Picture Gallery

As promised, here is the URL for the picture gallery of the trip. It is not complete yet, but should be soon. You can visit anytime you want and look at all you want. I think you'll agree John is quite a photographer!!!!

http://picasaweb.google.com/ioannisragias

Home Sweet Home

Home at last, Home at last, thank God Almighty I'm home at last....Oh, that was another line!!!!

Well I was up at 1:30 am NY time (6:30 MY time) and tried to go back to sleep...managed another 2 hours then decided what the heck, so got up and got my stuff together, showered and headed down to the lobby with my laptop to try to make a connection there. Still couldn't connect, so still couldn't publish the last two blogs. Finally the janitor came by and I managed to get on with the 'house' computer. Just needed to let Joe know when I was coming in.

Then I went back up and gathered my bags and came on down to check out and have coffee and a Sara Lee roll and wait for Super Shuttle that I booked prior to leaving. Around 8:30 I began to get a little nervous about them coming and so did the manager, so he called their number and I talked with them. She informed me that had I read the small print I would have seen that I was supposed to schedule pick up 24 hours prior. I told her I was not in the country and that that was why I had done all this before I left. Well they were booked solid and would not be able to pick me up...another ORBITZ faux pas that I would have to take up with them. Wouldn't recommend using Orbitz for any travel plans, as you know this was not the First problem, they still have not refunded the money for the unacceptable hotel in London AND they charge you $25 anytime they make a change.

Well I'm not through with them yet, unless of course there is some explanation in the 789 emails I have waiting that I haven't gone through yet. Anyway the hotel called "their" cab and I made it to LGA in time. I was directed to the Air Trans 'self check in' kiosk which I promptly did and went the the baggage check. She said "you are 2 pounds over"....I said, "You are kidding, you won't let 2 pounds go?"!!!! NOPE...I said "Well girl, you can just wait right there while I take 2 pounds outta dat bag!!". I asked if I could take sealed boxes of chocolate on the plane with me and she said "Yes, or you could leave them with me"...and smiled. hmmm

Well got my chocolates out and put'em in my back pack and headed off to another search and passport check and down the walkway past a bar...nope, not PAST that, I went back to the bar for what I was hoping would be a Miller Light...but instead settled for Coors light at $5.43 a bottle...are you kidding me!!! I thought I was back in the US. Well she wasn't very friendly anyway so you can imagine HER tip!!

On to the gate for the plane to Atlanta. I wasn't hard to pick out in THAT crowd! ;-) The plane finally got out about 30 minutes late and when we got to Atlanta it was raining cats and dogs!!!! So we got out of there an hour late...sitting on the runway almost all that hour. Well you can imagine when the girls came down the aisle and said "Coffe or Tea"...I said NEITHER I need a Bloody Mary (now you'd think I would have used that term "Bloody" in London).

Anyway I had the bloody mary and pretzels (Air Trans signature snack) and we were almost home. Joe had finally managed to figure out where to pick me up (only 4 Air Trans gates) and we headed to Karen's to pick up Lil Girl and have some pizza. Lil Girl wasn't sure who I was at first, but after a couple of sniffs her tail was UP and she was running circles. So we packed her up and headed for the home stretch. Girlfriend is STILL under the bed, not sure who Lil Girl and I are, but she will come around soon.

This has been ONE GREAT TRIP with only a couple of exceptions. One was going BACK to London instead of Amsterdam, and the other was lack of support from Orbitz, but as I said...I'm not through with them yet.

If you haven't gone back to look at the pictures under Venice yet you need too, they are BEAUTIFUL, and there will be a picture gallery up soon so you can view all the pics of the trip if you want and at your leisure. I will post that URL as soon as John completes the gallery.

God save the Queen

Up this morning and walked to Mc Donalds again, had the "Big Breakfast", then back to get checked out of the hotel and wait for the Hoppa bus to Heathrow. Bus came on time and I got checked out and made it to Heathrow by 11 am, flight scheduled to leave at 3:58. Things seem to be going smooth so far. I found the Virgin counter, had alread pre checked in on line the night before, so all I had to do was check my bag and make sure the back pack fit in the "slot". When I got up to the counter the guy said there was an earlier flight if I'd be interested, and I said SURE. So he directed me to the ticket counter to inquire as to the availability.

