Headlines
I Reinvent the Same Breakfast and Arrange to Print a Boarding Pass
Follow the Motorway to Birmingham Airport
Ryanair to Dublin: first class, of course :-)
If This is Tuesday -- You Must be Terry
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Stream of Consciousness
I Reinvent the Same Breakfast and Arrange to Print a Boarding Pass
Last night I checked in, online, to our Ryanair flight. Deb was reading the paper. She read out an article about "Hidden costs with Ryanair"... One cost is the £15 charged if you do not bring a printed copy of your boarding pass. Oops! We have a tablet -- but no printer...
This morning I wake up with the answer: I send an email to this hotel, the George and Dragon, with the boarding passes attached. Ask them to print it. I mention this to the breakfast waiter... done ! We now have printed boarding passes.
Yesterday I invented my own breakfast, a combination of items from the menu. Today I asked for the same, and it was different. Not to worry -- still good :-) Scrambled eggs and bacon and a waffle and I add fresh fruit and yoghurt from the cereal course.
We pack up. Pay up. And leave.
Follow the Motorway to Birmingham Airport
Next stop: the car rental return at Birmingham airport. A lot of the drive is along a motorway... good fun :-) I spend a little time doing a ton, 100mph, along the motorway. No idea what the speed limit is... It's fun, the motorway makes it easy -- but still too fast for comfort.
For the last twenty miles we are looking for fuel. We are meant to return the car with a full tank. There's a service area -- but still 30 minutes from the airport, too far away.
There are no more fuel stops along the way.
Suddenly -- there's the car rental return ! Too late ! Okay, we could have spent half an hour searching a strange city for fuel... Too bad.
We drive into the Hertz car rental return. Follow the arrows painted on the road -- and are told that we turned the wrong way. As we drive back I check: No, we did not go the wrong way. The arrow definitely points to where we went.
The car is returned. All well... Except for the exorbitant extra charge for returning it with a less than full tank. Can't complain, I knew it was coming. But on the Hertz feedback survey, the exorbitant charge -- and lack of directions to the nearest fuel supply -- will get a mention.
Ryanair to Dublin: first class, of course :-)
We arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare. Time for coffee before we can check-in our bags. And we do have bags...
We also have time to buy a book. I can't resist books :-) And at airports I get attracted to business books... So I buy a book about influencing people.
Payment is self-service. We get to the point of putting our card into the machine -- and find that it already contains someone else's Barclaycard! We give that card to the shop attendant and the rest -- our payment, that is -- is easy.
And we do have bags... Ryanair may be cheap. They also charge extra for each bag. A lot extra. I had added up the cost of tickets plus bags -- and paid for first class tickets... Well, "Biz Plus" I think it's called. The all-up cost is comparable to the total if we paid separately. Plus, there are some extras.
We walk the short path to Priority check-in. Our printed boarding passes are accepted -- but so faint that they need to be reprinted. No charge... It would have been £15 each if we had not had anything at all.
We wander round the airport then go through security to the boarding gates. Again, we walk straight through the Priority queue. Interesting: The priority queue is available to anyone, just buy your ticket from the machine at the security entrance.
There's a long and twisty path through duty free. One man -- clearly in a hurry -- is pointed the right way when the path wants everyone to follow through a few more "retail opportunities". A deliberate maze!
Our gate opens for boarding. We wait for the queue to get shorter, maybe forty people still lining up. I politely wave a group past us, feel free to queue up in front of us, I indicate... then casually wander down the empty priority lane, to instant boarding.
Ryanair encourage carry-on luggage rather than checked-in luggage in the hold. But if the plane is full -- you may be forced to check-in your "carry-on" luggage. (I wonder if you would then be charged the checked-in price?!) No worries for us, our pricier ticket guarantees that our carry-on luggage will stay with us.
We sit in the very front row of seats. Easy in, easy out. And with a comfortable amount of leg room! Apart from that, our seats are standard, our service is standard. (That is, none.)
For the safety demonstration, the hostess stands next to us to demonstrate the seat belt, the floaties, to point to the exits... you know the stuff. I comment to Deb, She is really getting into her role :-) The hostess' expression is locked in neutral. I think she catches my eye as I admire her performance... the hostess almost cracks a smile.
At Dublin airport... We're in a new country... I do have some momentary doubt: Have Ryanair landed us in the wrong country?! This is supposed to be Ireland -- and it is not raining! Out of the plane, a quick walk across the tarmac. A delay... Someone forgot to unlock the door. Tsk.
There's an enormous number of passengers queuing up for "EU" immigration. We smile as we stroll to our very short "non-EU" queue. The EU queue is almost clear as the first person in our queue tries to explain why they really should be allowed to enter the country. There are a couple more delays... then it's our turn.
I claim that we're only here for a couple of days. That we are visiting relatives. The immigration officer does a fine job of acting bored and disinterested. We are through.
Our bags are almost alone on the carousel... Are we last? Or are we the only people with luggage?! Customs barely spare us a glance as walk through the "nothing to declare" lane.
And Pat is waiting for us...
If This is Tuesday -- You Must be Terry
Terry and Pat have just arrived at the airport. Terry is waiting outside with the car. After a false start to the wrong floor, we are outside. Into the car. And away!
To Terry and Pat's place, where we dump our heavy gear. They have given us a nice room upstairs. We resist the urge to fall instantly asleep on the comfortable bed :-)
Downstairs. Swap wild stories of family and places and when we were here last. Terry and I have a rapid repartee challenge... of course no-one wins.
Terry and Pat have some business in Greystones, the nearest town. We go with them and walk around the town. Ending with an icecream. Deb thinks it's good, I think it's an icecream. Different levels of general liking for icecream :-)
Note to self: We owe five euros plus interest when Terry and Pat visit us in Perth. Terry provides five euros so we can treat ourselves to an icecream, or whatever. I'm trying to avoid gathering currency which will end up weighing down our pockets till we get home.
We enjoy a relaxing stroll round Greystones. We visited here, last time we were in Ireland. A lot is familiar, the harbour area is new.
The four of us return to the centre of town for a bit more strolling and shopping. Then it's back to Terry & Pat's place for dinner: a good roast beef dinner. I can tell it's beef... Despite my unrefined palate I can look at the Yorkshire puddings (which are amazingly light and tasty) and say, Yorkshire pudding means that this must be beef :-)
And that was Tuesday.
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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Agamedes Consulting
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"Today is your day ! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way." — Dr. Seuss
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