I’m back at Heathrow, chilling in one of British Airways’ lounges in Terminal 5. By writing about Terminal 5 right now, I’m not keeping with the chronology of my trip. There’s lots more that I did that I haven’t told you about but the thing is, I’m not blogging every day. To blog every day feels a bit too much like work and not vacation! So, I’ve still got lots to tell you about but if we’re to jump ahead to real time, here I am, at Heathrow, getting ready to go home. We’ll get back to my adventure shortly and I’ll tell you all about the other places I visited.

But for now, here I am in Heathrow and it’s a little overwhelming … in a good way! Once you get through check-in and security (both were pretty quick and easy), you’ll find yourself airside (post-security) in the terminal and that’s where the real fun begins. Landside (pre-security) has some shops and the trendy restaurant Carluccio’s where I ate the last time I was here. The pasta is fresh and delicious and though I passed on dessert (in a rare moment of willpower!) the menu was tempting.

If you’ve been following my adventure, you know that the last time I was here, I was too rushed to really check out the shops. This time, I’ve had plenty of time and the lure of Harrods was simply too strong to resist! Walking out with a fab new Marc Jacobs bag and some teas and biscuits for friends back home did the trick to sate the ravenous shopping bug.

The shops are plentiful – Gucci, Dior, Prada, Tiffany & Co, Coach, Bulgari. There’s a Harrods, of course, one on the upper level of the terminal, with clothing, bags, sunglasses, etc. The lower level location is small but has souvenirs and a mini food hall, perfect for picking up last minute gifts to take home.

British Airways’ lounges here are something to be seen. Unlike most airport lounges, these rooms are designed to the hilt. They’re spacious and the exclusively designed furniture is upholstered in Osborne & Little fabrics. Walls of floor-to-ceiling windows flood the lounges with natural light and are perfect for planespotting.

I’ve got to go check on my flight’s status so that’s all for now. Toodles.