Taking Flight

Progress - from under the bed to a box  (DW)

After a worrying Saturday in which Scout had vanished under Debbie’s bed and refused to come out, or eat, Sunday morning was made joyful with the news that not only had he emerged, but that he was enjoying attention, his breakfast, and exploring.  I was so relieved!  We decided that I shouldn’t go over and have a goodbye cuddle – it would have been be good for me, but he’d probably have felt deserted again.  I will look forward to updates from Scout-central.

Investigating happily  (DW)

By noon I had the packing mostly done. Most of my stuff in a carry-on spinner, on the 5-4-3-2-1 principle – 5 sets of undies, 4 tops, 3 pants, 2 pairs of shoes and 1 jacket.  I bent the guide a little, but it’s all in.  Next job was to decide whether my other bag was going to be a backpack or a tote – I ended up packing both to try it out, and opted for the backpack – more different pockets to use.  My lovely bouquet of flowers from last week’s ROCA concert was still flourishing, and I took it round to a neighbour for them to enjoy.  

I called a cab, and it was there within two minutes, which I hadn’t anticipated – so I rushed out of the house without some of the things I’d left for pickup – my mask bag, my NoJetLag, my cat-hat...  Oh, well, I guess I’ll do without all of them.  In the event, the only time I felt myself wishing for a mask was in the security lineup – way too many people crowded together, and SO SLOW – but I only saw three masked people.  From arrival at the airport to the gate took me almost an hour and a half – there were a lot of folks travelling on Sunday! At the gate itself, it was pretty quiet until we started loading.

Waiting at the gate

Our flight was full – so I was grateful for my decision to go with Business Class, even if it was an expensive treat. KLM Business class doesn’t go all the way into individual pods, but seats were comfy, and could be adjusted to create a flat surface, so I was able to get a few hours sleep.  The food was good and they were open-handed with drinks, though I do better with minimal alcohol when flying. 

Flying into Schipol

We arrived on schedule at Schipol, which is a wonderful terminal.  Browsing in the concourse, who should I run into but Lise Coppin, the BCCF Secretary, who was on her way home from a Rhine cruise holiday.  What are the chances of encountering a friend in a place like that!  People crossing paths from all over the world – and there we were!

I should have thought to whisk out my phone! - 
this is Lise singing at Chorfest a month ago...   (AR)

The change of planes was smooth, though the second was what they called a CityHopper, which involved us getting on a bus and being driven clear round the airport to a tarmac-parked plane, and then wrestling bags up the stairs...  I was thankful that though all my stuff was carry-on, it was actually manageable. “Business Class” in this situation, was the first two rows and a dinky little curtain between “us” and “them”. The big advantage was being first off, and getting through passport control very easily, to find Martin waiting for me.

Green (and slightly misty) Ireland