this is a strange bird is it not! a white peacock as seen at tivoli world in torremolinos the sunday before last....


beautiful isnt it...

well here i am back already from my fast trip to england... my trip over was strange too, i had planned it would be fast and easy with my pre printed boarding card, no baggage... well the world conspired against me alright!

friends dropped my off and in i went into the always crowded departures area, but me i went straight through, after removing coat boots etc! but then i was through and after my usual quick run round duty free where i met some friends from town! i was off for coffee and then i went downstairs to check out my flight, it was going to be an hour late leaving!

it was... and then once on the flight we had to wait a further 15 minutes for a slot to fly off in! the hold up had been an air traffic strike by the french and the "russians playing soldiers in the atlantic" pilots words not mine!

on this flight it was only not being able to fly over france that held us up on our way to england.

then.... a woman in the front row was taken ill, and on landing we had to wait for the paramedics to board and sort her out, but we couldnt leave from the front doors in the end and had to dis embark from the rear doors... i had sat very near the front to make my hasty exit from the plane, and with no baggage the airport too!

so i was almost the last off and by the time i had changed euros to pounds the first off with baggage had got them and were off like a shot!

then it was bus and train to tonys... via a short nip around the shops and then a couple of coffee's near his place while i waited for him to get home...

mom was still none the wiser of my arrival and tony called her to arrange the time, then i called... from spain... not, and tony and i left to collect her! she was surprised of that there was no doubt, her face was a real picture... of happiness!!

we went for a quick drink in the local george and dragon pub and then went to a nice restaurant called la mancha in berkhamsted, sounds spanish but the owner and all the staff i think were italian, i kept forgetting where i was a speaking in spanish! janette and lenny were there when we arrived, another surprise for mom and the five of us had a wonderful evening.

the meal was lovley calamari for starters, pasta and scallops for main course and banoffee pie for desert! phew.....

stayed the night at moms, and in the morning we went over to aylesbury, where we had a look around the shops and then met sarah and callum in costa coffee, then steph in the shopping centre and it was back to moms to drop her off and then steph and i drove to the airport... we stopped for lunch in a nice bar/restaurant on the way, then she was gone.. no i was gone i mean!

and it was straight up stairs off with coat and boots again! and a short sit down before the gate was announced and i was on the plane... again!

TTFN
Marian