British Airways: Hear My Aisle Seat Prayer

If you've flown British Airways, you know that you can't check-in and choose your seats until 24 hours before you flight.

Here I am, 24-hours before my flight, and I still can't check-in. Why? Because you need your passport information to check-in and of course, my passport is sitting at home on my dresser in prime position for packing this evening.

So, British Airways... hear my prayer: I need an aisle seat. Claustrophobia at 33,000-feet over the Atlantic is not a fun for anyone, especially the people I'll need to push out of the way when I can't sit still and need to walk the plane.

I will log in first-thing this evening when I get home, with my passport in hand and pray an isle seat is waiting for me.

Things to Love in London

I've said before that London is one of my favorite cities. The city is full of class and "regal-ness" and it's hard not to get caught up in it all.

It was a busy week, but a worthwhile one. When you've worked in America long enough, it's hard to imagine that anywhere else in the world works differently. What is common among most other cultures - as opposed to America -- is the mindset. In America, we live to work. In most other countries, work is for money, and life is for living. It's an interesting concept to embrace.

I'm packed and ready to leave London but before I do, some thoughts on things to love in London:

• The coffee -- it's brewed fresh by the cup and it's strong.
• The taxi cabs -- they are big, they are clean and the cab drivers are uncommonly friendly.
• The communication -- London will always remind you to look both ways before crossing the street.
• The bathrooms -- inviting. Public bathrooms in London are unusually clean and always have nice soaps and lotions (as opposed to the pink-turned-brown soap usually found in public bathrooms throughout America).
• The shopping -- it's unique and fashionable, and you rarely find two of the same items.
• The architecture -- everything here is regal. Whether it's old or new, the buildings are fascinating.
• The history -- the people of London take their culture and history very seriously. It's a pleasure to be among people who walk with pride and dignity.

So long London! Cheerio and good day!
(pictures below)

Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial:

Buckingham Palace:

The Original Burberry Store:

Guard at the Tower of London:

Tower Bridge:

7 Hours Left in London...

...and I'm lying in bed with my laptop. If I click my heels three times will I be home?

Flight Cancelled. Martini's Found.

It's the end of the day. 5 p.m. We're winding down (because that's what time they wind down in the UK) and we're looking forward to spending our last night snuggled up with a dry martini at Duke's. That's when it hits. The email. It's from American Airlines. This can't be good.

The email says, "There has been a cancellation on your forthcoming reservation with American Airlines." Unbelievable. It's been a long week of work in London and while I do love London, I was looking forward to getting home tomorrow. I need my bed, my shower, my candles, my pillows, my stuff. I also learned today that the neighborhood I live in suffered a massive power outage so I hope my apartment is in one piece, but fingers crossed...

I call the number American Airlines provides in the email and I wait patiently for 25 minutes. My patience level was reaching its max (I am now 25 minutes late for martinis) when finally, a representative gets on the line. Apparently, the plane is having "mechanical problems" and they've reschedule us for a later flight. Question: it's only noon in America... how do you know the plane is having mechanical problems for a flight that doesn't leave for another 24 hours, and wouldn't that give the airlines enough time to find another flight? Whatever.

News get worse: the flight is full and we're in the middle row. I tried to persuade the voice on the other line for an upgrade, but he wasn't budging. Wait, let me clarify that... he would gladly budge if I gave him $3,000 for an upgrade fee. I stopped short of begging for a business class seat -- there were still people in the office. Currently scheduled to leave London Friday night at 6 p.m. Stay tuned for more.

Later that night... about two hours later... we found ourselves at the Dukes Hotel ordering martinis and sucking on olives. If you ever find yourself in London for one night, head to Dukes Hotel and order a house martini. It's the best you've ever had, and the olives are to die for. The bill was 35 pounds (approximately $70) but don't think about that... ever.

London: Day 6

One more day in the U.K.
This morning, I finally got my hot shower. It wasn't raining when I walked to the office and the coffee shop pulled hot scones out of the oven just minutes before I ordered.
Typical how it all falls together the day before I head home.

Tonight, we're venturing to the Dukes Hotel for a much-needed-job-well-done martini.
Tomorrow, 7 a.m., we head back home.

England Dining: No Rush, No Problem

Some people in London think the restaurant service is horrible. I find it charming.

