Monday 28th August 2017

For the benefit of the blog, the 28th began just after I wrote the last post, sat in the lounge at Denver Airport. It was already Monday in the UK, and our transition into Monday would happen sometime over the Atlantic, or somewhere close.

We drank lots of fluids in the lounge, and had some snacks. No meals in this lounge, but it had high speed free internet, which is always welcome. So, catching up on Facebook, the news and sports. But come seven, we had run out things to do, and just wanted to get on the plane. A call goes out, we can now go down to the gate and be ready to board..

We were both shattered to be honest, walking down to the departure hall, and a few yards on was our gate, A37. Hundreds of people milling about as usual, but already the first people were being allowed on, when those with frequent flyer cards were allowed on, I was allowed through, and the disappointment of finding that we did not have the couches from the outboard flight, regular reclining seats, though a little wider and with more legroom.

Jools arrives and so we settle down, taking off our shoes, getting headphones out and all the rest.

We take off some half an hour late, just as dusk was falling over Denver, climbing into the night sky with the lights of city spread out below us.

In the first hour or so, drinks and snacks were brought round, then dinner, more drinks, and then the lights dimmed in an attempt to make out it was time for bed. I watched a Bruce Springsteen documentary and then an episode of Masterchef. before trying to get some sleep. When I last looked at the moving map, we were still over northeastern Canada.

And when I woke up we were just half an hour's flight from the Irish coast, some four or so hour's later. Amazing. As I sit up blinking, trying to clear my wooly head, the lights were put back up and soon breakfast of a cream cheese filled bagel and a cuppa was served. Others wake up too, and the plane is made ready to land. We cross Ireland, and the Irish Sea before making landfall somewhere near St David's in Wales.

Below I see Cardiff, Bridgend, Bristol, Bath, Devizis pass by before we enter a holding stack for half an hour.

We drop lower, then turn north and fly over south London, and from my seat I get views of London spread out along the Thames.

Welcome home.

We touch down, some 20 minutes late and taki to the gate. After some faffing about, Jools and I are the first to be allowed to leave the aircraft, walking quickly up the airbridge and then along miles of corridors until we come to the immigration hall. No queues there, so we go straight to the machines to scan our passports. Jools goes straight through, but I don't. I have to go to see am official, and the chip in my passport is not working, and will have to be replaced soon.

But I get through and so we can go down to baggage reclaim, wait for our bags to come out. Jools calls Ricky and he is waiting outside, or nearby. So all is good.

We walk out and spot the taxi over the road: he was breaking the rules in picking people up there, and was about to get a fine, but we did not know this. So I shouted "Rickaayyyy", we walked over, he threw the bags on the back of the van and we are away before the traffic warden has returned, so no fine for him and we are on our way home.

Of course it was a bank holiday, and the roads, especially the M25 was heaving, with much slow traffic. However, we keep moving, and once past the M23 junction there are no more hold ups. We pass into Kent, down the M26 and on the last leg home.

It was another glorious late summer afternoon, warm without being too hot, and sunny to make the colours of the countryside look so warm. Most of the harvest is now already in, some fields ploughed ready for the next crop, and other just stubble.

Dover is fairly quiet, so we take Townwall Street and up Jubilee Way, right along the Deal road and finally back to St Maggies.

Of course we have no food in the house, well except frozen, so I say I will go to Tesco before it closes at four, and Jools will empty the cases.

Tesco is crazy, with families out apparently going there instead of the beach, walking around in flip flogs and shorts. I zip round, getting what we needed, as I had been clever enough to write a list before we went away! How clever.

At home the first load of washing was in, and the cases empty. So we carry on getting chores done until we were both pooped, and I only then put the computer on to download some shots and check on the news.

We have insalata for dinner; requires no cooking so is easy and so delicious. Only thing missing from the house is the cats, and I will collect those in the morning.

It is dark now by eight, and feels autumnal for that, but it is very warm indeed, so we sit in semi-darkness in the living room with the back door open until we cannot keep our eyes open any more, so go to bed after long refreshing showers. It was half nine, we were home. And poor Jools had to go back to work in the morning