After depositing our rental car through the exit entrance, we made our way to the hotel to check in before heading to London. We had to catch a POD, Carol said. My mind went immediately to the movie with the aliens and the old guys in the swimming pool… seasoned folks will understand. The POD turned out to be super cool! It’s an unmanned system of travel between Heathrow Terminal 5 and the hotel…. Like the cars at Disney’s Tomorrowland! Five minutes later and our driverless POD was dropping us off at a station in the parking lot next to the hotel. We followed a green trail to a locked gate with a sign that said to input a code to open the door. No one of course had a code and Auntie spent five minutes or so looking for one. The sign said if you didn’t have a code, to ring the buzzer and the receptionist would tell you it would cost £8 per person to ride the shuttle and they’d collect at the desk. I finally walked over to the buzzer and rang the bell and the door opened. A short walk later, we’re at the desk at 2:25pm. We were staying the night at the Thistle Hotel – the outside looked like a Motel 6 and had me a bit worried – but once inside, I relaxed a tad ‘cause the lobby seems okay. The receptionist is telling Auntie she’ll have to charge to check us in earlier than the 3pm check-in time or we could wait until 2:30 and she wouldn’t charge us the fee. I must have had the “are you f’ing kidding me look” on my face, because she said never mind, give her a moment to check to see if the rooms were ready and she’d let us in. And she forgot to charge us the £24 for the POD.

The room was a very small family room… three twin beds for more than £200, but fine for a night. I think it would drive a family with small children nuts, though… too tight quarters! We dropped off our luggage, and headed out in the drizzle to make our way to Kew Gardens. Another free trip in the POD and back at the airport we head down to the airport’s London Underground terminal. Confusion, paid entry to the wrong platform and train, realizing our mistake, jumping off in time before the closing doors, paid entry to leave the wrong platform, upstairs, up and over, downstairs, to another platform, paid entry again to right platform and we’re finally on the right train. Five stops later, we’re hoping off the train to catch a connecting district train. Auntie is making friends, asking where to go. A kind, young lady takes pity and explains where we need to go. Still confused, the young lady finally says, follow me I’m getting to the train you need going to the same stop. Still apparently confused, the young lady finally says to Auntie, “Don’t panic, you’ll be fine, just follow me.” I look at Uncle Don laughing and said, “five minutes after their meeting, the girl has her figured out!”

We got off at the Kew Gardens station stop and walked out to a beautiful neighborhood. The Gardens were right in front, and we managed to get there at 4pm which meant it was half price entry. The gardens closed at 7pm with the Victorian Glass Houses closing at 5pm. I couldn’t go into the glass houses because the humidity was too much for me… I couldn’t even get in the front door to take a peek, so I enjoyed the gardens in front while the family enjoyed the inside. What a beautiful gardens it is. Park-like and huge! Kew Gardens was started in 1759 by King George III’s mother and now encompasses 330 acres! It holds a palace and is the site of scientific research and it’s a World Heritage Site and water served in a can… and don’t forget your crispy roasted chicken flavored chips if you’re feeling a bit peckish and need a snack! Three hours later, tons of pictures of plants, trees, and wildlife, thousands of steps and the gates are closing and we have to leave. If you ever get to London, it’s definitely a must visit!

A short walk back to the train station, dinner at a local restaurant, a few drinks and we catch the trains back to terminal 5 and end with another free POD ride back to our room. Down for the night, we all pass out fairly quickly before our required early – 4:30am – trip to the airport to catch our flight to Ponta Delgado, Azores… oh, and this time, the receptionist charged us for the POD!