En Route to London from Geneva 2018. 8/30/2018

Greetings from across the pond. Very short note about a mostly-travel day.

Had our regular porridge at Birdie… Mike then went to Elizabeth’s to help think about reconfiguring the house now that she’s alone. I hung out in the area near the hotel and also packed so that we could head to the airport after lunch.

Once packed, I headed to Carouge (Elizabeth’s house) where we all convened for a simple, quiet lunch.

Mike and I then taxied to the Geneva Airport which is uniquely situated on the France/Switzerland border. Immigration control is unified as both France and Switzerland are parties to some kind of an agreement between the two sectors. So, while most people leave from the Swiss side, it is totally possible to leave from the French side. If you are headed to France, it is much easier to leave from the French side – making it a domestic rather than an international flight.

Our plane was a bit late, so we arrived at London City Airport (avoiding Heathrow) at about 7 pm… Settled into the Andaz (where I’ve stayed several times before) which is located near the Liverpool Street underground station. The hotel is on the site of England’s first mental hospital, the Bethlehem Royal, which opened in 1247. Today it has 267 rooms and is quite modern with simple grey walls, somewhat dramatic lighting, and modern amenities.

We then headed for a late dinner and drinks at the New Street Grill, where we met up with our god-daughter and her husband. They have been living in London for many years. After a lot of meat (!) we headed back to our room at about 1 am. I’m headed to bed – lots of plans for tomorrow.

Best Fern