Settling In

It seems everyone I've spoken to who's flown over the past year has had particularly bad experiences, from lengthy delays to overnights spent on the floor of airports. Unfortunately mine can be added to the list. My flight from ILM to Charlotte was fine, but the connecting flight from Charlotte to London (only one flight a day) was delayed four times due to "mechanical issues." By the third delay I'd lost confidence and the desire to fly the US Air Airbus 330. The quandary then was whether to secure a seat on the flight for the following evening, with no idea where I would sleep for the night, or to wait for US Air to officially cancel the flight and issue hotel vouchers. The latter choice could result in chaos as travelers scrambled for a new booking and the vouchers.

My decision to wait secured vouchers for a meal, hotel room and $800 good for a year for another flight. So, I spent a night in a local hotel and caught the flight the next evening with virtually no hitches. Arrived pretty exhausted and a day late which has made the jet lag particularly bad, with interrupted sleep and late risings for three days. But, now I'm sorted and am making the most of beautiful warm days.

Since I'm relying on public transportation and my aging feet to get me everywhere I plan to go, my itinerary has already been adjusted with untenable two-hour commutes to a few places I'd hoped to see this trip. I'm pretty content to take local buses to nearby villages to explore, popping into old churches, shops, cafes and strolling through the ubiquitous parks.

My first visit to London was 43 years ago this month. It always amazes me to experience the same sensations each time I've visited, from the way the air smells (minus the coal from that first visit), to my delight in small differences (high doorknobs). But London, always a cosmopolitan city, no longer feels quintessentially English. It seems there are even more foreign accents here than in New York including Russian, Arabic, Japanese, Italian, German and French heard in this small northern borough.

Twice I've been in London during significant political events-the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 which ended 30 years of sectarian fighting in Northern Ireland; and an upcoming referendum on Scottish independence which could upturn the 307-year-old union with England. This week should prove to be pretty emotional for those on both sides of the issue.

But today, a sunny Sunday, I will put on a cute new top I bought at Pearson's Department Store in Enfield yesterday and stroll through Grovelands Park to watch children feed the ducks in the lake, after which I'll have dinner at The Woodman Pub.