In the states, restaurants attempt to turn over tables in an effort to bring in the maximum revenue/tips for the night. Before you can finish you dinner salad server is already bringing over your entree and likely putting in your dessert order. More often then not, the food is cooked-to-order in the states, but it sits under a heat lamp until you're finished with your first course. Your salmon might be steamy, but your mashed potatoes are luke warm. And lingering around tables after the meal will garner dirty looks from servers working on tips.

In England, however, the dining experience is much different. For starters, stay seated as long as you like. In fact, you might not even see a server pass by your table for some time. This can be somewhat problematic when you've just finished a bottle of wine and need another for the table. But in that case, you simply get up and go order one. And they don't raise their eyebrows at you for staying past desert.

I had a lovely dinner at Cafe Caldessi, and frankly all my meals in London have been enjoyable. Makes me wonder why everyone in the U.S. is in such a hurry ... sit, relax, enjoy and savor.

London Bathing Falling Down

Bathing has always been a daily ritual of mine. It should be for everyone, I think. Good hygiene builds a healthy body -- or something like that. I always wondered how people with dread-locks got on without washing their hair. I have visions of bugs and mold and dust swarming around the dread-locked hair. How do you get in the shower and not wash your hair...day after day...doesn't it smell? What if you are at a party and you're sitting on the sofa, and someone walks past you, trips and spells beer in your hair? Beer has yeast! In your hair!! Ok, maybe you're more refined and you still wear dread-locks, but you don't go to parties where there is beer. You must walk outside -- where the cars drive -- with all the congestion. You go home smelling like car pollution. In your hair! I lost my point...

Right, bathing.

The daily routine for most people starts with a shower. So I wonder in England how the people get by because I can't for the life of me make the shower work. There are two knobs -- one for hot, one for cold -- and I turn them. The bath faucet runs. The water is scalding hot. I turn down the hot. The water becomes ice cold. I turn up the hot. It warms up only to turn cold again. I play this game of hot-and-cold with the faucet knobs for approximately 5 minutes until I get the water to a temperature of my liking. I switch from faucet to shower. This chess move, it seems, has confused the water knobs and plumbing. By switching from the faucet to the shower I have lessened the water pressure by approximately 99.999% so that only one thin stream of water is falling from the shower head. And it's cold. I turn the hot knob. Still cold. I turn it more. Cold. Flustered and frustrated, I give in to the plumbing and opt for a bath. At least I know that the bath faucet produced a healthy amount of water pressure.

I flip the switch from shower head to faucet and step into the tub, but in London, tubs are deep, and so I fall. Deep into the tub of torrid hot water. I forgot that I turned the hot water knob all the way on in an attempt to get some hot water from the shower head. I am now scalded from the hot water that is pouring out of the bath faucet. Apparently, this is a game the plumbing at St. Andrew's Mansions in Westminster London is eager to play with me. And since it's 7 a.m., and I refuse to be played by a bathtub, I join the plumbing game. GAME ON!

I am smarter than the plumbing -- this much I know. I will concede, bath faucet, to the scalding hot water that you produce in the tub, but I dare you to mess with the bursts of cold water that I will add to the tub by switching from faucet to shower at random intervals so you have no time to alter your move. Mess with me tomorrow, bathtub... I'll be prepared...

Me and McQueen

If there's one thing I truly admire about the U.K. -- besides the Crown Jewels, the Beefeaters, Princes Harry and William, London's ravens and the truly admirable cleanliness -- it's the fashion. Londoners have a unique sense of fashion. In fact, that's exactly it -- they are unique and they aren't afraid to show it, so they wear daring combinations and it turns out, those combos work. So when in London, go shopping. You never know what you might find.

Months ago I laid eyes on an Alexander McQueen scarf that I wanted -- needed! -- desperately. But, it was only affordable by taking out a loan and I knew that wouldn't be a wise decision so I succumbed to the idea of never having the new McQueen skull scarf. But today, me and McQueen were united. Thank you, Harrods, for bringing together two lost loves -- my wardrobe and one black/purple skull scarf at almost half the price I would have paid for it in the states. I almost opted for the black/red neck scarf. I was with our favorite fashion blogger The Missus, who pointed out that the longer silk scarf (pictured above) would wear well during all seasons and it's a great travel piece. And so, I wrapped myself in McQueen and it was true love.

