Part Two
Because of that nasty worm called “Worry” that can take over one’s brain in a heartbeat and keep on squirming, we opted for a no-stress trip to New York on the train the day before the ship was slated for departure. Thus, the recent spurt of airline flight cancellations across the nation would not upset our travel plans. There was nothing to worry about. I could relax and stop the worm.
We next had to think about our Cocker, “Dandy,” who would be cared for by our daughter, Liz, while we were gone. We packed luggage behind closed doors and tiptoed out to the car to load up in the night so as not to upset Dandy. He mopes and refuses to eat the moment he sees a suitcase. Dogs rule and we humans must follow the rules.
Liz drove us to the train at the Staples Mill Road Amtrak Station in Henrico County, just north of Richmond. As we pulled into the station she suggested we pick up chicken sandwiches from McDonald’s so we would have something to eat on our six-hour trip to New York. It was a good thing we followed her advice, because snack food on the train would not have made much of a lunch.
The train arrived and departed on time and we began our easy roll north to New York City. The train was clean, windows sparkled, seats comfortable, passengers quiet and luggage piled high in the front of the car. It was a calm and pleasant trip.
When we arrived at Penn Station in Manhattan all peace ceased. Our car exploded into action as everyone scurried to get their luggage and depart. We had six pieces, whoops, now we only had five, and we realized we must have left one suitcase at the train station near Richmond. Oh well, not to worry. We could file a claim when we got to the hotel.
Fortunately, a cheerful red cap oozing in a New Jersey accent that took me back to a “Welcome Back, Kotter” soundtrack gathered our luggage and walked us to our hotel just a block away, The New Yorker, Wyndham.
As we passed Madison Square Garden we encountered every nationality in the world, some dressed in native garb. The noise was deafening — emergency vehicle sirens screeched nonstop and halted in front of every red light as drivers from all sorts of vehicles pressed an angry hand on their horns. The scene struck me as a layer of Dante’s “Inferno.” Take me back to Urbanna!
The hotel was a welcome respite and we collapsed on our beds. We had made it. All we had to do now was Uber over to the ship in Brooklyn at noon the next day for departure on the trip of a lifetime. Travel stress was behind us.
That evening we went out for New York pizza. We discovered one couldn’t have wine or beer with pizza so we had to go to a bar first and have a drink and then go to the pizza place. All the doors to the bars and restaurants were wide open to the street on a warm July night in the city and the noise was horrendous.
We slept well that evening and had breakfast at the hotel before arranging for Uber to take us to the pier where the Queen Mary ship was docked. When we pulled up to her berth and I first laid eyes on the Queen I stared up at her massive size in astonishment. I had been on cruise ships before but this ship was monstrous. Her black hull laid side to side would be longer than the Empire State Building. I had never seen a ship like this. She truly is the Queen of the seas.
Meanwhile text messages from the airlines were coming in warning us of delays on our original flight to NYC. Grateful we had come by train a day early, we checked in to the ship, found our cabin on the 10th deck which was decked in flowers, Godiva chocolates and an ice bucket filled with a 60th wedding anniversary bottle of champagne, reported to our life-saving station, and went to the English Pub for a celebratory glass of wine and a platter of fish and chips.
All my worry over canceled flights to NYC was over. We were on the iconic ship of our dreams soon to depart New York Harbor and start the trip of a lifetime.
As we watched the ship depart New York harbor as the sun was lowering in the sky, we saw the Statue of Liberty beckoning farewell — just as it had once welcomed my great-grandfather standing with his wife and 12-year-old son, my grandfather, in 1872 as they were arriving in New York City on the “China.” I imagined how they had felt after leaving their mother country, England, to set out to the new land of opportunity and freedom and a life pursuing dreams.
As I reflected on such thoughts, the Queen made her way out of the harbor ringed with pleasure boats, ferries, and barges pulled by tugs. Then the Queen let out a long farewell blast from her original horn from the first Queen Mary built in 1934.
I shivered in excitement. A sailboat heading right for our bow lost courage and jibed at the last minute. The good Queen never budged an inch. Later a patrol boat picked up our harbor pilot leaving us to the great Atlantic Ocean. We were off and away in the night.
• Part 3
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