No excuses, just an explanation. After 6 days, I would normally have expected to have posted 3 or 4 times ... at least. This time, Storm Isha proved to be my reset button.

Flying Emirates proved to be an inspired choice. Travel agent neice Jo selected them, and her recomendation of their Premium Economy option was spot on. We only used it for the first 14 hour leg. Very comfortable, brilliant service and meals and a reasonable amount of sleep saw us in Dubai.

The 49ers were playing in a finals game in San Francisco and my TV service wouldn't connect. Son Kent was watching at a sports bar down the south coast, so he Whatsapped me progress scores and updates on the game which had us behind at the end of the 3rd quarter. I had to fly the next 7.5 hour leg with no idea if we won or were finished for the season.

The next leg was regular economy, however in the same cabin as had been Premium on th efirs leg. They didn't have a premium service for this leg. What it does mean however is that you enter the plane through the same door as the First and Business class, so no great bunfight.

We were surprised art how much more leg room and space there is in ordinary economy on these A380s, and after 7.5 hours arrived in Amsterdam surprisingly fresh.

It was be best non Business Class or First Class flights we've ever made.

We expected to have to wait four or five hours for our connecting flight to Southampton. It turned out to be 24 hours.

A long, long, long story very short. We spent two hours walking the length and breadth of the airport to sort out accomodation and a new flight. Most people had a 24-48 hour wait. We were allocated the next available flight; the same flight on the following day.

The shuttle bus was a bun fight and then a physical one at the Ibis as people shouldered their way through to the check in desk. I lost Cheryl's passport. I retreived it half an hour later. The room was spartan. No, Spartan. Even those warrior race who left their children out on the hillside to live or die, wouldnt have put them up in many of the Ibis rooms. The buffet dinner was the worst offering of all time. Breakfast was much better. There were only three functioning charging points for phones in the entire complex and a phone took 2.5 hoiurs to charge. It's near the airport not Amsterdam, so nothing to do but sit and read.