Thanksgiving in England

By the time we arrived back at Gate 41, boarding was well under way.  We used the Priority Lane to jump the gate queue...

... but not much one can do about the jet bridge queue.

We originally had seats 1A and 2A but for the 2nd time this year, I was bounced from 2A and reassigned to 1D.    Not sure why this keeps happening as Mr. 2A definitely wasn't a Federal Air Marshall.    

My 1D.   The adjacent 1F was available but with Mrs. SFO777 in the best seat on the place, no reason to give that one up.  Plus we were able to communicate across the aisle.   Service today started very well especially when our lead flight attendant Barbara brought out the good champagne at the gate.  She had initially come around with a tray of champagne or water.  When I asked when the champagne was Laurent-Perrier, she laughed and admitted that it was indeed the cheaper pre-departure champagne.   After some pleasant banter, she asked me to give her a moment and she'd pop the good stuff.   Which she did first bringing out the bottle to show.  Not the Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle from my last flight, but the equally delicious and expensive Philipponant Clos des Goisses which Mrs. SFO777 professed to be "the best she's ever tasted".  Wow.   What a great start to our flight.

The new Casper sleepwear.  The slippers were nice but the PJs not so much.  The old PJs were amazingly comfortable and I'd actually taken some home.  These were not nearly as comfy. 

While American's domestic catering is so bad as to be virtually inedible, their international First Class food and wine, especially to London has been very good.   Tonight's menu...

And then showtime, AA style.

OMG, proper salt and pepper shakers.  

Unfortunately, it was downhill from there with the most disorganized and disjointed service in quite a while.   No drink refills or wine orders before Barbara delivered the soup.  It took another 10 minutes to get a glass of Chassagne and for a 2nd flight attendant to offer bread.  By that time the soup had pretty much cooled down. 

Tasty, but cold.

Next up was the salad or basically a bunch of greens.

Much better after I sliced up the lettuce and mixed in the balsamic.

At the point, Barbara brought the goat cheese starter, apologizing that she had forgot it earlier.  It wasn't very good so forgetting it might have been doing me a favor.  

By now, I'd kind of figured Barbara out and made sure to ask for a refill or my next wine well in advance.  And she'd kind of figured me out by bringing me full glasses of wine.  That way, we're both happy.  I have my wine and she doesn't have to work harder and keep topping me up.   

And my full glass of Silver Oak.  OMG, what a stunning cab.

We both pre-ordered the Beef Short Rib Rendang, which was fabulous.

Yum.

Ah yes, the old annoying lights from the galley.  Not that the wafer thin curtain would help but at least make an attempt.

For dessert, I had the Warm Upside Down Toffe Jackfruit Cake and a glass of the Nederberg Late Harvest.

Sensational!

Still no curtain.

While I went to the lav to change into my PJs, Barbara made up my bed.

And finally, the curtain, like it made any difference.  LOL.  I slept pretty well for close to 5 hours and passed on breakfast.

Service on AA is hit or miss and while tonight was mostly a miss, the food was good and the wines spectacular.  It's not AF or EK, but a reasonably pleasant way to fly to London.

After considering the train, we opted for flying as Flybe had a perfect timed nonstop from Gatwick to Newquay-Cornwall.  The price was certainly right at £45 each plus another £12 for an exit row.   And it was easy to check-in and get our boarding passes on the Flybe app.

Outside the hotel, it's a brilliant sunny morning.

Our Blacklane driver picked us up just after 10am, and we headed out for the slow trek to Gatwick.

OK, that's good.

Nearly 90 minutes later, we finally arrived at the South Terminal.

Although we found that we were still a long, long way from the terminal itself.

Despite our Economy tickets, security was efficient and very fast.   After security, one has to walk thru a labrynth of stores to get to the gates.   Lots of airports make you do this but I've never seen anything as ridiculous as here.

And on and on...

... and on...

... and on...

Mercifully, there are indeed gates here, or at least signs for gates.

OK, gate info at 12:10pm.   Mrs. SFO777 decides we need to find a Starbucks.

Finally we find it, virtually hidden away in the back of the 2nd level.

With a Gate 21 posting, we headed out for the long walk.

And finally...

First a doc and ID check...

And we're in the waiting area, where boarding began a couple of minutes later.

Boarding was by row starting with 26+ and then 15+.

Nice looking cabin with attractive leather seats.

With great legroom in our exit row.

In the air, our cabin crew efficiently worked the cabin selling beverages and snacks.  

Nothing is free on Flybe and my water was £1.60.  Alrthough the extra glass was free. LOL.

Fifty minutes after take-off we're on final approach to NQY, pronounced "New Key".

We arrived 15 minutes early and were at the "terminal" a couple of minutes later.

Except for having to deal with Gatwick, Flybe was quite a pleasant experience.

Our driver/guide Tim, owner of Tour Cornwall, picked us up at 9:30am and we headed out for our day of sightseeing.  Passing thru Truro, the capital of Cornwall County.

Past RNAS Culdrose...

Our first stop is the seaside fishing village of Cadgwith.

We stopped for a coffee but the owner confessed that she didn't make coffee today since there aren't enough visitors in the off season.  At least she still had lots of Ross Poldark.  LOL. 

Our next stop was Lizard Point.

Amazing to be sitting outside here in late November.

And the proper way to build a scone... jam first, cream on top... at least in Cornwall.

On the way to Lizard Point.

Our next stop was Kynance Cove on the western coast of Lizard Point.  It's one of Cornwall's most beautiful and famous beaches, and the setting for many Poldark scenes where it is known as Nampara Cove.

Gunwalloe and the three coves, Dollar, Church and Fisherman's Cove.

Dollar Cove famous for shipwrecks both in history and in the Poldark series.

Wonderful St. Winwaloe Church or The Church of The Storms on Church Cove, featured many times in Poldark, but most recently this year as the church where Dwight Enys and Caroline Penvenen were married. 

And Church Cove looking back from the Church.

Passing thru Penzance.

And St. Michael's Mount, on an island just off the coast.

Our next stop was Penberth Cove, a tiny fishing village featured prominentlly in the series this year.

The barn that Ross gave to Demelza's brothers Drake and Sam.

The fortunes of mining, with its lucky strikes, booms and busts, is part of Cornwall's history and a major theme in Poldark.   Indeed, tin and copper have been mined here for nearly 5,000 years.  At it's peak in the late 18th century, Cornwall was the wealthiest county in Britain.  Most of Poldark's mine scenes were shot at Botallack Mines.  This is West Wheal Mine Owles mine which is Ross' Wheal Leisure mine in the series.

The impressive Botollack Crowns engine houses.

With the sun setting, we headed back north to Padstow.

On the road again for the final leg to Ascot and The Coworth Park Hotel.  Today's purchases to keep us from freezing and caps to block the inevitable lights from the galley on tomorrow's AA flight home.  And some lunch.

The 3rd floor hallway of The Mansion on the way to our room.

Our beautifully furnished room #23.

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While Mrs. SFO777 rested, I headed out to explore the lovely grounds.

The Spa.

With its own restaurant, The Spatisserie.

Despite being guests, we were unable to get into either of the two main "fully booked" restaurants, the Michelin 1 star Restaurant Coworth Park or The Barn.  So we headed to the bar where we snagged a great table by the fireplace.

Where we started with drinks.

And then a delicious dinner.

And then back to our room to watch a couple of movies from the hotel's DVD library.