Annnnndddddd.....we're off...(or are we?!??!!) (#3)
Well, it happened—we are on our plane! We’re on Virgin Atlantic Flight #20, departing San Francisco International Airport at 5:55 PM and arriving in London at 12:15 PM tomorrow.
I must admit, I’m a bit confused…our son Jayson is turning 40 tomorrow (April 30). But when we land in London, it will already be April 30 there—so will it still be April 29 in California? Either way, happiest of birthdays, Jayson! It’s hard to believe you are 40 (especially since in my mind I think I’m only a few years older than that—at least until I look in the mirror!). We love you and are so proud of you. You truly are an amazing person, and we feel very lucky to call you our son.
Today was finally departure day! We arranged for an Uber to take us to the airport, and as luck would have it, we had a very nice driver named Dong. Now, if you happen to be parents of three sons, you might be able to imagine the giggles that name might inspire…as one of our sons (who shall remain nameless!) once said, “You can’t go wrong with Dong!”
Dong was delightful—he chatted with us about sports, proudly told us about his three children (two college graduates and one still in high school), and shared how he came to the U.S. from China 32 years ago and the changes he’s seen over time. It made for a very pleasant, completely traffic-free ride to the airport.
We walked in and went straight up to the Virgin Atlantic counter—no line, no waiting—only to be told that Gary’s tray table was broken. Ugh. They offered to move him to another seat, but we decided to stick together and deal with it.
We breezed through security—actually, that’s an understatement…we flew through. There was nobody in line at all! It felt a little strange to be completely alone going through security. And I have to say, it’s so nice not having to remove shoes or deal with the whole liquids-in-a-quart-bag routine anymore.
We spent a few hours at the gate people-watching, which is one of my favorite things to do—airports are the best for that. Time went quickly, and we boarded without any issues. And, as it turns out, Gary’s tray table had been fixed before takeoff—so we were glad we didn’t switch seats.
This was our first time flying Virgin Atlantic, and I’m very impressed. We splurged on Premium Economy, and the seats are spacious and comfortable. We were served champagne as soon as we sat down—not a bad way to start the trip!
We had pre-ordered our meals a week in advance, which was a nice option—especially since they had a gluten-free choice for Gary. Dinner included a caprese salad, a roll, a cheese plate, an entrée, and dessert. I had the salmon (delicious—I never thought I’d say that about airplane food!), and Gary had sliced chicken…or maybe turkey. He wasn’t entirely sure, but he ate it all, so it couldn’t have been bad.
After dinner, I realized I had left my Kindle at home! For a moment, I thought this could ruin the entire trip—I was already considering buying a new one and having it shipped to our B&B in York. Then I remembered I still had my phone with the Audible app and my AirPods…crisis averted.
Time for a post-dinner nap…or at least that was the plan.
Well, that’s all I got—a little bit of rest, but not much sleep. Breakfast was served, and before we knew it, we were landing at Heathrow Airport.
We breezed through passport control, our bags were among the first off the plane (which I have never encountered), and then it was time to make our way to York.
First up was a ride on the London Underground—just under an hour, including a line change—followed by a two-hour train ride to York. We had purchased a combined ticket at the airport that covered both the Underground and the train, and it was flexible, so we could take any train.
At King's Cross Station, I asked a ticket agent which train to take, and, on the spot, he reserved us two seats on a train leaving in 15 minutes (there are 3 trains/ hour to York). Unlike our train experience last year going Pais-Bordeaux, we made sure to get on the right car and keep our luggage with us this time—clearly, we’re getting wiser with age!
Of course, there was still a small snag. Other people were sitting in our reserved seats. Since we had booked them so close to departure, the seats were still showing as “open” on the train. I was able to get the businessman in my seat to move, but Gary’s seat was part of a group of four already sitting together, playing cards and talking. He decided to let them stay together and took a vacant seat a row behind instead. I passed the time listening to their conversation about how expensive World Cup tickets in the U.S. are, and trying to figure out the card game they were playing (it was NOT bridge!).
We arrived in York, and our B&B owner, Kim Arnot, had sent a map, when I made the reservation, with what looked like simple walking directions—about 15 minutes. It looked straightforward, but in reality, it wasn’t quite as clear as the map made it look.
I asked a young man working at the station for help, and he gave us directions—something along the lines of “head straight down, take the lift, go through the car park…” We set off, but he quickly came after us with a friend to let us know the lift was broken and that we’d need to take the stairs. Then he and his friend carried our suitcases for us! It was incredibly kind and such a warm welcome to York—especially since it involved going down stairs, under the tracks, and back up again. (I think we must have reminded him of his parents so he took pity on us!)
He reviewed the directions with us again, pointed out his favorite pub along the way (“they pour a very good pint”), and sent us on our way. At one point, we reached a fork in the road and paused to check our map, and a woman on a bike stopped to ask if we needed help. Is everyone in York this friendly?!
We made it to our B&B—Arnot House—and it is adorable. If you’re ever heading to York, I would definitely recommend it.
As we opened the gate, the front door swung open and Kim greeted us and helped us with our bags. She showed us to our room, and as it turns out, although there are only three rooms, we are currently the only guests—so it feels like we have our own private home in York.
The room isn’t exactly my decorating style, but it is exactly what I imagine a Bed & Breakfast should look like—very Victorian and full of charm.
By this point, it felt like we had been awake for about 100 hours. We knew we needed to eat, but all I really wanted to do was fall into bed.
We headed out to a nearby French restaurant (I know—French food in England! But it was close, had great gluten-free options for Gary, and good reviews). Dinner was quite good, and I had my first hard cider, which I really enjoyed. Since I’m not a beer drinker, I had been a little concerned about pub options—now I know cider will be my drink of choice. Gary was so impressed that as soon as we sat down, the waitress asked if we had any allergies. Gary, of course, said he had Celiac disease. She brought him an iPad/tablet and said that by law they were required to list every item on the menu and what allergens they might have. he hit the "gluten free" tab and it took all the gluten menu items OFF the menu, making it really easy for him to eat safely, without worry! They even had GF onion soup for him, and every GF item coming out of the kitchen was flagged, just to verify it as being safe for him to eat.
Bellies full, we made it back “home,” fell into bed, and slept for 9.5 hours for me… Gary slept for 10! I honestly can’t remember the last time we slept that long, but it felt amazing. This is proof that traveling is somewhat of an endurance sport! I’m sure the bed was comfortable—but at that point, we probably would have slept just as well anywhere!
More to come! (We are hitting the ground running tomorrow...breakfast at Arnot House and then a walking tour of York, some wandering, and then dinner at a pub!
What a fantastic way to start your adventure! I'm so glad the "getting there" went so smoothly. I loved wandering around York. The cathedral is magnificent and all the buildings have so much charm and age. Lots to shopping available. Hoping it's not too crowded. Have fun!!!! By the way, you look 40 in that picture on the plane! Lori MK
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