Sunday 8 June 2008

Hello, we must be going

sunny, mild, temps 21

lovely day - and we're leaving. a quick post just to say, in the words of Groucho Marx, 'Hello, I must be going - I'm here to say, I cannot stay, I must be going.'

Just had breakfast. Wonderful to walk in to the magnificent dining room and see all sorts of people we know. Wander from talbe to table just saying hello (I must be going). But we kept being seated at someone else's table. The hostess showed us to a table, we sat down and 1 minute later a befuddled man appeared with his plate from the buffet looking around. The waiter very quickly gave us coffee we hadn't yet ordered and orange juice, we hadn't yet ordered. We took it, then I caught the look which had gone from befuddled to a glare.

We'd not only taken his table, we were drinking his coffee and orange juice. Like the three bears. We apologised, offered to leave, but by then it was really too late.

20 minutes later we got up to go to the buffet ourselves and ran into Dolores who'd just arrived and we decided to put two tables together and sit together, which we did. Suspiciously soon after more coffee, orange juice and toast arrived, which we began to eat. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a sight that had become familiar. Someone hovering with a heaping plate of buffet food, staring at us.

I smiled and tried to imply in my sympathetic look that it wasn't my idea to sit there - Dolores was at fault.

They left and found another table.

We're wondering if the same technique might work on British Airways. If we wander into First Class, take a seat, start eating the pre-flight canapes, will someone just sneer but let us stay? Perhaps not.

One of the great benefits of our around the world flight last year with BA was that we earned enough points to get us their platinum card, which gets use into the first class lounge (from there we have to cover our heads and skulk into the economy seats). What a lounge! Food, drink, leather chairs and sofas - showers even. We now try to arrive almost a day ahead since it's so much nicer than home.

Must be off. Taxi ordered for 10:15 - train at 11am to London, then express train to Heathrow from Paddington (switch for Terminal 4) - then check in - and the lounge.

For those of you in Canada, our wonderful friend Susan McKenzie has a special report tomorrow (Monday) in the second half of Anna Maria Tremonti's CBC Radio programme, The Current. You might want to check it out. We're hoping to take Susan for lunch tomorrow in Mtl.

Take care, be well - speak to you tomorrow

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