So many details to handle when traveling to another country! Arranging pet care and obtaining passports are the more obvious. It turns out those are only the tip of the iceberg. There are also tasks such as notarized letters when traveling with minors that are not your children, notifying banks that you will be incurring charges on your credit cards in another country (if you forget to do this, your purchases are likely to be declined), remembering to get cash in the currency used where you are going to travel (for tips and such), remembering to pack conversion plugs, and many more.
Someday, we will sit in those big cushy seats in the front where one can stretch out and make an international flight without getting leg cramps. In the meantime, we were sardined into the same cramped seats as everyone else, first for 3 1/2 hours to get to Minneapolis (where we met up with Michael’s daughter Amanda and her husband, Henry); a 3 hour layover; then another 7 1/2 hours to Heathrow Airport in London. Due to the time difference of +8 hours, our goal was to sleep during the last flight, feeling rested and awake when we arrive in London around noon Wednesday! Great plan, impossible execution! In spite of a new travel pillow; sleeping in an upright position, strapped into a seat designed for someone weighing 110 lbs, jammed sardine style squished against the other captives in the giant metal tube, is hit or miss. But everyone did get a few winks and we were excited to finally arrive in London! We were happy to see that drivers with two pre-arranged cars were waiting for us after clearing customs and getting our luggage. To Lexi’s delight, one of the men held a sign saying Alexanria Julianne Stroud. “I have my own car!” She declared!
All is good as we head for our Hotel. We get a few miles then run into the most incredible traffic jam we have ever seen (and we’ve been to LA during commute!). We come to a complete stop and sit there for 10 minutes crawl forward a few yards and stop again. I finally ask the driver, “Is the traffic always this bad?” “Oh, no, but today is the official opening of Parliament, so they have all the roads around the Houses of Parliament cordoned off.” Our centrally located Hotel happens to be very near the very same Houses of Parliament! Great location (if it isn’t opening day). And, just like in California, drivers in a London traffic jam are not real patient. Especially the guy behind us who continually honked his horn, as if that would magically remove the hundreds of cars, buses and trucks surrounding us. Nonetheless, we were in London and that was enough to keep our spirits high and our attitudes positive. After checking in (so happy to find our room right next to Lexi and Brittney’s room and two doors down from Hailey’s), we went out to get an early dinner and walk around for a while — finding the beautiful Westminster Cathedral (no inside pictures allowed). Here are some pictures.
Safari So Good 