Home.

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We’re up in the air again. Smooth check in, well under the luggage allowance (which is 31 kg, which seems a lot) and cruising along at 35000 ft. There was a trick when we saw our gate and the final boarding call but it was just ‘Greek’! Our gate, our flight number, our airline but the final call was for the previous flight from that gate and had not been amended. Only mild panic but really no drama as we knew that over an hour was left before scheduled take off. Flying Etihad as we did on the way over but currently on the A320 which is a baby for their fleet and not one I expect to take us home. It’s just under a 5 hour flight to Abu Dhabi and most of that time I’ll spent elbow wrestling the guy next to me. He’s not big but his elbows are pushy already. I hope he can read out of the corner of his eye then the battle may be put on temporary hold! I thought he’d gone to sleep as within 2 minutes of take off his eyes were closed and remained that way for a while but he has come good now and started to watch some movie via the E-box network they have on board.

Presently there is some turbulence and the seat belt signs are again illuminated but we were warned that this may happen particularly when close to Athens. The cloud is quite thick and we are in it rather than above it and the bumps and jerks are continuing and making typing difficult. I’ll stop for a while and concentrate on my one arm elbow battle.

Sort of OK so I’ll try again.

Lee has just received her gluten free meal but there’s no sign of real food for anyone else yet. It’s chicken and veg with salad and fruit. The veg has peas and corn with finely diced capsicum, how appropriate is that for a flight meal, let alone a turbulent flight meal! She will have finished before I see any food but that’s not a problem. Just had a report that the chicken is very chewy so it may be an offering to avoid later.

The plane is almost full to capacity, there are 16 rows in front of us and I can only find 2 spare seats. Our cabin crew are all males but the pointy end (all 6 of them) have a female cabin attendant. Couple of young babies on board (aren’t there always) but presently they are good, meaning they are quiet. Still in the clouds and bouncing a bit so again I’ll break for break.



BIG break and now I’m home. There’s not a lot of joy in flying home. Always a long flight and it’s without the excitement and anticipation that comes with the going on holidays. There must be close to 300 passengers onboard most (literally) in cattle class. The place looked like a disaster zone as we exited with blankets, headphones, cups and like strewn anywhere and everywhere. But it gets us home and it is lovely to snuggle down in our own bed. As it’s a little colder here it’s the first time for ages I’ve used the doona and it was nice to snuggle down.

The light of day time revealed just how much the grass and weeds have grown and the plants haven’t! How does that happen? Plants died and weeds thrived! But I managed to get the mower through most of the ‘lawn’ after again going to the bank to question a questionable transaction on our travel card. The transaction, from Sydney, on a day we were in Portugal, and from a store we’ve never heard of shouldn’t be too difficult to dispute but the procedure is laborious. The bank maintains that it can’t be stopped but it can be reversed if fraudulent. Who pays?

And Janus is back. He goes on holiday as well and usually loves it but this time the holiday house had a pup and any pup is too much for Janus. He tolerated it but only just. He’s settled in so we’ll he’s already annoying us! But it’s good to see him again.

But for now that’s it. Hopefully I’ll get an opportunity to round things off tomorrow and say goodbye until the next time (Slovenia?).

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