Home for the Holidays-Wizards-Grinches and Sparkles. 14 nights @Royal Pacific Resort, Nov/Dec 2021

[musika]

Oh, I'm looking forward to reading this after lurking through your previous PTR saga!

 

[schumigirl]

TRAVEL DAY......TUESDAY 23RD NOVEMBER​

We did sleep not too bad last night, but as we are creatures of habit, we get up early and the excitement really kicked in big time today.

Even saying goodbye to Kyle wasn`t the teary experience it usually is, although I do admit to the possibility of it happening if he had stayed longer .......but he set back off to work and we began our last minute preparations. We did wish he was coming with us, this would be the first Christmas trip he wasn`t with us, that would be strange, but he had his own plans and did say he might join us next year. It`s funny we have several friends who are going back next year and so many have said their adult kids are going with them......quite right too.

Our car service was picking us up soon, and we would be so happy to see her after having to cancel so many trips. Their business is predominantly airport runs, so these last 2 years had impacted them too, but hopefully this would be things returning to normal.

She is always bang on time, so we cheerfully climbed in the car after shrieking how lovely it was to see each other and set off finally for the airport hotel singing like Donkey from Shrek our traditional chant.......On the Road Again.......

Our journey was quick as we chatted all the way there, with so much to catch up on with her, roads were clear with no delays and before too long we had arrived at our chosen hotel....The Radisson.

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Some of you may remember at one point we had a nightmare trying to find an airport hotel that had all facilities like restaurants and bars and still maintaining a good standard of service. I think at one point we had reservations at 5 different airport hotels.......crazy! We had discounted the hotel we had been staying at last few trips due to terrible reviews, and had originally discounted The Radisson due to it being used to house a lot of Afghan Refugees. I had emailed the manager to ask, but got no response, so had initially cancelled our booking, however on speaking to a friend who had stayed there recently and said it was fine, we rebooked again with the same standard of the Executive Floor room which we hoped we wouldn`t have any issues with.

We went to check in and the room was ready which was nice as we hadn`t advised we needed an early check in, and room was as always clean and tidy and we had an airport view as requested.....there is still something very exciting about the airport to me, so maybe a little childish, but I like to see planes taking off and landing.

I love the beds here, they are so comfortable and huge, like the one we have at home but we have the airport out of our window, which might not suit everyone, but we like it. The rooms aren`t the fanciest around, but they are a decent size for two people, and quite comfortable.

It`s quite sad to look out and see the huge Thomas Cook sign on their old hangar, they went bust before the pandemic, and we always enjoyed flights with them, they were decent and prices were reasonable, maybe one of the reasons they went under, but we do miss them as an alternative.

Everything was immaculately clean I was happy to see. Again, some reviews stated the cleanliness was lacking, but we didn`t see any of that in the whole hotel. We did find out there were refugees living there which I`m not sure my thoughts on the matter to be honest, but we never had any issues throughout our short stay except seeing a lot more security officers than we had ever seen before which could be worrying. Some folks reported when the elevators stopped on the 2 floors they were being housed, they saw folks on mats praying and weren`t happy to be seeing the elevator doors open. Odd. But, for us, it was fine.

We then had the issue closest to my heart to deal with next. Food.

The restaurant doesn`t open till 5pm and the Little M bar we usually have lunch in was open, but not serving food. Which is a little annoying as you really are in the middle of nowhere here really with no car, but we knew this and planned to walk down towards one of the terminals where there is a coffee shop and we`d have a sandwich, which is what we did and it was very nice too, it filled a hole. I didn`t take any pictures as we weren`t quite in the habit yet of taking a picture before we eat anything......yes, odd, but we like it.

After we had been fed we wandered the hotel a little and the huge Christmas tree we usually take pictures beside was surrounded by people who obviously at a conference and were all debating who was the most important among them......sigh. So, we headed up to the lobby level and found a tree just as nice, albeit a little smaller.......

At this point we headed up to the Executive Lounge and planned to stay there for a couple of hours and enjoy a glass or two of wine. Before the pandemic, wines, beers and liquor were only available from 5pm, but when we went up wines and beers are now available to help yourself all day which was nice and thankfully most folks didn`t take it too far which I guess is a worry according to one of the staff we spoke to, have known her a long time from staying here for so many years.

