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ARRIVING IN LONDON - June 28

Our arrival in London was fraught with our typical perils of Pauline, including learning that the company we rented our car from in the States didn’t exist in England, and ending up being charged double what we’d agreed when we reserved on the Web. But, we DID get to our friend’s house in Hackney…...

We got about four hours of sleep between supper and continental breakfast on the plane, finally arriving at Heathrow 6:30 a.m.  Got our luggage, hauled it to the transportation area, only to find that our car rental agency – Fox Rentals – doesn’t exist here in London…..bummer.  We called the manager (located in Chicago), but it was after midnight, and he had referred all callers to his voicemail….then called our travel agent, and their office had closed so no contact until Thursday p.m.!!  Sheeesh!  We had no telephone number on our confirmation sheet, and no name except Fox Rentals.  After I had checked with each of the companies at the counter, to see if Fox was a broker who had made the deal with one of them – finding out that our $325.00 rental would be a minimum of $800.00 from them – Gail went down to the Information desk and the nice lady went on the web and found that Fox Rentals in the U.S. is Practical Car Hire over here. 

We got the 1-800 number and were over at the hotel where they operate in about half an hour - of course, getting there involved a three-pound (each) bus ride!  Once in the office, we learned that if you don’t take their CDW (for 10 pounds/day, or almost $20.00 U.S. - more than the daily cost of our rental), but rely on the credit card’s guarantee to take care of anything beyond your own auto insurance coverage, the car rental agency charges an “indemnity fee” of 4 pounds daily (about $7.50) – this forms an insurance pool, I was told, to cover those accidents and other mishaps where the company can’t collect from anyone.  Since renting the bloody car only cost us $15.00/day, this is NOT an insignificant sum…..furthermore, I do not believe that Fox Rentals was unaware of this policy, and I believe should have told us ahead of time….and I’m going to communicate that to the travel agencies we dealt with.  There are other charges as well, but not too big – our car rental will cost almost exactly twice what we were quoted from the States.  And gas over here is very close to $2.00/LITER…….91-99 pence each liter, and a pound costs just short of two dollars.  Ugh.  This is probably the last trip to England for a while……we’ll see.  Spain would be nice, although perhaps no less expensive.  We’ll think about that, later.

Got in the car and talked ourselves (look right, stay left) all the way to Hackney and to Susan’s house.  I hate driving around in London!!  Parking on the street outside her place is only one pound 20 pence….....per HOUR.  “Pay and Display” - you get your ticket from the machine across the street and display it on your dashboard – otherwise, a giant fine is assessed.  We bought ½ hour, walked to an Internet café for Gail to e-mail Susan and others, while I looked for a cashpoint so we could buy some lunch.  The one we had passed was out of order, so I went to the cyber café (only one pound/hour) and then back to sit in the car while Gail got the money and our lunch.  She brought back doner kebab for me (chopped and reformed lamb in a huge block that rotates in front of a flame to grill it, and is then sliced off and put in pita bread with salad and sauce) and she had a falafel sandwich.  Delicious…..and about $14.00.  London is expensive!  No one answered the doorbell before we left – but about 30 minutes after I got back (it’s now about 1:00 p.m.) the door of Susan’s place opens up and there is a grizzly and mustachioed gent looking out the door or Susan’s house.  I ask him if Susan is in and he says “no”, so I ask when she’ll be back and he says probably about 7:00.  I say “OK”, thinking “Who IS this guy?” But hesitating to ask – Gail says that being as direct as I’m inclined to be puts people off…..ya think?  Anyhow, during my (short) conversation, the neighbor hears us and comes out saying “Are you the Americans? – I thought I heard your accent.”  I wanted to say “MY accent!” but did not, just gratefully said the I WAS “the American” that Susan was expecting.  She’d left us a key with him, which he gave me and which the grizzly gent showed me how to use.  He’s the handyman doing remodeling – putting in a very nice bathroom in place of the awful one from before.  Real nice work. 

But, since the parking permit for guests of residents only lasted six hours, and since the air here in Hackney was so wonderful, we decided to sit in the car for a while, at least until Susan arrived, which the handyman said she would in about an hour.  We had a “picnic” in the car – until Susan got home.  Then we had tea – it IS England, you know.  Then we repacked our stuff so that the two big bags will fit out of sight in the boot of this five-door economy car (English version of the Chevrolet, or Vauxhall, in this case a Corsa with 1.4 liter engine.  Seems nice.)  Then we get to do e-mail.  Susan has a DSL line – the slower model, like we have in TN.  There are about six wireless networks on the block, but all are encrypted!  Boo.  Don’t these people believe in sharing?  grin  Now, my journal is up-to-date, so I’ll burn a CD that I can use in Susan’s computer to attach stuff to my e-mails.

Tomorrow we may do some local walking and take in the sights of Hackney…..stay another night and head east on Friday.  I don’t want to drive in London any more than is absolutely necessary.

Posted by on 07/29 at 05:39 PM

  1. Wow.  I used to dream of going to Europe.  I never realized before this year that it could be such a hassle to get everything straightened out once you get to where you’re going.  A friend of mine, Carissa, just went to Itally this autumn for school, and is already headed home ‘cause life is just easier over here in the states, for those of us who are used to living here.  She’s had all kinds of headaches from trying to live over there.  I guess I should be happier to live here in the US than I’ve sometimes been :D

    Posted by Caroline  on  11/08  at  04:27 PM

  2. It CAN be a hassle, for sure.  On the other hand, it’s just an airport….I’ve had TERRIBLE times in U.S. airports at times, and very easy times overseas at others.

    When thousands of people are coming and going from a huge facility, stuff happens. 

    Overall, appreciate what we have here in the U.S. of A.  On the other hand, part of appreciating our wonderful country is visiting others to see the wonderful things they have, and to be SO glad when we come back home.

    Posted by  on  11/09  at  11:53 AM

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