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 November 2006 Back to Table of Contents Back to Archives Main Page Section: Travel Flight From Terror By Kay Patterson
The foiled plot had been scheduled for execution on our return date. We figure the Brits saved our lives. Surprises happen when you travel, but not like this. We four family members, ranging in age from 49 to 83, eagerly anticipated this trip to England and Scotland. The flight over supplied the usual mix of excitement and grumping over the tight seating. During the planning process, serendipity had landed us in the five-star Caldonian. We were dazzled. Then came the stunning news. After breakfast, we watched BBC for the story we’d be living all week. Under these conditions, what can you do but proceed? Off we went to Edinburgh Castle to see how the Scots managed terror in the Middle Ages. Their wisdom was to build a fortress on a rock. And when I say rock, I mean a big one. You have to crane your neck to see the castle. To reach it, you climb.
Feet throbbing, we returned to the Caledonian and BBC. Travel restrictions were creating chaos at Heathrow. When the news made our hearts palpitate, we turned it off and went back to our travels.This became the rhythm of our days. In York, we had breakfast and the news that more terrorists could be at-large. Off we went, hearts aflutter, to York Minster, where people have prayed for 1,000 years. It was awash in song. The choir was rehearsing for evensong and the organ spread the beautiful voices throughout this huge and holy place. It makes South Buffalo’s Our Lady of Victory look small. Back at the hotel, BBC said Heathrow was still a mess. Passengers sequestered in holding tents watched their flights leave while they were never allowed to check-in. In London, we were relieved that the terror alert had moved off the top news spot. Big Ben beckoned us into the Parliament Building and our guide was wonderful, a perfect mix of loving the history and delighting in political nonsense.
But our luck held. Arriving at Heathrow, our driver, who had been there every day, said, “Oh, this is much better!” Chaos had given way to an orderly calm with clear skies, plenty of tent space and an attentive airline crew providing food, coffee and information. You didn’t even have to leave your seat to get it. In the end, we set our suitcases down in Buffalo exactly on schedule, with some rough weather giving us the only anxious moments in-flight. We didn’t grump about anything. It could have been much worse. back to top back to table of contents Current Issue | About Forever Young | Where to Find | Advertise | Our Advertisers | Community Calendar | Contest | Clubs | Contact Us | Archives | Home |
