CORNWALL (England) - September 2023

Saturday September 23, 2023

Funny moment on our flight from Inverness to London yesterday: the steward came down the aisle offering “afternoon tea,” which we both declined. But then we saw “tea” actually meant a cute little tray of tiny sandwiches, we called him back. So I had “tea” with a sparkling water. Just goes to show you that even when you speak the language you can still be confused!

Uneventful trip to Heathrow, we reclaimed our bags and bought tickets on the Heathrow-Paddington Station express train into London. It felt like a ten minute ride, I’m not sure how long it took! We arrived at Paddington and had an easy five minute walk to our hotel. We checked in and got settled. I was perusing Facebook before we went out to dinner and I saw that our former BrightStar colleague, Heidi (Partain) Eccles had posted that she was actually staying in our hotel - Paddington Chilworth. I messaged her and we made a plan to meet for breakfast in the morning.

I’d searched out local pubs and thought The Bear Pub (as in Paddington Bear?) sounded cute, but it was rather plain so we ended up down the street at The Pride of Paddington, lively pub scene and a vacant booth! We ordered Guinness, and split a burger and fish & chips while we watched a Women’s Futbol game on the tele - England vs Scotland. Then back to our room for a good nights sleep - starting week four and we’re getting a bit exhausted!

Heidi had owned a BrightStar franchise in Connecticut. She was very successful and I enjoyed being on the Marketing Committee with her (she was an expert, I was there to represent the owners without a marketing background … my role was to advocate for them to ‘dumb it down’ for the rest of us). She sold her business almost two years ago. She’s had some significant health issues (a rare lung and brain cancer) but has a wonderful attitude and has defied the odds with “amazing chemistry” she says. She and her husband travel a lot as she really knows how to live for each day. She’s in London with a friend who hadn’t ever travelled internationally- here for a week. It was really fun to meet her for breakfast and catch up with each other’s lives.

After breakfast, Jeff and I took a 90 minute stroll. Gorgeous morning in London and being a Saturday the streets were alive with runners, families and of course, tourists. I had a navigational error, so our first 30 minutes was walking out and back in the direction opposite Hyde Park! But we rerouted and did a fast lap around the lake in the park and back to our hotel just after 11am to pack and head to the train station.

We had a two hour ride to Exeter, arriving about 2pm, and a 0.2 mile walk up a very steep hill to tonight’s accommodation - Telstar Townhouse. Somehow I booked a room for 4 (was concentrating on getting a room with an en-suite bath), but it’s a nice little garden room out back. An extra bedroom to spread out our bags, as we’ll leave here in the morning ready to hike again!

I sat in the garden while Jeff took a snooze. Nice to enjoy the sunshine after out wetter days in Scotland. We walked about a mile into the city center of Exeter, a vibrant college town with an international vibe. Lots of shops, and lots of frisky young people … Jeff remarked that you could almost feel the level of hormones! We found an Italian restaurant where we got a lighter dinner with some yummy salads, then walked back to our hotel for a couple games of cribbage (I’m in a funk).

Sunday September 24, 2023

Another English Breakfast (which is not very different than English or Scottish breakfasts) and we were on our way for the quick walk to the train station.

The train station is small and it was easy to pick out the Backroads huddle of tourists, even though they didn’t pick us up in a Backroads van! We met Perry, one of our leaders and quick introductions to some of the tour participants. There are 15 of us - mostly couples, but three lady friends.

The driver loaded our luggage into the back of the coach, and we climbed aboard for the 90 minute drive to Boscastle.

Boscastle was known for export of shale. There is a tiny little slit of the harbor, and there was a whole industry for men who would guide the boats in using ropes from the shore. Tide was out, so the river and harbor just looked like a sleepy setting today. It was drizzling a bit, and windy - but it was warm!

In Boscastle, we met out other leader, Cale, and our support guy, Joel. Perry is Scottish with the cutest accent, so we had no idea what she meant when she originally said “Joel!” We stopped in a little cafe where they served us yummy sandwiches and quiches. We sat with Cathy and Henry from Brooklyn, and Barbara & Gates from Cincinnati.