We do like this lounge, of course the snacks they used to lay out during the day like olives, nuts and chocolates are all gone, they have been replaced by prepacked potato chips and cookies, again, understandably. But the lounge itself is lovely, and a very peaceful way to start off our trip.

There were only a few other folks in at this point, one rather loud lady who felt everyone wanted to hear her travel plans as she chatted on facetime to someone......thankfully she moved to the far side of the lounge, and another couple sat on the seats in front of us. I had poured a red wine and I saw her looking as if to say, should you have that......eventually she asked me wasn`t it no alcohol till 5pm, I explained to her the lounge had changed with regards to wines and so on, so they could help themselves happily, which they did

We passed the afternoon away and around 5.30 they brought out some snack items like samosas and so on. They were actually quite nice, so we had several and then decided we didn`t quite need to go down to the restaurant for a meal as we were quite full, so we settled down and chatted some more to the couple who were sitting closest to us.

There is a no children after 5pm rule, but one large family decided they were coming in regardless with a little one....to be fair the little girl was lovely and not being noisy or anything, but rules are simple, no children. I`m not sure if this applies all day now as alcohol is technically served all day. But, they left. We had seen this before where a couple knew the rules but decided to bring their 2 young children in anyway, then argued the point with staff......

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We spent some of the evening in the lounge, especially once they brought out the prosecco ......that suited us down to the ground.....we do like a bit of sparkly.....but around 8.30 we went back to our room and had some tea and a few cookies while watching an episode of Midsomer Murders on tv.

I was shattered by around 11pm and decided then to switch the tv off and despite being so hyped I hoped to be sleeping by 11.05????

​

 

[schumigirl]

Oh, I'm looking forward to reading this after lurking through your previous PTR saga!

lol...it was quite the saga wasn`t it!

Hopefully you`ll enjoy this one......

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

You’re off to a good start. I love staying near the airport the night before travelling to Orlando. Feels like I’m stealing an extra days holiday plus makes it much less stressful the following morning. The Christmas tree and the lounge look lovely. Hope you got a wee bit of sleep

 

[schumigirl]

You’re off to a good start. I love staying near the airport the night before travelling to Orlando. Feels like I’m stealing an extra days holiday plus makes it much less stressful the following morning. The Christmas tree and the lounge look lovely. Hope you got a wee bit of sleep

Thank you.....

Yes, it`s like the trip starts a day earlier than it should, always a good way to start any trip. And yes, saves the worry of anything happening on the roads if we left it last minute.

It is a very nice lounge, we have missed staying there last few trips, but new hotel was also very good, pre pandemic of course.

 

[themeparklover26]

So exited to keep reading this trip report!!

 

[schumigirl]

So exited to keep reading this trip report!!

themeparklover26

It`s nice to finally get started properly after almost 2 years of not trips, hope you enjoy reading along too.......

 

[jump00]

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What a trip!!

Being honest, we didn`t do an awful lot, didn`t get as much shopping as we planned, didn`t eat in all the restaurants we planned to...but it was a blast.....so will start off again with the first report in 2 years from us.......if you`re reading, I hope you enjoy it and always love your comments along the way........

I mentioned at the start of the pre trip report we were aware that this trip might not happen due to any last minute changes in border regulations, and up till the plane took off, I think I was still thinking it might get cancelled. But, thankfully it all went as it was supposed to. Almost. Borders stayed open and we made it, but it was always in our mind what might happen. So, off we go........



T-DAY.....MONDAY 22ND NOVEMBER......

Usually I start with our travel to the airport day, but this time before we could fly into the USA we had to get Antigen tests with a negative result and they had to be supervised. We couldn`t just use any test that we get free from the NHS, that would be too easy of course, so we found a firm and booked with them as they said results in one hour. Once we had paid and booked, the confirmation email said results may not arrive till up till 3am the next morning, which was a little too late for us as we were leaving on the Tuesday for the overnight. Spent hours trying to get through to them on phone to clarify that wasn`t what I had booked, email after email was ignored and eventually I called the clinic direct and a man assured me he had cancelled. I had given up on the money as they do have a no refund policy, but it was very poor service all round from them.

