Greetings from London!

Hold on a minute.  I need to have a bite of succulent freshly fried fish and chips. Mmm boy!  I have a custom that my first evening meal in London has to be fish and chips.  So good. I just need to be careful not to get grease on my keyboard.  The great thing about coming back to a place is that one knows where things are.  I knew where my aparthotel was, and the cash machine, and the grocery store--and of course the traditional chippie (one of the oldest remaining in London) within easy walking distance.  The best liquid accompaniment to this tastiness is cidre probably brought to England by my Norman ancestors.  The fish is battered and fried crisp and golden, but the inside (I had cod) is moist and tender.  The chips are not fries.  They are not dark and not crisp. Instead they are pale thick and meaty. And of course I ordered it with salt and malt vinegar.
My trip here went very smoothly.  I was the only one in the van, so we went straight to the airport.  The driver tried to persuade me I wouldn't arrive until Friday, and he was polite about my counter information, but I doubt he believed me. He also taught me how to recognize Uber and Lyft cars, which understandably he found annoying.
I got to the airport early, checked in right away, and was directed to the TSA Priority line, so I didn't have to take off my shoes or show my baggie full of compliant toiletries.  I did set off the scanner though, so I had to wait a bit and show the guy my computer, which he admired.
I upgraded to Premium Economy on Virgin Atlantic. Very Nice! I hope I can always swing the upgrade.  I was on one of the new Dreamliners, and there was no business class, just first, us, and economy. The seats were more padded and a bit bigger, and there was more leg room, and even though I am a small adult it made a difference.  We also had attendants dedicated to our cabin, so service was fast and cheerful. Before take off, I was given a nice glass of prosecco--inadequately chilled, but still very pleasant  I also had gin and tonic before dinner. The food was airline food, but served on actual plates with real silverware.
The plane even arrived early.  I got through passport control pretty quickly, and my bag came out fast.  I hiked to the tube station.  The ticket offices are all gone and replaced by machines.  The good news is that I could still get an Oyster Card for my tube trips, and there were Underground Employees around to help jet lagged foreigners with said machines.
Speaking of machines . . .  all the grocery stores have gone to self check out, but I explained to an employee that I was a foreign visitor.  Londoners love ignorant foreigners!  We are fun to teach, so he showed me how to use the machine and I got my food and drink.
My room is comfortable and quiet.  I am likely to crash soon as I have been awake for more than twenty-four hours.
Oh and the picture?  It's kind of a joke.  The English name their bells, and the bell in this tower is Big Ben, but Ben has been silenced for maintenance.