We leave Manchester under cold grey skies. The kind of weather that makes you wish you lived in sunnier climes. Traffic to the airport is heavy and slow. Cars filled with drivers whose faces convey a weary resignation. Bumper to bumper we weave our way along roads wet slicked and black. I sit silently waiting for Peters famously short patience to give out and some expletives to burst forth like a torrent. The traffic starts moving before his irritation threshold ...

Bird song. The dawn chorus. I glimpse at the chink in the curtains to see any sign that morning had broken thinking it must be imminent given the full throttled chirping I was hearing. I check my watch. 3.15 am. Damned insomniac bird. Little avian upstart, I spend the next hour trying to return to sleep, not by counting sheep but thinking of as many bird related insults I can come up with. Peter's accompanying snore means I am unsuccessful.At 5.30 we are both...

We awake early. All the bags are packed and all that remains is to make sure that the villa is spick and span for when the owners arrive later that morning. We nip to Denny's for our final breakfast of this trip. Peter has his usual 'Grand Slam Slugger' and I have my favourite 'Moons over My Hammy' and return to the villa to gather the last of our things before heading out. We do not need to be at Sanford Airport until at least 2pm and so we d...

Stage 1 - Manchester to OrlandoWide awake at 3am. Why? We don't need to leave until 7.30 for our 10.50 flight. No worries, just roll over and go back to sleep. Little voice in head."Did you remember to pack that thing"? "Yes, shush now"."What about that other thing"."What other thing"?"The thingamajiggy you need to use the other whatchamacallit"?"Oh that thing, yes I did...at least I think I did".And so on for the next hour or so.We left a little after 7.30. ...