Packed, Ready to Go, and Planning Days in London

This time I decided to take some clothing I don't usually pack. Nice to have a little bit of a change. It did create a little more of a challenge with packing, but I managed. Took an extra pair of walking shoes that are always the annoyance with taking up space. It is important to have more than one pair of shoes when many days we will be out walking.

Looks like the weather won't be too cold and, other than London, won't be warm. I'm amazed that it will be in the 70s when we are there. Good weather for strolling. I did some more googling this morning about events in London and found out that Saturday is a special day for the International Year of Biodiversity. Activities are planned at the Natural History Museum, the Lambeth Palace trail, the Grant Museum of Zoology, and the British Museum (Definitely going there since we haven't been there in a very long time). 

All of this is in addition to the Elephant Parade viewing. Saturday is Meet the Artists for part of the day.


Internet access during this trip is questionable but I will write daily about what we see and do.

So far... so good

No strike for British Airways... no volcanic ash for London airspace...

Now I can seriously focus on PACKING. 
This is the bag I'm taking. We decided to check our bags so I wanted to take the well-used one. (Amazing how many airports and countries it has visited.)

We're leaving tomorrow!!!

Calls Made and Lessons Learned

I always have to make phone calls before the trip, mostly for security reasons. I usually wait until 2 days before the trip. By then, I'm 99% sure about trip details.


Credit Card companies -- Whenever we leave the country, I notify them that we'll use our cards. Always a good idea. Without the call, they might "freeze" our cards thinking someone has stolen it. It's funny to me that they always tell me that if there's a problem to call the number on the back of the card. How can you do that if it was stolen. I always make a copy of any cards we're taking and write under it the number to call if we have to. Once, when we were in Moscow, we had a problem with a card in an ATM at GUM mall in Red Square. Steve kept trying to use it and it bounced out. We thought we had been charged and got no money. Found out later, after a call, assisted by a helpful person on the Grand Circle River Ship, that we were not charged for anything. There's an ATM maximum limit per transaction (We knew this.) but have to take into account the exchange rate at the time. Whoops! Fortunately, we did have another card with us so did get the rubles before we left GUMS. 

Lessons Learned: Know Transaction Info AND Bring Additional Card.

Alarm Company -- Always call them when we'll be away. Makes no sense for them to make their call back to the house when no one is supposed to be here IF the alarm goes off. When we were in San Francisco last August, the alarm went off TWICE at about 5 in the morning. Police came, walked around, no sign of entry. I think it was a bat in the basement. For the last five years, from about August 12-16, we've had bats. (I think they have a convention at that time. LOL) Problem was that no one had access to our house because we were the only ones with the code.

Lesson Learned: Someone else has to have alarm code in case necessary to come in to check. Taken care of after that trip.

Grand Circle -- We always pay for the insurance that covers cancellation, hospital stays, and other medical issues. We've never had to use the insurance (and hopefully never will) but I wanted to find out about the medical coverage. This is first trip we're taking without a GCT/OAT program director with us (NCL Cruise ship) so wanted to double check how it would work.  They gave me number of TripMate so I contacted them. Found out that it is the "secondary coverage" (after our own insurance) and has no deductible nor deadline for requesting benefits. Also has medical assist part in case it's needed.(I'm not planning on needing it!)

Lesson Learned:  Always check in case you're not sure. They were all helpful.