Day 2 (April 21, 2017): Happy 50th, Pam!
After a restless quasi-sleep in a cramped Economy Class seat, we awoke to the sounds of breakfast being served as we reached the coast of Ireland. I wished Pam a happy 50th birthday, as we think she was born in the early morning hours!
Our Air Canada Boeing 767 arrived late enough to cause us havoc!
The financial district
The book of birthday wishes
The German Alps, looking quite majestic at dusk
The Grand Canal at night
Waking up over the coast of Ireland and realizing... "I just turned 50!"
Our flight pulled up to the gate at Heathrow's Terminal 2 late, at 10:45am instead of 9:30am. Not a big deal ordinarily, except I had prebooked a surprise lunch cruise on the River Thames, departing at 1pm sharp. The UK customs check took forever: we got out of that queue at 11:55 and claimed our bags. For those who know London, you will understand the stress that followed. Trying to get from Heathrow to Central London in an hour is basically impossible. Using Google Maps, I checked Uber, regular taxi, Heathrow Expres, and London Underground time-frames, and the all showed an arrival after 1pm. Long story short, we ran for a Heathrow Express train to Paddington Station, dragged our suitcases to the Underground, got the Bakerloo line to Embankment Station, hauled the cases up two flights of stairs, almost tumbled down an escalator, and ran across the street to the Bateaux London dock at 12:59!! We ran down the gangplank and the boat literally pulled away.
After the party prep, the surprise elements, the flight delay, and the rush for the boat, we collapsed into our seats and started to take in the sights of London. The three-course meal and service were amazing, as were the sights along the Thames. The pictures show the highlights.
Big Ben and the British Parliament. To the right is Westminster Bridge, where the terrorist act occurred a couple of weeks ago.
The London Eye
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Blackfriars
The Tower of London
Tower Bridge
Feeling a tad more relaxed than when we boarded the lunch cruise(!), Pam enjoyed her birthday slice.
The boat arrived back at the dock on time at 2:30pm. We sat on a bench overlooking the river, where I gave Pam a binder filled with messages that friends and family had written for her. The kindness, love and affirmation, intermingled with heart-warming stories, that flowed out of that binder comprised a rich gift that money could not buy. We sat there for an emotional half an hour reading them all.
Then it was back on the Underground, suitcases still in tow, to Victoria Station, where we got the Gatwick Express train to Gatwick Airport. It wasn't until we reached the Monarch Airlines check-in counter that Pam found out destination number two on this tour: Venice.
The flight left on time at 5:30pm, arriving early in Venice. We got a shuttle to the front-door of our Hilton Garden Inn in Mestre (which is adjacent to Venice) and checked in by 9:30pm. Despite exhaustion, we quickly jumped on a bus for the 10-minute ride to the Grand Canal in Venice, and did a short walk alongside the Grand Canal by night.
The Grand Canal at night
A very full but exciting day two of this birthday story! How we made that boat in London, I will never understand. Divine intervention, perhaps!
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