School in London - Arrival

Saturday-Sunday 27-28 August

After a pleasant and pleasantly uneventful flight from Boston to London’s Heathrow airport I zipped through passport control and customs. Of course from where the airplane landed it was a walk of about 12 miles (600kms) to get through the maze of this enormous airport which is about the size of the state of Vermont. Anyway, I had no sooner entered into the heart of Terminal 4 when, I found an ATM and took some cash out. In fact there were about four of these machines in row each representing a different bank staring me in the face as soon as I came through customs . Anyway my first objective was complete. I then grabbed an espresso doppio at the Starbucks, which was right across from the ATMS and stopped at a nearby information booth to ask how to get to my hotel. Since I was going to arrive late in the evening I opted to stay at one of the many nearby airport hotels and then find my way to my host family’s home in Willesden Green the following day. 

OK, so the way it works at Heathrow is that if you arrive at terminal 4 and are staying at a nearby hotel then you have to find your way to the Heathrow Express train, a level below the main terminal. You won’t need to buy a ticket since the train is free if you are only traveling to Heathrow Central (terminals 1-3). You get on board and get off at the next stop. Find your way to terminal 2, walk outside and look for traffic bay no. 12 on the pedestrian island. Buy a “Hotel Hoppa” ticket at the machine there at the traffic bay with coins or a credit card or you can pay on board (3 pounds one-way) and then keep an eye out for the bus with your hotel’s name on it (there are usually four or five hotels per bus). 

So I arrived at the Ibis Hotel, checked in and got settled into my room before heading back downstairs to have a bite to eat. The rooms are small and perfunctory but clean and appeared fairly new and in quite good condition. As it turned out it was also a quiet place to stay – although when I awoke early this morning (Sunday) it did seem as if the hotel were located right on one of the main runways but a small price to pay for feeling refreshed and ready to start this wonderful little adventure.

Sunday

I left the hotel about 10 am and got aboard the “Hotel Hoppa” to Terminal 1 where I accomplished a couple of important objectives: I got a SIM card for my mobile phone, loaded it with time and then proceeded to the central “Tube” (subway) station where I got a monthly pass – I’ll be using the Tube every day, taking the Jubilee line from Willesden Green to Green Park and then walking about 10 minutes to the school. (The central underground station is located between terminals 2 and 3.)

I then inquired at the TI (tourist information) office as to which was the best way to get from the airport to Willesden Green. A taxi was possible but outrageously expensive – and since I already had my month tube pass I thought why not take the subway? So I did. I took the Piccadilly line from Heathrow and about 40 minutes later arrived at Green Park station where I changed trains for the Jubilee line – about 20 minutes later I was in Willesden Green. A short (15 minute) walk and I arrived at Mrs. Balali’s house on Park Avenue North; a lovely home in a quiet residential neighborhood. (I had sent her a text message from the train to let her know I was on my way and she acknowledged back so I knew I wouldn’t be waiting for someone to come home.)

She showed me inside and introduced me to her daughter Hoda and then showed me to my room on the second floor (or first floor for the Europeans). Mrs. Balali and her family board several students at any given time, most from one of the numerous programs offered at International House.  After I settled in I went downstairs and she was kind enough to fix me a cup of tea, give me some water and I asked her a few questions about the living arrangements for the next four weeks: how dinner and breakfast worked, laundry, that sort of thing.

I then decided to take a trip down to central London and made a point of checking out exactly where the schools is located (next to the Japanese embassy as it turns out). Instead of switching trains at Green Park I left the station and went back to the surface. In front of me was Piccadilly street and I turned left out of the station and walked about 5 minutes to the school. It is located directly across from Green Park which is on the northern edge of Buckingham Palace and so I strolled through the park down to palace to see if the queen was waiting for me – apparently she had not heard that I was in town yet so I strolled back to Piccadilly street and then headed to Piccadilly Circus – pass the Ritz Hotel – where the doorman was in the process of negotiating with the local police to remove a panhandler from the premises – and felt like I was right back in times Square: the tourists snapping pictures (myself included), the sheer volume of humanity wanting to experience this phenomenal city. 

I retraced my steps heading back to the Tube station and stopped in at Caffe Pascucci where I had a couple of glasses of prosecco and in turn they brought me several large pieces of various panini’s so I was actually quite full when I left. It was small island of Italy (“una piccola isola d’italia”) and much appreciated by me – I can see this is someplace I will come occasionally when I will not be eating with the Balali’s (meals M-F). They were also eager to help me with my Italian!

I returned to Green Park tube station and hopped back on the train to Willesden Green – I stopped and picked up some water to take home and hope for restful night’s sleep. Tomorrow is a Bank Holiday so my plan is to be very much the tourist and take one of the bus tours of the city.