So, on the advice of some folks from another forum, we booked a company called Breathe Assured who did zoom appointments and they seemed to be pretty reliable. We had arranged for the test for both of us Monday morning at 8am and results would be given in 15 minutes, then a fit to fly certificate issued....sounded perfect. The test kits arrived several days before we had the appointment, all we had to do was check all the components were there.

It did mean I wasn`t going to pack or prepare anything until we had that negative result and fit to fly certificate under our belt. We tend to pack last minute anyway, but I wouldn`t even tempt fate by putting even toiletries in the case. It did take the excitement or build up away a little through all of this, but it`s a small price to pay.

We put the laptop on only to find the woman couldn`t see us, Tom`s anti virus was stopping the connection, so after a few tense moments, we could see each other and she checked all our details and we began the test which she guided us through it all and had to watch everything was done correctly. It was only the nasal swab thankfully, not the throat one which is horrrible. In the 15 minutes waiting for the result, which were the longest 15 minutes ever......she chatted and went through all our passport details and checked everything was in order........she was lovely, a South African nurse who rather weirdly was wearing a mask while talking to us....I can only assume she was not in a room on her own.

We got the negative result and the wave of relief that came over us was immense. All the worry had been for nothing. I knew we felt ok, had no symptoms and hadn`t been in contact with anyone who had covid, but you never know. She then emailed us each our fit to fly certificates, and waited on the call till we checked every single detail was correct. If there was anything wrong, it could affect you getting on the plane, so we double and triple checked everything and it was all good. We thanked her and ended the call and boy were we happy at that point!!!

I sent Kyle and my mum each a txt letting them know we were good to go......also let our friend know from the hotel that yes, we`d definitely be coming, that was the best txts I had ever sent I think.

And then we began packing our butts off......all this time waiting for a trip to come around, packing a suitcase seemed like one of the best chores on the planet.......

The day then passed so quickly, and sitting at night I looked at the lounges in the airport and wondered should we book one of them just for a treat. I was worried the airport would be mobbed and it wouldn`t be fun, so we looked at what was available and booked the newest one, 1903 Lounge and well, we knew we`d get a nice breakfast anyway and somewhere peaceful to sit for an hour or so.

I did wonder how we would sleep tonight, but amazingly, we did ok, apart from being very excited to be travelling up to the airport next day!!!

Woo hoo Carole’s trip report has begun! I’m in!

 

[schumigirl]

Woo hoo Carol’s trip report has begun! I’m in!

Yay!!!

Good to see you, it`s been a while, but finally got it started........and really hope you enjoy it.......

 

[macraven]

We all will enjoy Carole’s trip report!

 

[schumigirl]

TRAVEL DAY.......FINALLY........WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 24TH


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11.45..........12.15.........1.56.........2.08........3.32..........you get the picture of how our night was spent looking at the clock........there seems to be some kind of need to know the time when you can`t sleep for some reason and it is like an added torture to an already horrible night! But, it was all we both did and of course we had to tell each other when we did look......lol......

Finally decided to get up at 4.45am, as really, there was no point in trying to sleep any longer.

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We were planning to be up around this time anyway as we wanted to be at the check in desk for around 6ish, just in case of any issues with all the covid info we had collected as required. I won`t lie, it was stressful worrying we had the correct info and everything was as it should be. We had heard they were checking and double checking everyone`s documents, so added stress for sure.

Ironic thing was the hotel was very quiet, never heard a sound the whole night, apart from us grumbling we couldn`t sleep.......but, jumped in the shower and began to get ready for checking out of the hotel. I would say about now the excitement really began to kick in.....we were finally going, but the nagging doubt was still there if our details weren`t correct.......but I was at the stage I just couldn`t worry too much anymore about that.

Took a few moments to check out and make sure our bill was correct, which it was and we sauntered down the lovely skywalk to Terminal 2 for Virgin Atlantic check in......

