The start of the journey that (almost) never ended

...what I day, what a mare!!

Started nicely, gentle wake up followed by leisurely breakfast over looking a grey, rough but beautiful Mediterranean sea (so far so good)

Car to pick me up at 11am arrives on the dot, hour drive to the airport, not a problem even enough time to take a blip photo on route

Then all goes tits up!!

No sign of what is to come, queuing to check in but no one there (worry) but ok because departure board says everything ok, woman at the start of the queue talking to passengers (not good) departure board says everything ok, woman tells us the flight delayed by 3 hours, departure board says everything ok

Have ?6 voucher for the trouble, don't spend it all at once

Sit and wait for 3 hours time moves further, another half hour delay, but gate number arrives

Go to gate, lots of people, too many people, 3 uk flights all called to exactly the same gate, my plane board at 5.10 only problem is its already 5.20, flight suddenly has new departure gate

Go to new gate, get on board, "1 passenger missing need to remove luggage from the plane, also low cloud in London still, will get you back to uk just not sure where" says the captain

Flight ok bit bumpy, 30 mins out "we are hoping for a break in the clouds if it happen you you land at London city, if not who knows"

Land at airport safely (somehow) couldn't see a single thing until 30 second before touchdown which I thought would be impossible flying into central London

End day well meet friends at champagne bar Stratford, alls well that ends well!!