Some things in Europe are cheaper (despite the bad dollar-pound conversion) and absolutely worth knocking people over in Harrods department store because you only have 30 minutes until the store closes and you're on a freaking mission to find Alexander McQueen. We would have had 45 minutes, but we spent 15 minutes trying to locate the washrooms, which were hidden behind the Marc Jacob's and Pucci racks on floor 2. And of course, we were sidetracked by the gorgeous Spring 08 collections...

Reasons Why I Love London

You can have your royalty, your princes, your pounds and your fashion. Keep your theatre and your palaces and your Shakespeare. Wait, no, I'm taking Shakespeare. But you can have the crows and the London Eye, deal?

The real reason I love London: British men. I was hit on twice before I finished a cup of coffee this morning and let me tell you something ladies, that's not a bad trick. Think about your state of mind pre-fully caffeinated. I'm quite certain my eyes aren't full open, my brain is unusually slow and I'm more prone to tripping and falling than usual. But, British men appreciate women and this morning, I was very appreciative of the British men who paid attention to me.

The End of the World: 28 Minutes

I'll admit, I am an addict of technology. I don't do well without my cell phone or my computer. Contact with the outside world is essential. So when I woke this morning and went to plug in my computer I was panicked whe the little green charge light on my battery pack wouldn't light up.

"Battery low" said the white pop-up box on my computer.

Then, as if to mock the fact that I couldn't plug the battery pack in fast enough, the battery icon on the bottom right corner started blinking, "28 minutes." I had 28 minutes until my computer shut down. Twenty-eight minutes until I had no access to email, the Internet. I had 28 minutes until the 11-inch I call my savior left me because it died. Died. And this, my friends, was the beginning of the end of the world. I had 28 minutes to figure out how to get my battery pack charged and plug into my Sony VAIO so I could connect. And then, my co-worker knocked on the door.

"We have a problem," she said.

It appears that it's not my battery pack, it's the electricity in the flat. My friend and travel partner, The Missus, tried to blow us up. Travelers tip from London: always use your electronic adapter, but check to make sure the wattage is sufficient, otherwise you might blow up the device. (To The Husband, if you're reading, I advise buying safety plugs for your outlets before the wife returns home. I've banned her from plugging anything in while she's still in London). Here's what happened:


She plugged in her hot pink flat iron (using an adapter) and sparks started flying. Upon unplugging the outlet from the wall , post-flames, she went for a run and our other co-worker was left with the unfortunate task of breaking the news to me:

"Nothing works," she said.

My friend the Missus came back with Starbucks - a true truce, if there ever was one, at 9 a.m. I was already on the phone with AT&T trying to get them to help me reconfigure my phone but as usual, they were completely useless. I got the damn thing to work myself, and afterwards we found the fuse box. Thankfully, the electricity is working again and I can reconnect with the world and the world, as I know it, is not coming to an end. Whew! We celebrated by heading to shop and sight-see...

Big Ben...Parliament...Big Ben...Parliament...(and Buckingham Palace)

In an effort to try and curb the effects of jet lag, we spent today walking around London. It was a beautiful day and plenty of people were out and about enjoying the day. We took the Tube to Buckingham Palace, which is currently flanked with full-bloom tulips, and then walked to The Thames River. Here is a picture of my soon-to-be-new-home, you know, when the Queen appoints me ruler of England.




After admiring the palace (and the tulips) we walked to Big Ben and Parliament. Big Ben chimed at 6 p.m. to let us know we were heading into evening, which is when I took this picture. Ben was standing strong and pointing us toward the London Eye...

Impeach Bush (from the UK)

This is great...even in the U.K., the president is a sham. This picture says it all, and what's more awesome is that this sticker is placed on a bus booth outside the Cabinet War Rooms. Coincidence?

Things to Remember in London

It's been a few years since I've been back in London and I'll admit, I was a little rusty on the lingo. I blame part of this on the fact that I hit the streets completely un-caffeinated. There weren't enough Starbucks coffee molecules in my brain before I hit Marylebone High Street and I forgot some of the basic London lingo. Remember the following next time you head across the pond:

• When ordering a coffee at a cafe, "regular" means cream and sugar (not milk and sugar and not black, which is how I require it).
• You don't need to dial the country code when you're actually calling from the country. I spent approximately $20 in cell phone fees this afternoon trying to make a call to a friend in London.
• They drive on the opposite side of the road in London, so make sure you look both ways before crossing the street or you're sure to get your butt creamed by an oncoming car because you weren't looking the right way.
• Coins are also dollars in London. A pound can be paper money or coins so don't dismiss your currency.
• Do not walk through the Changing of the Guard. That is bad form. And the Beefeaters don't give a damn if you're un-caffeinated.

