Homeward Bound
Disembarkation day on the Seabourn Ovation after our 7-day Iceland and Scotland cruise arrived soon enough. On Saturday morning we awoke at 6 o'clock and, while enjoying coffee in the suite, were treated to a wonderful view of the famous White Cliffs of Dover before docking at that city’s port. This famous English coastal landmark in Kent faces France across the Strait of Dover. The impressive cliffs are made of soft, pure white chalk and reach heights up to 350 feet and stretch for about 8 miles along the coast. That was quite a treat and capped off a wonderful cruise. After departing the suite at 8 o’clock as requested, we enjoyed breakfast in The Colonnade before heading down to Seabourn Square on Deck 7 to await the final notice to leave the vessel. Within a short time, an early announcement was made that all bags had been unloaded in the cruise terminal and were available for pick up. We easily located our luggage and waited in the port seating area for a 9:15 van pick up into Central London. Our driver arrived early with a clean and comfortable Mercedes Benz Coupe which took us on the two-hour, 82-mile journey into the city. As we navigated our way downtown, traffic slowed down as we we found ourselves on the fringes of the Trooping the Colour celebration. It’s the grand London ceremonial parade featuring more than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and some 400 musicians, all in celebration of the Sovereign’s official birthday. Troops travel from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade and back. While we were simply stuck in the occasional traffic jam and didn’t see any of the actual parade, it added to the excitement of being in the British capital once again.
We pulled up to the St. Ermin’s Hotel at 2 Paxton Street around 11:00 AM and received a very friendly welcome. As happened in Reykjavik, our room was not ready yet, but they had a room available for us for a one-time charge of £180 (about $245 US). While this was a much steeper charge than we occurred at the 101 Hotel in Iceland, we gladly accepted it as opposed to waiting around until 3 o’clock. I’m guessing this might be the “new normal” for European hotels. (Frankly, I don’t blame them. If you plan on arriving early and you’re not willing to book the room for the previous night, the early arrival charges are less than one night’s room rate.) St. Ermin’s is a historic, deluxe 4-star hotel located in the heart of Westminster known for its striking Victorian architecture and deep ties to British espionage. Originally built as mansion blocks between 1887 and 1889, it was converted into a hotel the late 1890s and features dramatic rococo plasterwork and a Grand Courtyard. During World War II, the building served as a covert base for British intelligence. The Special Operations Executive (SOE) occupied a full floor, and MI6 used multiple floors. Churchill famously held a 1940 meeting here directing founding SOE members to "set Europe ablaze” and the hotel's bar was allegedly used by Cambridge Five spy Guy Burgess to pass secret state documents to Soviet contacts.
Once we settled into our upgraded king-bedded room, we ventured out and first grabbed some lunch at Farmer Js across the street. Aside from the “shock” of having to pay for a meal (after 7 days on the all-inclusive Seabourn Ovation), we weren’t too impressed. This popular and casual fast-food London chain is known for its healthy, hearty “field trays” where diners pick a base, a protein and two sides. But, the service was perfunctory and unfriendly and we didn’t think the food was particularly good either. However, it did fortify us enough so we could explore the area for several hours. Major landmarks like Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and St James's Park were just a short walk away from the hotel and both Buckingham Palace and the London Eye were also reachable on foot in about 10 to 15 minutes. The highlight of our walk was catching part of the finale of the Trooping the Color Parade. The festivities finished with a Royal Air Force (RAF) flyby, which the Royal Family watches from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. While we were not among the balcony crowds, we did see the RAF Voyager Transport Plane fly overhead flanked by two Eurofighter Typhoon Fighter Jets, The Voyager is built on an Airbus A330-200 passenger jet airframe and the fighters are part of the UK’s frontline air defense system. The formation flew about 1,000 feet above ground level over Horse Guards Parade before heading out toward Northwest London and passing near Heathrow Airport. For an AvGeek like me, that was an exceptional treat!