After lunch, we had a talk about todays route and set off hiking. The mist had stopped and by the first incline people were peeling off layers. It was the first day I’d hiked in just a long sleeve T-shirt since we were in Ireland. The scenery was out of this world. The coast is just as spectacular as The Cliffs of Moher, maybe even more so, with 97% fewer people!

We hiked a pretty leisurely pace, but were in front of the pack most of the day. The trail had some mud, and some steep assents and descents, but not as challenging as the Highlands. We hiked the 5 miles in 2:45, with lots of stops for photos … about 1500 ft of climb.

The weather stayed mild, but it was very windy, and the wind started to wear us down. We followed along the costal path to the Tintagel Castle (ruins). There was a visitor center and care there, so we found a secluded spot to sit out of the wind while we waited for others to filter in. There were more tourists there, and some setting out on the coastal path without good foot ware. The castle was set on a spit of land that is almost an island, and there is an amazing bridge that spans the gap (built in 2019). Because of the gale force winds, the bridge and the castle ruins were closed today. Historian Mike Bunney was supposed to lead us on a walking tour of the ruins, and he came to talk with us, but we couldn’t go to the site. Nonetheless, his enthusiasm was inspiring! The ruins date back to the 3rd century, and during the Bronze Age it was a critical site for the export of tin, copper and slate. The area is linked to “King Arthur,” as is this whole region … but that’s another story that he’ll finish when we see him again later this week.

We had left over time, so we headed to a pub for a pint, and then climbed into the two Backroads vans for a 45 minute drive to our hotel. Jeff and I sat up front while Joel drive and we had a great chat about cycling adventures. We arrived at the Padstow Harbour Hotel, and quickly got into our routine of unpacking, some sink laundry, and showers. We had an opening reception with local wines, then a nice dinner served family style. Good food and conversation. Another great group! Whisky before bed of course.

Monday September 25, 2023

7:30am breakfast and we were ready for Route Rap at 8:15am. The morning was clear and mild and I wore my “skort” for the first time this trip. I expected mud, so still added my low gaiters over my hiking boots.

We hadn’t had time to explore the beautiful little village of Padstow, so it was nice to stroll through the sleepy village this morning. We’d only seen the view at low tide which exposed a very large sandbar out in front of the hotel. Perry said it’s called the Doom Bar and told us of a legend about a mermaid that cursed the village. A local man wanted to marry her and she shunned him, and he shot her. She said at high tide the large sand bars are immersed and had been the site of many stranded ships and wrecks.

There were lots of people, probably locals, out walking the trails with their dogs this morning. Lots of ups and downs, and gorgeous scenery - slightly different than yesterday, more beaches. The day was warm and sunny, but interestingly enough, the air was hazier than yesterday’s cooler, cloudy and windy day.

We passed a guy that we thought was walking with a border collie, but ten minutes later the border collie was with us up at a look out tower. Cale looked at the collar and saw his name was Orca. He called the number on the tag and his owner said she’s meet us at the next beach town.

Jeff and I were walking in the lead and Orca ran in front of us, leading the way. We’d encounter other people with dogs, most of them leashed, and we’d just say “he’s not our dog!” But it was fun to walk with him. As we neared the beach, Jeff took the left path and I went around to the right to check out this massive sink hole that Cale said had been a sea cave that caved in. Orca was a little stressed to have us separated and kept running back and forth between us, I think he was trying to herd us back together.

We got down to the beach and his owner came. He flopped down and she rubbed his belly. She said he’s a great dog but her runs off - no kidding! He walked six miles with us!

We walked another mile to a really large beach with great waves and some really good surfers. The beach was as alive as a summer day with surfers, swimmers, people picnicking and many dogs running about. This was the end of our journey. I had my Chacós in my backpack and it was a relief to take off my gaiters, shoes and socks and put my sandals on. I’ve still got numb toes since my 29029 event about 6 weeks ago.

