Final day

I had negotiated a 2.30pm late checkout, which was a bit inconvenient really, as my flight wasn't until 9pm.  I had received an invitation to Classified - a "secret" new restaurant in terminal C at Newark Airport, available by invitation only.  The website won't even tell you where it is - you have to make a reservation in order to get directions!

I made a reservation for 5pm and left my hotel at 2.27pm, not hurrying at all.  In the end, I arrived at the airport at 3.30pm and was in the appointed area at around 4.20pm, so I looked in some shops and sat and waiting for a bit until 5pm.

I went to the appointed meeting area and gave the special password to the lady, who then led me through an unmarked door and through a maze of twisty passages, to come out in a small seating area.

It is an expensive restaurant, but the food was excellent, and the service was good too, which is easier when you only have around 20 tables, mostly for 2 people only, to deal with.  In fact, there were never more than half a dozen tables occupied at once whilst I was there.

I was able to drag out a starter (Steak Tartare), a main course (cooked steak) and a coffee for 3 hours, as it was calmer and quieter than the Polaris Lounge that I'm entitled to use.  I was able to watch the New York Football Giants playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the television at my end of the dining area, albeit with the sound off and subtitles instead.

Whilst I was there, I saw my plane, N677, being pulled to the gate by a tug ready for my flight.

It is always sad to watch night fall for the final time, as it means my holiday is over and I am about to leave.

After having travelled to the USA, and then on all the flights around the USA with all my bags, the woman at the gate this evening insisted that I gate-check my main bag because I wasn't allowed to take 3 bags on board.  I was supposed to leave it at the end of the jetway, but thought I'd see what the cabin crew's view was, and they had no problems with it - and indeed, we still have a couple of completely empty overhead bins here, so there's no space problem at all.

We're coming in the southern route this morning, over Cornwall rather than Ireland.  We're scheduled to land at around 9am, but knowing Heathrow, we might go around in circles for a while first!.