February 6, 2009

• Damn that white stuff!

  

  When I heard that bad weather was coming to the UK I allowed myself to feel a little smug at choosing the same week to head off to gran Canaria for another little bit of sunshine with my friend John who didn't make it out with us in December. I knew I shouldn't have felt smug, I knew I'd have to pay - karma will out!

  So I should have gotten the Aer Lingus flight to Dublin airport then a bus to Belfast on Thursday night /Friday morning but when I got to the airport it was with the knowledge that the flight had been cancelled! I went up their anyway as I thought it best to speak to the AL representative on the ground. When I got their I joined many other confused and frustrated people amazed that their was not a single member of AL staff there. Some poor Canarian people in the information office were being subjected to the ire or the mob (I stepped out of THAT group straight away). There was nothing to be done we all had to phone the reservations department and re-book and it could be a week before we leave! There was no financial assistance available, if you couldn't afford a hotel you were in trouble and very much on your own. Luckily for me the villa i was staying in for the week was free and so I headed back and Patrick got onto the phone in Belfast and sorted me a return flight next Tuesday.

  It's a funny thing. I have lived on my own, on and off, for most of my adult life but I know one thing about myself and that is that I cannot bear being on my own on holiday! John had left to fly home via London the night before all this and so this was me stuck in paradise. I managed 18 hours before I cracked and got the credit card out and found a route back to the icy 'hell' that is the UK & Ireland and I leave tomorrow morning to fly first to Tenerife and then onwards to Dublin... assuming that the flight is still going. I called AL up and told them I wanted a refund, which I got but not a word of regret for the inconvenience. To be fair it wasn't their fault I guess as, after all we had had over eight, count them, eight INCHES of snow on the run ways!

  Still, if I can get home tomorrow no doubt I will be moaning about the cold and the ice and the snow and wishing I was back here.  Typical huh?!

  I should say by the way, that John and I had a lovely holiday. decent warm weather and lots of laughs. John and I often argue but he is a friend that I have known for many years now and when we get on along well it is always a delight to be around him. I should say that most of the time we are not arguing and it is a delight!

  We didn't do a lot, just took long walks had lots of grilled fish, 'papas arugadas' and salad and ruined it all by staying out late and drinking litres of vodka and diet coke in the many, many gay bars in Playa Del Ingles! That's enough for one year though - time to go home, dry out and wrap up and apply myself to the task of finding paid work and developing the business. Life is good even if sometimes it snows!

  Hope every one in the UK is ok and wrapped up warm?

   

  • 4:35 pm
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