Past Performance Is No Guarantee Of Future Results

Or issues.

We try to keep in mind past experiences when we travel and this came into play on this trip on the homeward bound leg of this trip. Several times we have returned from Heathrow Airport and had to navigate long security lines. On my last business trip to the U.K. I barely made my flight and I was determined to avoid the stress by building extra time into our departure schedule. Of course the powers that be were amused by my efforts and humored me by making things go extra smooth and ~25 minutes after arriving at Heathrow we were through security with lots of time to kill. We were helped a bit by flying Icelandair Saga Class (business) which put us in special queues, something I accounted for but even this line was much shorter that I expected. I asked if this was typical and was told yes because of our timing on a Friday and in a few hours things would be worse. I like being through airport security and have time to be bored so I was happy. This experience once again proves timing is everything.

On that last several trips we have used the Mobile Passport App for to get through U.S. customs, they claim you will “breeze through customs” and we did on those trips making our use of the app as part of our return routine. I was dismayed to find out that it was not possible to use it on this return for the simplest of reasons, an out of date database. The service apparently maintains a list of which airlines fly into which airports and has not been updated with Icelandair service to SFO. One would think six weeks (Icelandair started service in early June, 2018) would be enough time for an update but no. They did ask to e-mail them with any missing airlines which I did. Resigned to going through Immigration and Customs old fashion way but once again I found the powers that be were playing with me, a head fake this time. The queues at immigration were very small and we were waived to a new station that gave us a cursory glance. Our luggage came up quick and our time from disembark from the aircraft to walking to the car was ~25 minutes, about the same as our entry at Heathrow. Smooth. I still recommend the Mobile Passport App but I suggest checking before expected use if your airport/airline combination is in the app and let them know if it is not.  Mobile Passport App is a great alternative to Global Entry in my opinion depending on your travel habits.

Sydney is quite happy to be home, she has spent 30 out of the last 40 days on the road.

Time for the thanks and credits. Thanks to Maggie Smura of Ladera Travel for her help on this one. It required some extra effort on her part on this one and it is greatly appreciated! Ladera Travel is owned and operated by Les and Nancy Burger, they have a great experienced crew and will take good care of your travel needs. Recommended.

Also a special thanks to Magnús Thoroddsen of Prime Tours Iceland, we may have conceived of the Iceland leg but he made sure we were able to do execute on our ideas and came up with alternatives and additions as we traveled. A great guide and friend, takk fyrir Magnús!

And finally thanks to Kim and Syd, my ever patient and loving travel companions. They watched the back of my head as I stared out the window for almost nine hours. Some pictures of what I saw below.

Summer (2018) weather is persisting in Iceland.
Spring (2018) weather is persisting into summer in Iceland.
Peaks near the east coast of Greenland.
Peaks near the east coast of Greenland.
Peaks near the east coast of Greenland.
Peaks near the east coast of Greenland.
Ice off the wast coast of Greenland.
Ice off the wast coast of Greenland.
Ice in Baffin Bay
Ice in Baffin Bay
Baffin Island
Baffin Island
Baffin Island.
Baffin Island.
Ice in Hudson's Bay.
Ice in Hudson’s Bay.
Fault lines in California
Fault lines in California
Hi Dad!
Hi Dad!

Bank Day

The Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern

The final day in London was all about banks, Bankside and South Bank to be exact. Located on the southern side of the Thames both areas are full of historical and more recent attractions, something for everyone. Attractions of more recent times were our destinations today, The Tate Modern and the London Eye.

The Tate is a group of  art museums that houses a collection of British and modern art. Kim and I visited the Tate Britain in 1995, then known as theTate Gallery. Since that visit ages ago the Tate expanded taking over a former electricity generating station, the Bankside Power Station, and turning it into the Tate Modern. The building is a piece of art on its own due to its size. The collection itself is one that depends on one’s taste in current art, Kim and I personally liked it, Syd the teenager was fun to watch. She did not mind the Picasso’s however many of what once could consider more basic looks she did not like. “Get high, cut patterns, get rich” was basically her view. Twas fun to watch her reactions.

After the Tate we walked along the Thames to the London Eye which is closer to the Westminster Bridge. Currently Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel and taking about 30 minutes for a complete spin in air-conditioned passenger compartments, it offers ever changing views of London that can give a photographer like me fits. Luckily the operators do not over-pack the passenger capsules and with the slow turning of the wheel there was more that enough time to snap away. A nice way to wrap our last full day in the U.K.

Home tomorrow but tonight the pub. The crew at The Queen’s Arms Kensington took good care of us.

The Gossips
The Gossips
The north side of the Thames from The Tate Modern
The north side of the Thames from The Tate Modern
The Tate Modern
The Tate Modern
Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern
Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern
A Matisse. Syd said "I could do this."
A Matisse. Syd said “I could do this.”
Picassos and guests.
Picassos and guests.
Many Maos
Many Maos
Babel 2000
Babel 2000
London from the Tate Modern
London from the Tate Modern
Syd and art
Syd and art
Huh? Potatos??
Huh? Potatoes??
Couscous as art
Couscous as art
Inside the Tate Modern
Inside the Tate Modern
Syd and the (former) boiler
Syd and the (former) oil tank
The Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern
The Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern
Art from the giftshop
Art from the giftshop
A picture of the picture takers.
A picture of the picture takers.
On the eye.
On the eye.
Off we go!
Off we go!
The City of London from the Eye. a
The City of London from the Eye.
A patient Syd.
A patient Syd.
London from the eye.
London from the eye.
Top of the eye, ma!
Top of the eye, ma!
Parliament from the Eye.
Parliament from the Eye.
Westminster Bridge
Westminster Bridge
There were MANY Three-card Monte scams on the Westminster Bridge!
There were MANY Three-card Monte scams on the Westminster Bridge!
Thanks Queen's Arms.
Thanks Queen’s Arms.