Chaos to London

 So how do I describe the events of the last 36 hours. With a picture! This picture and its depiction of utter chaos is pretty much it. It's also the lobby of the hotel we hastily arranged to stay in the night before a flight to London. More of the hotel below.

So we checked in for our flight to London, was planned for 16:55 today. No sooner had we checked in than we got a notice from BA saying the flight had been canceled. We both panicked. Apparently there is a strike impacting our arrival airport. Anyway My phone would not dial the UK (I’m not sure why - I tried the Europe exit code etc). The BA desk in Italy was closed. Fran went down to the front desk and engaged their help. BA originally wanted us to fly to Düsseldorf, spend the night there, and catch a later plane to London the next day. Fran kept bugging him for other options and an early flight out of Linate to London did have a few seats available. So she took them. The wonderful young woman at the front desk then helped us find a hotel in Milan, as we were in Turin - too far to make a 7:25 flight. I scrambled and got train tickets to Milan and rearranged our pick up from London City to Heathrow. Trains, Planes and Automobiles in action.

The good news, we thought, was that by 10:30 (London Time) we’d be able to sit down to a breakfast at Balan’s.

So the our trip was about even more chaotic. 4:40 alarm in Milan, mad cab ride (the guy drove like a maniac) to Linate Airport, Not a terrible line at BA but we were early, we both got pulled aside at security in Linate, had a few issues with the new EES (European Exit System) but not many, crunched in the back of the flying cattle car, tired and sweaty arrived at Heathrow, pretty easy time through customs (we were quick), and fast retrieval of our bag, slow drive into London with Mohamoud, and then had to wait, tired and sweaty, until three for our room. 

But what about Balan's you say! Of course! We trooped down Old Compton Street to Balan's, one of our favorite haunts, for breakfast. And it was closed. Sigh. Ended up going to Breakfast Club (a passible but not spectacular breakfast place) in Soho.

After three we got a nap (well I did Fran not so much) and a shower and had a great dinner at 10 cases. Good conversation and good food took us a long way toward recovery. 

Travel is like that sometimes. Utter chaos and confusion followed by periods of calm and fun.