Majorca - and the journey there.

Our boat trip ended at Holyhead, the very north-west corner of Wales. Here we had to leave Robin & Brigitte to carry on to the Isle of Man and we headed back by train to London Gatwick. England and Wales are beautiful and the train is a wonderful way to enjoy the beautiful - in spite of the countryside being browner than it has since 1976.

We got to Gatwick on Friday afternoon, a week after school had broken up for the year. It was one of the busiest days of the year. Then planes started being delayed. No planes left for several hours. No announcements just delays.

An hour plane was called for boarding. We went to the boarding area, sat for another hour then they told us the plane was canelled and you're on your own for getting accommodation and another flight, but we will pay compensation.

We sat from 8.00 pm until 10.30pm trying to get another flight - out of London to Majorca at the height of the holiday season is asking for miracles. At 10.30pm we gave up and got a hotel. The one we chose was, by chance in Dorking, a very nice area almost semi-rural.

It was 2 days before we could get another flight, and that cost NZD1550 for us both - nearly 3 times the cost of the original booking. With two nights accommodation, the bill to Easyjet for us both was about NZD2300. Now we just need to wait for the compensation deposit!

So we spent a very enjoyable and warm day walking up Box Hill and around Dorking. Its a beautiful area with some very large mansions, forest parks and interesting village shops

Gatwick Airport - waiting, waiting, .....


Box Hill - up Box Hill was part of the London Olympics bike road race circuit

The view from Box Hill. It was windy and hot and very dry

The Stepping Stones at the bottom of Box Hill

Would you like a small country estate or two?

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