37 posts tagged “travel”
I've finally finished wrapping presents for my family. I'm about to check-in online for my flight to Edinburgh tomorrow. I have just a couple of work-related tasks to complete tomorrow, as well as a meeting with my manager. Only now am I feeling in the 'holiday spirit'. Up till now, it's been pretty stressful. This time tomorrow evening, I'll be sipping something cold in the departures lounge of the airport.
Relief.
And to think I had a go at my sister when she started talking about Christmas presents in early November. Unlike me, she was truly prepared and did most of her shopping online. I found myself in Canary Wharf yesterday afternoon, feverishly trying to track down those last few crucial gifts. I would say it'll be different next year, but I can't see me changing that much in just twelve months!
I probably won't have time to blog here again before leaving London (or while in Edinburgh) so I'll just take this opportunity to wish eveyone (both of you) who reads this blog a very Happy Christmas or whatever special holiday you're celebrating at this time of the year. Have fun, and I'll see you on the other side!
And for your delight and enjoyment, here's a festive piccie of my little Christmas tree, taken with my iPhone (sans gifts, which are piled up before bag-packing tonight).
Show us a picture of your favorite vacation.
Here's a pic from last year's trip to Vancouver. I love that city and would gladly live there - this was the second year in a row that we travelled there. Next summer, it'll be Europe, slightly closer to home!
This is me at the Capillano Suspension Bridge.
And here's me keeping a safe distance from a bear on Grouse Mountain. (I *was* having fun... not sure why I'm not smiling in either of these pics).
Summer is coming to an end... Show us what you enjoyed the most this summer.
I had a great summer...but I enjoyed our trip to Lisbon most of all. I'll definitely be going back.
What are you looking forward to this week?
Actually, it's this weekend that I'm most looking forward to... I and my better half will be spending it in Brussels, visiting my parentals. It's quite a while since I've been there, so looking forward to a good mooch around the city and some delightful Belgian beers. More than that however, I'm like a child on Christmas eve, giddy with excitement at the prospect of traveling there on the Eurostar.
I've had it up to here with airports this year... the queues, the stifling security and the power-trips of the monkeys in uniform.
Trains are so much more... civilised.
I'm just so craptacular sometimes. Please excuse the lack of postings of late... I've been enjoying my holliers abroad, terrorising the gentry of Portugal and Spain. Two and a half weeks in Lisbon, Saville, Madrid and Mallorca... it was bliss. But now it's over and I'm back in sticky icky London.
Normal service will resume shortly. In the meantime, enjoy this tune that was on every single Spanish radio station while I was there.
...was superb and a much-needed break from gloomy London. Five days of unrelenting Mallorcan sunshine, poolside lounging at the in-laws, and the imbibing of much quality beer and food. However, it just wasn't enough, and so we're heading back to the continent in just a couple of weeks. Lisbon, Seville, Madrid each for three days and then back to Mallorca for eights days of sitting on my fat arse, clooking slowly in the sun.
And if that image doesn't put you off your dinner, I don't know what will.
But back to the drinking. Check out these pictures of the *biggest* bottle of beer I have ever enjoyed. A ginormous bottle of Grolsch, next to other objects to indicate its size. Yum yum.
...for a while now. Sorry, I'm in Spain and it's just too lovely outside to even contemplate blogging for an extended period.
Updates when I return. Until then, I will leave you with this thought: I believe there is a negative correlation (an inverse relationship, if you will) between the number of tattoos a British tourist in Spain has, and his general IQ.
More on that anon.
...aimed at our Eastern European cousins, this story about the Polish airline is true. From the BBC:
Plane loses way after pilot error
A Polish Boeing 737 which came close to hitting another aircraft over London had the wrong co-ordinates entered into the flight computer. The pilots then failed to understand instructions given in English by controllers, the Air Accidents Investigations Branch report revealed.
The Warsaw-bound plane weaved across the skies after taking off from Heathrow last June. The co-pilot used standby instruments to return the plane to Heathrow.
According to the report the "serious incident" developed when a "simple" error in entering the aircraft's position went undetected. The LOT airlines co-pilot entered an easterly longitude instead of westerly, causing the electronic navigation system to shut down.
But this was only noticed by the crew once the Boeing 737 carrying 95 passengers and crew had taken off from the west London airport.
A number of the exchanges were misunderstood, probably as a result of language difficulties. The report said the pilot had difficulty "comprehending and communicating" with air traffic controllers and responded to instructions "slowly and erratically".Investigators said: "A number of the exchanges were misunderstood, probably as a result of language difficulties."
It was also noted that "the pilots had little idea of their position and, after a few minutes, they were entirely dependent on air traffic controllers for their navigation".Another aircraft was forced to change its course when the Polish plane flew too close but it was not close enough to be considered a "near miss" by investigators.
The co-pilot was forced to use standby instruments, and guided by controllers, landed the plane back at Heathrow. The report said the incident demonstrated how reliant pilots have become on the Flight Management System. Controllers were also criticised for failing to realise how severe the aircraft's navigational difficulties were.
Well, that's another Airline I won't be flying with. Added to the list that includes Alitalia, Ryanair and Sudan Airways. Eurostar is looking more attractive by the minute.
From this morning's Guardian:
A "green" budget airline was criticised by environmental campaigners yesterday after it admitted advertising for actors to make up passenger numbers to ensure it reached an airport quota.
The Exeter-based carrier apparently needed phantom farepayers because of a dispute with Norwich international airport over passenger numbers.
To avoid a £280,000 penalty, Flybe also put its own staff on standby to fill seats, laid on extra flights, and offered free trips. Flybe was 172 people short of its 15,000 annual target on the Norwich-to-Dublin route and placed an advert on the website StarNow.com, to find extras who could be "customers".
It increased the Dublin flights from three to 11 this weekend, offering 200 free return tickets, though in the end did not use any actors.
The row is a huge embarrassment for an airline claiming to have environmental credentials, having last year launched an "eco-labelling" scheme, telling passengers how much carbon dioxide and noise levels are generated by each flight.
"We have a responsibility to reduce the carbon emissions produced by our aircraft," it announced.
A spokesman for Greenpeace said Flybe's environmental efforts were a sham. "This just shows there is no such thing as an environmentally-responsible carrier. These revelations are indicative of the binge-flying culture where environmental considerations come so far down the list of priorities as to be virtually ignored."
A Flybe spokesman said the airline regretted its move but said that Norwich airport had shown "petty behaviour" in refusing to accept a compromise deal and in "forcing" it to run superfluous flights.
Now that's not very "Green", is it? Wonder what they'll do next to improve their image...
