Overnight on the plane was okay.  I slept around five hours, I think, so that’s pretty good under the circumstances.  The flight arrived thirty minutes early.  We made the long walk, about 3/4 mile, to border control from the gate.  There were lots of people in line, but it moved steadily.  Passengers from the UK and several other countries could use facial recognition with passports to get through.  There was no need to answer an agent’s questions. So easy, and our bags were waiting for us by the time we arrived at baggage claim.  We were through the exit and into the airport one hour after getting off the plane. Not bad. 

This was too early for our prebooked private transfer.  While we were still on the plane, Blacklane sent a text with the driver’s name and phone number so I called him and left a message that we were early and waiting at Caffe Nero.  He texted Philip back that he’d be there at 1:20 so a little earlier than planned and would find us at the coffee shop.  

The friendly driver arrived as expected and gave us a safe ride in his brand new Tesla to the Hilton at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.   The car had a clear glass roof much larger than a typical moonroof that he could adjust for brightness and a large computer screen that took the place of any dials and gauges on the dashboard.  My first ever ride in a Tesla felt luxurious and comfortable.  

The ride was smooth and quick with no traffic holdups, and I had arranged to pay through the app, so it was very easy for us.  Check in at the Hilton was fine.  The desk clerk was friendly and helpful.  She made us a dinner reservation at their in-house restaurant, and we went up to the room to relax for a while before dinner.  We have a king room with a balcony overlooking the cricket pitch.  It would be fun if something was going on while we are here, but nothing is scheduled.  It’s still fun to see what it looks like.  We’ll get to a cricket game sometime.