Today I had a lateish breakfast and then just hung around the room after making sure everything was packed and ready to go. Watched an episode of Smallville on the box - dubbed into Italian of course. For some reason the Italians have never gotten the idea of subtitling to preserve the original sounds and emotions and prefer to dub everything. It's probably some deal that was done because Uncle so-and-so had a son who was taking acting lessons and needed a job, or some such. (Nepotism? Italy? never!)
The procedure at Florence airport is like lots of others: get on a bus, wait in the sun, get taken to the plane, get on the plane, wait while the rest of the passengers arrive on the bus. The travellers don't seem to have woken up to the idea that, rushing to be first on the bus is the worst possible strategy. Even if there is only one bus load, by waiting until last you minimize the time you spend waiting in the heat - simples, Tchk!
Anyway, straightforward flight to Amsterdam and then a looong walk to my departure gate. This time, I decided to play the 'I am stupid' card and went to the early queue as soon as premium boarders were called. The hostess didn't bat an eyelid and I was through and on along with the other people who had no right to be boarding early.
Unfortunately, at Heathrow, I had to 'enter' the UK as my baggage was only checked as far as London. Fortunately there were no hassles. Then through the usual hassles of checkin, security, etc.
Since it was fairly early and my flight wasn't due to depart until 9:30pm I decided to have a light meal at the Bridge bar. Getting through a couple or three glasses of red* I was able to make that last until about 8:40pm when I headed for the gate lounge. There wasn't much time to wait enforce the flight was called and also not a full 'load' of people, probably due to the fact that it is winter down under.
*i was also playing the 'I have claimed this table' game. Places like the Bridge bar depend on getting a lot of throughput and most people are in for a meal, eat it quickly, and then out again. So someone who lingers at a table is, potentially, doing them out of some business. I figured that if I could just spend enough over the 2 and 3/4 hours I was there then I was justifying my claim to the table.
On the Airbus A380 the seat next to mine was vacant but the seat between us was empty. The 'window' guy was a Pakastani born in Karachi whose family live in Dubai. He is going back for a few days holiday and to attend a family wedding. Apparently there are even more empty seats further back as he has taken his things and moved. All the more room for me ;-)
Choice of meal on the flight was either a chicken curry or a lamb stew of some sort so I code the chicken. Managed to get perhaps 3 - 3.5 hours sleep before Dubai.
Dubai airport was, as usual, glittering and gleaming. I went looking through all of the shops to see if I could find a pharmacy to buy some paracetamol for the stinking headache I had developed but nothing so useful to be found. Just lots of shops catering to the ADHD culture of our times (ooh - bright, shiny). That and the people with HLC (headless chook) syndrome who wander around aimlessly and don't give a sh*t about getting in anyone's way.
I thought that I had figured out that if I bought a bottle of water in the airport then I would be able to take it to the gate lounge. Yeah, right! Sorry sir, you cannot take water through. And once in the gate lounge there is nowhere to get a drink of water. This is just like Bangkok airport and just as stupid. I am sure that would be terrorists could figure out 99 ways to take chemical mixtures through security so that they just need to add water later. It makes a mockery out of security/anti-terrorism risk management. Oh, and they were also taking water off people coming off the plane. Mutter, mutter.
Back on board the plane I settled in for the next exciting 13+hours on the way to Sydney. Along the way there was another meal offering of either Chicken curry, or Macaroni cheese. I had decided to have the curry again but, of course, they had run out by the time they got to me so it was Macaroni cheese. Well the salad was ok, and the dessert mousse was ok but I could only eat one forkful of the Mac cheese. I said to the steward afterwards that, after having Italian food twice a day for a month, the Mac cheese didn't live up to expectations, and he saw the point. Managed to get some sleep in 1-hour or so bursts but I was very glad when they served breakfast, signifying that we were not too far away.
On arrival I had to go through the quarantine check for my carvings but got through with no issues as they did not have any bark attached. With bark attached would have been either pay a $100 processing fee or they go into the bin.
Dominic was waiting as I walked out into the arrivals area so we quickly got to the car and started home. Dominic was going to the company office at St Leonard's so he drove there and I took over to drive myself home. Reminder to Dominic: heading back down to Brook Street does not give you access to the freeway, except to the city. I had to do some seat-of-pants navigation, in the dark, to eventually end up in Chatswood's main street from where it is a easy navigate to home. I should probably have stuck to my original plan to head for the Pacific Highway.
Anyway, home now and mostly unpacked. Still have to sort out all of my maps and paperwork etc, and knock up Air France for a refund of bus ticket and train fare to get from Bologna to Florence.
