Finally, on our way home, but not without interruptions

June 5

We always like to give ourselves lots of times, when travelling, to get thru customs and security etc., so arrived at the airport three hours before scheduled departure.  We shouldn't have worried.  True to form this trip, our flight departure time was pushed back from 12:50 to 15:00.

Gatwick Airport, time to get to know you better!   A leisurely lunch at Wagamama; a bit of computer time, but finding plugins to charge devices is a chore; airport hot, crowded, noisy;  several crosswords completed; a wander around the many shops; coffee and tea to keep hydrated; and finally, at 14:30, a gate for our departure is posted.  This only means that our departure will be later than 15:00.  Everyone troupes down to the departure gate, only to sit and wait again.  We are not as unfortunate as some people though.  There were people on the flight with us that had been waiting since Thursday (we are now Sunday) to get on a flight back to Canada.  A couple of girls we talked to were headed back to Winnipeg.  Their original flight was to take them to Toronto, then to Winnipeg.  Now they were booked to Vancouver, then to Winnipeg!  What is happening Westjet?!?

We board the plane then sit for the longest time, finally learning that there is a problem with one of the toilets leaking and NOBODY wants to be without functioning toilets at 39,000 feet for 9 and 1/2 hours!!  So we wait!

Finally, at 16:30, 3 and 1/2 hours after scheduled we leave the ground.

No more whining and whinging, just some pictures on the trip home.

waiting in line to take off

over Edinburgh - the rail bridge in the foreground, the Forth Bridge in the center, and the new bridge being built behind it - persistent mist

a couple of castles along the coast....

....and on an island

the patchwork of the English countryside

over Windsor Castle - looks like they are preparing for the Queen's birthday 

party on Saturday June 11

over the Motorway

 interesting lines of clouds

flying into the cloud bank

you can see the clear line of mist/humidity/smog in this one - clear blue above 

cloud tops from above

looks like someone took a magic marker and wrote on this wing 

  

leaving the UK air space

over Iceland

now Greenland

ice breaking up

now we are over Nunavut

glacier edge

the Northwest Territories

ice break up

ice edge

over the Yukon

now British Columbia - sure not a lot of snow on the mountains

just about there, Stave Lake in the foreground and Mount Baker 

in the background

Finally arrived in Vancouver, 3 hours late, spent the night in the city and are now home recuperating and catching up with all the mail, bills etc.

Next on the agenda:  Join CIDERHOLICS ANONYMOUS - I enjoyed the French cider and Thrasher's Gold in the UK way to much!!!

Hope you enjoyed tagging along with us.