4 November 2009
Our last day. Fortunately the sun came out and I was able to have a final morning on the sun bed listening to exquisite music. I packed up and returned to my room around 1 p.m, for my fruit lunch and, with considerable help from Mick, completed my packing before spending a last hour au naterelle spread eagle on my balcony couch.
Our car had been booked for 4 p.m. but turned up 20 minute late. However, we had a good driver who got us to the airport in under three hours. We then had time for a glass or two of champagne (or in Mick’s case whiskey) and a light supper before boarding the aircraft around 9.30. It turned out to be one of the new 380 Airbuses. The seats went flat and were quite comfortable and therefore able to sleep for a good part of the 6 ½. hour flight to Dubai.
We arrived at around 3 a.m. local time and had a couple of hours to spare. I stocked up with Villiger cigars and Johnny Walker Black Label Whiskey.
The Villigers amazingly cost only 42 Dhs, for 25, approx £6.50 – at the current rate of exchange, which is not particularly favourable – yet this compares with a cost in the U.K for the same quantity of £42.50. Somebody somewhere must be making a huge profit as well as the government raking off a substantial amount of tax.
Into what must be the largest business airport lounge in the world, the Emirates business lounge in Dubai, we re-fuelled with more champagne and some delicious eats before boarding a Boeing 777, which again was fitted with very comfortable seats in which, after watching a very disappointing Pink Panther 2 film, I was able to sleep for most of the 7 hour journey to London. As business class passengers we were very fortunate in having a chauffeur driven limousine waiting to deliver us back to Clavering, which he did by 10.30 local time, in time for a welcome cup of coffee with ’my lovely’. All in all it had been a great trip.
Mick and I spent a normal day catching up with e-mails etc., had our usual bottle of champagne in the evening and after falling asleep in front of the television turned in for an early night.