We drove about 5 minutes to a local restaurant for a two-hour lunch. It was a popular restaurant, The Cornish Arms, by Rick Stein who has some kind of foodie fame, but I was unaware. The guides order shared starters: olives, bread, prawns, scallops and oysters; then we all had an entree and dessert. I had a Curried Hake and Rice dish which was fantastic and we split a Sticky Toffee for dessert - yummy. We’ll hardly need dinner, but we’ll find a way to eat again I know.

We climbing into the vans for a one hour drive to Colwith Farm Distillery. I had a great nap and was cold and groggy as I walked into the tour. They offered warm up cocktails made with their vodka and gin. Most of us had a Gin and Tonic, Jeff and a few others had Vodka. What’s unique about this operation is that they’re a family farm since 1905. Over the generations, they’d had a more diverse farm, but now they’re primarily potatoes! They sell potatoes to be made into chips (fries) and crisps (what we call chips), but they’ve recently started making vodka and gin from their potatoes, making them a “plow to bottle” operation. Most vodka and gin are made from grains, but these potato based alcohols were yummy. Their Brand Name “Aval Dor” is Cornish for “Apple of the Earth.” Love that!

We had a tour of their small distilling operation, and also heard about investments in equipment that is allowing them to produce more. Our guide was quite knowledgeable. They essentially take their vodka and run it through a smaller copper still after infusing it with juniper berries (and other proprietary herbs) to convert it to gin. I like gin, but the process of how it’s made had been a mystery to me. After the tour, we tasted about 10 different samples, their straight vodka and gin, and several flavored varieties. I bought a small bottle of their classic dry gin, and their vanilla infused vodka. Hopefully they’ll make it home in our hard sided suit case okay!

Another hour in the van and we arrived at Hotel Tresanton in St Mawes, our hotel for the next two nights. Quick showers, and we tried to have a lighter dinner in the hotel restaurant as we weren’t too hungry and we are very tired! A bit later start tomorrow, so sleeping in and some yoga are in my future!

Tuesday September 26, 2023

I was awake before six, so I got up and did a full yoga session before breakfast - felt great after eating so much yesterday! We had a nice breakfast and time to spare before Route Rap at 9am this morning.

Thirty minute shuttle to Portloe, was a tiny fishing village, but now a bit taken over but vacation rentals. Conservation laws preserve the character of the village. Mike, the professor/historian joined us again for the day - his family descended from here since the 1500s.

Most of the land we walked through today is part of the National Trust - land acquired by donations. It’s a charity/ non-profit. Many aristocrats after WWII couldn’t afford their estates, so they were often donated, and they’d be allowed to live in a wing. While some land is used for grazing, it’s mostly kept wild with access for hiking. Cale had told us this morning that much of the land is also designated as AOAB - Area of Outstanding Beauty, which puts restrictions on how land can be utilized (one third of Cornwall falls into that category).

It was great to have Mike along to talk about the history of the area. He recommended a book called “White Gold” - telling the story of a million people taken from these shores by Barbary pirates. What I hadn’t ever learned or considered, is that Cornwall has Gaelic ties much like Ireland and Scotland and is closely affiliated with the Brittany region of France, across the English Channel but closer than London! Like Scotland, there is a nationalist movement that seeks greater autonomy within the UK. Also like what we saw in Ireland and Scotland, the original language, Cornish in this case, had all but died but a revival is taking place and it now appears on road signs and is being taught in schools.

We hiked to a point called Nairs Head - during WWII, they built a fake city in order to lure the Germans into bombing there versus a real city. This area was heavily bombed before the Blitz, over 100 attacks here 1939-1940. Now the site of a 1950’s Cold War bunker, with an amazing view of the huge harbor.

The morning was a 4+ mile hike to Carne Beach where Joel had a table set up with snack, local ales and ciders for sampling. The day turned sunny, and actually HOT for the first time in weeks for us. I was hiking in a sleeveless shirt! The guides had talked about swimming at lunch, so I had packed my suit and towel in my pack. I went behind a rock to change, Jeff decided to swim in his boxers. We went out into the cold water with Mike, Perry and Cale. It was probably to coldest water I’d ever dove into, but super refreshing too. The waves were really awesome, the kind we like to dive into. But just a few dives and we were out of there! Mike does a cold water swim every day, so he stayed in longer.