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We were first in line for Premium check in which was ideal, but the tummy nerves were jangling for sure till 6.30 when the check in staff began dealing with us. The lady called us forward and we had all our vaccine certificates, fit to fly, CDC website form and VA Attestation we had printed out.....she did say she loved folks who had printed everything out instead or taking forever trying to find them all on their phones. She did double check everything and only thing out of place was the CDC 5 page form.....she said that one was out of date...... I almost had a freaking heart attack.......she said don`t worry, I have the form you need here, I think they knew many would be caught out, and instead of 5 pages we had printed out, it was one page with one tick each and then you signed it.....easy peasy........but turns out I had already filled this one out online witH VA direct, didn`t matter it was a duplicate. So, after all the worry, this really had been a breeze checking in with them. So, got our luggage dropped off, all over the allowed weight, but no charge. We had a load of gifts with us for folks over there, so it was a little heavier than normal.

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And we got the seats we had booked at the back of Premium, so we were quite happy.

We wandered through and security has been changed as they have added a new part to the airport, but weirdly, we ended up back in the old part for some reason.....security was the usual chaotic confusion but it was efficient and staff are quite human here which makes it not so bad, and we were through in no time at all.

We were a little early for our given time for the new lounge, we hadn`t expected to get through check in and security so quick, we had a quick look round this new departure area which is quite nice but you still have to go through the usual gauntlet of sales assaults by perfume staff who now seem to get a little offended when you politely say no thank you.

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There are several bar/restaurant options upstairs for food, but we were glad we had booked the tranquility of the Executive Lounge as the bars were very loud and although they did look nice, they were just so busy.

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The lady on the door for want of a better word was a little severe, but she was a little abrupt with the couple in front of us and we saw her turn folks away, so we expected the place to be bustling full.

It wasn`t.

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The lounge was very nice, it was exceptionally quiet and the staff were very nice at asking if you needed anything else, we did like it.

They did have a good selection of cooked items, including a very nice bacon which was about the only cooked item I had, you could ask them to cook you eggs or toast, so I had some toast too and stuck to tea as it was so early.

You could drink anything that was available, including hard liquor although we never saw anyone touch it. A few had prosecco`s but I really didn`t feel like having anything at all except tea and Tom was the same.

​

And once the light shone through the very dark winter morning, we got a nice view of the airport and the two virgin planes before they moved to the main terminal for boarding. This wasn`t our plane as we could see ours much further down the line of aircraft already attached to an airbridge....always a good sign!

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I`m not sure we would use the lounge again, I think I just wanted somewhere calm to pass the time as I was a little nervous about everything, usually I don`t mind the hustle and bustle of the airport and will be happy to rumble about as usual next time. Don`t get me wrong it was nice, but one and done maybe.

We left and headed down to all the stores, bought a large bottle of water as we can never drinnk enough water on the flight and headed towards where the gate was for boarding......we were excited to depart from the brand spanking new T2 they had spent billions on over the last few years......promises of brand new gates, exciting new departure options and bright, light departure gates.........we weren`t too surprised when we ended up departing from the original gate we have flown from for many years.....way back in the old terminal which appeared to be so dull and dark now, it felt like we were walking back into 1983.

Our plane was showing on time so we took a seat and waited for Upper and Premium to be called, which wasn`t long at all. It felt longer as we had to wear masks in all airport areas and on the flight too which we weren`t looking forward to. In England we hadn`t worn masks for a long time, so it was quite unusual having to wear them again.

When the flight was called I have to be honest, it was extremely emotional, several other folks looked the same and we all recognised it in each other. I will admit it was all women looking like that.....lol.....men were just anxious to get going.......but there was an unusual vibe that you don`t normally feel boarding.

Then it hit me stepping on the plane........I was glad of the mask, but I could feel my eyes filling up and as I said good morning to the cabin crew on the doors, she spoke to me and said, love, there`s a lot of that since we came back......bless her. But, we turned to find our seats and stored our bags overhead after taking out what I`d need for the first few hours of the flight.....glasses and water, that was it.

Our seats were indeed very spacious and very comfortable which would be nice during a 9 hour flight. And we had no one in the 2 seats in front of us, so no one reclining, which isn`t too bad in Premium as there is a lot of legroom.

