And we're off!

I've decided the Brits I met today are the first real ones I have encountered and will therefore represent their entire nation as the great adventure begins. Previous aquiantances were either expatriots, tourists or temporary Americans working in the horse industry in Kentucky. These British Airways personell and fellow passengers were (although currently in Texas) working and living in their natural English habitat. The kids and I were in luck with these nice people who were probably having a much harder day than we were yet still treated us very kindly.

The labor dispute was announced last week but I didn't worry because while they had threatened, British Airways employees had not walked out in 13 years. There was no possibility the union would pick this particular time and economic climate to have the first work stoppage in 13 years. Right? So as this impossibility began to occur, I monitored the cancelations and changes without much recourse. By the evening of the 22nd I was sure my flight would be spared. The next morning I woke to an email that it was canceled but that I could call to arrange alternatives that would still get us to London on the 25th. The lady on the phone was wonderful dispite the chaos they must all be experiencing. She was able to route us from LAX on American Airlines through Dallas with a long layover then onto an unnaffected British Airways flight into Heathrow. My dilema now was whether or not to accept this convoluted oddessy that would start with a much earlier than planned and rush hour embattled departure and end in an exhausting 20 hour journey. We would arrive on the expected day but several hours too early for our reserved check-in or I could decline and risk further difficulting trying to fly later in the week. The prospect of having to rebook each sleeping arrangement with possible lost deposits decided matters.

By the time we boarded the last leg of the journy we had been on the move for 10 hours. The 8 hour flight to London was comfortable and we met great people who were wonderfully interested in our plans. The flight attendants struck me as experts and seemed to be plentiful so it was weird to hear them apologize repeatedly for the low standards of service due to the “current unfortunate events”. They made announcements to that affect and gave copoiuos amounts of really nice free wine to any and everyone. Between exchanging travel stories with interesting passengers and talking a bit with some of the crew we didn't get much rest. It didn't help that there were tiny televisions in each seat back with a variety of choices to boggle the minds of two Tweens who have lived without TV for a few years.

All of my smugness at having pre-purchased Oyster Cards online to use for travel on the Tube, buses and local trains flew out the window while trying to clear customs. Fuzzy eyed and cranky kids had to follow me through huge crowds while I struggled to find the right office to pick the cards up. Success! But then we had to continue on and use them on an unfamiliar subway system on a workday morning in a busy city. With luggage. Maddy actually fell asleep leaning on her suitcase holding onto a pole about halfway between the airport and downtown. And Chris had a very hard time not wandering off while we had to switch from the blue to the red lines.

But we arrived safely at St Paul's where we are booked for a few days in a cozy room that used to be part of the choir dormitories. It now holds three beds, built in a futuristic angled stack with clever storage cubbies. Our shower and WC are down the hall and our view is of the great Cathedral next door. They were kind enough to let us leave our luggage here this morning so we could wander around until check- in time. About all we could manage was lunch in a little deli and getting onto a double deck red bus. We literally got onto the first one and went wherever it was going, pointing to the marvels out the windoow and asking locals what we were looking at. Eventually we got off at a Tube station and got back into a crowded train that brought us back to the Cathedral. Lovely! And now for a nap.