Lots of really big planes in the international terminal. Since I am taking an A-380, I took some photos of A-380s already there and loading up. Note the three separate entrance ramps for this Air France plane.
Here is a United Emirates A-380 heading to take off.
After a hamburger and coke, I sat and watched for my plane to arrive. Here it comes!!
Interesting shape of the wings. Also, a big bulge on the planes "forehead."
You get two full meals on an international flight, especially one lasting 11 hours, as this one will be.
British Airways has four classes on International flights, so I had bought a slightly more expensive World Traveler Plus ticket. This meant that I had a wider seat with more leg room and only two-abreast instead of the three-abreast you get in the regular cabin. With a window seat, there was also a covered bin next to me where I could store my laptop backpack, purse, and other things to keep them handy.
Unfortunately, I can almost never sleep on a plane, even on an overnight 11-hour flight, as this one was. It will be easier going home as the flight will be entirely in daytime. One interesting thing is that the flight path was northeast from SFO, over Montana, then across northeastern Canada and Hudson Bay, over the southern tip of Iceland and Greenland, and finally coming in from the north over Northern Ireland to London. Could not see anything, however because it was cloudy and dark the entire flight.
It took almost two hours to go through customers and immigration. I was glad I was not traveling with fussy kids. Took the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station and then a cab to my hotel, here. The hotel is a little unique because it is a budget hotel and has very, very small rooms. It is called "Hub Hotel by Premier Inn." I have stayed at Premier Inns a couple of times and found them about equivalent to a Holiday Inn Express, except slightly smaller rooms and lobby, and no ice or pop machines!
All of the Hub Hotels are relatively new. They have even tinier rooms than most UK hotels. which generally have tiny rooms anyway. They advertise the rooms as being high-tech and having free high-speed internet.
I did ask for a room with a window when I arrived. Can't open it, but it is something to look out of and gives me some daylight. Large TV at the end of the very comfortable queen bed. There is also what looks like a bench at the end of the bed, but is really a pull-out desk. This would be crowded for two people, but perfect for one person.
Note the storage room under the bed for a suitcase. Next to the luggage storage, there is a good-sized drawer to put stuff. The bed was very comfortable, by the way, with very nice linens.
Control panel at the head of the bed for lighting and temperature. You also can select not to be disturbed or have the room made up.
Decent bathroom, really, and a lot larger than the one in my motorhome.
No food or pop machine in the hotel, so I went for a walk in cold, cold London to find some take-out. Checked out a Starbucks and finally decided on a noodle shop. Got a large bowl of Thai chicken and noodles and a cold Coke with a glass of ice for £8.40, or about $10, which is not bad. I had enough chicken and noodles for at least two people.
I chose this hotel, not only because it was cheap, about £100 per night, but also because it was a block from an Underground station and very close to tourist things like Westminster Abbey, below. Can you see the London Eye in the distance? Took this photo on my walk for food. The theatre where Hamilton is performing is only a couple of blocks away, also, so I can walk there on Monday night.
By the way, I asked the cabby on the way to the hotel when it was going to warm up in London. (The high today was about 49.) His answer was to ask how long I was planning to stay!
Actually, the drizzle and rain is supposed to let up a little by Wednesday or Thursday, which is about when I will head out to Windsor for a couple of days. Luckily lots of indoor things in London.
I fell asleep at about 8:00 pm London time and slept until 7 am. Kept TV on and enjoyed the almost-no-advertising British TV shows when I woke up a couple of times. Mostly, they were history or gardening shows, which was really nice. So much calmer than our reality shows and crazy news channels.
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