Dy 1694 Ayrshire to Edinburgh Airport 🚙 and flight to Rome Ciampino 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✈️🇮🇹

Once again I appear unable to sleep on a flight. I am exhausted but there’s too much else going on and it’s freezing. I should have remembered from my flights to Milan. if I’m cold the Italians on this flight must be freezing.

So everything went well again so far!

Bed at 7.30, woke just after 9pm and again a few times and up with the alarm at 2am.

I was showered, hair washed and ready to to go so only had to get changed and close up my bags. Craig got up with me, bless him, it was lovely to have the company.

I left the house about 2.35am and drove over to Edinburgh Airport. That took about an hour at 10 minutes at that time of day. I thought the roads were surprisingly busy.

The only hiccup is that I think I may be in an NCP car park that’s payable on departure. I’ve pre-paid but they made me take a ticket and my gut tells me I’m in the wrong one. It might be fine. Guess I’ll find out on Tuesday morning after midnight when I land 😆

I chose a seat on the LHS of the plane so I could get to see sunrise.

I am soooo tired. I’m going to try and sleep again.

Claire sent me this after I’d gone to bed last night… I sent her this a while back and it still makes me laugh out loud!

Assume this is us over the Alps

So I landed just before 10am and managed to get on the bus to Rome Termini at 10.30.

This got me into Rome at 11.30 and it took me about 20 minutes to find the bus stop I needed.

Not surprisingly everything is in Italian and the local buses don’t have English at all.

I got out the City Mapper app to try to plan my journey.

It’s a strike in Rome today and everyone said the bus might not come.

So I got a bit frustrated trying to find the bus but actually it was all good. I just need to trust that I can find my way and I’m fine. Breathe through when I think I might start to get anxious. Someone will speak English eventually!

This is where I’ve travelled today.

Once you’ve done it once… it’s so much easier. Once you get into the routine of transport abroad, it’s just like public transport back home. You just have to trust that it will work out.

Melanie met me at the bus stop near her apartment and took me to her home.

It’s beautiful and so special for me to be saying in an Italian home.

She had made a lovely pot of homemade soup. We had lunch and a coffee. It’s great to catch up but I am tired.

It took everything in me to get back up and head back out. My body is screaming for sleep but I can’t waste a second now that I’m here.

I’m here for Melanie’s Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow so I’m currently on the number 8 bus heading back into Rome. I’m multitasking as I’m standing on a bus AND writing this AND trying to stay on top of my stops 😆

Now that I’m out, I’m so glad I have done it. It would have been so easy to stay in the house and sleep. Life is too short.

I’m passing through Trasstevere which seems to be pronounced Trast-avery which makes me smile every time they say it!!

I’m headed for Piazza Navona.

The fountain is being refurbished for Rome 2025. There is a lot of work underway for Rome’s Centenary celebrations. I went to look at the other foundation in Piazza Navona instead.

This city is full of history! I love it!

I then made my way round to the Pantheon.

It was too busy the last time I was here… but today I’m going in!

It’s only €5 entry and you have to wait in a big queue until they let you in.

It is breathtaking. I’m so glad I got to come in here. I’m writing this real time so I’m sitting right here just now.

This is the fountain outside the Pantheon.

I decided to walk back to Melanie’s… it was just starting to get dark.

I spotted the Vatican off in the distance.

I have had the best day. I’m so proud of myself for going out again this afternoon. I feel like I have this solo thing back under control after a couple of wobbles.

Happy weekend!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1629 flying ✈️ from Dubrovnik 🇭🇷 to Glasgow 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

It was cloudy from about 3.30pm yesterday so we didn’t do much after having a late lunch.

We did have an ice cream which melted soooo fast!

We went back to the room to sit and read for a while and to admire the view before it got dark.

I watched a guy with his remote control yacht… it was strangely hypnotic watching it sail around… and very cute 😆

We went out for a last walk, at sunset, around Cavtat as the sun broke through the clouds again.

Funny that my last photo is one of the Adriana after its last run of the day. Heading into the next bay to….. park up (!?!?!?) for the night! 😆 I am fully aware that is not the terminology but I can’t for the life of me, think what it should be. We’ve been on the go for 8 hours now and we’re currently up on the air somewhere between the M1 and the M6 apparently! 😆

We wake up this morning to very dark and heavy skies with a forecast of high winds and torrential rain. The best kind of day to be heading home.

