Friday, August 16, 2019
Oxford-London-US
Final Day in Oxford-London-USA!
Hiya from Home! In Southport, Connecticut!
I am home after an eventful last day in the UK and on my Fulbright Fellowship. I cannot believe that in the space of about 20 hours, I traveled from Oxford to London to the US!!! The miracles of modern technology take my breath away sometimes.
Early Morning in Oxford:
I awoke in Oxford at 6.15 am in the Grandpont home of my friends Sue and Tony who had left me their empty home while they were on a trip to Bristol. They were due back later this morning but I would be long gone before they reached home.
I briskly went through a wash and decided to have a crust to eat as I was not sure if any of the coffee shops on the High Street would be open before I boarded my coach at 7.45 am. I had the last of Tony's home-baked bread (two thin slices) with a bit of cheddar cheese that I found in the fridge and yesterday's coffee--as I did not want to waste it. After I washed that down (it was the only brekkie I would have inside me and I would remain hungry most of the morning!), I washed the kitchen sink, washed up all the kitchen items I had used, cleaned and cleared things away, made my bed and left the house looking presentable. I made sure that I packed away all my stuff because once I got out of the house and shut the door behind me, there would be no going back.
I left the house at 7.10 am, locked the door and pushed the key into the letter box as instructed. Then I said goodbye to this cottage that I so love and in which I always have the best time. How grateful I am to my friends for their generosity in leaving their place to me repeatedly!
I walked briskly to the Abingdon Road and, about five minutes later, along came a bus (the X3) that actually makes the turn on the High Street and goes all the way to Queens Lane (where I intended to board my X90 coach back to London). I was laden with stuff but I was not uncomfortable as careful packing had ensured that I had things in control.
I waited at the bus stop for about twenty minutes (my coach arrived late) during which time I enjoyed watching the High Street wake up to a new day. The soft dawn light was very pleasing as it lit up the Gothic buildings on the street. Not much happens at that early hour but it is also surprising how many people are up and doing as they get on with their day.
When my coach arrived, I was happy to get a seat on the top deck, front and center, and to have good views of the passing Oxfordshire countryside. I have to say that the windows of the X90 coaches are very dirty and could certainly do with a bit of a washing before each trip. The journey was uneventful and I did fall off to sleep just past Harrow. We were already on Marylebone Road in London when I woke up with a start. About ten minutes later, I alighted at Marble Arch and instead of taking the Tube, I decided to hop on to the 98 bus headed to Holborn instead. My destination was my NYU office at Bedford Square in Bloomsbury where I thought I would go and say Hello to my old friends among the administration staff. Meanwhile, while waiting for the bus, I watched Oxford Street arise to a new day of frenetic shopping and bargains.
At my Former Office at NYU-London:
My bus came along in five minutes and I went to the upper deck once again. About fifteen minutes later, I was at my stop just before the James Smith Stick Company. I hopped off and strode along the familiar side streets before I arrived at Bloomsbury Road, dodged early enthusiasts of the British Museum and reached NYU. The building is under heavy scaffolding as there are renovations going on. Inside, I met Dave, the porter, who remembered me well and asked how I was doing. I told him I was in London briefly and had come to meet my friends. He gave me the sad news that almost no one was in today--most had taken the day off or were traveling for work! I was so disappointed as I had made the detour just to meet my friends. Feeling sorely blue, I used the facilities, made myself a cup of hot chocolate in the faculty pantry which I downed with two biscuits (I would keep eating nonsense like this all morning!), before I said goodbye to Dave and left.
My next port of call was Ebury Stores on Ebury Road just opposite the British Museum from where I usually buy my supplies of tea and biscuits before leaving the UK--this time I had no weight allowance to enjoy such indulgences--but I could not resist buying a pack of Border's Dark Chocolate Gingers--a biscuit I adore.
Through the bylanes of Bloomsbury I went until I passed through Sicilian Avenue and arrived at Holborn. From the big Sainsbury there, I bought two bottles of Three Fruits Marmalade (another favorite). Sadly, I did not have the weight allowance for any more of my usual goodies. I shall have to hope I have another trip to London soon!
Getting to Battersea:
Next, I took the Tube from Holborn and arrived at Victoria from where I jumped into a 44 bus going to Battersea. At Roz's place, which was empty as she was at work, I sat down to get my breath back, then attended to the task of re-packing--this time I had to put in all the edible goodies I had bought in Oxford and London (Battenburg Cake, Rich Fruit Cake, M and S biscuits, etc). This took me about an hour of careful thought and planning. I hauled my little strolley from my room on the topmost floor--Gosh, it was heavy! I began to have serious stress about how I would possibly get through with so much baggage-I had three suitcases and one strolley and after careful weighing I found that each of them was about a pound too heavy! I then had a chat with Roz on the phone, thanked her for everything and told her that I would be hailing an Uber by 12.45 as I wished to be on my way by 1.00 pm. I needed to get to the airport by 2.00 pm for my 5.00 pm flight--so the sooner I got to Heathrow, the better as I would be at the counter for a long while paying for my third suitcase and everything else.
