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Post by ozneil on Aug 30, 2015 23:30:14 GMT -1
Yeah one thing I hated was airport farewells.
Usually got a cab to airport and latterly, when they came into being, a "shuttle" from door to terminal. No need for people saying farewell to hang around airport like knotless threads unable to think of anything to say or getting pissed in the bar.
One thing I loved was arriving at a strange airport, around Oz, picking up a car from Mr Avis and taking off. Once at Proserpine in North Queensland I couldnt find way out of airport to main road coz of 10 ft high sugar cane fields and a myriad of roads and had to go back to terminal and ask , bit embarrassing!
Our Yank friend had to spend 5 hours a Shipol feeling very lonely but luckily she fell into conversation with 2 Australian business gents and spent a couple of hours chatting to them.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2015 0:28:51 GMT -1
Yeah one thing I hated was airport farewells. Usually got a cab to airport and latterly, when they came into being, a "shuttle" from door to terminal. No need for people saying farewell to hang around airport like knotless threads unable to think of anything to say or getting pissed in the bar. One thing I loved was arriving at a strange airport, around Oz, picking up a car from Mr Avis and taking off. Once at Proserpine in North Queensland I couldnt find way out of airport to main road coz of 10 ft high sugar cane fields and a myriad of roads and had to go back to terminal and ask , bit embarrassing! Our Yank friend had to spend 5 hours a Shipol feeling very lonely but luckily she fell into conversation with 2 Australian business gents and spent a couple of hours chatting to them. Odd you say that about airport farewells, cos I decided not to go with Mr R when he drops them off early doors. I'd just get a bit teary and nobody needs to have to cope wi' that. Knotless threads I LIKE! I got to say I completely embrace technology, I mean Oz-- imagine if you'd been able to check your location and directions on your phone back then when lost in the sugar cane fields? Or gone on street view to help you navigate your way? It's no substitute for real human contact of course but if you're on your own and feeling a bit lost it HAS to be good that you're networked in and people are only a click away? Re hubs I'd take Schiphol, Dublin or Reykjavik any time over Heathrow, Manchester or the utter sh*thole that is Gatwick. Had the misfortune to travel via there in June enroute to Riga. Never again.
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Post by ozneil on Sept 1, 2015 23:06:26 GMT -1
Odd you say that about airport farewells, cos I decided not to go with Mr R when he drops them off early doors. I'd just get a bit teary and nobody needs to have to cope wi' that. Knotless threads I LIKE! I got to say I completely embrace technology, I mean Oz-- imagine if you'd been able to check your location and directions on your phone back then when lost in the sugar cane fields? Or gone on street view to help you navigate your way? It's no substitute for real human contact of course but if you're on your own and feeling a bit lost it HAS to be good that you're networked in and people are only a click away? Re hubs I'd take Schiphol, Dublin or Reykjavik any time over Heathrow, Manchester or the utter sh*thole that is Gatwick. Had the misfortune to travel via there in June enroute to Riga. Never again. Hey Proserpine is in Far North Queensland they dont have street views there yet( The Google camera car got lost in cane fields). Though I do see from Google Earth they have a new terminal building and road in. WE have 3 terminals here and the difference in people there is marked. Domestic terminals, 2, are laid back and relaxed while in the International Terminal there is an underlying feeling of tension with myriad groups seeing off friends and relations to far flung destinations with lots of tears some complete with balloons and flowers. Incidentally booze and snacks are about twice as dear as the domestic terminals. You can almost tell the destinations the people are travelling to by the size of the groups.
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Post by ozneil on Sept 2, 2015 0:51:40 GMT -1
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2015 18:49:05 GMT -1
Ah, NZ, don't ya just love it!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2015 19:19:27 GMT -1
All going rather well with the wean's NYC trip so far, I gather. Slightly unnerving Monday morning when the first shuttle to LHR was delayed but British Airways (yay!) totally on it and met the NY passengers on arrival and escorted them, bypassing security queues, straight to what I'm told was a rather *old* 747, gotta laff. So, through bitter experience I'd said to the wean to expect their hotel room'd be the size of a playing card and face onto a brick wall or a fire escape but the force was with them and they're ensconced in a room with natural light and a view of the Chrysler building and the bustling street below. I'm told it's rather warm over by, 30+ which will come as a (welcome) shock to visiting Scots. Ms Rolo is pleasantly surprised by the price of everyday goods in the shops compared to rip-off Britain. Quelle surprise!
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Post by ozneil on Sept 3, 2015 20:30:58 GMT -1
Glad they have a room with a view. Bet they are having a ball.
Airlines (non cut price) usually try to help people in difficulty.
I think I told you I was on an Ansett flight from Coffs Harbour about an hour North of Sydney when the pilot came on PA and told us that a flight from Newcastle to Sydney had been cancelled and that a party there were stranded and had to get to Sydney to catch an International flight. He knew we wouldnt mind if we "popped into" Williamstown (Newcastle airport)and picked them up. The people were standing outside the terminal when we arrived .. They looked so relieved.