A cloudy selfie outside the hotel 😆 not another one that face says!

So it turns out we hadn’t booked transfers for this holiday.

I may have said before but we book through Love Holidays so that we can pay the holiday monthly in advance. It’s a great idea but it does mean you’re not guaranteed transfers despite the fact that Tui ran us to the hotel on the way here…. We need to be more careful in future ensuring Love Holidays have the correct baggage and transfers selected… per person. We’ve been caught out with both on this holiday…. Never again. I will amend that to say that WE have selected the correct baggage and transfers through the Love Holidays app….. it’s all on us 😆

Tui offered us a €30 transfer but the hotel arranged a taxi for €20. It only takes 8 minutes which is really good. We were at the airport just after 8am this morning.

We got chatting to a lovely lady in the airport, she was flying to Gatwick. She really helped pass the time and we had a great chat. I think you meet people for a reason.

We didn’t board until about 11ish and the transfer bus tried to drop us off at the Newcastle flight 😆 we made sure the plane was for Glasgow when we go on.

I really like this photo of us…. I’m in control of the emergency exit again, so that Craig can have more leg room…. The things you have to do eh?!?

The flight went really smoothly despite my fears over the last few days. I was convinced it would be super bumpy based on the forecast.

My anxieties have been on high alert this week. I’ve had a wonderful time and been really relaxed but there’s been an underlying fear at times, a kind of dizziness. I’m not sure if it’s been a form of vertigo, if it’s my varifocal glasses or not but I have been really anxious about travelling home. I have to spend a bit of time on this and try to figure out what it might be.

And yet it went so smoothly.

I THINK we flew over our village….. 😆

After nearly 9 years of living here…. Finally!

So, not gonna lie, I’m knackered. We got home just before 4 and the dogs were over the moon. We’ve sat outside in the sun and played with them. Glasgow was lovely when we got home. We’ve come in now to get some food. I had a lovely salad. (Stopped at Morrisons on the way home).

We have honestly had the best holiday. I highly recommend it. I’m back on the couch with my comfies on… the cases will have to wait until tomorrow.

Stay safe everyone 🇭🇷✈️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Day 1417 work then visiting a TV set, as you do! 🎬📺

The weather was atrocious leaving Bristol last night and I worked myself into a wee lather before take off.

The plane literally got blown to the left just before it took off. The adrenaline washed through me. By the time we levelled out in the sky I realised I was clenching every muscle sooo tight and had to really force myself to relax. The weather was so much better in Glasgow.

I think Khaleesi missed me… she out her wee paw on my leg and lay there for ages!

I had the rubbishist sleep last night and no, that is not a word, but I’m making it one.

I lay in bed with my eyes wide open until 11.30pm… came downstairs and tried the couch instead. That’s where I got my 5 hours.

Here’s my view as I dried my hair…

I’ve been surprisingly awake and alert today. It’s amazing what a wee mini break does to freshen your head.

Work passed quickly as I was so busy.

So the big news in our village today…. Is that’s the Gateside Inn will be used in a Netflix drama about the Lockerbie disaster and they are filming tomorrow. Here’s the link to the stars involved.

Lockerbie

Here’s the pub during COVID.

Here’s the pub today.

Criag and I got to go in after my work today to have a look around. It will be the pub in Lockerbie on the night of the disaster.

If you zoom in, it’s all set up for Christmas in 1988.

Everything looks so old. It made me feel really old as I thought some of it looked really old fashioned 😂😂 seems I was alive and 16 when these things WERE in fashion. 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

The dart board wall is all for the set. You usually see right through to the back of the restaurant.

There’s a cigarette machine….to me this looks 1950’s 😂😂 and cigarettes are £1.35!!!

There’s a juke box…

And a radio like my Grandpa had.

It’s all very surreal. I’m working tomorrow and out at night so won’t see any of the filming!

So that’s our excitement… our house will be in the Netflix Lockerbie show! We is famous. 😂😂

A good Tuesday. It’s not all been easy but I’ve handled everything well and I can’t ask for more.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1412 busy leap year day at work and flying to Bristol! ✈️

It’s February 29th 2024… a leap year!!

