Our wake up call did just that at 7AM, the shuttle bus bounced its way to the airport before daybreak, and our last French pastries were buttered and spread with ‘confiture’. The check in was easy enough that we don't remember it.
We saw towns and cities and grand country homes in England from the air. And then a brief cloudy swoop across the Irish sea. The approach into Dublin was hazy but very green. We pretty much decided that a proper trip to Ireland is in the future.
Our lunch featured prawn sandwiches on wholewheat bread, and chocolate hazelnut cookies. The quality of food in the buffet eating area looked amazing. We could have stayed there for three days eating our way through the menu. Downstairs, a shop sold nothing but Irish whiskey. We perused the two souvenirs shops. One was highbrow featuring Belleek porcelain; the other green tee-shirts with rude sayings. Equally worthwhile when your layover is four hours. We bought whiskey.
The airport waiting area had been decorated for Christmas during the three weeks while we were on the continent. Color scheme: purple and white. The decorations: giant bows and candy striped panels and lots of white mini lights.
We were happy to learn that there was a US Customs preclearance facility there, which meant that there would be no customs hassle when we got back to Boston, and that we would probably be able to catch the early bus back to New London.
We had a long involved conversation with a fellow passenger in the lounge. Her husband had recently died, and she had poured herself into a hundred mile hiking trip in France and Spain. And she scattered his ashes here and there.
Only when it came to boarding time did we look at our boarding passes and realize that we weren’t sitting together. Bruce ended up sitting next to a young student new to the Boston area; Sue Anne’s appeared to only speak Chinese. The meal of Indian style chicken curry was quite edible. Sue Anne loved how the green clad Irish flight attendants, female, were constantly offering tea and charming words like ‘lovely’ and ‘brilliant’—words we had come to know well from our time in England.
It was dusk as we arrived in Boston, and the plane took one circle up toward the north and back down via Cape Ann before landing. You know you are in home territory when recognizable landscapes appear out of the window, including Rockport where we had been just last month.
We got to the bus stop before the early bus arrived. The next one would have been a two hour wait. A 90 minute trip back to the Park and Ride in New London, and then a 15 minute drive home. One's own bed is always the best.
We’ll be back in a few days with a summary of our impressions from throughout the entire trip. Stay tuned!
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