Day 1 - Sunday 3rd April 2011
What a wrench it was at Warwick Parkway as we climbed on board the National Express coach heading for Heathrow saying goodbye to Gina, Mum, Carl Rachel & Immy. The image of them standing there waving goodbye haunts me.
The coach took its allotted one and a half hours to make it to the Heathrow coach terminal where we soon learnt that trying to carry two heavy bags and a shoulder bag (each) was really hard work. The walk to terminal 3 was never ending.
We settled ourselves down and had a full English to keep us going after which we took the plunge and went through security and found a pretty busy departure lounge. We asked the Virgin Atlantic staff about using a quiet lounge but they wanted £60 a head but we found an alternative in the Servisair lounge at £17.50 each which included free food and drinks – much more civilised.
Our flight was called on time and, apart from a small delay due to a light aircraft invading the airspace at Heathrow. The business class seats and service were probably our last piece of luxury so we enjoyed them to the full. The pilot made up the lost time and we landed at JFK airport in New York on time.
Immigration and customs proved no problem at all and we were soon outside embracing the night air. A taxi driven by Baldev Singh got us to our hotel in good time and some fifty dollars later. Hotel Pennsylvania (opposite Penn Station and Madison Square Gardens) looks impressive on the ground level but the rooms are tired and in need of some modernisation but at least habitable.
We sauntered down to the bar and had a couple of beers but it wasn’t long before the day’s travelling had caught up with us so it was time for bed.......
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