Getting there: Leg 2

5/19/2011
London, England
(Gatwick Airport)

During the safety speech on the British Airways flight, it struck me that the instructions are less infantilizing than on American carriers. The difference is subtle (it's a Boeing aircraft, so the equipment is the same), but it's there.

Also, American carriers, take note: included in the price of my ticket was a vast media selection (I watched the King's Speech, which seemed appropriate, and there were also other 2011 Oscar nominees, and hundreds of other movies, tv, music), a checked bag, 2 meals, including a downright palatable chicken curry, and a glass of wine.

My seat-neighbor was a very genial Scottish gentleman, just returning from a month in the states. We compared the weather and the social systems. I did not mention corn, or the overproduction thereof. So there.

I slept maybe 6 hours, which was most of the flight. Once we landed, I disembarked, realized I didn't have my sweatshirt, re-embarked and disembarked again. I figured out I did indeed need a landing card, even though I'll be spending less than 10 hours in the UK this round, because of the going-to-Gatwick. Got through Customs without a hitch, changed some money, and bought a bus ticket to Gatwick. Arrived at Gatwick, found the Left Luggage counter and Left my Luggage (the London bit). Now I have a couple of hours to kill before I can check in for my flight to Munich. I'm at an internet cafe. The @ key on this keyboard is oddly placed. Two Sussex police men have walked by a couple of times with very large guns. They're almost comically large. I'm reminding myself that as adorable as I find the British accent and dialect, expressing that sentiment will get tiresome quickly (and not friendly or charming at all). That's all for now -- next I'm going to seek some food. I leave for Munich in about 3 hours.