Most folks settle quickly and they brought round the fizz almost as soon as we sat down.....now I was on the plane, I was ready for this little glass of sparkle and one of many during this trip I hoped!!

We took off at 10.35 which was excellent at only a short time beyond the stated departure time, and boy when that plane started thundering down the runway and then wheels up......there was an audible gasp from around the cabin.....and I was part of it as I gulped down the tears same as several other women.....emotions were high for sure. But, happy tears for sure........we were in the air and going in the right direction.

Once the seat belt sign was off, everyone began to rumble around or like me try to find a movie to watch......and there were very few choices, many Indy films I`m not interested in and I wished I had brought a book, but I chose a scary movie called The Unholy......dear lord it was dire.....as there weren`t a great deal of movies last couple of years, I`m not surprised we didn`t have a good choice to watch.

At that point they came round with drinks which was nice........I would have this while watching the movie......and good news from the Captain, our flight was only going to take just over 8 hours which is incredibly quick for a 2 engine plane even on a good day, so we must have had a very strong tail wind, didn`t bode well for those who don`t like turbulence.........

Wine was pleasant enough for what it was, and you could go up and ask for drinks or snacks anytime during the flight too which is always nice, not that we did, but they have a wonderwall where they have a selection of drinks and snacks available anytime.

We do like flying with Virgin Atlantic. They are not the cheapest airline, but we have always found their service and quality of product to be wonderful, never had any issues with them at all and happy to pay more for good service. During the pandemic we found them incredibly helpful and got our deferred flights sorted easily and with no fuss. We were just glad they survived the whole no fly time.

I did FF this movie a lot, then by the time it was almost done, they came round with food and I was surprised to feel a little hungry by now. They had handed us the menu early in the flight, so we had already decided by the time food came around, Tom was going with the venison and I was opting for the chicken.

I don`t like peas or feta and don`t eat many eggs, but this appetiser was beautiful and I was surprised I liked it, Tom hated it.......

Tom enjoyed his venison stew, said it was tasty and we both liked the dessert too, my chicken was very nice but as is usual, lacked a punch with the jerk.....but, it was fine and filled a nice hole.

They came round with tea and soft drinks and then again with the drinks trolley as well as letting you know you could go up and help yourself anytime.....yes, it was good to be flying again!!!

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The cabin settled down and I figured it was time to try and sleep.....I used the bathroom first as did Tom and we came back just as the seat belt sign came on......here comes the reason we have a quick flight.

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I admit to falling asleep instantly.....I popped a blanket over me, buckled the belt, had my neck pillow and the airline pillow against the window and I was zonked in about 3 seconds......10 seconds later according to Tom, the turbulence started.....lol......I knew nothing of it and it went on for a long time apparently!

He is always amazed I can sleep right though extreme turbulence, but it doesn`t worry me at all, I understand the reason for it and as long as we never just drop like a stone, I`m good. I did miss some folks panic and one lady was crying, but I was in another zone, cosied up in my purple airline blanket and neck pillow in a surprisingly comfy airline seat.......

3 hours later I woke up!!! Goodness I was thirsty and glad we had bought such a large bottle of water.......Tom just looked at me in complete awe and one of the CC also commented she was amazed I had slept through it all.......well, I was tired.

It wasn`t long now, we were getting closer by the minute.........

I started looking through the movies again but couldn`t find anything I wanted to see, so I rumbled through some episodes of Friday Night Dinner, a tv show from the UK. And before long the afternoon tea service was here and it was quite nice.

It was a cheese and tomato roll, with a scone with jam and clotted cream. I only ate the scone and it was very nice and the tea was again, just ok, but, it does help pass some time when you are being fed and watered regularly.

It was at this point I discovered a movie I did want to watch and not sure how I had missed it before.....The Hitman`s Bodyguard Wife......follow up to the first which was quite dark depsite being humorous and it was brilliant......but, I only saw about 45 minutes of it before the IFE was switched off as we were getting closer to landing. The pilot spoke to us and said he apologised for the bumpy flight, bit meant we were almost an hour early landing, always good to hear.

