Icelandic Volcano - Travel Affeted
 

Firstly - sorry for the typo in the title.
Trust me, it upsets me more than it does you. Really.

From the Beeb.

Bothered?
Not really.
But the 'rents and my sister's family are at Alicante airport. The one benefit of a package holiday is that you have a rep to look after you. Not in this case. They had no word of the trouble until they got to the airport. Mum is steaming mad. She chewed my ear off on the phone about how bad the rep was, then when I called back with a helpline number and (their) advice re compensation she said she didn't care about compensation she just wanted to know when she'd get home. Sigh.

I know it can't be any fun of course. Two OAPs, two juveniles - one of whom is my completely hyper nephew - and two people who need to get back here to go back to work. My Dad's the most sanguine of the bunch and he'll get a strip ripped off him if he ventures an opinion.

My heart goes out to them. And I'm also thinking - yay! A couple more hours to clean the house! And - yay! I went to Amsterdam instead of on this trip with them.

Yeah, I know.
Satan? If you're at the bar, get a round in, I'll be with you soon.

Sorry to hear that your mum and dad are caught up in the current problems. Years ago, I used to work in aviation and still take a passing interest in it. As many of the routes in and out of Luton and Heathrow pass over the locality, it is rare that there is not an airliner or two visible. They don't cause much noise but the current silence is eerily noticeable. I shall just have to content myself with watching the Red Kites in the area.

If you've been watching the TV news it is likely that you have heard mention of Capt. Eric Moody who was in command of a BA 747 near Indonesia back in 1982. All four engines ingested volcanic ash and turned the aircraft into a glider. They did get them going again but they were so badly damaged that they were scrapped. It is rumoured that, being British, he paused during the engine re-light drill to take tea:right:

Carruthers:cool:

Does the sky look different there right now?

No, there's nothing to be seen that is out of the ordinary at all.
Typical Spring day, lumps of fair weather Cu floating about and a cool breeze. I understand that sunsets can be quite spectacular under the current circumstances, so if that should be the case I'll report back later.

SG, I don't quite understand who your mum is steaming mad at. The volcano manager?

I've been walking around for the last few weeks saying "Eyjafjallajokull." Things like that stick in my head.

Nope, just like any other London day

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_w5sGI2jkcBc/R3...3dec2007_7.JPG

Eyjafjallajokull!

Photoshopped!

HLJ, I love my Mum but she spends most of her waking hours angry and/ or frustrated about something.
(Yeah, I haven't helped that really...!)

They have another night in the hotel. It's all-inclusive and they have continued to be treated as all-inclusive guests. She sounded positively jolly last time I spoke to her. Spirit of the Blitz and all that. Once she accepts a situation she's completely stoic and great company. It's just the bit beforehand that you have to watch out for.

I'm taking Grandad to his Audiology appointment at the hospital tomorrow afternoon. We agreed over tea and crumpets today. He very solemnly told me "You'll need to make me a sandwich before we go, so that I can have it as soon as I come home." Yes Grandad. Cheese and tomato tomorrow. And a toasted slice of fruitloaf.

At least now when Mum goes away Grandad can't claim not to be eating. I tempt him with olde Englishe fayre until he can't resist.

Just a touch quieter here because aircraft turn right here for Bristol, and left for Cardiff, and this might last 'til Friday. We are promised spectacular sunsets tomorrow and if they are I'll post some piccies.

You can see on real time tracking, there's nothing flying near Britain.

Had another call from Mum this morning. They still haven't seen a rep, are paying for their hotel on their Barclaycard and are unsure of when (or IF says Mum, oh the melodrama) they will get home.

I'm on hold to the travel company to see if I can get them any info.

Mum's also worried because my sister has high blood pressure and forgot to take her tablets with her. It was less of an issue when it was just for a couple of days, but with all the stress she's convinced herself that Laura is going to have a heart attack. Sigh.

In better news, I had a call from my bro, who is in Japan. We had a good laugh about the situation, which we agree is not funny at all.

Taking Grandad to the hospital for an appointment this afternoon.
If they're not back by tomorrow I also have to sort all his tablets out for him for the next week. I've promised Mum I won't kill him. I don't think believes me.

You know, your sis is more likely to have a stroke than a heart attack if her BP gets too high.

If you tell your mum that, do you think it'd help? ;)

I've just got through to Cosmos.
They can't come back til the 22nd!
That's a whole extra week and Gary has run out of pants...

Couldn't get through to either of their mobiles, so perhaps Laura has already had her stroke....

Anyway, the Area Manager has Mum's correct mobile number now. No good because her phone is off, but I've left a message too. They shouldn't be paying for the hotel - they should have been contacted. The Manager will contact the hotel and hold the rooms for them. So at least they have bed and board. I expect I'll have to do some ringing round for them - to the schools, to their work places and to whoever is looking after the cat.

Blimey - they might even miss Uncle John's funeral at this rate.
What a carve up.

I'm not widely travelled, especially to the EU, but is there any chance that the EU reciprocal agreement on medical treatments could help here?

She went and bought some this afternoon. That's the problem with not having a rep available, they don't know about these things. My sister's a panicker. She will have assumed the only solution was to buy them, so she did. I assume they can claim it back off their insurance anyway..?

They still haven't been contacted, which is annoying. I'm to call back after 17.00 unless I hear otherwise. It's pretty slack of Cosmos all round IMO.

Oh and further news, Mum & Laura aren't talking. Apparently Gary wound Laura up and in turn she then tried to wind Mum up. What that could refer to is anyone's guess. Still, she hasn't moaned about Dad yet, so it sounds like he's off the hook for this holiday.

