Hello dear friends {smile}

Just splashing through to leave a line as I managed today (ie the day before we head to Aus) to get the laptop hooked up to Brian’s network and so this is a lovely bonus to be sitting at my own laptop online! {smile} Will share a bit of the start of the holiday journal that I have been doing today and then I can update it on the flight and hopefully plop some more in when we get to Sydney {Smie}

We had a good drive down to Heathrow and got to the Airport half an hour early. Ken dropped us off and we then found the check in queues (even for Business Class). It wasn’t to long for waiting though and then we had the nightmare of the security lines. You even had to take off your shoes! Still once we were through then it was off to the shops to get toiletries that we couldn’t bring through and also some Duty Free Stuff as well.

The flight took off later than scheduled due to the fact that a passenger didn’t board and their luggage then had to be taken off. We think it must have been a first class passenger as there were six pieces of luggage checked through! Must be nice to do that – ie check your stuff in then decide not to fly (for whatever reason) and then just let everyone else on board have the delay and waiting whilst someone else sorts out the results of that decision.

The flight was very good and I managed to sleep for quite a long time as after a disturbed night before we left UK then I had a massive after eating slump after lunch (and the quite a few glasses of champagne that we were served up whilst waiting on the delayed departure {Smile}) so went off to sleep quite easily for 4 or 5 hours. Poor Paul hardly got any sleep at all. It was strange with getting dark so early yet I was asleep before then anyway. Watched Planet Earth the David Attenborough Natural World television series and they had the whole lot of programs on which was great…(apart from the crocodile killing the water buffalo as you knew what was going to happen and the killer whales killing the sea lions ….still I know tis a part of nature yet doesn’t mean to say you have to enjoy watching that part of it right? {Smile}

Had scrambled eggs and smoked salmon for breakfast with fresh orange juice. It was lovely and a very refreshing way to start the day. We had caught up the time as there were tail winds so landed very smoothly dead on time – It took 30 minutes from landing to walking through the arrivals hall with our luggage! Couldn’t believe that it had been so quick! {Smile} Nick was there walking towards us as we though she might have been later as we were so early through. Once we had got back to the apartment just chilled out and then had a nap in he afternoon so I felt much better by the evening rather than the spaced out feeling of travel fatigue and jet lag with a 7 hour time change! {Smile}

We have had a lovely time shopping here – I got one of those electronic picture frames that you can plug a camera memory card in and it shows a slide show! Which I have seen in the UK yet they are very expensive there and so not so expensive here. {smile} Before I go into details of shopping I think I will pop this post in as we will be having a late lunch shortly so whilst I have got the laptop online and actually managed to get into the board I will get this posted (both here and in the alternative one)

Whilst I think of it – if you look in here Babs can you send a one-liner to my tiscali addy as I don’t have your email address would you believe! {smile}

Thanks Maggy for your kind thoughts and lovely to see you call in…. will e back again soon as and when my own ~now~ {and wireless conection) allows{ smile}

Love always

Mermaid…xxx


PS I will continue to try and post this in the main bard yet it appears to be having hiccups on posting again.