were seated together, I had the window, Denise the middle seat. But Denise wanted it that way. Getting to our seats, we had a ~12 year old boy with his seat already in the ‘rest’ position. You could barely get your body through the seats. Denise was not a happy camper. So the bad news...we were very cramped. The good news, the only thing you could do was sleep! And to help that out, in our section of the plane only, they had no power...no lights (except for some emergency type lighting), no entertainment and you could barely hear the PA system. So no watching movies all night like we normally do. Pretty crazy. But, with my blow up pillow thing leaning against the wall, I slept like a baby for about 6 hours or so. The flight was about 10 hours long and after getting fed multiple times, that’s about all that you get to sleep anyway. But it was pitch black when they shut down the emergency lighting. Loved it.
Upon arriving to LHR, we not so quickly got through customs. Pretty long line and fairly slow. But this reminds me about leaving SLC...we had to check our luggage. We were the last people they let go to the back of the plane to try and find space and only I found a slot. So we all ended lup checking our carry on bags all the way to LHR. So by the time we got through customs are bags were placed together and waiting for us. We immediately grabbed a rental car and headed off to the London England LDS Temple. It was about a 1.5 hour drive....like no other. It really matched the drive in Ireland. Narrow, narrow roads. Cars driving too fast almost exchanging mirrors as they pass by. Because there was a wreck on the M25, we got off the freeway and thus experienced such driving. It was fun but harrowing. The Temple... such a pretty place. But in my opinion, the temple seems to be getting run down outside. Of all the temples around the world we’ve been to, this one is looking its age on the outside. We spent a few minutes taking pictures there and enjoying the grounds then jumped in the ‘backwards’ car (drive on wrong side of road, steering wheel on opposite side and so on) and headed to a pub. Funny story...I had to use the bathroom at the temple site. So we went to the visitors center. I found a single bathroom...but once inside with door closed...it was pitch black. I saw a red highlighted button, which I kept pressing. But the light would not come on. I tried over and over. Finally, I opened the door and a young girl was there....maybe 8 years old. I aske her, ‘How do you turn this light on?’. She pointed to a string hanging down in the opposite corner...then laughed at me. So funny.
For dinner, near the temple we at a really nice Pub. We mostly had their special...Fish and Chips...for a Friday night. Ilene had their chicken plate and that looked really good too. Great atmosphere. We actually needed reservations. But the hostess took us back to the bar area and said for us to just eat back there where they had some small little tables. Great stop it was.
The next adventure was another 1.5 hour drive down towards Dover to find our AIRBNB. I should copy and paste the instructions. Oh my goodness...I’ll post some pictures of the place and the small little lane it is on. But I will look back and wonder...how in the heck did we ever find this place. It is out in the country and her instructions include turn right after you pass the pub and go over the pond. When you see the 30 mph sign, stop and turn left. Crazy...but they worked. And what a cute, quaint place it is!
We are all tired and looking forward to our first full day of our trip going to the Cliffs of Dover, Dover Castel and then returning back to LHR getting on the Piccadilly Line to go into London for a few days and nights there. It is going to be a lot of fun. And we are traveling again with dear friends, Kim and Ilene Wayment. Both couples had quite the ‘health’ week leading up to this adventure and we are just glad to be on the road doing it!
Pictures....
Flowers at the temple site....
Glad we made it....
The London England temple grounds....
Our fish dinner.....
The happy ‘Pubbers’....
Getting ready to start the trip....
Tim and Denise with Angel Moroni behind us....
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