Happy New Year Everbody!
Well I'm back in France after two wonderful weeks at home. It was great being back in Manchester, after 4 months away I'd really started to miss my friends and family. When you're away it makes you appreciate home a lot more, it makes everything at seem fantastic and beautiful. I spent the holidays havings drinks, lunches and coffees with my friends, playing on the Wii with my parents, lounging in my pyjamas, scoffing British food (mainly bacon butties!) and working in my pub. It was splendid!
Getting back here was a nightmare, as usual! I don't know why I keep travelling, I always have the most horrendous luck! I set off from home at quarter past 8 at night on the Sunday to catch the train to London, only to be told I'd cocked up my train reservation and had to buy another ticket - £45 down the drain!! I then spent three hours on the train, followed by a taxi ride in which the cockney driver mocked my northern accent, followed by a 2 hour bus ride to Stansted. I don't know how they get off claiming Stansted is a London airport, it's bloody miles away and a nightmare to get to! My flight was at 8.30 in the morning and I got to the airport at 2am, planning to get some sleep on a bench. However when I got there there were loads of people sleeping on the floor in the check in hall... turns out security isn't open at night!! So I joined the rest of the refugees and got comfy on the floor. At first I chose WHSmiths doorway as my bed for the night, as there was no one else there, however I soon learnt why there was no one else there... the cold metal shutter! So I went and settled under an information board. I'm fairly certain I was the most comfortable person in the airport at that time because being the hardened traveller I am, I prepared for the worst: I had my earplugs, which I take everywhere with me - useful for blocking out noisey hostel dorms or, in this case - idiots hooving the airport floor at 2am! I had a eye mask to make it dark, and my best purchase yet - an inflatable quilted pillow!! By far the best £5 I have ever spent!! I was definitely the envy of the airport! I managed to get quite comfy and get a couple of hours sleep, although it was cold, and I regretted not taking my sleeping bag.
When we finally boarded a whole 12 hours after I left home, I was welcomed back into French living my the French people flying back to Marseille - pushing and cutting in front of my in the queue to board. I got quite annoyed but I had the last laugh when they had to pay excess baggage for their three items of hand luggage! - This is Ryanair, not AirFrance! Clearly not frequent budget flyers comme moi!
When I landed in Marseille we queued for 45 minutes to go through passport control. 45 minutes stood up with a very heavy backpack (full of tea bags!!) I went and waited for Sophia who was arriving from Munich shortly after me and we got the bus together to the train station, then the train to Bandol, and then Sophie (the mum of my family) came and picked me up and took me home. I finally arrived home at 4pm Monday - 20 hours after leaving home in England! I had a quick shower and then started work! EXHAUSTED!
So I'm starting the New Year in France, with my finances in disarray thanks to the fiasco getting home, and my love life is non existent at best, but at least I'm in fairly good health (if we don't count the binge drinking and the the 18 kilos of chocolate I consumed over Christmas!)I haven't come up with any worthy New Years resolutions yet, any suggestions are welcome!
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