Love this from Donna Ashworth.

Look for the light…. That came up in Kinesiology last night too… another coincidence.

Another restless sleep last night… up at 2am and again at 5am. Result is I’m shattered now and I’ve got 6 hours of travelling to go… 😂 not complaining…. Will try to sleep on the plane.

Work was busy again today and flew by and I managed to get everyone to wear their “Tartan” gear… which is mostly black obviously 🙄 and we got a team photo prior to the handover of two of our biggest van builds. We don’t do that often enough. We should celebrate our big wins but we’re already on to the next 😂

I finished up at 3 as I had an hour to take back. Now I’m ready far too early!

Craigie is running me to the airport and I’m flying to Bristol where Helen is picking me up and driving me down to her house in Exmouth. That’s my home for the next 4 days flying back up late Monday.

I’ve packed as little as I can but it still feels like way too much.

It’s funny how all I ever want to do is travel and yet I’m apprehensive about doing it. I’m not a fan of flying… I’d much rather be on the train.

Please don’t go Mum….

It would break your heart! Calaidh looks so sad!

Those holes in the blanket over the couch were made by “someone” trying to bury a bone the last time I went away overnight… what could possibly go wrong this time?!?

I’m off to create meaningful moments as SC Lourie says.

We left at 5.30pm…. We are only 20 minutes or so from the airport and my flight isn’t until 8.20pm…. my phone flashed and said go to gate.

GO TO GATE?!?!!!??

I’m not even there yet… waves of anxiety…

Im not late in the slightest, no idea why it said go to gate 😂😂

I’m loving my new case from Tripp. Colour…. Watermelon!

Won’t lose it anytime soon…. I’m in Starbucks having a wee decaf coconut milk latte and a blondie for dinner. Had last nights vegan dinner for lunch and I’m still stuffed.

Only another hour until the flight. My stomach is doing somersaults but I will be fine and I will enjoy the travel. I know I will.

There seems to be more people in the speedy boarding queue than the main queue tonight.. I just heard a lady in the speedy queue say it’s not very speedy anymore 😂 I used to be obsessed with speedy boarding when I travelled with work but the place is not going without me so I don’t see the point in paying extra for it… I did pay extra for my watermelon cabin case though 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

You can tell I’m just passing the time by rambling. Flight’s just been called!

That’s me almost off. I’m calmer now that I’m here.

See you soon Helen!

Stay safe everyone ♥️✈️♥️

Day 1262 a good day at work and travelling ✈️ to Devon!

I slept like a log. Such a good sleep. Which is just as well as I’m going to be really late tonight. I’m flying down to Bristol at 10pm to stay with my friend, Helen, in Exmouth this weekend. We’ve had it planned since she came up to stay here in May.

Craig’s alarm went off at 5am as well 😳 great….. 🤦🏻‍♀️😬

I had a very hot shower this morning. I wondered if Craig had turned it up yesterday. I had to make it cooler. The shower also had a whine coming from it.

When I went to fill my water bottle, the mains cold tap ran like the hot tap usually would. There was no pressure. I found out later on that we had a burst water main down the road!

So still in the shower…… I’ve been reading Wim Hof’s book (not while in the shower!) about the benefits of having a cold shower every day. He recommends starting with 30 seconds a day for the first day 10 days and building up to two minutes.

I tried it today. 😳

Even 30 seconds was almost impossible for me. It hurt my head so badly. It’s gonna take some practice. I did start counting a bit faster towards the end. I have to say I did feel pretty energised after it!

Been meaning to say how much I am loving driving Bertie the Beetle. It’s sooooo lovely to drive. I’m actually enjoying driving again.

I’m also very impressed with my fuel consumption. I filled up on 7th September at £77 and I still have 65 miles in the tank. I’ve driven 454 miles so far. The van matched that mileage but closer to £120 for a tank. I’m saving £43 every time I fill the tank. Wow.

In other news, I’ve really hurt my left knee. I was trying to step in and out a van that was on the ramps yesterday. My knees couldn’t cope with the height of the step…. Jeez old age doesn’t come lightly. As I stepped down to the ground, the knee I left in the van stretched a bit too much.

I’ve been hobbling about all day. Hope it eases off.

