Day
1 - Thursday 10th September 2015
We have a day
at work to get through before we can leave for the airport (Tam
and I still work for the same company), but it goes reasonably
fast and we leave at 4.00pm to drive to Heathrow.
Our packed suitcases are already in the car, so there's no need
to go home first. The journey to Heathrow is uneventful and we
pull into the Sofitel at 5.45pm. This hotel is incredibly
convenient for Terminal 5 as you leave your car in their
underground car park and it's linked to the terminal by a
walkway.
Er... this appears to be the only photo we have at the Sofitel. I blame Tam. She does the photos and I do the video. Or in this case, she doesn't do the photos.
We check in and
go to the room for a shower before heading to the bar at 6.45pm.
A short while later Deb and Matt arrive and we chat for a while
before moving across to the Vivre restaurant for our meal. This
is a nice enough place and the food is reasonable - not great,
but not bad, so it's a pleasant start to the holiday.
As we are eating, Matt tells us that a mutual friend of ours,
Mark, is also at Heathrow catching a flight to Newcastle and that
he's sat two rows behind Mo Farah. A while later a photo arrives
of a selfie Mark has taken with Mo. Deb is impressed as she says
she would be too reserved to ask for a photo with him. I tell her
she's being a little presumptuous. How does she know that Mo
Farah didn't think 'Oh look, there's Mark over there, I'll go and
ask if I can have my photo taken with him'? I realise that this
is unlikely, but you have to cover all possibilities.
We go to the
champagne bar where Deb and Matt both have a glass of bubbly -
makes sense in a champagne bar I suppose, but I make do with a
beer while Tam has a Campari and lemonade.
The girls disappear off to the loo to freshen up or whatever else
it is that ladies do together in the toilet, it's always been a
mystery to me. Matt and I are sat drinking when his phone buzzes
- Deb is Facetiming Matt from the loo! He answers and I can hear
Deb giggling away on the other end of the line. When she comes
back we are asking why she was video calling from a toilet
cubicle. She maintains she didn't and it must have accidentally
connected somehow. Hmmm .... I'm somewhat dubious about this and
believe it may be some kinky little game they play on a regular
basis. I shall be keeping a very careful eye on her every time
she goes to the loo on this holiday. Oh dear, that doesn't sound
right either.
While the
ladies are in the loo the server comes over to tell Matt and I
that the bar is closing shortly. This comes as a bit of a
surprise as it's 9.40pm! The champagne bar is a lovely area, much
nicer than the main bar, but there is virtually no one in there.
Maybe that's why they close so early.
When our drinks are finished we go to the main bar for a
nightcap. As Deb says, this bar is nicer now it's dark and the
lights are on.
Off to bed just after 11.00pm.