This blog entry will be the last of the current series- picking up the last couple of days with Anthony and Jayne. On Sunday, a working day here for many, despite Eid, Anthony had to do a day of training and assessment on emergency procedures. Very generously, Jayne played host for the early part of the day, leaving the kids to do homework while she drove us around the "terraformed" Palm - a man-made island shaped like a palm tree, with another similarly constr...

Avid readers will have noticed a gap in the narrative. Non avid readers will have noticed nothing, so just skip this paragraph. Oops. Too late. Our trip from the Milan apartment to Anthony and Jayne's place in Dubai was smooth and easy. Giancarlo dropped us to the airport. We had already done on line check in, so the only obstacle was dealing with a single scanner for all the luggage getting to the departure gates. The Emirates lounge was quiet and beautifully s...

So it must be Dubai! An uneventful flight on an A380 - a first for both of us .(The 380 bit - not the uneventful!). Good leg room, good entertainment system and a quiet cabin presided over by a cooly professional staff. Travel tip - Dubai International is not the favoured gathering spot for ATMs, but finding one gave us a chance to stretch our legs after 14 hours. Couldn't use the lounge because we had industry tickets care of my brother - a small price to pa...