Goodbye LAX, hello London.

On Monday morning we were up fairly early and hooked up to the Hotel network (US$9.95 for 24 hours access, unlimited Mb) to suss out the bus to Fox Hills Mall. Caught the bus no problem, expecting to get breakfast there. Unfortunately nothing in the food hall section appealed and we settled for fruit smoothies. Shops attractive but not tempted to spend. There must have been about 8 shops and stalls selling cell phones and accessories. How many phones does each person need?

On the bus back to hotel before midday and finished packing for 1:00pm checkout. Just missed shuttle to airport and had to wait for half an hour or so. However we still arrived at the Air NZ check-in before the staff. Eventually checked in and then the fun began with the luggage security check. You have to take your bags to the big x-ray machines which are in the public area and wait in line to hand them over. Then another long wait until they appear out of the machine to make sure there are no issues. Eventually we were able to head off to the lounge for a drink and a snack before boarding the 777. Again we had good seats at the front of the Premium Economy section with plenty of leg room to the bulkhead. The first part of the trip was a bit bumpy due to the bad weather over the US east coast. Watched a couple more movies, including “The History Boys” which we thought was very good.

Soon it was morning and time for a quick breakfast before we landed at Heathrow. Immigration and bag collection was a bit slow but we eventually headed down to the underground station and caught the standard train to Earls Court where there is a lift for the luggage, and then a taxi to Trafalgar Square for the Citadines hotel. The room was upgraded from a “Studio” to a “Suite”, ie, separate bedroom, but we thought it was decidedly run-down, with grubby curtains and furnishings.

Went for a walk over the foot bridge to Waterloo Station and picked up pre-booked tickets for the Eurostar to Paris. On way back stopped for a drink and snack at Le Pain Quotidien next to the Royal Festival Hall which is undergoing renovation. The famous statue of Nelson Mandela was behind the wire fence which must have felt familiar to him. After this walk we felt very tired and jetlagged so we had a very early night.

Departure and Arrival in LA.

On the morning of Sunday 15 April we bid farewell to our lovely home at Omaha Beach and drove down to Auckland in the car kindly loaned to us by Logan and Heidi. We met up with our friends Allan, Carole and Sheryl for a very enjoyable lunch at SPQR in Ponsonby. We then went to Logan and Heidi’s place at Point Chev. to drop off the car and say goodbye to Bick and Arthur. We were also joined by Janet, Avery and Blake, Robert still being away in the USA. We had a wonderful time playing with the kids outside in their big garden, but eventually it was time for the last kisses and cuddles and Logan drove us out to the airport.

Check-in was painless and we boarded the 747 and took our seats in the “bubble” in the first row behind the “sleeper” section. Very comfortable and huge leg-room as we were beside the emergency exit. Watched a couple movies (Borat and The Good German for me) and got some rest. Meals, wines and service up to the best Air NZ standard and the same as for the business class. We arrived on time and cleared US immigration with no problems. (The officer even smiled as she took out fingerprints and mug-shots) We took the shuttle to the Marriott LAX and moved into a very quiet and comfortable Level 4 room.

It being still quite early and a fine day we decided to take a look around. We visited the Sheraton along the road and had coffee. All the hotels seem to have out-sourced their lobby refreshments to Starbucks. We were just trying to find the bus to Fox Hill Mall when a free shuttle arrived which took us to Manhattan Beach. After quite a long ride down the coast past refineries, power stations and waste treatment plants we arrived at a sea-side suburb with a surf beach and pier. The beach was set up with 100s of volley ball nets and billed itself as the Volley Ball Centre of the World. Unfortunately the wind was blowing in very fresh so there were no ladies games under way. After a walk around and a coffee we caught the shuttle back to the hotel, had a light meal and crashed into bed. We later found a lot of sand in our bags, clothes and hair which must have been blown in from the beach.

Introductions.

This is the first posting of what we hope will be a blog record of an exciting three month adventure in France. Judy and I have recently retired from full time employment and while we have traveled to Europe many times this will be our longest trip and we have found that there is much more to be considered when you are away from home for more than one month.

The trip has been several years in the planning with our friends Ann and Terry. The original idea was to cross France by canal from the English Channel to the Mediterranean, but this is only possible if you own your own boat which, apart from the cost, raises almost insurmountable difficulties with the EU bureaucracy. So we have arranged two separate hire cruises of 5 weeks, the first in the south of France/Canal du Midi area and the second to the Burgundy/Eastern Loire area, with a week in between.

Here is an outline itinerary:

15 April. Auckland to London with 1 night in Los Angeles.

19 April. London to Paris on Eurostar.

23 April. Paris to Montpellier on TGV.

28 April. Pick up boat from Capestang.

2 June. Return boat to Moissac. Travel to Normandy.

8 June. Stay with friends Francois and Sylvie in Auxerre.

9 June. Pick up boat from Vermenton.

14 July. (Bastile Day) Return boat. Travel to Paris.

16 July. Travel to London on Eurostar.

17 July. Return to Auckland with 2 nights in Los Angeles.

21 July. Arrive Auckland.

We will be relying on Internet Cafes and Wifi Hotspots for email and blogging, but we do have a data-capable cell-phone as backup. If you need to contact us you should TXT to 021 687861 or 021 441886, and we will reply by TXT, phone or email as required.

So back to the final packing up and goodbyes to friends and family, especially the 4 young grandsons who will grow up so much while we are away.