Good Morning From the Caledonian Sleeper, Bound to Londontown

After four great days in Scotland I'm heading down to catch the Queen Mary 2 in Southampton this afternoon.     We were supposed to be in London at at 6:30 am this morning.   However, last night , engine failure!   I'm beginning to think it's my fault.   We'll be about three hours late, they had to dig up another locomotive somewhere.  The sleeping car attendant (who by coincidence had worked on the QE2) said they at one point were going to wake us all up and put us on another (nonsleeper) train.    Thank goodness they didn't.    My berth was very cozy and I slept very well--mostly because we weren't going anywhere for a good bit of the time!     I told the attendant of all my travails with my overnight trains across Europe and he agreed that it probably was my fault, called me a "joner",  Scottish slang for one who brings bad luck.   

So here I am now at the Ocean Terminal in Southampton.    Made it here in record time, considering.    A nice lady in the compartment next door to me on the train suggested that I take the bus from London's Euston Station, where we arrived, exactly 3 hours late.  The attendant was calling it the trip from hell as we got off the train, very unusual for it to be late at all he said.  I walked out to the street, et voila, there was a bus marked Waterloo, which is where the trains to Southampton depart from.   In all London has eleven train stations.   Had a nice ride across rainy London on a red double decker bus, got to the station, bought my ticket, and found that the train was leaving in five minutes.   Probably the shortest visit to London ever, a total of one hour, five minutes!    The sun broke through the clouds as we arrived in Southampton, and I walked down to the docks (i know my way around  by now, third time here).

I'm at the Ocean Terminal , but it turns out the Mary is not!   Another ship,  P&O's Artemis is here and the Mary is nearby at the Queen Elizabeth II Terminal, which is where the QE2 used to depart from.   The Artemis was supposed to have departed last evening but couldn't because of high winds.     The scene here is best described as organized chaos.   Rather than try to contact everyone again (only three days ago Cunard sent out emergency emails that we would be leaving from here not the Mayflower Terminal) they will put us on busses from here and shuttle us over to the QE II Terminal.   They're giving priority to past passengers, so it shouldn't take long to board, I hope--I'm hungry and there's a free lunch waiting!