I was really clear headed and got lots done at work today. I felt ready to finish up for holiday and yet I am actually back for 3 days next week before Turkey. I’m sure there will be stuff I’ve missed but it felt good leaving today. I felt like I was in control.

So it’s now 8.25 and Craigie has dropped me at Glasgow Airport.

The sky was lovely on the way.

There was something strange when he dropped me off. We were sent to a different area to drop off and there was the smell of burning and the actual drop off area was all cordoned off.

I had to walk away in the other direction only to cross a road and walk back the other side. I was also due to fly out of Glasgow the day after the Glasgow Airport bomb attack. Our flight was delayed 24 hours and we had to queue for miles to get into the airport one by one. How security has changed since that day. It’s £5 to drop someone off!!!!!!! £5 for less than 15 minutes. That’s just ridiculous. Craig phoned to say he got through without paying as he was sent down a different road so all good there.

Love this sentiment!

So I’m flying EasyJet to Bristol tonight at 10pm. That seemed like such a good idea back in May. Means we have the whole day tomorrow rather than me arriving at lunchtime.

Helen Gray I’m coming to get you!!! ✈️😘🫶🏼

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1127 out of the office is on!! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✈️🇮🇸

Wide awake at 3.30am this morning thinking about everything I needed to do on my last day. Jeez I’m only off for two whole days which was probably why it was so easy. 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

Had a relatively calm day and got through everything I needed to.

The sun shone today and we sat out at lunchtime. It was so nice to feel the warmth of the sun! The temperatures are picking up here but Iceland will be a few degrees cooler. Obviously. 🥶

In less than 12 hours we’ll be flying from Edinburgh to Keflavik Airport in Iceland.

It doesn’t look very far does it?!

So super early start for us! Trying not to wake the neighbours. 😆

It’s been so long since we flew anywhere and my new found indecisiveness is convinced I’m taking all the wrong clothes 🤦🏻‍♀️😆 I packed a last minute pair of shorts and flip flops in case the sun shines in some freak weather event!!! Gotta have that optimism.

I dropped Abbie the Campervan off to the garage for her holidays…. MOT and full service along with a knock at the O/S front 🤦🏻‍♀️😬🤷🏻‍♀️😂

So despite all the excitement, I do feel a bit flat tonight as I had the call with the Doctor today finally.

The call comes through in the middle of your working day and I felt very much like I’d been thrown into a discussion that I hadn’t had time to think about.

In the past, you would sit in the surgery and rehearse your “lines”. The call is great and it saves you going to the surgery but the two hour window makes it difficult to stay prepared.

I told her how I’d been feeling and how the anxiety was taking over again. I explained the fear that seemed so overwhelming at times. And of course in true me fashion I ended up crying on the phone…

The purpose of the call, for me, was to ask for Testosterone which is the next step in the HRT cycle.

Did that word even register in my thought process once during the call?!?! Nope. Zero. Nada.

She has re-prescribed antidepressants.

I have to say I am completely torn between being devastated and slightly relieved as there may be some light at the end of the tunnel of fear that’s been building up.

I can’t tell you how hard this is for me I write.

It feels so awkward and vulnerable.

I’m cringing at the very thought of posting this yet I always said I’d be honest. If I can help one other person see how difficult life can feel for someone who looks like they should have it all together, then it’s worth it. (how do I think that is actually one sentence?!)

It feels like s step back to me. Like I’m admitting defeat. Like I’ve given in.

Yet I am so tired fighting these feelings AND I wouldn’t say any of that to a friend who was considering taking them.

When I should be super excited about a holiday I’m worried that I ruin it by being a jerk when we’re away. There’s a very fine line between happy and excited me and jerk me. (Forgive the shocking English… 🤦🏻‍♀️😂)

So… to take or not to take. That is the question.

I haven’t yet.

I am sure I probably will but I could do without that life changing decision tonight. I have a holiday to sleep for!!

Calaidh is not letting us leave without her.

So, I’m not sure what will happen with the blog for the next few days. I may or may not be able to post but rest assured there will be a million photos being taken while I try my best not to be a jerk!

Here’s Bhruic and Freya guarding the bags now 😂

I’m off to post this before I chicken out but I must admit I do feel better for typing it.

Stay safe everyone 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✈️🇮🇸