Come Fly With Me, Come Fly ...

No yet. It's time to move out to the hotel and then get on the bus to Sydney. Then, if the volcanoes don't get us, we jet off to glowing Tokyo. I've checked-in and, fingers crossed, we've got the seats we prefer; last two at the back of the plane. If we're offered a free upgrade we'll take it - always do ...

Packing was a snip ... after re-packing several times my case weights a monster 15 kilos ... maybe I don't need some of the cloths ...

It always surprises me that the carry-on bag is both full and heavy ... camera and all the electrical do-dads and their chargers ... remember when travel didn't require a private nuclear plant to power all the gadgets? We've even got a toothbrush that tells you when to stop brushing and you can listen to the radio while you brush - you have to have amalgam fillings for the reception to be enough to Zumba for the prescribed two minutes. Clean teeth and tight abs all in one session ... the marvels of modern technology ... whatever next ...

Tardis Time

Most people we know have the horrors when you mention packing for a trip. Cases and cases of clothes are humped from car, to bus, to tube, to train, to aircraft, up stairs, down stairs and, finally, into My Lady's chamber.

We have a practiced procedure. If the stuff doesn't fit in a medium size case with a total weight less than 22 kilos - forget it!

We know a person (notice the carefully PC'd use of person) who insists on taking at least 10 pairs of shoes and sufficient cloths to match; "You never know if you will be invited to a wedding, bar mitzvah, funeral or some other social even". Two, or more, gigantic pieces of luggage result. These are, of course, never toted by said person and, amusingly enough, the complaints about the cost of excess baggage is one, if not the prime, feature which dominates their post-trip ramblings.

At one airport someone got to the check-in and, finding that their luggage was way over allowance, they opened their luggage and proceeded to don as much clothing as they could. The Michelin Effect was very funny, especially so when the luggage was still over weight.

Well ... we're all different ...

Tickets Please ...

Now we know where Bilton Central is located I chained my self to the computer for two hours doing a "Mix and Match" with airlines, buses, ferries and train and hotels, in order to come up with a workable set, which got us to and from Venice in September. Firstly, there don't seem to be any "cheap" air tickets only "moderately cheap" ones. Persistence rewarded effort so that I did get a set of tickets and bookings that should, everything crossed, do the job. Rhyair, National Express , Premier Inn and Alilaguna - again!

Option Three ... A Sensible Choice

After a phone call to Blighty HQ our friendly Property Manager gave us the choice of option three; S8, 2B, GFA, B, K, L/D with ORP plus CC, W&E. Who could refuse? Note there is no G, which is a blessing. Also, no worries about stray farm animals and leaking rooves or roofs ...

The snaps seem to underline the choice; so we have somewhere to rest our aged and weary heads in Sheffield.

Phew ... Somewhere To Sleep At Last

At last we have somewhere to hang our hat and spend time in England.

We were a little disappointed with some of the choices but, beggars are seldom choosers. We decided that a roof of some sort was an essential due to the possibility of rain which guided our choice to option two ... maybe option three is better even if it is a little more expensive ...

Option 2

Option 1