We dried off, sampled some cider, changed our clothes and walked up to a restaurant above the beach for an awesome lunch, outside on the patio enjoying the day. Jeff and I sat with Mike and enjoyed swapping stories. He was very curious about what “work culture” and benefits are like in the US compared to the UK. He said Europeans look at the Britons as working too hard, and the Britons think of the US as working too hard. Interesting.

We walked another 3.5 miles down the coast, a smaller group of 8 as others opted to shuttle back after lunch. Beautiful scenery, with ups and downs. Once the trail brought us to a beautiful beach where no one was around - amazing!

As we approached Portscathos, there was a Coast Guard shack that has been converted to CoastWatch - manned by volunteers every day, mainly looking for wildlife. We also came upon the “Hidden Hut,” a cute bar / cafe over a secluded beach, which we learned had been a great outdoor hang out for many during COVID.

We ended in Portscathos at an adorable pub - Plume of Feathers, and had a round of Gin and Tonics before our 20 minute shuttle back to St Mawes.

Port = harbor

Scatho = boat

I soaked in the tub for a bit, then we dressed warm for our Seafood BBQ on the patio overlooking the harbor. Gorgeous evening, with the moon rising. Food was bleh, but ambiance was over the top.

Sounds like the remnants of another hurricane are about to hit bringing rain and high winds to our trip once again, so our leaders are scrambling to ensure we can do a safe hike tomorrow … we’ll probably stay off the cliffs!

Wednesday September 27, 2023 - Day 4

Due to “hurricane fragments,” the morning part of the hike was cut out. It had rained a bit overnight, but wasn’t raining when we set out just after 9am.

Shuttle 45 min to Hemmick Bay - plan to hike up to Dodman (Deadman’s) Peak (400 ft), dangerous part of the coast (for boats, not hikers). We met Mike in the parking lot, near Lower Penare Farmhouse, where his Great Gran was born. Six branches of his family lived here when he was a child. They lived self sufficiently - no running water, electricity or gas until the 70s.

We walked through a mile long “Iron Age Ditch” more than 2000 years old (500BC). They think it was a hill fort, as it’s a fabulous defensive position, but there is no evidence that people lived within the fort. The trench was fantastic. In spots, it had been cut away to give farmers access to fields on either side, so we could see the underlying rock level with massive hedges on top.

At the top was a large granite Cross, erected in 1896 as a monument to seafarers that wrecked on the rocks below but were able to scale the cliffs up here to safety. It was thought this hill might possess some special mystical powers.

Near the cross was Coast Guard watch hut / signal station from 1810 - Napoleanic Wars. Had a system of large posts they’d raise flags that could be seen at the next station. Watching for invaders and smugglers (before free trade). For over 100 years, smuggling was a big industry here. Legend says Cornish had donkeys with lights that would lure ships to wreck. Wrecking / recovering from a wrecked ship was an industry as well. Mike says his family are caretakers of the hut, and inside someone had inscribed a nice tribute to Mike himself on the wall! The hut was fenced in to keep the Dartmore wild ponies outside the hut! We saw about 5 and Jeff pulled an apple out of his pack and fed it to a couple of them. They were skittish, but they took the apple from his hand!

We stopped for Lunch at Gorran Haven beach - famous fish n chips shop. This is Mike’s home town and after lunch we did a walking tour with Mike around town. Mike had talked about rowing, and he showed us the boat he rows in on the beach. It’s called “Gig Rowing” and the name comes from racing out to a boat to be able to ferry the captain, therefore “winning” the gig. There were a few people with dogs on the beach, but the wind was growing quite strong, and even though the harbor was quite protected, the waves were serious. The Quay was built in 1818, and it was primarily a fishing harbor.

Next he took us to St Just Church - built by a lovable pirate, foundation goes back to 1200, most of the rest of it is from the 1400s. Methodism took roots in Cornwall, and this church fell into a state of disrepair. In the 1880’s the Church of England was revived church was rebuilt (it had been used to store fisherman supplies).

