The taxi returned at 8:45am so we were ready by 8:15. Watched a bit of Finnish kid’s telly. Not only am I a little…who am I kidding…a lot hungover, but I’m going to have to wait till we get back to the centre to have a coffee. Not pleasant! There is nothing in the cabin. I was tempted to start gnawing on a piece of pine furniture. The temperature outside is -30.
Harriniva very busy with lots of departures. The Irish postman seems quite spritely for someone who seemed drunker than me last night. Mind you, if you were staying at the centre you could come down and get a coffee AS SOON AS YOU WOKE UP!! Anyway we had breakfast (I had a few gallons of coffee with milk…first milk since last Monday morning), swapped email addresses then it was the long bus trip back to Kittila airport.
Last glimpse of Harriniva
Checked in smoothly. Because it’s all Finnair, I even got my seat on the Helsinki – London leg allocated. Plane delayed 15 minutes. It is a lovely clear day and the flight is lovely and uneventful. I just write my journal and have a snooze.
Sitting in Helsinki airport with nothing to read. The shops, stupidly, are before the passport control so, unless you know, you miss them. The guy at passport control was a bit obnoxious. I handed him my passport, all smiles and he barked “Boarding Pass” as if it was checkpoint Charlie and I had a sign round my neck proclaiming me an escapee. Typical Finnish manners I guess. I smiled pleasantly at him and exaggerated my “thank you“, stretching it out to sugary proportions. There! I guess I showed him.
I did find an internet connection (2 Euros – this keyboard hasn’t got the Euro symbol on it – for 20 minutes) so I wasted some time deleting all the junk email we had. Weather in Helsinki is gross. Wet, slushy and 1°. D&D are staying in Helsinki tonight, flying back tomorrow (cheap flight) poor bastards. Missed saying goodbye to Helle because we all got separated after leaving the Kittila plane.
I had a moron next to me on my plane. Obviously never been on a plane before! The aisle seat was free. I had the window and he was in the middle. And he didn’t move over. He also had nothing to read so just sat staring at things. I’d been smart enough to grab one of the free papers they always have at the door of the plane but Mr Novice Dumbo missed out. He tried to sleep but the baby woke him up. He then tried to get my paper when I was briefly watching something on the screen. This was NOT successful for him.
Had to circle Heathrow because of traffic problems. Quite amazing. I’ve never seen so many planes all up in the air at the same time. Not when I’m up there as well, anyway. Quite scary. We got in 15 minutes late. I cleared everything without any problems and was on a coach to Woking by 6.25pm. And, surprise, surprise, the coach driver was ok. Even had the football on Radio 5 rather than the usual. Listened to Arsenal & Newcastle battle out a 1 all draw.
Met Mirinda in Woking at 7:15. It was SO good to see her. Home for a well earned bath and the first real bed for what felt like a hundred years.
How do I feel about it now? Do I want to go on another adventure holiday? Damn right I do! I had a great time. I miss it already.