The concierge had secured us tickets for the matinee performance of Six The Musical playing at the Vaudeville Theatre in the West End. This pop musical showcases the six wives of King Henry VIII in a singing competition to determine which wife “suffered the most.” It was a humorous and very high-energy show. The singing and dancing never really stopped for long and provided riveting entertainment. Returning to St. Ermin’s, we arrived just in time to enjoy the complimentary wine hour for guests on the terrace overlooking the courtyard. Friendly and engaging servers and staffers offered both sparkling wine and rosé along with a selection of small canapés. It was a nice social setting in which to unwind and enjoy the company of other guests while appreciating the solo acoustic guitarist and his smooth, clear vocals. Before turning in for the evening, we dined at the Caxton Grill, which serves as the hotel restaurant on the ground floor. Their grill menu focused on seasonal British produce with premium Charcoal Grilled Meats and Herbs harvested from the hotel’s rooftop garden. Our dinners were just OK, but we were only a brief elevator ride from our bed and by that point were ready to end a fairly busy day.
The friendly hotel porter convinced us on departure the next morning that taking a taxi to Heathrow would only cost about £10 more than a cab to Paddington Station followed by the Heathrow Express Train. And, there’d be less luggage schlepping en route. So, it was a no brainer. There was very little traffic on that Sunday morning and we made it to Terminal 5 in about 40 minutes. After a speedy check in at the Club World desk in Zone A, we proceeded to Fast Track Passport Control and through security to the BA Club Lounge South, the largest of the airline’s main Business Class lounges. This club has an open-plan, elongated footprint divided into smaller seating zones, quiet areas, dedicated work spots with power outlets as well as an exclusive children’s playroom. The panoramic windows at the southern end overlooked the Terminal 5 apron and the Southern Runway, though the view was partially blocked by parked aircraft. Restrooms and shower facilities with toiletries were also available inside the club lounge. Self-serve hot and cold options rotated throughout the day. Coffee/Tea stations were available and that morning’s buffet consisted of Scrambled Eggs, Beans, Fried Tomatoes and Mushrooms as well as a variety of Toasts, Bagels and Pastries. Several well stocked self-service Wine Bars, Spirits and Beer Stations were on hand in addition to a wide assortment of Soft Drinks.
Our scheduled 12:35 departure on BA # 217 for Washington Dulles was a bit late as boarding didn’t begin until 11:50. We were flying aboard a B777-200 aircraft in seats 10E and F in the second and larger Club World cabin. This was a recently retrofitted aircraft and the seats had privacy doors. BA refers to them as Club Suites and they’ve replaced the older, crowded 2-4-2 layout with a more modern and private 1-2-1 configuration, meaning everyone in the cabin had direct aisle access. Each suite included a sliding door which could be closed once airborne. The seat itself turned into a six foot, 6 inch fully-flat bed and these suites offered 40% more storage space than the classic Club World seat. They included a vanity mirror, side table and multiple storage compartments, along with an 18.5 inch, high-definition touchscreen display.
I can’t say enough about the friendly and attentive service we received on this flight. After take off, cocktails and mixed nuts were individually delivered via tray service. Both my starter course of Loch Fyne Smoked Salmon with English Asparagus, Horseradish and Lemon Pepper Sauce and a Warm Artisan Bread Roll were served first. My entrée selection followed. I selected the British Beef Short Rib and Ale Cottage Pie, with Heritage Carrots and King Oyster Mushrooms along with a Side Salad of Leafy Greens, Salted Ricotta and Sunflower Pesto. A glass of the 2024 André Brunel, Cuvée Réservée Châteauneuf-du-Pape accompanied the meal. Imagine my surprise when out flight attendant first showed me the bottle, even offering me a taste before pouring a glass. For dessert, I choose the Basque Cheesecake with Fresh Blueberries. Service was thoughtful and solicitous throughout the flight and, despite the nearly one-hour delay, we landed at the Washington Dulles International Airport nearly on time around 3:30 PM.
The airport was a mess that Sunday afternoon and we had to transport our luggage all the way from the international arrivals terminal to the United check-in counters located at the other end. And, our connecting flight to the Raleigh Durham Airport experienced a weather delay for nearly one hour. Despite these setbacks (and the fact that my luggage didn’t arrive until the next morning), we had a terrific and unforgettable journey.
Until next time…safe travels.
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