England's Countryside & Wales Day 11

Day 11 - Sunday, May 24, 2015 - Flight London's Heathrow Airport to Denver's International Airport

Breakfast was open until 10:00; we went down about 8:30. The dining room was so crowded because this was a holiday weekend.

Our hotel was full and many people came in from other hotels to eat. The restaurant manager and his crew really worked hard to seat everyone in a reasonable time.

We showered, made sure we had all of our belongings, and then went down early to thank Pebbles for all of her help on the trip.

The transfer to the airport was to come for us at 11:45, but Sohil, our driver, was at the hotel early and we were able to leave at 11:30. On the way through the city, Sohil pointed out all of the architectural sites.

Having been born in London, he was a personable young man who gave us a running commentary on social, economic, and political issues in the city. The traffic was not too heavy, possibly because Sohil knew just which roads to take to get out of the city and out to Heathrow.

When we arrived it was 10 minutes too early to check our bags, but a kind woman from British Airways said she would check us in. The security agent sent us through the Fast Check Line.

Even though it was the Fast Check Line, we had to take out our computers, take off sweaters, and show any liquids. Both of us sent our bags through the X-ray machine, knowing that we had a tiny tube of toothpaste in our backpacks.

Never had this been a problem, but it kicked our carry-ons to another line and an agent took each item out of our bags, looked in every pocket and pouch, and the sent the toothpaste through a detector to make sure we were not carrying any dangerous materials aboard.

The young man ahead of Gennie had all of his clothes taken out of his bag, shuffled, and put into another bin. We kidded him that he would never get all of his things back into his small carry-on, but he managed to get the bag closed again. It took us about 30 minutes to go through this portion of security.

The flight was not up on the Departure Board until 2:40 giving us about an hour and a half. We went to The Giraffe Café to have a smoothie juice and sit for a few minutes to kill some time.

All Departure Gates at Heathrow are on the lower level. We found two seats in the main waiting area and camped there until we could see what gate we needed to use.

When B48 came up on the screen, we rode the elevator to the lower level and from there we rode the train to the B Gates. This part of the terminal was not crowded at all and very quiet.

The agents began boarding the flight at 3:15 and because we had World Traveler Plus seats, we were allowed to board at the front of the general boarding line. Another perk!

We found our seats, got cozy, and settled in for our nine and a half hour flight. We received our US Customs and Immigration forms and filled them out for our return to Denver.

The plane pulled back from the jet way at 3:50 - an almost on time departure. There were several open seats, one right next to Gennie, giving us a little more room.

Because of head winds across the Atlantic, the flight arrived 20 minutes late. We went through the Global Entry Customs and Immigration, waited for our luggage, and then caught the shuttle to Long Term Parking.

After a brief stop for groceries in Castle Rock, we were on I-25, and home to Elephant Rock by 9:15. Once again, our Buddha let us know how unhappy he was to be left behind.

We are always grateful for the opportunity to travel and meet the world. But “home is where the heart is” and we are happy to be sleeping safely in our own bed tonight.

Accommodations: Flight - - - Meal: B, L, D

Wow! I'll have to be careful going through Heathrow next time. I often have hand lotion or hand sanitizer somewhere in my backpack and/or purse. Great photos on this posting! Glad you had such a wonderful trip, but of course your attitude allows every trip to be great!

Welcome home to this crazy Colorado weather - rain, rain, and more rain!

I know going thru Security isn't a fun thing, but looking back on times, some of them were a quiet comical. Just like you, having toothpaste, I had a comb that has a hair lift on one end and a comb on the other, and they took it without a wink and wished me luck. You never know who will take what from your personal luggage. It's a game. Glad to know you are home safe and sound and Buddah will be happy in no time. LOL Sleep well. Look forward to your trip I Sept. All ready excited.

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