A Big Day

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Ok so this is a day late - reason being 28km and we simply collapsed into bed sleeping for 10hours till the next morning. A big day after the previous days walk. Fiona has shin splints in her right leg so in lots of pain, me well i have blood all through my socks where my toenails have cut the toes beside them. What a pair. Up hill down dale, it seemed to go on forever. We are still with the same people from the previous day - mike from Louisiana, Evette from Houston and Father Ken also from Louisiana. Evette is of Mexican descent so yeah we have our own Spanish interpreter. Evette is a teacher, married but doing the Camino on her own, Mike is a batchelor and father is a priest - state the obvious.

I had the profound thought yesterday. - was walking with Mike and commented that when we get home it will seem so busy compared to what we are experiencing now - Mike looked at me and said really? It will be quiet for me when I get home this seems real busy. I guess busy and quiet means different things to different people depending on your lifestyle. Married with four children compared to a bachelor lifestyle can place you poles apart on your perceptions of daily life. Mike says he has never been so busy as he has been for the last few days - a big adventure, meeting so many new people and passing so many places.

Now back to our flying experience on Monday.

So the options from Zurich after visiting Fionas brother and family was fly 5.5hrs, train 10hrs or drive 12hrs.Easy decision fly.

Booked Air France departing Zurich 8am arriving Paris Charles De Gaulle 9am bus to Paris Orly depart for Biarritz 1220pm arrive at 1335pm - Yeah Right

Boarded flight at 7.30am. Captain advised 30 min Air Traffic Control delay

Airborne 8.50am

Entered holding pattern over Paris advised by captain time to exit holding pattern is unknown at this stage. Clouds seriously darkening towards the south (airport). 50 min later depart holding pattern and advised on approach landing in 15min.

Land and come to a halt. Captain advises we have diverted to Orly due thunderstorms - see above - no gates available, he will keep in touch. Move forward on the taxiway slightly and then come to a halt. Both engines shut down, captain leaves the flight deck and goes into the toilet. Comes out, goes back on to the flight deck and starts both engines again!!

We taxi around the airport for an hour while we ponder if we can get off given we only have hand baggage. The hostess tells us we maybe the only happy people on the plane so fingers crossed.

Finally come to a stop at the terminal, shut down only to find out that the air bridge does not fit our aircraft size so now we have to wait until a tug is available to push us back off the gate to yet again start the engines and taxi to another gate. 30min later the tug arrives and we taxi for 20min to another gate with no air bridge.

Told by captain no one can deplane and we can expect to get airborne in 2hours.

Right on the dot 2hrs later we take off circle right around Paris and land at CDG to get the bus back to Orly in peak hour traffic. Arrive Orly and go to check in desk to be told after we missed our connection our booking disappeared but yes we could travel if only they could retrieve the booking - no booking no boarding pass.

1 hour later the chief of the chief made a new booking for us and we got our boarding passes for the 6pm flight.

Went up to the departure gate to find the flight delayed by another hour.

Finally arrived in Biarritz at 9.30pm and found that our booked transport to St Jean had gone for the day which left a taxi ride at 130euros. Thankfully there was another couple in the same predicament. Finally got to bed at 11pm - 15hrs after departing Zurich!!

Back tomorrow.

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Comments

[Roy]

I Feel For You
Mark - having been diverted from Akld-Wgtn back to Akld, spent a night and then had morning flight cancelled, so picked up a rental and drove 8 hours to Wgtn, i feel for you. Who said flying these days is easy? I think this is where we're meant to say to ourselves "it's the journey, not the destination that counts"!!