Well vacations have to come to an end eventually and we've reached the end of ours today.
Bummer!
Mom isn't flying back to Alberta with us, she is only going as far as Halifax where her cousin, TS, is going to pick her up and take her to PEI.
So when I booked our flights, I made sure that hers left before ours so we could ensure she got on her flight with no issues before we left.
The only bummer about that is that we had to be at the airport super early.
We got return tickets to Gatwick from London Victoria station when we arrived last week so my plan for this morning was to leave the hotel by 6:30 am.
From there we'd catch a cab to London Victoria train station which I was thinking should take about a half hour. The train I was figuring would be about an hour so that would get us to Gatwick 2 hours before mom's schedule departure time at 10 am.
I took a few pictures of the views from the balcony's before we left.
This whole parking lot was packed full of trailers on Sunday.
They were set trailers and food trailers and I think some of them were for the actors for whatever they happened to be filming.
We were watching to see if anybody famous came out of them but we didn't really see anything.
The very next day they had all mysteriously disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.
My brother said they had the Borough Market taped off and they were filming in there which makes sense as it is closed on Sunday's.
This is the view from the other balcony - I am going to miss being here.
Jen stayed with us last night so she was going to lock the key up in the apartment for us after we left.
We only made it out of the hotel by 7 and when we hailed a cab, he told us that the news on the radio was reporting issues with the London Victoria/Gatwick express.
He suggested we catch the train from London Bridge instead so we went there instead.
I went to get new tickets and when I told the clerk that I'd purchased return tickets already but there was an issue with the train, she only charged me the difference to leave from this station instead.
Luckily it wasn't that busy on the train and we were all able to sit.
One last train ride for our trip.
It looks like it's shaping up to be another gorgeous day out there.
The train ride was only about a half hour or so which was great.
I was worried that we were going to be late but we made it to the airport in plenty of time.
We got mom checked in and dropped off all our bags.
I always sign mom up for the wheelchair assistance so they had someone come over and wheel her over to security.
We got to go with her which was great - the section of security they took us to was much quieter so we got through quickly.
Once we were in the airport, they took her to the waiting area for the folks that need assistance.
It was kind of like a corral.
A great idea though.
We waited for a few minutes there then they came with a motorized cart to take her to her gate.
We followed thinking we'd wait with her but in the airport there, they check you into the waiting area at the gate so we couldn't go in.
Her flight was boarding anyway so we said good bye to her and she was on her way.
We headed back to look for a place to eat breakfast.
There was a Wagumama there in the airport.
I'd been seeing them all over London and I thought it was a burger place but turns out it was an Asian Fusion kind of place.
We wanted to try it but it wasn't really my brothers thing so he said he'd find another place to go.
I ended up ordering an okonomiyaki which is a kind of meat omelette.
My Honey ordered a noodle dish.
We wanted to try the Bang Bang Cauliflower too which was highly recommended by our clerk at the store in Folkestone yesterday but they were all out.
So we ordered gyoza dumplings instead (like potstickers).
OMG - the food was so good.
I wish we didn't wait until the last minute to try it.
My okonomiyaki had shaved dried tuna on it and the slightest breeze would make it move in a way that it looked like it was still alive.
It was the best dish I tried on this trip.
The gyoza were good too, the dipping sauce they came with was phenomenal.
It was just an explosion of flavor - I loved it.
So needless to say, we were very impressed with our meal there.
We left there and walked around to look at the stores.
I was hoping to find a little something to take home for Miss A and Mr H but I didn't have any luck so I got them some chocolates.
Starbucks had some summer flavored fraps.
I also got a strawberry cream and it was pretty good.
We still had lots of time to spare before our flight which wasn't scheduled to leave until 1 pm so we decided to go back to Wagumama to see it they had any cauliflower ready yet.
We'd walked by and seen them cutting a bunch up.
Luckily they did so we ordered one to go.
It was delicious as well.
Spicy and sweet - I loved it.
I will waiting for the day until I can go there again.
I checked and there aren't any locations in Canada yet but there are a few in the states.
Hopefully someone will figure out how great they are and we'll see some locations popping up here.
We met back up with my brother and he was heading to the gate.
We figured we might as well go in there too.
It wasn't long before they started boarding and because they check everyone in before they get into the waiting area for the gate, boarding was super quick.
Gatwick airport.
I found a pair of compression socks at the store yesterday for only a few pounds so I picked them up to try on the flight.
I was wearing flip flops so I waited until we were seated to put them on.
It was a bit of a struggle to get them on in such tiny quarters but I managed.
We'll see if they help any.
Good bye London, until next time.
It was a long flight, almost 10 hours.
I played a lot on my Ipad but I got tired of it eventually and found a book on my kindle app to read.
The Silver Suitcase.
It was a good story, a very easy read.
I ended up reading the whole book.
I had the munchies - mainly because I was bored.
I had pringles and crispers and chocolate.
I also purchased one of the in flight pizzas but it was gross, I ended up throwing it out.
My Honey slept most of the flight but I have trouble doing that for some reason.
It was a smooth flight, thankfully we didn't experience much turbulence and before you know it, we were landing in Vancouver.
I had a great view of the mountains as we were arriving.
We had to go through customs in Vancouver then back through security because we missed the connection area so we only had about a half hour before our flight boarded.
We found a place to eat that said they would be quick and ordered some supper.
I ordered a salad
My brother and My Honey ordered burgers.
They looked like pretty good burgers actually.
We had thai chicken too for an appetizer.
Time seemed to fly by though and before we knew it, it was past our boarding time so I hurried the boys up and got a to go container for mine.
We rushed and paid then headed to our gate.
We noticed on the board that our gate had been changed and it was much further away so we were stressed a little until we noticed that it had also been delayed - FOR FIVE HOURS!!!
That was disheartening.
We rushed through supper for nothing.
We were supposed to arriving in Edmonton at 7 pm but now it would be after midnight, which meant if we drove all the way home, it would be after 3 am before we got there.
We'd been up so long and we were tired so My Honey decided to take tomorrow off and we booked a room in Edmonton for the night.
We headed to our gate and just hung out there.
After about an hour, I happened to look at the board and noticed that our gate had been changed again.
So we gathered up everything and headed to our new gate.
We were sooo tired by this point.
Finally our plane is here!
When we finally boarded, all I wanted to do was sleep.
When I checked us in, I sat us all together but the flight was so empty that my brother was able to have a whole row to himself.
I pretty much slept the whole hour flight over to Edmonton so it felt like we were there in no time at all.
We got our bags and there was a Jetset bus outside waiting.
We got the truck and headed to the Four Points by Sheraton.
We immediately went to bed!!!
I've said it before and I'll say it again - they have the absolute best beds, pillows and bedding ever.
I think if we ever buy a new bed, we are going to find out where they get theirs and we are going to buy one. The same bedding and pillows too if we can.
It felt like heaven.
My brother had to take the fold out couch but it looked pretty comfy too.
It wasn't long before we were all in dreamland.
I was hoping I would have been in my own bed tonight but that's ok. We are almost there.
My Auntie M posted this picture today and I just love it.
I've never seen it before and it's one of the first pictures I've ever seen of my grandfather (pepe).
My dad is in the center with the brown sweater and the man & woman directly in front of him are his parents.
What a wonderful gem this is.
My son and his honey look like they were having fun times tonight!
Ha ha, so cute!
Still managed to get 10,000+ steps in.
Likely all those gate changes in Vancouver helped!
That is all for today, until next time, be happy!