Walking tour continued through a tiny little street that has been restored to the cobblestones of the 1800’s, complete with the trough where sewage would run downhill. Mike pointed out the cottages are built with an outside stair kneading to the second story. Typically, the family lived up there and fishing supplies and sardine presses were stored down below. We stopped at the Mermaid Cafe, where most of us got an ice cream cone to go, and then we resumed walking uphill.

It had been windy all day, but after lunch we had periodic episodes of rain and the wind picked up significantly. I put on my rain coat, but not my rain pants or gaiters. It was quite warm, and when the rain came, it came sideways! I tried to take a video, but was unable to hold my phone still! I’d never hiked in wind like that, and while we were on a ridge over a cliff, the wind was blowing us away from the cliff so it didn’t feel unsafe. It was actually fun and I was laughing so hard. You had to stay low and move strategically - planting your poles hard and only lifting your foot after you had a secure pole plant. I didn’t see the wind blow anyone over, but it sure felt like that could happen!

Eventually, we turned and headed downhill and the gusts weren’t so bad. We passed a small beach with a boat launch and there were three seals there riding the waves.

Eventually, we arrived in Mevagissey where we said goodbye to Mike. It was fantastic to have him along to teach us about Cornish history and culture. We met up with the van that had driven some of our tour mates from lunch to town. There were two spots on the van heading to the hotel, but Drake had just had a fall and needed to have his arm iced and bandaged so we let him and Karen go. The other van was giving us time to shop, which we didn’t feel the need to do, so we headed into a pub and had a whisky. From Mevagissey, we were supposed to have a 45 minute boat ride to Fowey, but the ferry wasn’t running due to the high winds. Instead, we had a 45 minute van ride. I was surprised the area we drove through was so developed, we’ve just been in these quaint little villages!

Foley is a Commercial sea port with a big harbor. We checked into the Fowey Harbour Hotel, a sister property to our first hotel. Happy to see complimentary gin in the room again! Quick showers, then we were back down for Sian, a

Storyteller who they’ve arranged to entertain us tonight! Sian told us that Cornwall is a place of legends! She told several stories of Giants; one that lived at St Michael’s Mount that was killed by Jack the Giant Slayer. She also told us about Piske (pixey) that live in the forest … you can be piske-led / and need carry salt or turn a piece of clothing inside out to keep safe. Finally, she told a few tales of Mermaids, including the story of that “Sand Dume” that Perry had told us a few days ago!

We were on our own for dinner, so Jeff and I walked down to the village where there were lots of options. We settled on a pizzeria where we split an arugula (rocket) salad, pizza and half bottle of wine. We had a nice buzz on then, and ran into Kathy & Henry who helped lead us back to the hotel!

I’m working hard to stay in the moment, but I can’t keep my thoughts away from the end of this trip. We’ll layover in Atlanta for six nights as the BrightStar Owners Conference starts there on Tuesday (Monday for Jeff’s Performance Group) and it didn’t make sense to fly Atlanta to Madison and then back to Atlanta the next day! The BrightStar annual meeting has always been a highlight for me, however it’ll be a lot different for us this year given that we’ve sold our HomeCare franchises back to BrightStar and are the only franchisees of BrightStar Senior Living. As I’ve been hiking I’ve been thinking about how different it’ll be and how other owners may react to us this year in our different status.

I also found myself for the first time missing “home” and family. Wondering how my plants are doing, wondering what’s going on at our Lake Home and sorry to miss our first “fall” season change up there. One of the best benefits of travel might just be the appreciation of “home.”

Thursday September 28, 2023 - Day Five

One of my favorite parts of the day was that we started and ended at the hotel - no van shuttle! Plus, we had two ferrry boat rides!

We met for Route Rap at 8:30am and were offered a variety of options, shuttled at the beginning of the day and shuttle options at the end, or the nine-mile whole thing, which we opted for. Cale described three specific climbs that would be tough, and said there would be 1200 feet of elevation overall (my watch reported >2000 feet before the day was done).

