I checked and it’s not a problem she said.
OK, I said.
So anyway. Saturday morning, we were up at six,, giving us just over two hours to get ready, load the car and drink coffee. This we did, easier without four demanding cats, obviously.
The car was loaded, stuff checked and rechecked. We left the house, locked the door. And we were on our way.
To Whitfield to pick up Jen and her case.
We squeezed that in, and Jen. So off we went on a jolly boy’s outing up the M20 to Gatwick.
No real issues, just a pleasant Saturday morning, cruising up past Ashford and Maidstone, then along the M26 westwards. And after joining the M25, along two junctions then south towards Brighton to Gatwick.
It all went so smoothly. We found the parking garage, the car was logged in, and from there it was just a five minute walk to departures, up to travelators to the departures hall, where before joining the queue to check our bags in, our passports and boarding passes were checked.
I went first and was OK.
Jools went next and was also OK.
Jen, however, caused frowns.
The ten years vadility on her passport expired in January, and there was no way was she getting on the flight with that passort.
Bugger.
And I had told her.
Months ago.
And she had time to get it updated, we would have helped to do the online application, but she said it was OK.
I had to go as I was meeting the tour, so checked my bag in. Jen was told she could go home, apply in person to the passport office on Monday or Tuesday and travel the next day. But she said no.
I took her to the railway station, told her to buy a ticket to Dover, and to booard a northbound train to St Pancras.
And she was gone trying not to show emotion.
So Jools checked her bag, and we went up to security. Just the two of us.
Once through, we found a place for breakfast, ordered coffees and a sandwich, which along with an ice cream and second coffee and spritzer, cost £69!
Eeek, indeed.We had hand hour to kill, so went to the restrooms, once out the gate was called, so we walked the fifteen minutes to that, and waited some more.
There was the rush to board, but we had small bags so would have them at our feet, as Easyjet charges extra for everything. We were lucky to get air free.We waited to get on, shuffling along to row 28, and squeezing into our seats. Easyjet is cheap, functional, but you have to pay for anything other than a seat. Cabin bag, check in bag, drink, food; all extra.
We bought sandwiches from Boots, and drink. So settled in and waited for take off.Which was on time. Into the air we leapt, and south-eastwards we flew.
No in-flight entrainment. No interactive map. Drink and food extra.
We flew over the Alps.
Over Greece. The sun sank low, there was a golden dusk.
It got dark.
We flew over diamond lit islands in a sea of inky black.
I reviewed videos and photos from India. That took over an hour, but time dragged. After four hours, the plane began to drop, and preparations for landing were made.
Paphos is a small airport. We bounced down, the engines roared to slow us down, we lurched onto the taxiway, and to the pan.
We were one of the first off, so into the terminal to have our biometrics taken, passport checked, then to baggage reclain, where are we both visited the restroom, our bags arrived, so we could go through customs, and a short wait at the car hire place, got the keys for a Fiat thing.
Out into the night, where the guy in a hut gave us our keys. We loaded up, and Jools programmed her phone to the hotel: an hour away.So off we went.
Put of the airport, down the motorway, the along main roads over and through hills, small sleepy towns and villages, following the instructions from the phone.
We came to the town where the hotel was, along the beach, but the sea was hidden in the blackest of nights, and out the other side, up a hill, and there it was.
We found a place to park, got out the cases and tried to find reception to check in. It was mostly in darkness, but after ten minutes of dead ends, we found the night porter, and he directed us after giving us the keys, to our apartment, on the first floor on one of six identical blocks.
It had two double bedrooms; a kitchenette-cum-living room; a bathroom, a terrace which had a spa bath. And above, the majesty of creation and a nearly full moon. We took off our shoes and stood on the cold marble, looking up.
What a day.The restaurant was closed.
The bar was closed.
We were too pooped to find a late night market, so with a bottle of water ech to drink, we slumped into the sofa.
Norwich had won. Again. And so are pretty much safe. Beating Leicester 2-0 away. Despite 16 first team injuries.
