Worthington Meets Worthington

Earlier today I was in the lobby trying to get the WiFi to work.  When I asked if anyone else was having trouble, a nice man jumped up and came over to take a look at my computer.  Within a few minutes he had it working!  After thanking him, I asked where he was from and he replied "Ohio".  Wow me too.  Where? "Worthington!" Turns out his name is Doug Findley and he is a fencing official who competed at OSU and knew Russ.  His six year old goes to Worthington Estates where our girls went to elementary school.  Doug was excited because he had officiated the gold medal fenching match last night, evidently a rariety for US officials.

BMW at Work in London

On our way from the airport we spotted this BMW in front of one of the hotels for dignitaries. Sorry I didn't capture a picture of the pink one parked next to it. Thought all the car people in our family might like to see BMWs at work in the UK.  Don't miss the red double decker bus...perhaps a bit more traditional. 

London!!!

Russ Hellickson
OBS Production Team
ExCel Center



Stopped at Heathrow to get Russ his credentials. They weren't busy so the process went quickly.  Airport was full of welcome signs, murals and Olympic posters.  Left on the Heathrow Express for Paddington Station, a 15 minute ride on a fast train.  At Paddington Russ was to get ground transportation to the hotel.  Even though I wasn't credentialed, they allowed me to ride along in the cab which made it easy for me, especially since it was 3AM Ohio time.  People were just NICE and HELPFUL! A treat.

Once we arrived at our hotel, the room wasn't ready but the staff was simply wonderful.  They helped with luggage, the internet, hot water for tea, moved me into the pub for better internet, provided an adapter, and said they would find me as soon as our room was ready.  Russ is off getting his "uniform". He has a meeting at 5.  I'm sure he is hoping for a nap and food before then. Ditto!

United Service

This is the 777 we flew to London.  I have to compliment United for getting Russ and I on the same flight. Because OBS was booking a ticket for Russ, we decided in March to go ahead and get my ticket.  I booked on United, going through Dulles.  When Russ was confirmed, he was flying the same route but on an earlier flight.  United changed my flight so we could travel together...at NO charge.  The agent asked, "Do you want to sit together?" Made the traveling nice!  Oddly enough, they booked Russ on the same return flights that I had booked months earlier! 
Easy flight, extra space so we could spread out.  I visited with a woman who was returning from a vacation at Disney World!  Her daughters were 14 and 16. She had lots of travel/shopping hints.  Beautiful plane.  The individual screens with games, movies, audio, and MAPS were neat.  Arrived on time. Wish all travel was this pleasant! Even our bags came right out.

Travel Tip 1

If for safety reasons you ever decide to make copies of your credit cards so you have a a record of what you are traveling with (especially important in view of the fact that your wallet and credit cards were stolen a week ago) be VERY sure to remove your credit cards from the copier.  Otherwise it is impossible to have them in your purse when you arrive at the airport!  Russ is now in charge of boarding passes AND passports!  Panic first but then I realized I can use Russ's cards That's okay.  He doesn't use them anyway. Thanks to my daughters and Russ for their patience.  Obviously I can't function on four hours of sleep! At Dulles, boarding for Heathrow.

Downton Abbey - Highclere Castle

      I know some of you are tired of hearing me talk about the PBS series Downton Abbey but Russ and I are hooked by the British humor, witty dialogue and beautiful setting.  When I found out we were coming to London, I made an effort to find a way to visit the set which is actually Highclere Abbey, 60 miles west of London.
       My first efforts detailed a four hour trip with four different modes of transportation, including a 41 minute walk from the train station.  About midnight last night I took a friend's advice and tried Trip Advisor.  I found two tour companies and after emailing both, decided to go with Brit Movie Tours.  They will deduct the cost of the ticket I have from their tour price AND the tour starts in London!  All great news for me. The bus holds 14 people and takes 8 hours. Should be much easier than my four transfers and 41 minute walk.  Plus, I'm certain they will have the inside scoop.  Reminds me of being in Austria and taking the Sound of Music tour bus to travel to the movie locations.
       For those of you who aren't fans, the series is excellent and draws inspiration from the lives of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon. The book Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle tells the story. The current Countess of Carnarvon, who lives at Highclere, wrote the book. You can check out the official web page at 
 www.highclerecastle.co.uk

Send Off Party!!!

What a send off party!  All 8 (yes 8!) of our grandchildren had fun at one of their favorite places tonight...Chuck E. Cheese.  There were tokens, tickets, games, rides, and pizza.  They were so busy having fun that we even had a few moments of adult conversation! Of course no one wanted to leave the festivities. Wish we had some of their ENERGY!  I know we'll miss their smiles and hugs while we're in London.  When I asked what they wanted from the Olympics, Brooke said a "double decker bus" and Alexa said "something girlie".