The alarm went off at 5am, and we we’re straight up in the shower. All cleaned and breakfasted we say our goodbyes, check the luggage for the last time and then we’re in the car. Sadly, this is a lot later than planned, should have been out by 6am at the latest but now it’s nearly 20 past.The roads are dark and luckily the traffic is all going into London and we’re aiming for the M25.All is going well until just outside Godstone the traffic starts building up and the motorway signs start flashing ‘Queue Ahead’ or ‘Congestion Ahead’. This is not good.My Jaqjaq starts to get worried, I’m quietly apprehensive, this timing is going to be tight.Traffic clears and we’re mooring again, but only briefly, another ‘Queue Ahead’ sign!! Oh b*****!!Again the traffic clears but again only briefly. Time is ticking away much too fast. Security is closing at 8:20, our estimated time of arrival is 8:05, but that’s not including parking and transfer. b***** b***** and a few other words that aren’t meant to be written down.Jaqjaq’s fretting has progressed to angered disappointment, there is no way we are going to get there on time. Jaqjaq’s upset now and telling me to just turn around and go home, she doesn’t want to be at the airport for n reason just to rub it in. I’m adamant though that we’re going to the airport and that’s final!!! Please!It’s now 8:05 and we’re at the airport but satnav states 18 minutes to the car park. Well that’s that then. I pull over into a side road and contact BA to see if there is anything I can do!! Sadly nothing can be done for the early flight but they manage to book us in for the 14:10. Phew!!Now a little bit more relaxed we make our way to the purple car parks. We’ve never used this company before, usually it’s the Official Car Parks, dump the car in a space and leg it for the bus trying to remember what zone we’re in for future reference. This time we pull up to the barrier in the car park, a friendly guy in the booth says ‘Good morning Mr Underwood, welcome to the car park, please make you way to the spaces and give the car keys to the Coach Driver’. Do What!!! Leave the keys!!! We apprehensively park up, take pictures of the current mileage and the condition of the car and give the keys to the driver. He guides us to the minibus , puts our case in the trailer and then we’re off to the Terminal!!Now we’re very early, so early in fact we can’t check in yet. So off to Café Uno for Hot Chocolate and Mocha Coffee with some nice animal shaped shortbread biscuits and see how many times we can listen to Jingle Bells instrumental arrangement. I think it was five times!!It’s 11 O’Clock and we can check in, this would be ok if the guy that rebooked our flights had remembered to send the electronic tickets through. How hum, the 2 exceptionally nice British Airways staff at the desk sorted it all out as quickly as they could. Then through Passport control into the Departure Lounge, where we wander round for a while, buy a bottle of Blood Red Southern Comfort to collect on the way home then go a sit and wait for our gate to be announced.Gate 17 – not too bad, we were waiting for this announcement at gate 14 som just a short walk and we’re there. Soon enough we’re on the plane and all buckled in, ready for our 14:10 flight – but now it’s 14:30, then 14:40 and we’re still sitting there all ready to go. But we’re going nowhere just yet, apparently they computers are playing up and there is a discrepancy with the luggage store in the hold and the passengers on the plane. Eventually, after a few clipboard checklists a re checked and the luggage looked at they find a Mr Hanrahan’s case, a gentlemen owns up that it’s his so whey hey at 15:40 we’re acutally pushing back from the terminal and on route to the runway
All good, in no time at all we’re up in the air and looking down on a very clear London, the Shard and Dome clearly visable.Munich, brace your self. We’re on route!!!!