A group of 12 of us started out from the hotel down to the Fowey boat landing for a quick shuttle across the river/sea to Polruan. There was a limit of 12 passengers in the ferry, so we had to split up into 2 trips. It gave me time to photograph Fowey from across the river. We hadn’t noticed fortifications on each side of the mouth of the harbor that would have been used to keep enemy ships from entering, but we could see them clearly this morning. Cale told us there had been a massive chain across the mouth of the harbor that could be raised - that would have been hard to do!

Once we all got over the river, we started walking through the village, climbing while we went. It had rained last night, but today was mild but overcast. It didn’t take long for people to start shedding layers.

The views were spectacular and the scenery much like what we’d hiked over the past five days - cliffs, hidden beaches, large pastures with cattle and sheep, gates to go through and stiles to climb over. Our group hiked fast with few breaks, and the exercise felt really good with our excessive eating and drinking these days.

After about two hours, Perry and the three ladies who had shuttled with her joined our trek. We went through an area that had recently been weed-whacked and I was grateful for it. It would have been painful to have to push through the brambles and the thorny bushes! Just before lunch, we turned away from the coast and followed a river through a beautiful forest - so surreal after days of coastal hiking with few trees. The forest was thick and dark; the type that our storyteller described with fairies and pixies!

We came to a church where we were told to wait - Joel was setting up our picnic lunch at a nearby campground. Lunch was fantastic and it was neat to explore the campground - separate area for camper vans and tent pitches, fantastic toilets and showers, and an outdoor ping pong table! Joel prepared a great lunch of pasties, salads, cheeses and fresh bread. After lunch, we said goodbye to Joel as his support work for us is finished. He shuttled some people back to Fowey, and now we were 8 walking back.

Since we were hiking in a circle, we stayed away from the coast, initially walking along roads which was interesting and different! The lanes were narrow and winging, and the hedgerows were above our heads! It was one thing to encounter a truck when we’re in the van, but entirely another when you’re walking where you try to tuck into the hedgerow without getting stabbed by the brambles!

We went through a gate into a really amazing very old church. The tombstones surrounding it were fantastic. Some were so old you couldn’t make out the details, but others from the early 1990s had lots of details - sometimes poems or whole stories about how they lived and died. We crossed a river and climbed again, which afforded us an amazing view of the harbor and the towns of Polruan and Fowey.

We had a funny moment as we were making our way down to the car ferry. There was a dog in a yard with a ball in his mouth. We talked to him and he dropped the ball onto the street. It was a very steep hill and Jeff caught the ball but nearly had a tumble down the hill himself! He tossed the ball a few times for the dog, but we had to keep moving. The dog looked so sad then. There was a man on the street working on some landscaping. He said the dog had been dropping the ball all day, enticing people passing by to toss it back!

Short ferry ride, then we were back to walking the streets of a very lively Fowey. We people watched and window shopped our way back to the hotel - 9 miles and 2000+ feet of elevation gained. Awesome day. We arrived back just after 3pm and had a cold beverage from the cooler and chatted with Perry for a bit. Then off to hot showers and nap time.

With the complimentary gin in our room, I had a little buzz going when we arrived at the 6:30pm reception and closing dinner. Nice time, okay food - I did try the mussels after seeing them all over for the last four weeks and I actually really liked them (when I tried them previously they were too gritty for me). We had Perry ask Henry if he’d play us a song or two, and to our delight, he went up to get his travel guitar and played us two original songs. He’d recorded and toured a bit 20 years ago, but gave it up to be with his family (you can find him on iTunes - Henry Elsesser). After dinner, Jeff, Henry and I went to the bar for a nightcap and traded stories until probably too late.

Friday September 29, 2023 - Saturday September 30, 2023

 This week went by really fast! I got up at 6am and did my meditation and yoga before heading to breakfast at 7:30am. We had the option of a two mile hike, with time for showers and packing afterwards.

