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Friday April 29, 2022 Lunch in Bedford, last “real” day in England

 I took the local rail service from London to Bedford—an hour’s journey after an hour on the Tube from Wimbledon—to have lunch with my cousin Bill and his wife Annie. Bill has been very ill; he was ill when I saw him last September and hasn’t made a lot of progress with his disease. So, being so close in distance to where he lives, I wanted very much to see him.

It’s a cold, overcast day. Arizona winter weather almost, certainly not Spring. Spending a lot of time in railway cars/subway cars was a cozy way to go. I did take one photo from Blackfriars Railway Station before I started my train journey this morning:


The chimney to the right is Tate Modern Museum, where we visited yesterday. 

When we met up, Annie looked at me and said, “You look exhausted.” Yeah, yeah, I am. I tossed and turned all night worrying about this d*** COVID stuff possibly scuppering our plans to go home on Monday. At this point, I don’t even care about going on the ship. I want to go home. I said to R tonight that, I love the idea of traveling but the reality, not so much. Oh, I make sure I enjoy every day (we won’t talk about sleepless nights) but, really, at this point in the travels if someone were to offer me a test-free first class flight home on Monday instead of getting down to Southampton on Sunday night, getting to the Cruise Terminal, “passing” yet another COVID test, I would be sorely tempted to say “Oh, yes please!” 

It’s a bit unfair that Canadians/Canadian residents who are flying to Canada from anywhere don’t have to test before they get on the plane. The US still requires everyone, vaccinated or not, to produce a negative COVID test so not only will there be a test on Monday, there will be another test a day before we land in Lauderdale. And yes of course I know that some of my readers will say “Well, I feel better knowing that everyone getting on board has tested negative, especially if they aren’t wearing masks. And for seven hours….” And you’re right, you’re absolutely right. I am being a tired toddler wanting life to be simple again. It’s just not simple anymore. I don’t think it ever will be again.

Anyway, I enjoyed being with Bill and Annie for a few hours, we talked about all kinds of things, I saw where they live and all the adaptations they’ve had to make to the house for Bill’s wheelchair. And then we said (the universe willing) “au revoir” and I reversed the journey, back to Wimbledon.

I probably ought to pack tonight but we have enough time tomorrow morning. We don’t have to check out until 11 and we don’t check in to the other hotel until 3:00. We’re not looking forward to the train journey over to Chelsea but it will work out. Time keeps moving on and the things that we dread are soon in the past, right? Tomorrow night Elizabeth is hosting a dinner party for us as guests of honor at her house with the same family members there were last September. She’s also said that other cousins are going to try to Zoom from the North of England; people I haven’t had a chance to meet.

I leave with a quick photo I took of Bill, Annie and me in Bill’s car before I hurried off to take the train to London.



I do want to end with gratitude: I am thankful that we have traveled safely so far. I am thankful for a traveling companion/husband who does his best and accepts our differences. I am thankful that we have had warm, comfortable accommodations at night and sufficient food during the day. I am thankful for good friends, here and back home, who have been a cheering section, and sympathetic ears. I am thankful we have felt healthy; minor ailments that remind us we ARE aging keep us aware of the precious gift of health. I am grateful we haven’t lost anything. May this all continue to be so.

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