[Here's Doug's report from after we dropped him off at the airport. I guess we should have waited to see if the plane was leaving on time. Since his flight was going over the pole and not through Southeast AK, I suspect the volcanic eruption that shut down Alaska Airlines wasn't the cause of the delay. Excerpted from his email with his permission.]
My journey home wasn't quite as smooth as I had hoped.After you dropped me off (thanks for that and for the all Alaskan breakfast), I went to the check-in to find that the flight had been put back to 8.00.p.m. It was too long and too nice a day to hang around the airport, so I wandered off around Goose Lake [I think he means Lake Hood], strolled down Wisconsin Ave, pausing for a 5 cent lemonade at a garden sale, and took myself down to the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail where you and I cycled. Didn't find my camera, but enjoyed the walk into town, past families and individuals enjoying their Sunday in the sunshine, walking and on bikes. After taking a few photos downtown, I had a coffee and wrap in Kaladi Bros., and got a bus back to the airport. I tried ringing you to say good-bye again, but you were obviously out (on your bikes?) by then, and I didn't leave a message.
Finally on the plane, I found myself seated by a charming Anchorage hairdresser called Lulu who was on a visit to her parents in UK, leaving her husband in Anchorage holding the fort. We chatted and got along well enough to give each other moral support when we finally arrived at the Kafkaesque nightmare that is Frankfurt airport, where we were shuttled between Condor and Lufthansa desks, trying to get someone to take responsibility for us failing to make the Heathrow connection several hours earlier.I can't say I feel I would be likely to ever use Condor again.
Eventually we got on a flight to London just after 8.00.p.m.Frankfurt time. On arrival, we both retrieved our bags, which had miraculously travelled on the same plane as ourselves and went on our respective ways at around 9.30.p.m.
I eventually got home at around 11.30. p.m. last night in a state of total exhaustion (again!) and after a good night's sleep I seem to have resumed a normal post jet-lag state. The sun is shining after heavy rain this morning, my washing is done and I'm off to the shops to restock my cupboards with hopefully slightly less unhealthy comestibles than I might have purchased before Joan began to enlighten me on the error of my ways
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