October 27th
We awake at 530, and get ready to depart. We carry our bags down to breakfast, and leave them with the concierge. The shuttle-bus is due about 730, and we're probably not going to have time to run up to the room after breakfast, especially since we're convincing the staff to let us eat a few minutes early. We get through breakfast, settle up at the front desk, and now the shuttle is running late.
The shuttle bus out to the airport is certainly convenient, but I'm not sure I'd use it again. It's a ninety minute drive, and I don't remember it taking anywhere near that long to get into town on the train. I think the best solution would be to take a taxi to Victoria Station, and then get on the Gatwick Express from there (making sure not to get on a local), but we paid for this before we knew the details.
On the way to the airport, we pass the stadium where the Rugby match will be played later in the week. There are signs up already warning people about the traffic. Eventually we get to the airport (the airline-mandated three hours before the flight), and check in. We've now got a couple hours to kill in the duty-free shops. There are two areas. One is a big common area before you head to the gate, which has a much better selection, and the second is the smaller shop area at the gate. We don't see anything in the larger area, so we head to the gate, only to realize that there's no going back. Oh well.
We walk around the gate area a bit, and run into Jim. We get to hear "Jim's Tale of Woe" and it sounds like something I'm glad didn't happen to me. I give thanks for having bought a money-belt and kept things there. We spend some time in the shops, and between a few Men's lifestyle magazines, a "Beefeater Bear Snow-Globe" and a pint at the bar, I manage to use up my remaining £20.
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