Je suis arrivé

I was worried about the baggage retrieval system they've got at Heathrow when nothing happened for 15 minutes standing at the carousel. Once I checked to see where they had moved our bags, it was a quick trip to the arrivals lounge, a shower, and a cuppa. I really prefer this to the way I traveled the first time I got to the UK, schlepping a huge backpack around and not showering for something like 72 hours.

Now that I'm modestly caffienated, it's time to head to the Tube, thence St Pancras, thence my ultimate destination: Brussels. I sincerely hope that the hotel I'm staying at on the way back will let me stash my bag for a couple of hours, because Eurostar check-in isn't until just before 4pm. The weather is absolutely lovely today.

Glad to hear that you made it. Pro tip for travelling from Heathrow to Kings Cross/St Pancras (or back to Heathrow) if the Piccadilly Line is having problems or you'd simply prefer not to be stuck in a cramped Tube train for an hour. The Elizabeth Line is a very good alternative. Yes, it's more expensive, but it's faster, the carriages are more spacious, and they are air-conditioned. We first tried the Elizabeth Line in summer last year on a swelteringly hot June afternoon when the Tube would have been unbearable. We now use it as our first choice. You'll need to change at Farringdon, and that does require you to return to street level, go through the exit gates of the Elizabeth Line station, walk a few metres across a traffic-free side street, and re-enter the Tube system to catch a Circle/Metropolitan/Hammersmith train to Kings Cross. But even with luggage, it's no big deal. And provided you use the same card (credit or Oyster) throughout, it's treated as a single journey.

The Piccadilly Line (to Cockfosters!) was just fine. And the hotel I'm staying at next weekend put up my bags for a couple of hours so I could get some walking in.