Florida Coalcracker Chronicles: Love Actually - Movie/Symphony Combo - Highlight A Very Exciting First Day in London

Saturday, December 10, 2022

Love Actually - Movie/Symphony Combo - Highlight A Very Exciting First Day in London

The theatre was next to the Hammersmith Station

We are in London - staying at the Hilton Paddington Station. We will spend 19 days in Europe with 2 main goals. First - Lulu is doing a presentation at a conference in Oxford University. Second - we want to be with the family for Christmas in Paris and a week of holiday fun in a chalet in the Swiss Alps.

The trip started in Tallahassee Friday at 3 PM. The plane to Atlanta was overbooked and they offered us two bump tickets worth $1800 - if we would delay our flight a little. We were ready to go - but then they only needed one of our seats. We decided just to go on our regular flight. I already had the $1800 spent in my mind. I was willing to fly the second day alone.

We left Atlanta then for an 8 hour trip to London on a Virgin Airlines A350. It was a nice flight - Lulu slept a lot - but I stayed up most of the time. I watched a movie featuring Emma Thompson in a love story. She does full frontal nudity for the first time. She is pretty old but looked pretty nice. Now I know Lulu could be a movie star - Emma is one of her favorite actresses. Our plane was a little early as we arrived in the dark in London at 6 am. We were through customs in a flash - and we had 3 checked bags we had to pick up.

There is an 13 minute express train between the airport and Paddington Station - where we are staying. Although it was in the 20s outside - we never had to go outside from the airport - right into our station hotel. This is going to work out well.

We arrived at our hotel around 7 am - and our check-in time was 3 pm. The desk took our bags and told us to go have a free breakfast in the executive lounge. When we came back - they had our room ready. It was like getting a whole extra day for free. We went upstairs - and went right to bed. We slept until about 2 pm. We went outside and the sun already set about 4 pm - it was dark.

One of Lulu's favorite holiday movies is - LOVE ACTUALLY. It was made 19 years ago - and it is full of British stars. It has 10 basic love plots all woven together. It stars Emma Thompson - Hugh Grant - Colin Firth - Liam Neeson - Billy Bob Thornton. It is set in London and deals with romance during Christmas. It cost $40 million to make - and grossed $250 million! It won a Golden Globe as the best movie.

We took the subway to the theatre - and asked for tickets. we bought 2 nice tickets - then we did a little shopping - and had supper at the Nicolson Pub. Lulu had fish and chips - I had a Steak and Ale Pie. I was honestly getting a little tired with jet lag and all - but we carried on - because Lulu wanted to experience this London Show in London.

I wore my black wool coat - black long johns - and black beatle boots. I looked like a beatnik - you have not heard that word in a while. The theatre was populated by every single woman in London - plus every wussy man that was not watching the England vs France soccer game.

The show went from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm with a big break to sell these women $7 plastic glasses of wine.

Lulu and I both loved the show. It was an up and down emotional roller coaster. It made you appreciate what you had.

After the show - a quick subway right to Paddington - had us home quickly. It is going to work out fine - having a hotel right in one of the business stations in London. Subways are always nice - now even better - you use you iPhone to pay as you get on - the turnstile reads your account and charges you the cheapest rate. No need to have cash for anything.

It is now Saturday night at midnight. Lulu is already in bed watching TV - I am sitting in my black long johns typing. I think I will leave them on for bed tonight.

It was a great start to our vacation. Monday Lulu goes to her conference in Oxford University. We take the tunnel train to Paris Thursday.