It’s that time of year when so many of us expats make visits to the UK – after all, it’s cold here, so we might as well be shivering and catch up with friends and family. Whilst getting off the plane into British winter climate is always a cold shock, we do tend to find that once indoors, a trip to Britain feels warmer, thanks to central heating, fitted carpets, and a country that is geared to such temperatures.
The challenges of travel seem to keep changing, so even those seasoned travellers who flit backwards and forwards regularly, need to keep up with new procedures. Permitted on-board bag sizes and rules fluctuate to the point where I wonder whether purveyors of luggage are in cahoots with the airlines, to make us keep buying cases in new size and shapes. The daft rules on Ryanair currently stress upon us at every turn online that we’ll be fined heavily if we take too much on board. I’ve known people asked to remove an item that’s making their suitcase weigh 0.1kg too much, but allowed them to simply place it in their hand luggage instead. It all goes on the same plane…another friend has described hiding an extra carry-on bag under her hair, and another, under her baby.
Paphos airport has recently changed its drop-off system, and when I delivered a well-laden friend last week I noticed she had a real trek to get to the front doors, with no trolleys or assistance on offer. Last month I used one of the many Park/Stop and Fly/Go services to travel myself. As instructed, I rang the chap from my car just as we arrived at the airport and he gave directions where to meet him, which I relayed to Paul who was driving. “What colour is your car?” the chap asked through the phone. “White” I replied, which Paul, knowing I have a problem with the letter R, assumed to be ‘Right’ and veered that way just as the chap announced “I see you, turn left”. We then had to make a complete circuit of the airport to get back to the left turn.
Lack of weddings and tourist work in winter means I turn once again to pet-sitting work, which fits in nicely with the timing of the general expat exodus. But one of my clients was unable to go away as planned due to breaking a limb. Poor Leonard was on Poo Patrol clearing up after his three large dogs when he toppled on a rockery and fell, ending upside-down with a broken arm. His wife, indoors, heard howling and yelled a few times out the window telling the dogs to shut up, then realised one of the cries was in fact human. Finding Leonard’s plight, she dialled 112 to summon an ambulance, and gave their address.
Over the next twenty minutes Nola received multiple phone calls from the paramedics, who couldn’t find the house. Nola repeatedly told them the address and gave directions and landmarks. At one point an ambulance approached: Nola waved, the driver waved back and drove past. Nola rang them back, declaring they’d just driven past her. “Oh! he cried. Why you not tell me it Andrea House?!” It transpired that he knew Nola’s landlady Andrea well, and in fact lived in the same road as the house. But how Nola was meant to know that…?
It would appear that while the ambulance control centre have SatNav, the ambulances themselves don’t.
I’m pleased to report that Leonard is healing well and delighted to be excused Poo Patrol duty indefinitely. Should he and Nola manage a holiday before the season kicks in, I’ll be sure to take great care scaling the rockery.
Travel within the island is also popular post-Christmas, particularly to the Troodos mountains where, although snowfall has been patchy and skiing severely limited so far this winter, and the huskies are mostly offering puppy play sessions rather than actual sledding, it’s still a grand adventure to head for the hills, take in some different scenery, extremely fresh air and a rewarding hot chocolate at Troodos Square. And don’t forget to make the same trip in the summer, for a completely different experience. Wherever you are this month, keep warm, look to the future, and enjoy!
