Our friend Gill came by early this morning with fresh croissants and pains au raisin for breakfast before taking us to the airport and seeing us off. We said farewell to Keith and Claudine our hosts, and to their dogs which we looked after while they were away. They'll be with us in a couple of weeks time when Keith plays a lunchtime organ concert in St John's on Friday 13th August.
For the first time air travelling, I logged in to the EasyJet site and printed off our boarding passes. This meant that all we had to do was use one of many auto check-in computer terminals to print luggage labels and queue to drop off the bags. It also meant that I didn't have the awkwardness (plus the queuing) of a 'manual' desk check in. It doesn't sound much but most modern passports have a bar code to scan, but mine is nearly ten years old, it was issued in Geneva as a second passport for Middle East travel when I went on sabbatical to Jerusalem - and the long passport number has to be keyed in, something now needed far less frequently.
The airport was heaving with people, heading off on holiday, and we were there as people were arriving to take USA flights, and cars were queuing to enter the departure drop off zone, so Gill dropped us off in an empty lane where taxis and buses usually unload, giving us an extra walk, but taking far less time. Yet despite this, when we arrived in the EasyJet zone, check-in took ten minutes, and despite seemingly endless queues to pass through the security portals, we were through to the duty free area in a total of 25 minutes from entering the terminal. Very impressive efficiency.
For the first time air travelling, I logged in to the EasyJet site and printed off our boarding passes. This meant that all we had to do was use one of many auto check-in computer terminals to print luggage labels and queue to drop off the bags. It also meant that I didn't have the awkwardness (plus the queuing) of a 'manual' desk check in. It doesn't sound much but most modern passports have a bar code to scan, but mine is nearly ten years old, it was issued in Geneva as a second passport for Middle East travel when I went on sabbatical to Jerusalem - and the long passport number has to be keyed in, something now needed far less frequently.
The airport was heaving with people, heading off on holiday, and we were there as people were arriving to take USA flights, and cars were queuing to enter the departure drop off zone, so Gill dropped us off in an empty lane where taxis and buses usually unload, giving us an extra walk, but taking far less time. Yet despite this, when we arrived in the EasyJet zone, check-in took ten minutes, and despite seemingly endless queues to pass through the security portals, we were through to the duty free area in a total of 25 minutes from entering the terminal. Very impressive efficiency.
The flight left on time and arrived early. We stepped out of Bristol airport main door and straight on to the shuttle bus for Temple Meads, and when we arrived there was only ten minutes to wait for a train to Cardiff, where we stepped straight on to a number sixty one bus to take us home to Pontcanna. It was all so seamlessly smooth. Ben deigned to greet us with requests for food when we got in. He's looking very sleek and healthy, obviously full recovered from his nasty abcess. The only disappointment was that the car battery was totally flat, after three weeks of idleness, so food shopping had to be done on foot. Nevertheless, it was good to be back in our new home once more, and celebrating by cooking us a nice paella in my new pan.
Now I have to update computers which have been switched off and idle for the past three weeks. With Linux, it's no fuss, simple, but Windows partitions with all their out of sync warnings, and anti virus and system updates require permission to restart several times, it's always a question of machine minding, and this just should be the case for something supposed to be user friendly.
Now I have to update computers which have been switched off and idle for the past three weeks. With Linux, it's no fuss, simple, but Windows partitions with all their out of sync warnings, and anti virus and system updates require permission to restart several times, it's always a question of machine minding, and this just should be the case for something supposed to be user friendly.
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