Recovery meal

An early start to the day driving Mr B to the airport from our 'just too far away to walk' airport hotel. Back to rejoin the sleeping children for a few hours - most of which I spent trying to make my befuddled brain work out what time I had to get up again for our flight.

All was looking good at the airport, until it wasn't - but a 30 minute delay didn't seem too serious given the weather chaos today across the southern UK. So we all trooped onto the plane... and the pilot announced a 2 hour air traffic delay because of the high winds in Amsterdam.

Of course on the plane I was out of Wifi range, so couldn't do anything more useful than (nearly) finishing my holiday read. Also nowhere to recharge iPods to keep the kids happy. Finally underway we seemed to be making good time and then, suddenly, the worst turbulence I've ever experienced in Europe. Drinks were flying, stewards grabbing anything they could, and I battled to keep CarbBoy's ferociously hot hot chocolate off my legs. TallGirl was in trouble and I thought it was air sickness, but it was just fear. Perfectly sensible reaction and reassuring her kept my mind off it all until it was over. Only 10 minutes, but not 10 I'm in any hurry to repeat.

Shortly after, TallGirl's air sickness arrived and I was kept busy with a relay of air sickness bags. After an early air sickness attack years ago where she showered everyone within three rows of us, she is nowadays thankfully a rather more tidy vomiter. Though it is hard to see how you could get that many bagfuls from a cinnamon swirl.

Much turbulence on the approach to and landing at Schiphol - not surprising given that was (apparently) around the peak of the winds here. No wonder then we decided against a trip into town (I think the trains were cancelled anyway) and retired to our hotel to wait for Mr B (with this pancake, soup and red wine interlude).

Quite a day. Now the wind is howling again and it looks like rain. A woman was killed today when a tree fell right in the middle of Amsterdam. Nature is tough.