My last day in the US of A! Met Phil in the hotel foyer – first time since we parted company in Chicago. A gang of us went round the corner for breakfast but it was nearly lunch by the time the hard-pressed waitress brought our order.
Phil, Nicky, their travelling companion Joe and I then set off on foot to see a bit more of New York. We must have walked miles but it was interesting and as we went along we swapped experiences. Went through Greenwich Village and eventually got down to the waterside. Joe and Nicky opted for an excursion to the Statue of Liberty but the rest of us took the cheaper ferry which went quite close. From the boat you get the standard view which is shown in films when they want you to know it’s set in New York. Unfortunately it was overcast, so I don’t think my photo will be any good. Stayed on the ferry and returned to Manhattan to rejoin the other two.
We had used the subway earlier on, and for our money we got a subway token and a ticket. The latter was good for a return journey so we went down onto the platform. The trains themselves are plastered with graffiti which turns them into mobile murals. I slightly miscalculated the length of time they remain in the station, for as I photographed a train it rumbled out, taking Phil and the others off too.
I caught the next one OK but time was running out. Had a burning hot pizza from a corner shop where they provided salt, pepper and oregano shakers. Probably the best pizza I had eaten in America but running along the streets is not the best way to appreciate one. Burnt my mouth off and got melted cheese everywhere.
Back at the hotel, I retrieved my bag from the trunk room and I was soon taking a last look at the steaming street and climbing aboard the bus which took us to the airport.
There, a huge transporter carried us to the plane (it had a rear view closed-circuit TV it was so long). At the side of the plane, the whole body of the transporter rose on giant jacks until we were level with the fuselage, so we boarded the plane without climbing a single step.
With such a speedy and efficient system to get us on board, it was a pity we stayed on the ground for a further three hours while they repaired an instrument cooling fan in the cockpit. It got quite stuffy on the plane, whose engines remained on the whole time, and the stewardesses gave out iced water.
Even when we got airborne our troubles weren’t over. An hour or so into the flight I felt the plane descending and the captain announced that we were going to land in Nova Scotia for safety reasons.
There we took the opportunity to stretch our legs, buy something to eat (and not pay for it) and get some duty-free stuff. It turned out that an engine stowed in the cargo hold had been giving off a fuel smell which had to be investigated on the ground.
Landed in London completely shattered. I exchanged addresses with DB, Joe, John and Shôn and said farewell, then Shôn Phil and I went for a pint of English beer at a pub near Victoria Station. An American visitor ordered a pint of “dark beer” at the same time. He didn’t like it, and we thought it tasted like rusty nails too, after three months of drinking American pop.
Phil and I caught the train up to Liverpool where Alan and Audrey were waiting for me at Lime Street. They had guessed which train to meet! The Jaguar seemed awfully small as we loaded our well-worn kit bags into the boot …
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