394. UK Stopover

 NZ1

Tony and Amelia with
Audrey's drawing for Amelia

Saturday dawned bright and early thanks to Amelia’s (age one) enthusiasm to get up and cracking. I feigned sleep effectively for an hour till I felt it rude not to appear.

Jago and Lucy called in to see us and it was terrific to see them and talk boats now they have bought a ship (sixty footer). We were in full conversation when Dr Tim turned up to take me to the airport. Tim is an enthusiastic and experienced sailer and unaware that Jago and Lucy had bought a boat. With a grin I passed my phone, with a snap of Triciana that Jago had sent me, to Tim. There was a significant pause then Christ! then a pause That really is a boat. If the secret of comedy is timing then that justifies my hilarity on watching Tim’s face, a mixture of surprise, delight and incredulity. The conversation then continued with all six of us rowing in, all of us boat mad though Jago and Lucy now the maddest. Tricianna is a beautiful boat, well presented and will take them on some great adventures.

With Amelia

Tim took me to the airport and it was a great opportunity for a catchup and Tim, a very entertaining conversationalist, dropped me at the kiss and drop (the former absent in this case) which looked unfamiliar as I have always parked. I made my way in and joined the queue for the VAT recovery for the cuckoo clock as you have to do this before you check your luggage in (a trap for the unwary). At the counter the agent looked at my ticket and said this is terminal three, Air NZ flies from terminal two. My relaxed demeanour now expunged I did the run of shame between terminals as time was now a lot closer than I had intended. Nothing like the run at Rome but still quite irritating.

Did the VAT claim and caught the flight to LAX without further issue.