She's Back

Tuesday was a very, very long day!
My taxi came at 1am, but was early of course.I was ready to go though.
The terminal wasn't too busy and this time I was going home business class as a treat from Colin. Check in therefore was quick and easy.
The first flight was very busy, but it was OK, an airbus 320 and even the business seats are not great, but I slept through most of it.
We had a quick turn around in Doha, but I had time to nip into duty free and use some of my avios to pay for a large size of my Clarins moisturiser. I never manage to buy flights with my points so being able to spend them as cash felt good.
There wasn't time to spend time in the lounge and restaurant sadly, but I was happy to be on my way. For those who haven't seen it, the large bear sits in the centre of the terminal. It's always amusing too, to see a branch of Harrods and Hamleys in Doha!
The flight to Edinburgh was boarding when I got to the gates and we were all loaded up and ready to leave 10 minutes early - Doha is a very effective airport. Busy and enormous but the planes go in and out as they should. Dubai on the other hand always seems to have you circling and queuing for ages to take off and land.
So there we were, good to go, doors closed and cross checked, when the dread announcement came. "Ladies and gentlemen in our final checks a technical fault has been found. The technicians are on their way". They opened the door, the stewards came around with more refreshments - I'm so very glad I was in business! They thought it would take around one and a half hours to fix.
The doors were all reopened where safe, we all got up and wandered around and started chatting. A nurse from Uphall Station who lives in Doha was behind me, A lady from Brechin originally from Australia across the aisle. It was all very friendly and jolly. - but we were fortunate in having space to move. The business seats on this plane were individual pods, four to each row, the seats became lie flat beds - which is how I spent most of the journey I was so tired.
Drinks, dates, crisps and fruit disappeared into economy class behind us, they too were being well looked after. There were lots of children on board but they all seemed in remarkably good spirits. I kept my fingers crossed that we would not have to disembark and then have to start over on a new plane, but all was well. Almost to the minute the announcement came that we were good to go after 90 minutes. To be honest, who wouldn't prefer that they found the fault rather than cross their fingers and leave it till they got to the other end!
We set off down the runway two hours later than planned. The shot of the airport is terminal V at Doha which rather looks like the V might stand for VIP but that's just a guess.
As soon as we were up, it was time for breakfast, I wasn't particularly hungry, but the menu sounded delicious this is Greek yogurt with plums and toasted granola it was a good as well it looks. I picked at an omelette too, then settled down to sleep. It was so nice to have the space and quiet, and unlike the first flight there was nobody snoring across the aisle!
When we booked this flight back in November, I booked a window seat on the right hand side of the plane, I usually choose the left so I can spot our house , but I wanted to see the three bridges as I came in over the Forth, and that is my final shot! It's not good, the windows were still frosted and steamy, but there they are if you've got a magnifying glass!
We had made up time and were only an hour and 10 minutes late landing in the end. Immigration was empty apart from us and there was none else in the baggage hall - and we waited! The luggage took forever to come, almost half an hour before it even started. My first bag took 45minutes to arrive and the second over an hour. All told it was almost an hour and a half after disembarking before I headed out to the car park. For a major international airport. It's such an unwelcoming place - long, long walks along corridors with no powered walkways, up and down stairs and passageways that look like they were built decades ago rather than in the last few years just to get to immigration. Not a person in sight either, apart from other passengers all with their heads down as they trudge along carrying their hand luggage. What a welcome to Scotland's capital city.

Still, I'm back and happy to be home, but I've been up for over 20hours, so early to bed!

I've put a final extra of Kovalam here, two evening shots at the beach, a coconut palm - that tropical icon, and lastly a beach seller with his wares all set up and ready to tempt children.
Thank you for all your lovely comments and for keeping me company along the way over the last month . Back to blips of the cat and the garden now!

Just need to sort the body clock, wide awake and blipping at 4.30am!