I looked out of the window the whole time......seeing the sunshine and those huge fluffy white clouds brought another tear to my eye........

As we came into the final approach yes, I blubbed under my mask unashamedly and it meant so much to be back, or almost back. There were definitely a few blubs around the plane too, so many emotional folks on those planes flying again.

I saw MCO appear and before we knew it, we had the smoothest landing ever, we barely felt the plane wheels touch the ground!!!

We were almost "home"

 

[schumigirl]

We all will enjoy Carole’s trip report!

Thanks mac.....I hope you do......you are one of the ladies who listened to me worry and grumble about not flying for 2 years.......you heard it all!!!!

 

[I-4Bound]

Sounds like a wonderful flight experience! We are contemplating a trip to Disneyland this summer, and I'm already nervous thinking about dealing with airline travel. I haven't been on an airplane in almost 25 years!

 

[schumigirl]

Sounds like a wonderful flight experience! We are contemplating a trip to Disneyland this summer, and I'm already nervous thinking about dealing with airline travel. I haven't been on an airplane in almost 25 years!

It was a lovely flight, but I`d have have been happy if I had to sit on the floor all the way with no food or drink......just wanted to get there.....lol.....

25 years!! My goodness that is amazing....but I guess when you can drive everywhere it does make sense.....but wow are you in for a fun experience.......

How long would the flight take you to get to Disneyland? I imagine it`s a very long one......but it`s fine really, it sounds worse than it actually is, I think Canada has similar restrictions and needs regarding testing and so on, it all worked out quite easily.

(coming home was another story )

Hope you`re doing good Andrea.......

 

[I-4Bound]

It was a lovely flight, but I`d have have been happy if I had to sit on the floor all the way with no food or drink......just wanted to get there.....lol.....

25 years!! My goodness that is amazing....but I guess when you can drive everywhere it does make sense.....but wow are you in for a fun experience.......

How long would the flight take you to get to Disneyland? I imagine it`s a very long one......but it`s fine really, it sounds worse than it actually is, I think Canada has similar restrictions and needs regarding testing and so on, it all worked out quite easily.

(coming home was another story )

Hope you`re doing good Andrea.......

We are doing well! It has been a difficult year, but we are ending on a high note and are blessed for it. I think the flight to California would take about 6 hours. My husband and daughter have never flown before. We will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and her High School graduation and wanted to do something special. Of course, who knows what travel restrictions might be in place by the summer We may just end up back in Florida because we can drive there in about seven hours

 

[schumigirl]

We are doing well! It has been a difficult year, but we are ending on a high note and are blessed for it. I think the flight to California would take about 6 hours. My husband and daughter have never flown before. We will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and her High School graduation and wanted to do something special. Of course, who knows what travel restrictions might be in place by the summer We may just end up back in Florida because we can drive there in about seven hours

I`m glad the year is ending well for you, it has been a trial for so many folks.

A 7 hour drive is marvelous and I can see why you do it, it`s not really far at all when you say it like that, it`s lovely to be so "close"

Oh your 25th anniversary!! You have to do something special for that and add in the Graduation.....well, lots to celebrate there. Where does the time go is something I often ask myself now......Disneyland or Florida, wherever, you`ll have an amazing trip I`m sure.

Yes, travel restrictions are something I think we all need to think about now before travel, change can happen anytime I guess. Hopefully not though........

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Woohoo! I did a happy dance and let out a whoop when I saw you had started this report! I am in and I am loving it, Fantastic start!!

 

[schumigirl]

Woohoo! I did a happy dance and let out a whoop when I saw you had started this report! I am in and I am loving it, Fantastic start!!

Awww thanks......and you and Mr Worfiedoodles are in it this time......finally!!!!

It did take me longer than I thought to do one post......lol.....out of practice I guess.......but I do hope you enjoy this one too.......

 

[PixieT78]

Weeee so fun to get to your actual trip report! And that is just me reading it - can't even imagine how it must have felt to touch down

 

[schumigirl]

Weeee so fun to get to your actual trip report! And that is just me reading it - can't even imagine how it must have felt to touch down

Oh it was so emotional and very, very exciting too to finally land! Well worth waiting for......