The Expedition Begins - Day 1

Well Sports Fans, just as the World Cup begins in Brazil, I have begun my trip(s) to Europe. I am setting here in the lounge at the Hilton Hotel at Heathrow. I'll stay the night and bright and early I and the rest of us Life Long Learners (L3) get on a bus and drive (on the wrong side of the road) to Southampton where we will join the MV Explorer and begin our voyage of discoveries.
The flight over was uneventful though I readily admit to being spoiled form years of first class travel (sadly no longer in the contract) that flying over in steerage (well I am paying for it myself!) was just a slap to the reality face. The flights were both smooth and well done - on time and all - but the space that United has added to the extra cost extra legroom seats as been removed from those that are 'regular'. I don't believe they have reduced the number of sets at all. Reality check number one. Of course no meals - come on it's 2014 coach - and on to the O'Hare and into an extra legroom seat. Yea!! Well no, the seat available was an exit row. That's good, but the seats don't recline more than three inches - I guess they don't want people stumbling on the way out the windows. They did serve 'dinner' - I'll refrain from a description but hell no why not!! There was a radiated piece of chicken breast, a noodle concoction with an strange brown 'sauce' and some veggies that were much closer to the nuker then the rest of the meal. Well, maybe breakfast would be better. I now no why the 'breakfast' was not mentioned in the note about meals on the flight. We were trying to wake - though for me that wasn't hard as I didn't sleep at all. To be far - I never have been able to sleep on planes. Anywho - the stewardess asks would you like breakfast - quickly to become would you like a croissant? Any resemblance to the delicate puff of crescent shaped buttery pastry was didn't exist. It was like a donut without a hole and it claim to fame for this 'meal' was it fit into a plastic container 3x5 and was able to share the space with the plastic utensils and a bowl of fruit. Have you ever noticed that these said bowls of fruit on airlines have always contained three pieces of cantaloupe, three pieces of honeydew melon and exactly three red grapes. You know there is a chef assistant whose job it is to count melon pieces and grapes.
I'll share the photo of the British Airways 474 that rode on our wing into the holding pattern for Heathrow.
More to come