Cheerio, From London

Made it safely to London. You just can't beat the beauty of this city. It's almost 2pm here -- the sun is shining and the temperature is warm and breezy.

Too bad the hags serving the American Airlines flight weren't so nice and breezy. More about that when my mind is awake. And the massive in-flight faux-paus' that I picked up for you. Why do people take their shoes and socks off on a plane?

In about an hour I'm going to drag my co-workers outside for a walk around. Right now, I'm trying wake up from my nap.

There is no hot water in the flat. I desperately need a cup of coffee.

12 Hours Until 6 Hours of Rest

It's ironic really, that one who is a travel writer gets weary from travel.

The one thing I'm looking forward to about London is the 6 hour plane ride. It'll be the first time in weeks I've had a chance to sit and relax. And the best thing about international flights is the free cocktails. The sound of metal-on-metal as the twisty-top of a tiny bottle of Merlot opens is keeping me going today...

When I flew to Portugal the in-flight movie was on one big screen and the feature film was "Mr. Bean's Holiday," which was a rather unfortunate choice. And I was seated between two young girls who were flying to Boston for a holiday, and were already starting their holiday with Bud Light plane-side. I digress...

If all goes well with American Airlines, I'll be resting comfortably from seat 39H around 7pm. Fingers crossed.

Quick check-list:
Passport -- CHECK
British Pounds -- CHECK
Converters -- CHECK
Vanity Fair -- CHECK
OH %#!*%@ -- I forgot my book in my apartment. Off to Borders...

To Pack, or What Not to Pack?

How do you pack for 10 days in London? That question has been on my mind for weeks now. It's not like me to waste so much of my brain cells on packing for a trip. Usually, this gets done the night before I leave.

1. Open closet doors
2. Grab the first few items that aren't wrinkled
3. Add coordinating pants or top to above chosen items
4. Add socks and undergarments
5. Close bag

Shoes are always a problem. How can you possibly predict what shoes you're going to feel like wearing a week from now? UGH, the pressure!!!

This London trip is part business, part pleasure so it's essential to bring clothes that work with both sides of life. Here's what I have so far:

• Two silk tops -- purple and black
• Two pairs of jeans -- one to wear on plane; one to have for later
• One pair of black trousers -- good work pants
• One skirt -- you never know when you feel like showing some leg
• One black turtleneck
• One black 3/4 length sweater
• Two patterned tank tops -- adorable with jeans and a cardigan
• One black cardigan (glad I wrote that or I would have forgotten)
• Running clothes
• PJ's
• Shoes... Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

The Missus, who is traveling with me to London for business/pleasure trip, said, "Bring flats...all flats...good walking flats." Right. Flats. I don't own flats. I'm short and have boobs. In order for people not to notice my top half, I have to compensate my bottom half by wearing heels. Heels make your legs look longer, thus eliminating the effect of the boobs. She's short and curvy. Flat's look good on her. Heels look good on me. Flip-flops I have. Flats I do not.

Note to self: Buy flats.

Anything I'm forgetting?

Packing for London...and Nantucket...and St. Louis

It's one of those months where I keep going, and going, and going. Just got back from a weekend in New York where I celebrated Passover with my family. My sister flew in from St. Louis, my cousins were all there with their kids and we all spent the weekend in the kitchen cooking everything un-leavened. Nothing like a dinner of matzo balls, matzo stuffing, matzo pancakes, matzo cookies... you get the point.

Squeezed through security at LaGuardia Airport (and let me tell you, that's not an easy task) and sat around for a few hours waiting for the flight, which was delayed and know one knew why. Got home Sunday night, went to work Monday morning, and tonight I'm back in the carry-on trying to figure out what to pack for 10 days in London...and then I return and leave for a weekend in Nantucket...and then I return and leave for a four days in St. Louis... and I think I'll need to buy underwear on the road.