I’m finally returning to the Caribbean and heading back to St. Lucia. The timing couldn’t be better for we’ve had frost on the ground the past couple of days. And my landlord just showed me the projected costs for heating in the upcoming months (around 20% addition to my current monthly rent!).
The trip returning to the Caribbean is going to be a long one. From here on a 5-hour train ride to Frankfurt. Then to London City and a tube ride to Gatwick. From there it is non-stop to St. Lucia, but my ultimate destination is an additional 1-1/2-hour car drive. I’ve rented a Suzuki Jimny so I’ll be prepared for some rougher roads but won’t be traveling in luxury. Knowing what rental cars in the islands are like, it certainly won’t be new.
I’ve just confirmed my flights and issued my boarding passes, which will make getting to the gate at both Frankfurt and Gatwick just a bit quicker. I have no idea how bad thew wait will be in the UK. The BBC has had multiple articles about delays in the U.K., but perhaps they will be limited to Heathrow.
The deutsche Bahn app shows that my trains are still on schedule. I opted to take one train earlier in case that one has a problem; but since there’s only one an hour that means I have to leave earlier. Travel used to be so much easier and more comfortable. I just remembered that there’s still an FFP-Mask mandate for public transport in Germany. After rooting around in my closet I found some unused ones.
Frankfurt Airport Update
I made it to Frankfurt, but it wasn’t easy. My train was scheduled to depart at 11:50 and I’d just gotten out of the shower at 10:40 and saw that I’d gotten an e-mail. My first train was cancelled! I checked and the next train would get to Frankfurt after my flight had closed, despite my lengthy buffer. I saw that I could catch an 11:00 train. My bag was packed, so I buzzed my landlord to see if he could drive me to the train station immediately and 5 minutes later I was in his car. I made it to the train with 1 minute to spare (and then the train was delayed 5 minutes). My connecting train to the Wuerzburg ICE train was also delayed, but I could catch an earlier one and make it. At Wuerzburg the ICE trains were all delayed as well, but I caught the earlier train and made it here with time to spare. It was stressful, since I couldn’t afford to miss my flight to St. Lucia. Plus, my hotel is also non-refundable and non-rebookable!
At London City
The approach and landing were great, with relatively clear skies giving an impressive view of the London skyline. My bag arrived quickly, immigration was computerized and quick but then I had to get to Gatwick. The connections took a bit, especially at London Bridge and the long ride out to Gatwick. But 2 hours later I was in my little cubicle room at Block Hotel. Unfortunately, nothing but a Marks & Spencer was open but that was enough.