It was a gorgeous sunny day. Perry said we were hiking by the swimming beach so I wore my suit under my clothes this morning. It was just a few blocks to the beach, and we visited with some swimmers there. They said the water felt warmed than the air (it was in the fifties this morning, but will warm up fast). We climbed the hill to the ruins of a fort that defended the harbor. It had anti-aircraft gun tracks still embedded in the front of the turrets. We enjoyed the view there and then did a loop walk along the coast, and back through the meadows - lots of folks out exercising their dogs there, fun to see.

Back to the beach, Perry, Cale and I joined the locals for a swim. The beach was mostly protected from the surf, with a rocky bottom. I prided myself in not hollering this time, but it was very could. It took me a long time to have my breathing return to a relaxed state! Even though it was protected, I had to swim really hard to get out to the float and beyond that to the swim area boundaries, so I probably was working against a tidal influence. My body was starting to feel tingly, so I headed back to shore. I was completely invigorated afterwards!

We walked back to the hotel for quick showers, packed away our hiking gear and got ready for travel. We had a final “brunch” scones, tea sandwiches, and some desserts. Didn’t need to eat again, but we did anyway (and took scones for the road). Then we said goodbye to Perry and Cale and boarded our coach to the train station at Exeter. It was a solemn group, most people probably thinking ahead to home and next week I guess. As we drove, it struck me that by staying primarily on the coastal path, we actually saw very little of Cornwall. But what we did experience is steeping in centuries of history and tradition; how lucky we’ve been to have this visit!

We said our goodbyes in Exeter, some were staying there, others, like us, taking the train to London. We had an hour before the train, and I was surprised to see a Starbucks in the station (my app still works)!

The train left as scheduled at 2:54 pm, and was an easy two hour ride to London. I reclaimed two cribbage games, narrowing JTs lead for the trip to 4 games now.

At Paddington Station, we caught the Heathrow Express train. It felt good to have figured out the system and confidently work our way through the turnstiles and onto the train. The Express takes just 15 minutes to get from Paddington Station to Heathrow. Since it didn’t matter what terminal we went to as we’re just heading to our hotel, we hopped on the first train leaving.

I’d reserved a room at the Renaissance (Marriott points), and it was close to the airport, but not connected to the airport. I realized it was too short of a drive to want to entice taxi or Uber drivers to transport us, but toooooooo crazy to try to walk it. Last week I researched hotel shuttles and found the “HotelHoppa” that is essentially airport hotel shuttles (for a fee). I downloaded the app and bought a ticket, but we still had to find the shuttle stop. I confidently led us from the train to Heathrow’s “Central Bus Terminal,” but those were tour buses and buses going into the city. A helpful employee told us we’d find the hotel shuttles one floor up near Terminal Two. Once we found the stop, I used the app to follow the bus and track its arrival. We were lucky to get on first, and they crammed it full of travelers and their luggage - a large group of loud guys traveling together - almost needed my headphones!

We arrived at the Renaissance about 6:30pm, impressed with what we’d navigated since we left the hotel in Fowey at noon! We went down to the bar for an early, light (other than the Guinness) dinner. Early to bed and due to the airport proximity, I put in ear plugs from the start and slept well until 3am when my ears were sore from the plugs and my brain was done sleeping! I caught up posting photos to the blog and took a shower to be ready for our 7:54 am departure on the “HotelHoppa” back to Heathrow.

The shuttle dropped us off at the door for Delta/Virgin Atlantic. A long line at check in, but we had “Fast Track” passes through security (reminded me of Disney World) and our Delta Platinum status got us into the Aspire Lounge (which made me think of our jolly guy at the Inverness airport). We had another English Breakfast, declined the Prosecco and the shower, and had a relaxing hour before our flight boarded. Good to go into a day of travel in a relaxed state.

It was an uneventful flight. Even though we booked it on Delta, this was on Virgin Atlantic, so it was a little different. I watched a couple of movies and a couple of episodes with Caesar the Dog Trainer and before we knew it we were in Atlanta and it was 2:30pm and I was trying to convince myself that it actually was. A forty minute taxi ride north of town to the Renaissance where Jeff’s meeting and our conference will be this week. This is our 17th different accommodation of this trip (!) and we’ll be here for six nights. Got settled, washed out some clothes and I’m ready to go shopping for some conference clothes!