Today took us by car from Stansted Airport to stay with Family in Darwen, Lancashire. The drive was an experience. The motorways are filled with Trucks and Semitrailers and along with the locals who drive creatively. After a long drive we arrived at Darwen in the North of England to meet Family, Uncles, Aunts and Cousins. Our Evening took us to the Butlers Arms for a big family dinner and some wonderful Lancashire hospitality, including some of the local Ale, which this Aussie much enjoyed. The Butler’s Arms is “somewhere” near Darwen, not sure where as we drove for about 15 minutes down lots of hedge and stone wall lined lanes which seemed like a maze, except to the locals who were fortunately driving. This true English pub had all the cozy warmth I expected, but ... read more

Well we’ve landed in KL after our first flight on AirAsia X. After leaving an hour late the flight was relatively uneventful, except for the cabin lights going out during some turbulence and the approach to KL being a little unnerving. But hey, we’re here in the heat waiting for our London leg. We prepaid for a meal on board, for future reference, although the food is OK, there isn’t much of it. I recommend taking snacks. We have had to pick up our bags and go all the way through customs and immigration, only to check in and go back out again. This is what you get for flying a budget airline I guess. Ahead of us is a 14 hour long haul into London. ... read more