A very fun song we sang as we sat on our porch in shorts with an iced tea and planning our R&R trip to London for Christmas. As the day approached, packing our winter clothes to leave the sand storms in Kuwait, we were looking forward to tromping in the snow, experiencing Christmas, British style.
I suppose this is the case of be careful what you wish for…….really and truly!!! London has snow! So much of it, that the airport has been closed for days…..we weren’t told when we checked in on the 19th of December in Kuwait. We got as far as Doha….an hour flight from
Kuwait. Keeping us in the Middle East, we were told til 8 that evening….
Ok an 11 hour delay….we walked, we shopped, ate and slept, we read, I knit….we scowl and then did that over and over….the thing about having your computer along is you can research anything…and what the airlines had not been telling us is that the airport wasn’t going to open so there was no flight leaving at 8…..they had their policies to keep us in the dark….and I suppose it kept mayhem down a bit….but we were not happy. thankfully we were put up in a hotel, 5 star at that with meals included, but they did not provided the snow we were so anticipating, nor the Christmas carols we longed to hear. We weren’t provided with much hope on Monday either. We were told there were no flights available and were to remain at the hotel for another day and night…..that certain didn’t go over big in our camp. after many calls….we did it ….arranged a flight to Paris……ok….its not where our hotel has been booked (with no refund) and we were missing the theatre….that we arranged months ahead….but Paris….ok it could be so much worse…..arrival was to be 5:30 pm…we finally arrived at our hotel for the night by 9:30….so much for thinking we might dine somewhere on French cuisine…..by 10 pm we sat at the Marriot hotel restaurant….and there were lovely things on the menu,….but by that time dining wasn’t in our thoughts so much as lets get something to eat and get to bed…..hamburg for john and a salad for me…..and we both ordered French onion soup….to make us feel better.
Up at 5 am….on tuesday…..excited now that by 9 am we will finally be in London……arriving at 6 at the airport we found our hopes dashed….again….the flights to London cancelled….nothing til tomorrow night!……We conceded…ok at least we are not in the Middle East….stuck in Paris….well thats a good bright side….AND they have snow! But what about all that we spent on reservations of museums, theatre, hotel and transportation….all paid for in London….? Is there another way for us to get there???
Which brings me to now….This is the Paris train station….we are looking for the train we need to board….heading north to Calais….to then catch….a ferry… of all things….then another train and our hopes for today is that we eventually get to London, the nice hotel we picked out for our R&R…..it means rest and relaxation dosn’t it??
