Hello from ENGLAND!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

Whew, after nearly 21 hours in Airport Hell, I finally took off from O'Hare and landed at London-Heathrow at about 7AM.

The bad news was that immigration was chaotic, worse than I've ever seen anywhere, and it took 45 minutes to get through. The good news was that I was in line so long that when I finally got through my luggage was already on the carousel.

After getting my BritRail Pass stamped, I hopped aboard the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station, which, in addition to trains, has about a dozen fast food outlets and a pub or two, some familiar, some not.

Imade the train by about two minutes. It was crowded, and I was thinking that perhaps I would have to stand when a young couple, both pierced in interesting places (rhinestones embedded in the bridge of the nose?), invited me to sit with them and even helped me get my luggage into the rack.

As the train rolled west, I learned something I hadn't known before about the comedy series The Office, namely, that there really is a nasty little suburb known as Slough.

Once we got out of the metropolitan area, the countryside turned classical English. I saw barges on the Thames, people lawn bowling, and lots of shaggy horses and black-faced sheep.

Hereford is a pleasant little city that hasn't been overly ruined by "progress." I arrived late, but my tour companions told me that there are street performances going on during the day in conjunction with the Three Choirs Festival.

I'm writing this in the bar of our hotel, which was built in the 18th century, but which has wi-fi.

More later.

[spindrifter]

1. Hey, enjoy your visit and let us

know what people are saying about Tony Bliar.

[Suich]

2. Glad to hear you finally got out of O'Hare!

Have fun! :hi:

[billyskank]

3. Welcome to England!

:hi:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Enjoy England!

What a great place... love it.

But you wouldn't have had to cool your heels for hours at ORD, ya know. You coulda gone direct MSP-LGW (Gatwick). Just sayin' -- :)

[Hissyspit]

13. I always do Gatwick.

[bigwillq]

5. Enjoy the trip!

:hi:

[laheina]

6. Awesome!

I'm totally jealous and can't wait to see what you have to say.

I just found out that my childhood best friend is living outside of Liverpool--so I've become a born again Anglophile. :)

Have fun! :hi:

[tjwmason]

7. One of our former poets laureate put it oh so well...

Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough
It isn't fit for humans now,
There isn't grass to graze a cow
Swarm over, Death!
--Sir John Betjeman.

Yes it is a very real place, and the worst part is that it's right next to some of the most beautiful places in the country - Windsor, Datchet, Eton &c. and my beloved south Buckinghamshire countryside.

I'm glad you got here safely, and hope that you have a splendid time. :hi:

[T_i_B]

15. Beat me to the Betjeman!

Slough was just about the best place they could have set The Office. Mind you, I do think that drab commter towns are to be expected just outside of London these days.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

8. Welcome to England!

:hi:

[Deja Q]

9. Don't you realize

that I can fit inside a suitcase? :rofl:

[xchrom]

10. woo-hoo -- i hope you have too much fun!

[ThomCat]

11. I'm glad you made it.

:woohoo:

I hope you have an awesome time, and take lots of pictures to show us later. :)

[BlueCollar]

12. May I suggest

that having done O'Hare and Heathrow, you round out your air travel experience by returning through Miami International?

:evilgrin:

[Hissyspit]

14. I love flying to England. It is beautiful and very green.

Stratford-upon-Avon was nice. Very touristy, but beautiful scenery. I saw the Avesbury stones and the Uffington horse, and have done London several times.

Have a great time!

[Fox Mulder]

16. I'm jealous!

I hope you have a good time, though! :)

[NewWaveChick1981]

17. Glad you finally made it, LL!

:hi: I'm jealous too---I was there in 2000 and fell in love with the UK (especially Scotland!). Have a great time! :)