Getting to Heathrow Airport:
I had a wonderful Uber driver called Alex, a Greek economist who drives an Uber for extra income. He was very helpful in loading my baggage into the trunk and kept up somewhat intelligent chatter all the way to the airport. It was sad to say bye to London but it had started drizzling and it made me think that I always seem to leave the city when it is dripping.
Once at Heathrow, I worried hugely about managing my baggage and when I found a trolley, I asked a man passing by to help me lift up the third suitcase to place on top of the other two. When he saw how laden I was, he volunteered to push my trolley if I would take his strolley instead. And that was how I got inside the airport. It is incredible to me how God helps all the time and all my needs were anticipated. Now all I had to do was go through the check-in process and not have to unload stuff because I was overweight.
Negotiating Excess Baggage:
Well, I need not have worried. Once again, the good Lord came to my rescue and I had the sweetest traffic assistant at the counter named Saanya who went out of her way to accommodate my every request. She weighed my bags and told me that I was only a kilo overweight in two of them, but she would let them through and that I was underweight by one kilo in the last one. She suggested I take something out of my strolley and put it into the lightest bag--which I did. Fortunately, I was the first person in the line with no one behind me. Obviously coming early to the airport pays handsomely. The cost for checking in my third baggage (I am allowed two) was just $65! Deal! I was thrilled I used my credit card to pay up and with my three cases taken off my hands, I had just my strolley and my little backpack to content with.
It was not so easy going through Security because I forgot that I had two large containers of Dove hand wash in my bag (in a fragrance I love--Silk Glow--and do not get in the US) and as a result of that, my entire suitcase was opened up and searched! An annoying security lady told me that I could go back to my airline and request them to put it into one of my bags---but my bags had long gone--and I could just let them take it and bin it. I chose the latter--far less hassle and it had only cost me about $3!
Enjoying Heathrow Airport:
Once I entered the duty free precinct (there is no immigration on the way out in London), I badly needed a drink. I had been fighting a travel stress headache from the morning (from the time I had woken up) and I felt as if I needed all the help I could get before I barded my final flight back home. To my utter good luck, there was a new gin being sampled called The Botanist and they were actually concocting drinks for people interested in having one! Boy, did I need it!!! I enjoyed a superb gin and tonic right there at Heathrow and for free! It gave me an opportunity to take a deep breath and relax before I was able to browse through the perfume and other stores at Terminal 3. I bought a few gifts for my niece and nephew and for my brother from the duty free shops before I was ready to board.
A Pleasant Flight Back Home:
And then I was making my way to my gate and saying goodbye to London and to the UK and to my year as a Fulbright Fellow. It had been such a wild ride but I was finally ready to get home and into my favorite bed and bath tub and my favorite slippers.
The flight was very pleasant indeed. Someone helped me haul my strolley up into the overhead locker and I sat back to enjoy two movies in-flight. I can't even remember now what I saw but I do recall eating a delicious shepherd's pie for lunch on a British Airways flight that was operated by American Airlines. I do also recall enjoying chocolate-orange ice-cream in-between and feeling deeply grateful that things were ending quite peacefully for me.
Exactly seven hours later, about a half hour ahead of schedule, we were landing at Kennedy airport. Llew had nipped out to bring the flowers that he had bought me and left behind in his car when I walked out to find no one there! I called him and he told me he would be there in a minute. We had a relieved reunion--all had gone well and I had reached home safely after a whole year away.
The drive into Connecticut was equally uneventful and comfortable and chatting all the way till we got to our driveway, we made it home. I was a bit tired and jetlagged and did not eat any dinner as I'd had a bite to eat just before landing. Llew stayed up a bit as I got ready for bed immediately and said a thank you prayer in my heart for my safe and happy return home.
Thanks a Million:
Thank you for following me on my blog for an entire year--were it not for readers like you, I would probably not write my blog post as faithfully and regularly as I did. I hope you enjoyed arm-chair traveling with me and were a happy participant in my many adventures. I had days full of hectic activity in different countries and I had very routine days at home when nothing really exciting happened, Through it all, however, I felt grateful for all the challenges and triumphs that life kept throwing at me. I tried hard to roll with the punches and I think that over all, I did succeed.
Until the road rises up to meet me again, I bid you God Speed and Au Revoir...for I will see you on these pages again...Inshallah...who knows where, who knows when? Hasta Manana Until Then!!!
I wish you love and friendship and a big God Bless!
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