Homeward

February 27, 2010

I was at the desk of The Stafford this morning checking out, when a man walked up next to me and told the desk clerk that he was departing and she could just leave the charges on his bill. She asked that he wait a minute to check his totals, while I was checking mine. I looked up to find Matt LeBlanc, of “Friends” and “Joey” fame, looking at me. We said hello, compared experiences on this being both of our first times in the hotel, and I offered to let him sign my bill as well. He declined (I’m sure he would have been in the penthouse if I weren’t), and we shook hands as I wished him safe travels.

At Heathrow, there was a very short first class line, but a Virgin Atlantic woman with a radio phone asked us to follow a man onto an elevator. I looked at my wife and wondered what kind of aura we had given off to get into trouble. But the man took us to a private check-in where we used to go before they suspended it due to security concerns, and we went through complete check-in and security in three minutes. Then, astoundingly, the VAT reimbursement took only five minutes with no line and a very nice agent, and two minutes after that we were ensconced in the club, from which I now record this.

I’ve completed Chapter 8 of Million Dollar Speakingafter a full English breakfast and a vodka and orange juice. Once I sign off here, I’m headed for some sushi. I’ve taken some videos with a new iPhone app, which I hope we can get up here in the next day. As I’ve written before, we leave the hotel early in order to spend more time at the Virgin Atlantic Air Club.

I love London, can’t wait to return. And last night I finally got to the Lanesborough garden cigar room!