austria

	Tyrolean Turmoil _ 1984 My husband, Martin, had arranged to visit an exhibition in Leeds on the day before our flight was due to leave from Coventry. We decided to drive to Coventry via Leeds and to stay with my sister over night. While Martin was looking round the exhibition I took the boys into the park after first buying some canned drinks. We found a playground area and I was happy for the children to let off steam as they had a lot of travelling ahead of them. Since I had no carrier bag I had put the open cans in the buggy, which I dragged behind me as I followed Leon and Kim around. Unfortunately Kim managed to get hold of the buggy and tip it up! Fruit juice spilt all over the buggy seat. The public toilets proved to have no water supply so I couldn't wash the seat. However the sun was hot and I was sure the seat would dry, shortly, if stickily. Kim was furious at having to walk all the way back to the car. While we ate our picnic lunch I left the buggy in the sun; shouting at Martin when he tried to put it in the boot, not knowing it was wet. Half way to Coventry an hour later I casually asked if he had put the buggy away before we drove off. "No", he frowned. When we reached my sister's house, Martin 'phoned the Leeds police. They sent a man to search but called back later to say that there was no sign of a buggy. Oh well, it had been a rickety old thing anyway and we hadn't intended to take it on holiday with us, so its loss posed no immediate problem. FRIDAY JULY 6th Journey by Plane Had to get up at 5am to be at the airport for 6. My sister, Margaret, was up before us making tea and offers of eggs to eat. Martin accepted but I made do with cereal and toast. As breakfasts were ready for the babies we went upstairs and woke them. Still more asleep than awake they made brave attempts to eat cereal, then were loaded into the car clutching pieces of toast to their pyjamas. The airport was just waking up. There was no one to see to the parking of the car so we left it by some "No Parking" bollards and carried cases and pyjamaed boys into the old Nissan huts which serve as airport buildings. I dressed the boys while Martin "checked in" the luggage. Then Leon and Kim went off to explore. Hoping that no one would mind too much, I let them roam about, freely, since they would have to sit still on a coach for 12 hours, later that day. We all watched the two aeroplanes "parked" on the tarmac being made ready for flight. First was a smart silver one with a blue stripe. At about 7am the tannoy asked all passengers for the flight to Paris De Gaulle to assemble at Gate One. I didn't see anyone move, but later we could see all three of them being led across the tarmac! Our plane was next, painted in the red and yellow livery of Janus Airways. We found out later that it was a "Dart Herald". Three year old Leon was thrilled by everything. "Can we go on our aernplay now?"; "Is that our aernplay?" and such questions. He could hardly contain himself! Kim was more interested in making friends with a girl sitting behind him. He seemed to be doing rather well, (in fact he won a lot of friends on this holiday). At last we were called to Gate One (the only gate!); went through passport control, handed in our boarding cards and hurried out across the tarmac. Somehow we managed to be the last to board the 'plane, but succeeded in occupying three seats, together, backing onto the cockpit. I am the only one who had ever flown before, yet I think I was the most frightened, hoping I wouldn't develop claustrophobia at 10,000 feet. Leon's joy was quite infectious enough to make me forget my worries for a while. Once the engines started up the 'plane was incredibly noisy. We had to shout directly into the ear hole of the person we wished to address! I actually managed to enjoy the lift-off, although the "hanging about in the middle" part was a bit nerve wracking. However, I made a conscious effort to relax and was all right. Leon sang out loud. I couldn't hear him but I could see his mouth moving. I bought him some lemonade. The two women opposite us had been told at the checking-in desk that breakfast would be served on the 'plane. When they found out it wasn't they ordered brandy, instead, (at 7.30am!) We touched down at a dull and gloomy "Oostende". "Never mind", said the stewardess. "Perhaps it will clear up, later". "Wednesday" said I, pessimistically. While we waited for our luggage a courier explained that there were two coaches waiting outside: one bound for austria; the other for Amalfi. She would call each group to the door, separately, to avoid confusion. Our cases were easy to identify thanks to the fluorescent yellow stripe we had applied to the sides of each one. Leon wanted to watch our aeroplane take off again so a nice customs official took him to the doorway to get a good view. Later, however, the same official was upset by someone who climbed the barrier and he came over to ask for a few of the suitcases to be opened. He actually apologised to Martin when he realised that one was ours. (I bet he was disappointed to find it full of nappies!). The courier couldn't believe it, saying that previously no official had ever asked to see inside cases. Journey by Coach The Amalfi passengers were called first. When we were called, Martin took the cases to the luggage hold while I took the flight bag and Kim onto the bus to find three adjacent seats. At the last minute we realised that Leon was missing and Martin went back to find him while I continued my dash for good seats. We were lucky, for there were only three vacant seats on the coach and one was (of course) next to us. No one wanted, it seemed, to commit themselves to 12 hours of baby, so we had 4 seats on which to spread ourselves..... end of excerpt. Download the complete story to read at your leisure