Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Neapolitan I Scream!
OK, Nobody guessed right... So, it's last Tuesday (23rd), and it's my birthday. A nice morning cuppa followed by cards and (small) pressie opening, then it's time to pack for our trip. I have no idea where we are going, but I'm told it isn't due to rain, and I should bring swim wear just in case.
It would be a day of surprises like no other!
We leave at 12.45; I've been told that this is the time we need to go by. I figure that we are allowing a couple of hours to get to Heathrow, time to park the car, with a two hour check in, which means that our flight will be around 5pm. I've also been warned that we will arrive late - probably too late for dinner. To me, that means we are going East (maybe two/three hour flight and two/three hour time difference), and I'm confident of one of my top destination guesses being right.
Oh, ten minutes down the road we are turning right into our local Michelin starred restaurant! Thus followed a champagne apperitif, a lovely lunch; fabulous food; great service; beautiful company, and I still haven't a clue what is going on and my above guess is very wrong... My first surprise over!
Back into the car, we set off again, heading for the M25. As we near the Gatwick turn (M23) my girlfriend pulls into the nearside lane; a clue to our airport? No, she drives on missing the turn. I smile and say "At least I know we are not going to Gatwick...", and she smiles back...
We approach junction 9; she says that I need to get something out of the bag - directions for the parking: It was confusing she says - something about junction 9 and 9A - could I direct her? I take the sheet of paper. Read it, see that it's talking about Gatwick North terminal. I explain slowly that we are on the wrong motorway - she should be on the M23 not M25!!! Much blushing. We turn round and drive back (luckily only) two junctions, and get to the parking place easily. Jump on the parking bus, and get inside the terminal. She checks in using the self service machine and I stand back so I don't get any unwanted clues. We go through immigration, security, with her in front, me behind, she having both boarding cards and telling everyone that I don't know where I'm going as it's a surprise. They all look at me and smile, probably thinking what an idiot!
I sit while she gets the currency (she did ask me to get out all our foreign money at home but I don't know what bits she picked up and what she left behind...). We have a quick look in the shops.
Next surprise - she says would I like to go to the BA lounge? Ooh, are we flying Business class then?!? Yep... She had bought me some extra miles which meant we could upgrade! In we walk, her in front asking the counter staff not to call our names as I don't know the destination! We sit for a long time but it's OK; free beer, a good view of the planes landing and taking off, a soft seat on a sofa, no hustle or bustle, no screaming kids or chavs to worry about - all very nice!
Time to go; we wander toward a gate, down past the fountain, turning right. I recognise the set of gates as some I've used in the past. I turn and say "I've been here before" meaning the gates. As I turn back I see the flight destination on a screen. Her face drops - what do you mean? I mean the gates, not there! She wipes the tear away... Big hugs. We'll have a lovely time I say!
We board the plane; seats 3A and 3B. Take off a few minutes late. Free champagne all the way! A good flight, we land almost on time, a couple of hours later. Through customs/immigration, no hanging around for bags - just hand luggage this trip! Into a cab, and off to the hotel.
So, where were we you ask?
None of my guesses came true. I had mentioned this place to her a while back as a possible city break but now we were actually in................NAPLES! See Mount Vesuvius in the background of the pic below?
The hotel was really nice; an ex-monastery, high on the hillside, overlooking the whole city and bay. We had a beer in the terrace bar, then went to bed, tired!
It would be a day of surprises like no other!
We leave at 12.45; I've been told that this is the time we need to go by. I figure that we are allowing a couple of hours to get to Heathrow, time to park the car, with a two hour check in, which means that our flight will be around 5pm. I've also been warned that we will arrive late - probably too late for dinner. To me, that means we are going East (maybe two/three hour flight and two/three hour time difference), and I'm confident of one of my top destination guesses being right.
Oh, ten minutes down the road we are turning right into our local Michelin starred restaurant! Thus followed a champagne apperitif, a lovely lunch; fabulous food; great service; beautiful company, and I still haven't a clue what is going on and my above guess is very wrong... My first surprise over!
Back into the car, we set off again, heading for the M25. As we near the Gatwick turn (M23) my girlfriend pulls into the nearside lane; a clue to our airport? No, she drives on missing the turn. I smile and say "At least I know we are not going to Gatwick...", and she smiles back...
We approach junction 9; she says that I need to get something out of the bag - directions for the parking: It was confusing she says - something about junction 9 and 9A - could I direct her? I take the sheet of paper. Read it, see that it's talking about Gatwick North terminal. I explain slowly that we are on the wrong motorway - she should be on the M23 not M25!!! Much blushing. We turn round and drive back (luckily only) two junctions, and get to the parking place easily. Jump on the parking bus, and get inside the terminal. She checks in using the self service machine and I stand back so I don't get any unwanted clues. We go through immigration, security, with her in front, me behind, she having both boarding cards and telling everyone that I don't know where I'm going as it's a surprise. They all look at me and smile, probably thinking what an idiot!
I sit while she gets the currency (she did ask me to get out all our foreign money at home but I don't know what bits she picked up and what she left behind...). We have a quick look in the shops.
Next surprise - she says would I like to go to the BA lounge? Ooh, are we flying Business class then?!? Yep... She had bought me some extra miles which meant we could upgrade! In we walk, her in front asking the counter staff not to call our names as I don't know the destination! We sit for a long time but it's OK; free beer, a good view of the planes landing and taking off, a soft seat on a sofa, no hustle or bustle, no screaming kids or chavs to worry about - all very nice!
Time to go; we wander toward a gate, down past the fountain, turning right. I recognise the set of gates as some I've used in the past. I turn and say "I've been here before" meaning the gates. As I turn back I see the flight destination on a screen. Her face drops - what do you mean? I mean the gates, not there! She wipes the tear away... Big hugs. We'll have a lovely time I say!
We board the plane; seats 3A and 3B. Take off a few minutes late. Free champagne all the way! A good flight, we land almost on time, a couple of hours later. Through customs/immigration, no hanging around for bags - just hand luggage this trip! Into a cab, and off to the hotel.
So, where were we you ask?
None of my guesses came true. I had mentioned this place to her a while back as a possible city break but now we were actually in................NAPLES! See Mount Vesuvius in the background of the pic below?
The hotel was really nice; an ex-monastery, high on the hillside, overlooking the whole city and bay. We had a beer in the terrace bar, then went to bed, tired!
