Yesterday we left the UK after a three month visit. We’d had our last decent Indian meal and proper fish ‘n’ chips… and on Monday I bought (yet another) new suitcase to accommodate our contributions to the British economy.
At 7.30 am we got the taxi to Heathrow. I was dreading the check-in. Normally there are long queues which I’ve managed to avoid in the last few years by booking-in on line – this time I had no access to a printer. Regs state clearly: two suitcases, 20 kg per person and 7kg hand luggage. We had three suitcases of unknown weight, and four computers and a pile of books in our hand luggage …
There was no queue – we waltzed up to the check-in (credit card in hand!) and were told: ‘ three suitcases? – no problem! 49 kg ? – you could have taken another kilogram’ (darn – why didn’t I buy that last pair of shoes!) and ‘Just rearrange the weight in your hand-luggage and you’ll be fine!’ Wow!
We boarded to find that we were on Singapore Airline’s new, big aircraft with three seats between the two of us – not that either of us slept much during the 12 + hour flight.
Two hours wait in Singapore and then onto a half empty plane. I found a couple of spare seats and spent five of the seven and half hours flight comatose…
I am now, therefore, wide awake, and on my third glass of wine designed to knock me back into Australian time – well that’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it… !
… and jet-lag (not wine!) is my excuse for what is, probably, a less than coherent post.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Seeing that you’re wide awake you could always
mow the lawn,catch up with the laundry,wash the car, on second thoughts just relax, take the rest of the week off, pretend that your still on holiday ’till the weekend, welcome back.🙂
… looks like the gardener has done that – Hurray!
… did that before we left!
… wretched thing won’t start – anyway I’m sure the water restrictions still apply (I hope!)
What holiday!! – I’m going to book a real holiday tomorrow!
Agreed,I would say welcome, but you,ve gone away – so ‘Happy Homegoing.’
Cheers Zen! I was just about to add that it’s wonderful to be warm!
I’ll bet.
Glad you got back in one piece and hopefully bearsy has made the journey OK health wise.
Didn’t sound much of a holiday as such! You have my heartfelt empathy with your sojourn and the travel arrangements. Generally I end up needing a string of bearers and a large bill for excess luggage, so be it!
At least you didn’t have dogs to go too! You used to be able to take them as accompanied baggage, now they have to have their own weighbill no. A factor x10 price alteration literally, all dogs now have to be xrayed for semtex on Intercontinental flights! (No, I am not joking!) Needless to say we have our ‘dear terrorist friends’ to thank for that!
I do hope you got to see the floods over Pakistan from 35,000′!
Good morning (San Francisco time), Boadicea. Glad to hear that you made it to Australia in one piece. As for the chores… If all else fails you can always make the bear do it.
Hope the lag sorts itself out quickly
…. and your sleep pattern returns to normal too
Good to read that you both made it back safe and sound. Now just kick back.
Boa, happy landings, eh? Hope you can now sort out the hung gubmint! 🙂
Glad you are safe and sound. Greetings to you both.
Welcome home, Boadicea and Bearsy. I’ve done that journey many, many times and a little glass of something on the way and/or on arrival always helped. Please give Brisbane a big hairy hug from me – I am most envious.
OZ
Thank goodness you are both back safe and sound. I think you most certainly deserve a glass of wine or three! 🙂
Glad to hear you’re both safe and sound…
Home sweet home Boa,
So glad to hear you had such a pleasant trip back, IMHO you deserved an upgrade after the time you have had en voyage.
I shall pour a cheeky red myself and toast the two weary travellers, good health to you both.
glad the rigours of Heathrow were not too bad.
Pity you never had time to meet but next time we shall try again.
Home to a country with a hung parliament, seems to be the fashion.
so pleased Boa, will type more when arm is improved.
I think happy homecoming says it all, really. It is lovely to be away but even lovelier to be home (I am worried that I will be fed up going away for three weeks, let alone three months!). Of course, here in the north of England we are enjoying brilliant sunshine and that lovely light which we get at the time of the year when we know that autumn is just round the corner, so don’t think that England is totally wet and cold at the moment. Welcome home!
Many Thanks for the kind comments.
Christina Bearsy managed the journey OK, but if we had ever any doubts about dealing with the problem in the UK rather than packing up and returning instantly they were dispelled – it would have been a nightmare to have travelled without the op and recovery time first. We could have done with a few ‘bearers’ ourselves. Fortunately, we were waved through the final indignity of having to have all our luggage X-rayed (again!) on arrival in Brisbane – my sentiments are much the same as yours about b***y terrorists! We, obviously, looked like respectable citizens… 🙂