The Journey

We almost didn't get there.  N and I arrived at Heathrow airport about three hours early, it was 6 o'clock in the morning and no one else was there... including the check in staff.  This was my fault, I had booked the taxi from his flat in London and needless to say N wasn't very happy.  This is one of the key differences between us, he is happy to arrive at an airport half an hour before a plane is about to take off and rush through by the skin of his teeth.  I operate at the complete opposite end of the spectrum, I like to get there really early, go to WH Smiths and buy an extra book (or three - there's inevitably some kind of deal that I can't pass up!), potter round, have a bit of breakfast, start reading one of my new purchases ...  But okay admittedly this time we were there far far too early ... there was us ... and a cleaner!  

When we linked up with his family and his brother's girlfriend and finally went through to departures we discovered the plane was delayed ... rubbish!  Even more rubbish was that this meant we'd miss our connecting flight in Istanbul to Bodrum where we had to meet the boat.  Considering there were seven of us we didn't hold out much hope of being able to get seats on the one remaining flight to Bodrum that day.  The men (N is one of three boys) got their blackberries out and started looking up timetables - we considered ferries, trains and busses.   Let me tell you - we were worried - even if we did make it we were pretty certain our checked-through luggage would not, and all had visions of a week in the heat on a boat in jeans and a t-shirt.  

In true N style though he got us to all chill out and soon we were on our way to Istanbul.   On landing we got through to domestic departures and we managed to nab the last seven seats on the last remaining flight - hooray things were going our way!   Before we knew it we were being met at Bodrum airport by Hassan who collected us (and thank goodness all of our luggage) and piled us into his people carrier to take us to the gullet.  During our transfer from the airport to the boat, through the hubub of Bodrum and then out along roads that seemed to hover halfway between land and the sea, the sun fell and the moon rose.   We arrived at the gullet, chose our cabins, and almost immediately the crew made ready to set sail.  We were poured a glass of fizz, all of the lights on board were dimmed, and off we sailed in the quiet moonlight to a little cove where, suitably calmed, we sat down to a scrumptious feast of a dinner  ... in this short space of peaceful time we all forgot airports, luggage and aeroplanes ... we had arrived, we were on holiday!