Like old travel vets - checking in online - hoping for a bump
It was 10 days ago that Keith and I found them checking signs aimlessly at Russell Square tube station. Now - just a few moments ago - I put them on the same subway - with their very heavy suitcases - on their way to Heathrow Airport. I was surprised that the gate attendant allowed me to carry their bags down the elevators and steps and physically put them on the train. It was 8 AM - and I can't re-call a tube car being more packed - but like Moses and the Red Sea - the locals parted when they saw those two "big bags" coming. I had a chuckle - Marylou has four pieces of yarn in different colors tied to her bag - red - green - purple - blue. I guess that was so she could identify her bag from others that only had - red - green - purple - yarn. Jean's bag had a green ribbon - leather tag as big as your hand with a "J" on it. No one was going to accidentally take their 50 pound bags of London booty.
I went back to the apartment - Lulu was long-faced at the breakfast table. She looked like she lost her two best buddies. She said what a good time we had - and also how helpful the two La Leche Leaguers were for her. Last night they went to Chinatown for one last fling and had came home exhausted. But that didn't prevent them from all staying up to midnight - in an after glow - like three college freshman heading of to campus leaving their high school buddies behind.
Already the three are promising each other they will do it again next year. After 11 days of Billy - Jersey Boys - Wicked - Hyde Park - Regent Park - Buckingham Palace - Stonehenge - British Museum - Big Ben - Westminster Abbey - St Paul's Cathedral - Paris - The Chunnel - Notre Dame Cathedral - Cruising the Seine - The Louvre - The Eiffel Tower - Shopping the Champs Ellysse - - - nothing was better than the picture of the three of them holding hands in Paris - when they thought no one was watching.
Nothing is better than old friends. You cry when they come and cry when they go. These three will always have Paris --- and Tamaqua.
Watching out for the slaves and masters in Paris
PS - What a happy ending - they got bumped! they each got $500 flight vouchers good for any flight for a year. They were also put on a Virgin Airline Boeing 747 four hours later - and got all the win they could drink in 7 hours.
