Good news, bad news …
Good news: I woke up to an email saying my Fitbit was being delivered today 🥳🥳🥳.
Bad news: I couldn’t work out the drinks machine in the hotel – I only wanted a cup of hot water for my teabag, but I ended up with a cup of coffee for Jezza. You know me, I’m no good with these new-fangled gizmos, so Jezza went to sort it out for me – he came back with another cup of coffee 🤦🏻♀️. So, no cup of tea for me this morning 🙃.
We got ourselves ready and went down to the hotel reception at 07:30 and were taken to the airport by the shuttle bus. We were through the airport security by 08:15. I received an email from Mr O’Leary yesterday saying to arrive THREE hours before our flight because of congestion at security- we probably didn’t need to get there so early, but we’d have only been killing time at the hotel…
The signs at security said we didn’t have to take electronics out of our case which was a relief. We had full water bottles after yesterday’s experience at Prague, only to find that we weren’t allowed liquids over 100ml – typical 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️. I sailed through security- non wired bra and no hairclip 🥳🥳. Jezza, however, had to take out all the electronics, despite his protestations to the woman that the sign said they could stay in his bag. I told him he was on a hiding to nothing, and he conceded 😂😂.
We found ourselves a couple of seats at a very crowded boarding gate. Jezza checked on our flight and said it was due in about an hour, so I made good use of my time compiling this blog. There were people queuing to get through and Jezza said that nearly all the Priority Boarding had gone and only Non Priority were left queuing. So up we got, took out our passports and made our way through. Jezza went one side and I the other. The girl scanned my boarding pass and as she was starting to look at my passport, Jezza’s girl said something was wrong – I knew it, it was that magpie I saw outside the airport 🙄. Jezza had taken us through the gate for a Lisbon flight 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️. How stupid we must have looked 🙃🙃.
So back we went, only to find our seats had been taken, but fortunately only temporarily, as the girl who had taken them went into the Lisbon queue 😅😅.
So we had another 3/4 hour before our flight arrived. Next time, I’ll check the board …
Our flight came up for boarding and all went smoothly – I sat in my seat by the window and a lady took the seat next to me – until a French lady with a young daughter said that she had the two seats next to me 😳.
It turned out that the lady sitting next to me was using a boarding pass for a different flight 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️. Confusion over, the French mother and daughter sat next to me.
I was hoping to have a nap on the flight, however, as it’s holiday time here, there were loads of very excitable children around me. I put my AirPods in and listened to my favourite playlist – the flight was only 1.1/4 hours and the weather was looking to be good at home, so a sunbed was on the cards when we got home….
Jezza and I both took books with us – not a page was read between us 😂😂. I also carted around my knitting, hoping to make up a “patchwork” cardigan using up bits of leftover yarn, but I only managed about 4” of the back 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️. Note to self – no time for knitting with Jezza’s itinerary and Hilda’s blog …..
Unfortunately there were some casualties on this trip – most importantly my Fitbit – I told Jezza that I shouldn’t wear it swimming 🙄. David Bowie (my beloved tote bag) was overfilled and his stitching started to come apart- fortunately my sewing machine is out and ready and waiting for him. My favourite hairclip didn’t make the last day – it was fine until this morning, so that’s some online shopping for me to do soon 🤪.
There is a picture below of the obligatory fridge magnets collected on our travels – we need them to cover up the dents on the fridge/freezer 🤪😂
We made it home safely – thank you Brian, by about 13:00. Jezza relaxed on a sunbed (well deserved) whilst I sorted out the washing. By 15:00 there were two wash loads hanging out to dry and, more importantly, my new Fitbit was delivered – thank you Amazon 🥰.
So, all’s that left is for “thank yous” – it’s a bit like an awards ceremony 😂😂.
Firstly, a HUMUNGOUS thank you to Jezza – he did so well (most of the time) with organising everything (and paying 🤪🤪). Best of all, we’re still married – no separation in sight 🤣.
Secondly, thank you to Google Maps, ChatGPT and Google Translate. Without Maps and Jezza’s mate, I don’t know where we’d be now!! Without Google Translate our dear friend and neighbour, Myriam, wouldn’t have been able to follow our travels – désolée Myriam, I couldn’t have written the blog in French! 🤪
Thirdly, thank you to Prague for letting me, as an old person, travel on their network gratuit and Jezza, because he’s not quite so old, having 50% discount 😂😂.
Fourthly, thank you Nike. I survived the trip with just a minor rub on my heel (caught early and covered with plasters) – I was concerned that I may lose a toenail or two with the rigorous schedule we had (as happened in Rome). Your trainers are to be recommended for travels with Jezza! Speaking of whom, his new Vans trainers were causing him a bit of grief by the end of the trip – he was limping with his foot, and me with my knee 👨🦳 👵 🤦🏻♀️.
Fifthly (if that’s a word) thank you to our taxi drivers, The Wards to get us to Béziers and Brian for picking us up and losing a precious day’s travails 🤪😘😘.
Thank you to Mr O’Leary – we know you’re not the most popular person with travellers, but you definitely get The Wainford’s vote! As always, good value and service.
Lastly, thank you to my nails – you have survived through hours of swimming and saunas and endless packing and unpacking 💅.
I hope you have all enjoyed following our travels and that I haven’t waffled on too much – speaking of waffles, poor Jezza didn’t get to have any on our trip – he’d been so looking forward to them!!
If you haven’t enjoyed my blogs, I’m sorry, but why are you still reading? 😂🤣😂.
So until next time (or not) – remember, it was all for the tulips 🌷 🌷 🥰🥰
Edit: I mentioned in an earlier post that I had a video of Dita playing her ukulele at the John Lennon Wall, but that the file was too large to upload. Well here it is…