Got there and talked to Sue (an english girl named Sue????) and sure'nuff there was space on the 2 pm flight, so I gladly exchanged tickets and headed back to the baggage check. I thought "this is too easy". Got the bag checked in and headed up to the departure gates. I decided to pick up those cigarettes for Karen so stopped at one of the shops. She had them alright, but I'd have to keep them in a plastic bag and keep the receipt. Ok...no problem. So decided not to do anymore shopping there. I headed toward the gates and still had 5 pounds in my pocket...hmmm, cold beer? Yep, 3 pounds (thats $6!!!), so 2 pounds left. I saw a little "email checker" 1 pound for 10 minutes, so checked email and headed out to Gate 32. Once there, another passport check, then get in the 'baggage screening' line. That didn't look TOO bad, then I noticed the line streched to the other end of the terminal...oh well.

Got in the line and it moved fairly fast till we got on the other side of the wall, then it snaked around a bit before you ever got to the "dish pans" and the scanner. Took off everything but my underwear (almost) and placed it in the tray...laptop separately. Still had to be wanned and patted, but made it through in flying colors. Then to the gate. Another line, but finally made it onto the plane and settled in to seat 33A, right next to the window...that was behind me. I didn't care, nothing to see anyway, so got the Virgin game console warmed up and ready for take off. As soon as we lifted off everyone found the seat they wanted and it opened up the seat next to me...GREAT. So I used that seats electronics to Listen to Elvis and played solitaire on mine.

The only breaks I took was for he meal...roast beef, pasta salad, and chocolate pudding. Not bad, now back to my game. I played that damn game all across the Atlantic, but the trip went fairly fast. Made it into JFK about 6 EDT and found a cab to Howard Johnsons...only $28, ro 14 pounds...cheapest Taxi I'd had in a while. Got here and asked for a place to eat and walked down the street to a little neighborhood Italian place...had baked eggplant parmasean. Whole meal $21 (11 pounds), price of a beer in London.

Came back to the room to update the blog and check email but can't get this damn connection to work, so gonna check it in and publish yesterday and today either as soon as I get to Texas or maybe in the lobby in the morning. Still on London time, so it's after 2am for me...don't wanna miss this last leg in the morning.

I hope you have all enjoyed the reports of the trip, I know I had a GREAT time on the trip and keeping the blog going as well. It was truly the trip of a lifetime and I can hardly wait to print off all the blogs and pictures and put together an album to remember all the highlights.

After these two I will publish the last leg...NYC-Atlanta-DFW. You may have noticed....no new pics....oh well, nothing new.

Prisoner in London

Last full day in London begins with preparations for tomorrows flight. I drank all the coffee left in the room first of all, then went to the desk and asked if there was any shopping located close to the hotel. He mentioned a Mc Donald's down the street, so I headed that way and decided while there I might as well get an egg Mc Muffin. After enjoying a tast of home again I stopped at the service station next door to look in the little convenience store to see what was available. I looked at EVERYTHING on the shelves...sure they thought I must be up to no good, but finally decided to a couple of diet cokes, a 4-pack of Bud, bag of cashews and a pack of gum. Thirteen pounds....TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS!!! Oh well, small price to pay for daily sustenance while confined to my room.

Once back at the hotel I completed my daily email checks and contacts, watched a little TV, napped a bit, repacked the bags (I'm sure they'll charge me for overweight bag), and checked out the flight details for tomorrow. Then I went to the Virgin site and completed my 'on line check in'. I can't imagine that will really help me any with the situation as it is, but did it anyway.

I guess it's just as well I had planned to remain confined to the hotel anyway, seems as though they picked today to stage a rail strike in London so most of the trains on the southwest side of town are shut down anyway. So I just kept up with local happenings and Bush's attempt to tell the people of New Orleans how well the government had responded.

Finally got to trim my hair a bit too..first place I've been that I was able to recharge the razor, so showered, shaved, and got myself ready for dinner. It was raining outside (on top of all the other reasons to stay in) so I headed to the hotel restaurant and had a club sandwich for dinner. Heck of a deal for only $18. Oh well, when in London.......

Once back in the room completed preparations for tomorrow..laid out my wardrobe for the trip (blue or yellow) and tuned into BBC for the evening. Seems as though I'll be able to take the laptop onboard the plane so will try to continue the updates as i cross the Atlantic, and next report will come to you from New York - New York....can't you just hear the song!!!!!