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London
Well, Come to London!!!
London rocked with excitement on my arrival! (just jesting!).
The flight to London was not uneventful. My suitcase was detected to be 2 kilos heavier. So, to the embarrassment of Vancouver Airport I pulled out 2.3 kgs of treasures and stuffed it into the hand baggage. HAPPY? Then I boarded Air Canada holding a footlong Subway sandwich. No free food onboard, it can be bought at a higher price though. (Air India.....forgive me for all the insults hurled at you...)
The flight to London was not uneventful. My suitcase was detected to be 2 kilos heavier. So, to the embarrassment of Vancouver Airport I pulled out 2.3 kgs of treasures and stuffed it into the hand baggage. HAPPY? Then I boarded Air Canada holding a footlong Subway sandwich. No free food onboard, it can be bought at a higher price though. (Air India.....forgive me for all the insults hurled at you...)
The flight was peaceful and comfortable with my seat beside the wing depriving me of watching even the clouds. Cramming to see the inflight entertainment, I have symptoms of elongated neck. When we landed at Pearson Airport the flight status monitors showed that our flight to London was cancelled.
My husband complained, My flight at 6.00 is cancelled.....
The pretty thing at the desk, " Awesome!
"?!?, ........Will I be able to travel in the 8.00 pm flight?
She took the boarding card, pressed several keys and gave one back," the other two are waitlisted."
We went out and travelled the air terminal 'Link train' to Viscount and back to kill time. Went through security check, picked the baggage and checked in and again throught the security check. This time I was caught red hand bagged for caring a moisturising cream which was 80 gms more than the permitted 100gms...a couple of heafty guys surrounded me. What were they suspecting?...a moisturised terrorist? They ransacked my bag, found a suspicious sharp spoon (used to serve rice...)and a hair drier. Ignoring my husband, a fire seething dragon, I explained '....this was removed from the suitcase...', with a lamb to be slaughtered look in my eyes.They grilled me with questions. Oof! I escaped with the confiscation of the moisture.
Reaching gate 101, my name was called out with a few others to meet at desk 53. What now? Many people cancelled their trip and we were in. After some more idling finally, there were visible departure activities. The plane arrived, the pocket size - Air Canada Jazz. They had umbrellas to board the plane parked at the gate in the blinding snowfall. Small plane..humble treatment. We walked to it...I thought, next they may ask us to push it until it gets in the air and hop on.
Jazz -On a previous convincing trip to London, this one had the red replaced by green.
Hand baggage went into its belly and we were scattered in different corners in the 25 seater. I sat next to an Italian lady who chatted unceasingly about her cancelled flight to Windsor until we taxied and stopped. We waited in the take off line for amost half hour and I counted 22 snow ploughs returning from a clearing job.. It was the worst weather. Reluctantly, Jazz lifted off and was air borne.
I moved to the empty seat near my son and sat watching the propeller movement like the climax of a suspence thriller...The flight attendant, the sole companion of the pilot read out the saftey instructions. Midway the plane plunged deep and raised high, churning the stomach. Then some rocking movements followed by ups and downs. I could hear the propeller making a strange sound and all passengers were silent. The 'fasten seat belt' sign appeared. Next the pilot talked on the PA, "There is a slight turbulance (lie!)and it is predicted that...that... and the announcement died down into static...
.....absolute silence from the cockpit...'Do they need help?
I asked my son, 'Do you play flight simulator?'
"Have you ever bought it for me?"
OK, not the right time for an argument....the plane dipped again... Some passengers were praying, some like my old companion were hysterical and I looked for the barf bag. There was no refreshment or entertainment to distract us and we enjoyed 30 minutes of unalloyed scare.
The landing was excellent though. We walked out of the plane and the plane could be reused.
The small London airport in deep snow received us at 11.00 pm. We collected a burst suitcase and almost bursting blood vessels. The car rental guy was waiting for his last costumer and gave us a Chrysler Sebring (trying to learn the names of cars- for the life of me I cannot understand the appeal of these machines). We had to scrape the snow off the car in that -32C......luckily we didn't know it then.
In the blizzard, straining the eyes, reached the hotel was another horror ride...The restaurant was closed at mid night and the sleepy front desk gave us the direction to the trucker's motel. Huge south bound trucks were parked in that glittery space and they served large portions enough to feed an army. The hot food and hospitality was sufficient at that hour and weather to cheer even a dead soul.
Ultimately in London!...here to stay...(shudder!!!). This is the least happening sleepy city with its goofy weather and aging population. Snow is the only stuff even in my dreams. I feel disappointment, rage and hurt due to the endless shoveling sessions. It has added cold words like sleet, freezing rain, ice pellet, etc., to my active vocabulary....I sort of, hate London.
Hmmm...cheer up, I have indeed, lived in places not even found on a map..at least, this new address is picked by the GPS.
Icy pond new address...snow blocking the entrance
On exploring the city...crossing River Thames, Oxford street and then Cambridge did not surprise me but on the way to Niagara falls I was stunned by Delhi and Paris...Gaud! Can't someone announce a competition for original names?
Niagara - not totally frozen
Niagara's frozen water was not really great for my spirits. Maybe a bad beginning......maybe not...spring is around the corner.
Hmmm...cheer up, I have indeed, lived in places not even found on a map..at least, this new address is picked by the GPS.
Icy pond new address...snow blocking the entrance
On exploring the city...crossing River Thames, Oxford street and then Cambridge did not surprise me but on the way to Niagara falls I was stunned by Delhi and Paris...Gaud! Can't someone announce a competition for original names?
Niagara - not totally frozen
Niagara's frozen water was not really great for my spirits. Maybe a bad beginning......maybe not...spring is around the corner.
