Sunday 30th September - Venice

Up early(4 30am!!!!) for the short walk to Terminal 5 to book in for our BA flight to Venice.

Terminal 5 from the air.

 At the western end of the airport. Handy for landing but a long way from thetake of end of the runway! Normally planes land from the east and take of towards the west, as they did today!

                                           Heathrow, Terminal 5

Due to take off at 8 15 but not in the air until 08 40 as we were bussed to a stand - new terminal but not air bridge! Very swift fight and landed at 10 20, or 11 20 local time. As usual rubbish breakfast of something called egg but neither looked or tasted like what we know as egg! Captain gave a humourous description of the air bridge driver trying to connect us with the terminal but the delay did not matter due to the usual carousel nightmare. It seemed like it was coffee break as there was a good 15 minute break in activity after our first case came and whilst waiting for Jack's case. then on to a coach to join one queue to chech in and then another to go through security and board the ship. Late lunch at 2 30pm and then our usual look around the ship, ( here is the ballrom where will have a coral afternoon tea tomorrow!)

 lifeboat drill and dinner. We do not sail out until about 8 30pm so it will be interesting to see Venice by night.

Blog by 3 dongle which has worked in Italy as we have put enough credit on it to pay 3 Italy its extortionate profit

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Off to Heathrow

We are picked up by fbb, AKA Peter for the short trip to Ryde Pier Head

 to catch the Wight Ryder across Spithead to Portsmouth Harbour.

Decide to go by taxi (nice clean Ford Galaxy) up to the Sofitel as there is no direct train service and we have heavy bags - all those frocks - to cart along with us. Driver has intelligent Sat Nav which told him M25 was closed at Guildford so we use A31 to use M3 rather than A3 and arrive in good time for a look around and dinner.


Sofitel, Terminal 5 Heathrow

Hotel could be very noisy as it's at the end of the runway but rooms are arranged in wings which look over an enclosed courtyard.

                                       Terminal 5, Heathrow, Hotel is off shot just to bottom left of picture

Blog by 3 dongle with left over data from Welsh holiday: Sofitel want £15.00 for stay!

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Queen Elizabeth Pearls of the Black Sea cruise

We are off on our travels again with a Black Sea cruise on Queen Elizabeth. We fly out from Heathrow to Venice on Sunday 30th September. As it is an early BA flight from Terminal 5, we are staying the Saturday night at the Sofitel Hotel.

our itinerary is:

Having already been on Mary 2 and Victoria this will mean we will have been on the entire Cunard fleet! We are interested to see how Elizabeth varies from its sister ship Victoria.

Queen Elizabeth off Seaview leaving for its Autumn Fly Voyage season