Yesterday there was a board meeting where God made an executive decision and directed Mother Nature to send the cold and miserable damp weather to that had been hovering over us for the last three days to where it belonged……………France. ………and replace it with the most beautiful of spring days.
So it was that Southampton awoke to clear blue skies and shirtsleeve weather which set the scene for A Day of Days.
My drive from Essex to Hampshire started at 8 am and I had given myself extra time to arrive at the docks because I would have to travel along the most notorious motorway (freeway) in the UK…………a road called the M25. Usually this is nothing more than a parking lot as there are always road works and accidents and lane closures……….however yesterday it was as though someone had told every other driver in Britain to stay at home…………John is coming and he has a Royal appointment………because the M25 was empty. As I sped along in my Ozone-killing machine of a Range Rover listening to the radio I was excited to hear that the BBC news mention what was about to happen on their hourly bulletins. During the three-hour journey I had lots of time to think, not just about the event itself but also about my life and the journeys I have been on since the blog started.
There are certain things in life that have a huge build up and then once experienced are a major disappointment. …….my first proper kiss for example. My mates had told me what to do and I was so excited to “snog” a girl called Helen…….we did and for me it was a huge let down. Her tongue was as rough as an armadillo’s and because she had just had a cigarette it was like kissing the inside of a packet of Camels…….I was a very disappointed 27 year old.
Deciding that your relationship is ready to be moved to the next level of getting engaged is usually sponsored by the knowledge that you love that person more than anything in the world………..or by massive amounts of Budweiser. Once that decision has been made it’s then up to the man to choose the right moment and the most romantic way possible to ask the one he loves to be his wife.
During my time as a Cruise Director I have had countless requests from guests who want me to help them “pop the question.” ………and often these proposals are highlights for the right and one time ………for the wrong reason.
Murphy buggered off and the result was the joyous rapture of the sight of my bruised and well traveled Samsonite suitcase making its way around the conveyor belt at Heathrow’s terminal 5……….I wanted to jump for joy and nearly hug the person standing next to me but it was old hairy ears so I decided to hold that thought……………all that stuff I had read about terminal 5 was stuff and nonsense ……oh except the escalators were not working and sighting a luggage trolley was as rare as seeing someone actually use a rock climbing wall.
Usually when I fly home I have someone pick me up as I live about 70 miles from both Gatwick and Heathrow. This is normally my mate Danny or even Alan sometimes. My Dad used to collect me but with the parking area being so far from the actual terminal now with all the security precautions I don’t want to have them come all that way. So, today I had a taxi booked and that turned out to be a big mistake.
British Airways ……..our national carrier……an airline that should fill the country with pride and with honour. British Airways an Icon of pure Britishness up there with Rolls Royce, Bentley, Cups of Tea, Cucumber Sandwiches, Big Ben, Cricket, Simon Cowell and Monty Python………….only someone forgot to tell the airline that has the Union Jack on its tail……..certainly on this flight….which we have just been told is delayed for two hours…..no explanation was given……just that. So, as is now normal for me here I sit once again, in the departures lounge at Amsterdam airport with nothing to do except count the number of hairs growing out of the man’s ear next to me.
I expect delays especially since Murphy decide to attach himself to me permanently. The thing that drives me mad is the lack of information and apology. All we have is a digital sign saying “delayed until 1:35pm.” This frustration is my motivation to always provide as much information as many times as possible to keep everyone informed. Maybe if BA did the same it would stop people like the chap across from me who upon reading about the delay took his frustration out on his carry on bag by using it as a kick bag……don’t
blame him because right now BA stands for “bugger all.”
Fifteen days, eight flights and six countries and loads of wonderful memories…………the FAM trip is now officially over.
I am sitting here in Heidi’s Mum’s living room tapping away on the raspberry thingy while Heidi and Mum make chicken satay with roasted potatoes.
I am really tired…………we averaged 14-hour days and what with the unpacking, packing and the joys of flying I am ready for a rest. However, I will have to wait until May for that to happen and I will show you my schedule in a minute.
In Russia it was cold, in Tallinn it was freezing but this morning, here in the Dutch countryside it is truly Antarctic………..How can I describe how cold it is?……Well, its -2 degrees but the wind is really strong and that makes it feel even colder. I am wearing my windbreaker and I can assure you its breaking bugger all. How cold is it?……..Well let’s just say that when I went to the bathroom just now it took longer than usual as a certain part of me had decided to return to the cave and hibernate.
It’s a shame it’s so cold because the film I am making for the guests doesn’t show the true beauty of the places we have visited this morning. These include Zaanse Schans which is Windmill country. There are dozens of these beautiful old mills and on tour guests can visit the mills, a traditional cheese factory and farm. Watching the sails of these mills move in the wind is simply awesome and even if the wind had not been as strong as it was today the sails would still have turned due to the Indonesian curry I had for dinner last night.
What a long 14 days it has been but oh how rewarding. I will have time to write a few raspberry-flavored blogs from the coach tomorrow as we start our last day.
I am going to say goodnight by showing you a few photos. They are random………..from all the places we have visited and have been taken by a great friend of mine Radu who is the Carnival fleet’s best photographer………….his work will be displayed on the Carnival Splendor during an exhibition and in my opinion………he should have his work published.
OK, let’s talk about the red light district and the coffee shops which are, let’s face it, probably and unfortunately on everyone’s top ten list of what they want to think of when talking about Amsterdam.
First the Coffee Houses…….which actually do sell coffee but that’s not what people go there for. There is some misunderstanding that drugs are legal in Amsterdam but that is absolutely incorrect. Marijuana is available legally to purchase and smoke in the Coffee Houses however it is illegal to purchase it and walk onto the street with it. If the police catch you it’s a huge fine or worse if you have an amount that could in the laws eyes make you a dealer.