I'm so glad I'm not there.
I'm so glad I'm not there.
I'm so glad I'm not there.

take your pick from here

Can't they get a train?

Well ... trains would have to go through France and then through the Channel Tunnel. The train operators are warning people not to come to the Tunnel expecting to be able to get a train: they're all booked up. They've closed the ticket offices and are suggesting people book seats online...but not to expect to be able to book anything immediate.

Eyjafjallajökull! This is going to upset someone's balance of cap-and-trade.

Same with the ferries - they're fully booked for foot passengers until at least Monday.

Poor Shel. :p:

Kidding, I kid!

The latest news is that the suspension of flights in English/Welsh airspace is extended until 0700 tomorrow (Saturday).
There is some easing of the situation in Scotland however.

Latest BBC report.

STILL no contact from the travel company directly to my parents in resort.
Brits - do not book any holidays via Cosmos. They are completely useless in an emergency. This situation is not their fault. They cannot provide flights at present and they cannot provide information on flights. I understand that.

But the Duty Office assured me that someone would call my parents today. The Emergency Helpline ALSO assured me that my parents would hear from someone from either the Flight Team or the Area Manager today. Nothing. Not a peep. Nearly 48 hours and they've basically felt they were stranded in a foreign country.

If I haven't been here and compos mentis enough to make phone calls on their behalf they would not know that they are entitled to stay at the hotel. The hotel informed them this morning that they have to pay for their rooms and the cost would be 800 euros a night. That's more than they paid for their 5 day break!

I'm calling Cosmos again tomorrow.
I know my family are in no physical danger. As far as natural disasters go, this does not even rate. But I'm pissed off that Cosmos are doing nothing to help or reassure their customers in resort.

Argh. This might end up being my Dr Kenneth Siegel thread.

Fuck Cosmos.

Sorry to hear that SG. I know you are worried. Hang in there. Good thoughts your way.

Huge wads of tickets were snapped up by French and Spanish ticket touts (scalpers U.S ?) so as usual someone's making money.

Our much talked about extra EXTRA spectacular sunsets really were a flop but partly because all of our sunsets here are always pretty wild and I'll post a pic soon as I find my camera.. Duh.

And Marks and Spencer are officially out of green beans from Kenya, and South African grapes, as are Tescos also plus all their fresh flowers from East Africa. Bring on the spirit of the blitz, we can take it!

The 'rents (et al) are on their way home.
Thomas Cook (another travel company with tourists at the same hotel) started bussing their people home two days ago. Cosmos - spit on their name - didn't start til today at 14.00 CET. The first contact Mum has had from them since this all started on Thursday. Rubbish.

Anyway, they are going from Benidorm to Salou, to Barcelona and then to Calais. They are apparently going as foot passengers and being met at Dover to be decanted onto separate coaches for their airport destinations. The journey is expected to be anything from 24-36 hours. Niiiiiiiiice.

Apparently my sis is very unhappy about having to go by coach. Yet she's the one who's been kicking off the most about getting back. TBH she has a job and her children need to get to school, but it turns out that "home at any cost" does not include travelling across Europe by coach. She should get over herself - she's the only member of my immediate family who's never had to do it in order to afford a holiday.

I'm more worried about Dad; he's 70 in two weeks with bad circulation. Still, at least he can sleep for England - Mum will be say bolt upright with her eyes open the whole way, worrying about everyone and everything, or at least kept awake by Dad's snoring :)

Anyway, they're on their way back.
I'm so glad I didn't go.
I know I've said that before, but I really am.
I'd have been tempted to wallop my sis if half the things Mum says are true... Aye, there's the rub. Mum doesn't necessarily mean to lie. But having stumbled across things she's said or written about me, I know she doesn't always let the truth, or good intentions, get in the way of a good moan.

Thorough house cleaning again tomorrow.
Second time in a week! It's a record!

TAIL POST:

Hi, I haven't been following this story too closely, but aren't these no-fly zones obvioulsy just the result of the huge ƒucking UFO that was sited recently? Link to Pete Zicato's thread here. They're telling us there is a "cloud of volcanic gas" ...riiight.

I agree. My brother was all "it was a meteor." Surrrrrrrrrrrre, that's what they're telling us. How long did it take to get their stories straight? Or is that in the Alien Denier Handbook: it's ALWAYS meteors.

*snort*

I know you said that before, and I'd certainly agree with you, but the comment caught me off guard in this post. :lol:

They're sailing on the 18.55 ferry (BST).
Which means it took them 30 hours from Benidorm to Calais.
On a little shuttle bus with no toilet!

Thomas Cook are sending a boat to pick up their remaining Spanish tourists apparently. Again - never go on holiday with Cosmos!

Still, they'll be back in the country by 21.00, so even if it takes hours to get back, at least they'll be on home turf and can potentially make their own way home if necessary.

We start it all again on Friday with Stevo, who is out in Japan ;)

they've GOT to have a nickname for that thing, don't they?

Not good but never having done this before... I took this yesterday evening down at the beach where there is a dusky pink quality to the sun setting.

Looks good from here. It's a tease though. I want to see a bigger version.

thats what she said.

Glad they're ok Sundae. Hope they get back without too much stress

If I were you, SG, I'd find an excuse to be out of the house for a few hours when they get home.

They got home after 01.00 this morning, so I was solidly asleep, earplugs in and door shut.

Haven't heard any complaints this morning, so I guess I did okay.
Am absenting myself for a while now though, just in case!

eeeek. What a nightmare. When you just want to get HOME!

Glad they made it.

Great news SG. Glad to hear it is over for them.