Not all of the planned interviews for this trip could be locked into place ahead of time, so in order to get as decent as possible an airfare in traveling at peak tourist season I had to make a decision using an estimation of how many days I would need. That also meant there was a certain amount of “fuzziness” in where I would be for some of those days, especially since I was moving about in areas that I was unfamiliar with. The one thing that I knew for certain was there would be “backtracking” involved. As the trip has unfolded, I will now have one more day in London than I had planned, but trying to change a flight is so burdensome these days that it will be better for me to keep with my original flight and use the extra day as a “writing day”. No, I won’t be dashing into the City for sightseeing. First, I’ve visited London twice before and have done the major sights. Second, I am on a very ambitious schedule with this project and can use the day for work.
However, after I leave Poole today, I will go back to the delightful Hare and Hounds Inn in Newbury. That was an enjoyable stay and they are very friendly. I will also return to the Crown Plaza at Heathrow for Saturday night, but will have to be at the Sheraton for Friday. I will have definitely covered a lot of the airport hotels – that will make the fourth one that I’ve stayed in for this trip. By the way, Tripadvisor is getting several reviews from me which they always like. I am also becoming quite familiar with the Hotel Hoppa – a shuttle service from Heathrow to a number of the surrounding hotels. They run every 30 minutes on a circuit and are much less expensive than a cab.