Part 2
The notable thing when taking off from Madrid airport is the ring of mountains that encircles the place. The curtains have been drawn between the cabins and I can smell food from the galley. I have an empty seat besides me so the flight is going to be as pleasant as a flight can be. Champagne will be consumed. As well as this laptop I have my Bose phones on and am listening to some jazz. I also have The Prado Guide purchaysed at the museum a week ago. A heavy book, both weight-wise and reading-wise, it is keeping me interested. I pretty much finished the History of Carmarthenshire book whilst at the RIPE conference. Read as much of it as I wanted to for the moment anyway. Need to see if I can now track down a reasonably priced volume two. The weather has improved considerably since the visit to the Prado. As I leave it is just like an early September day in the UK. So Madrid is about 6 weeks adrift of that. A menu has been distributed. One choice is salmon and triple cooked chips and fine beans. Struggling to see how triple cooked chips are going to do well out of it. Will opt for the Moroccan Lamb Tagine instead. Although this has been a week of over consumption I am looking forward to the taste of a proper bacon sandwich with a glass of milk for breakfast and a familiar beer early doors. As I recall we are off out to the Dawkinses for drinks early evening before heading to the Tap and Spike to see the Activators. Jezzer and Clare are going to a Halloween fancy dress party at the Burton Village Club. Rather them than me. Interesting landscape down there in Spain. Like a painting. Ridges, valleys filled with clouds. Dark ochre grey surroundings.
Guitar dances. Foot taps. Head nods. Words in front of me stay still.
Food arrives. Gin and tonic. Red wine. The evening starts.
I have a pretty tight connection in London. Flight lands at 18.10. I have hold luggage to collect. It is notionally 40 minutes by public transport to Kings Cross Station. The only direct train to Lincoln leaves at 19.06. I may make it or I may not. Fortunately my vast experience of the travel game resulted I’m my buying a flexible ticket so if I do miss the 19.06 there is another train to Newark at half past or thereabouts and my most gorgeous wife Anne has very generously offered to come and pick my up from Northgate Station. I am a lucky man.
The champagne has been opened. No pop. It’s a screw top. Safer. Innit. Boring though. I bet in the old days of BOAC they would have dished out the real mcoy. I quite like champagne. Decent stuff. This stuff is ok but nothing special. We usually go through between 60 and 80 bots at my xmas bash. I like that. Decadence. This year it isn’t my bash anymore. It’s a LONAP bash. What I was wearing when the titanic went down. I think champagne fits this as a “hey if I am going down I may as well not know anything about it and champagne would help with that”. The party the end of the universe. Or iceberg. Take your pick. A penguin suit would be appropriate, seeing as there is an iceberg involved though it was the wrong sort of ice. For a penguin it would need to be the Southern hemisphere. There is a knack to holding a party. It is a knack that I possess.
Whist I think of it you should know I am typing this on a MacBook Pro. It was the top of the range when I bought it a few months ago at around £1500. The top of the range is now £2300 thanks to the fall in Sterling against the dollar. Good job I already have one. Thanks Brexiteers. Thanks a bunch. £100 got us 95Euros from the cashpoint last week. It wasn’t so long ago it would have been 120 Euros. I am bitter about this. It isn’t that it is really affecting me. It’s just stoopid. It’s the economy stoopid. Good job the laptop will last me a fe years, I reckon.
Another (admittedly small – 187ml) champagne has magically arrived at my seat. good oh. Keith Jarret is playing the piano just for me. It’s pretty laid back stuff. A snare, hi hat and a double base to accompany him. The audience claps appreciatively.
An hour or so to go. It’s a relaxing enough trip. It’s been a good time away overall, with Anne for the first bit then the pretty exhausting conference schedule. It’s great when Anne and I go off on trips together. I am smiling just thinking about this. She has spent the last 24 years staying at home looking after 4 very demanding kids. Now her rewards are starting to come.
This guy is hammering the keys, whoever he is. Not looked. I bet pianos don’t last long with him. You can perhaps shut your eyes and imagine lively music with a strong piano line.
Ooo. Biggles up front has just said we expect to land at 17.55, 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Still plenty of time for things go wrong but a good sign. I doubt his name is Biggles btw. That was just me being naughty after gin, red wine and champagne. Stay tuned.
Made the train with zero seconds to spare – they reopened the doors for me. Thanks to Matt Walster for the taxi share to Stratford International. 9pm pickup Lincoln Central.