BTW Ansett is/was purely a domestic carrier with no overseas flights.
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Post by ozneil on Sept 3, 2015 20:40:30 GMT -1
Ah, NZ, don't ya just love it! Yeah they are a fantastic people, they do things their own way and if you dont like it Tough!!! Way off subject Peter Lucas at press conference for the Lord of the Rings where some one asked if he had trouble casting the king of the dwarfs. He, the dwarf king, was a nasty piece of work, foul mouthed, limited vocabulary, mostly expletives, rude, inconsiderate and selfish. Peter Lucas said they had no problems they just went to Australia to find one. What a put down Im still chuckling !!! Typical Bloody Kiwi PS Barry Humphries got the part
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2015 23:19:55 GMT -1
Glad they have a room with a view. Bet they are having a ball. Airlines (non cut price) usually try to help people in difficulty. I think I told you I was on an Ansett flight from Coffs Harbour about an hour North of Sydney when the pilot came on PA and told us that a flight from Newcastle to Sydney had been cancelled and that a party there were stranded and had to get to Sydney to catch an International flight. He knew we wouldnt mind if we "popped into" Williamstown (Newcastle airport)and picked them up. The people were standing outside the terminal when we arrived .. They looked so relieved. BTW Ansett is/was purely a domestic carrier with no overseas flights. Had the pleasure of flying Ansett many a time and that's exactly what you'd expect of 'em, Oz! Ms Rolo says they are feeling quite at home in NYC, piss easy to navigate as is built on the Glasgow street-grid model She'll be a different girl again when she gets back. Same as we all are when we go travelling. How very lucky we are to be able to.
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Post by ozneil on Sept 4, 2015 0:16:21 GMT -1
Brisbane is laid out on grid too but slightly better educated version than New York who use numbers to designate them. In Brisbane its UK Kings and Queens. If you know your history as all well educated people do, you can find your way around dead easily . The Kings run East/West and the Queens North/South..(still trying to figure who King Creek was) Its funny how that Newcastle episode stuck in my mind it was over 30 years ago. I was on a Fokker Friendship in winter, I think, coz I remember the little knot of passengers (about 6)huddled together standing in the garden in front of the terminal building at the gate with the station agent and a baggage trolley beside them with the loader. As soon as the pilot shut down his port engine the agent raced out with steps followed closely by the passengers and the baggage trolley. I'll swear we were on ground no more than 10 minutes
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2015 19:25:08 GMT -1
Brisbane is laid out on grid too but slightly better educated version than New York who use numbers to designate them. In Brisbane its UK Kings and Queens. If you know your history as all well educated people do, you can find your way around dead easily . The Kings run East/West and the Queens North/South..(still trying to figure who King Creek was) Can't imagine why NYC used numbers rather than the history of British royalty!!!!! Anyways, Ms R's finding her way about no bother. They've been all over Manhattan from Ground Zero in the south to the upper east side, they're staying somewhere in the middle and walking out every day, exploring. Having a week's good, I think, no feeling of having to rush to *do* all the sights. In fact they've mostly come across them rather than seek them out. Apart from the iconic FlatIron building, they can see it out their windows! Wean says NYC reminds her, in places, very much of home, and in many ways doesn't feel like she's *away*. I kinda like that. But I will SO be on flight radar when they're on their way back :-D
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2015 20:45:52 GMT -1
And I didn't track my sister's flight out to Istanbul for a conference today, oh no.
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Post by ozneil on Sept 5, 2015 21:52:45 GMT -1
Its addictive we tracked No2 Grandson to Singapore. You know that air travel is the safest way to travel in the world and QANTAS the safest of the lot but you still track them and give an inward sigh of relief when they land.
Glad the YL and BF are having a great time in NY and enjoying the sites/sights. It will give them years of memories.
Of course the Americans dont name streets after UK Royalty thats coz most wouldnt be able to read names, numbers are so much simpler.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2015 21:57:59 GMT -1
Sister arrived in Istanbul for a conference this afternoon.
Have to say I love that technology keeps us all together no matter how far we are apart.
Apols to the late Gerry Rafferty, here's where I am tonight:
Daughter to the West of me, Sister to the East, here I am stuck in the middle with Mr R :-D
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Post by ozneil on Sept 5, 2015 22:53:03 GMT -1
Sister arrived in Istanbul for a conference this afternoon. Have to say I love that technology keeps us all together no matter how far we are apart. Apols to the late Gerry Rafferty, here's where I am tonight: Daughter to the West of me, Sister to the East, here I am stuck in the middle with Mr R :-D No 2 Grandson was in Istanbul on way to a conference in Ukraine couple of years back now he is living in Singapore. No3 Grandson is in San Francisco(silicone valley) No1 Grandson & Granddaughter are still around. Son is somewhere around away somewhere with his gorgeous Korean GF. They will turn up sometime. No kids its wonderful!!!!! Wasnt it Alfred Lord thingy that first penned these immortal lines you wrote?
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