OT: how is Northern Europe?

Our next-door neighbour, Julian, was expecting his wife Anna to come back from Washington DC where she was on Grandma duty this last fortnight, but of course she can't fly into the UK. I think he is quietly going to seed, as he is not great at being on his own.... cooking for one is no fun, etc, so I'm going to ask him over for dinner and sit in the garden for our tea!! Lovely day here, even if the sky has a funny hazy look to it.

I worked all night on a swap, paid extra for it to go super-fast air delivery, and then all the planes have been grounded for 2 days. Hmm. I'm starting the next round now, so that my next blocks do not get delayed, even by "acts of God".

Heavy baby asleep on my arm here....if you play Brahm's lullaby often enough, ANYONE will go to sleep eventually. That is my tip for the day...

-- Jo in Scotland

Hi folks -been away for a while -hope some of you remember me!

My hubby flew out to Madrid on Wednesday morning and is due to fly back on Sunday -what can I say -it's NOT looking good!

Here it is sunny today and to the naked eye nothing looks different. I gather it looks a bit different 20,000 feet up. The news media -TV radio and print are all full of it. In this country there is a standing joke about 'wrong type of leaves on the track' bringing the rail system to a halt a few years ago. I guess 'wrong type of dust on the clouds' will eventually find its place in the history books.

So its is quietly causing chaos for those who are training to escape or those who are trying to get back home -this weekend is the last weekend for children returning from holidays abroad before school resumes on Tuesday after the Easter break.

I'd quite like hubby home too -its our 28th wedding anniversary tomorrow and I was hoping to be taken out on Sunday -even if just for a quick pizza- before returning to work on Monday. Oh well, c'est la vie!

Of course the silver lining to these dust-ridden clouds is that if he doesn't come back Sunday, I could have time to use the dining table to tack out a large quilt I've almost finished.......

Annie, England

DH flew to Copenhagen with work on Weds and was due back at lunchtime today! He is currently trying to get trains to get back here, DS2 keeps on asking when Daddy will be home - but of course we have no answer. I shall be glad that the kids are back in school on Monday so they will have their routine back and I will get some peace!

Sarah

PS I didn't know that the trains were on strike - will it affect the Chunnel?

Turns out Anna got as far as Paris, and then was grounded. Fortunately, her son Swithen has a French girlfriend who lives in Paris - Anna is staying with this girlfriend's cousin. Small world, eh?

-- Jo in Scotland

I think that the Chunnel is unaffected, just the "normal" trains will be affected and that is very sporadic.

Janner France

In message , Janner writes

Well it is strange to look out of the window and see blue sky with no vapour trails criss crossing it. We are under the flight path to Manchester from Europe and the east. Hugs Shirley

A friend of mine was due to fly to Europe on Thursday and now she's trying for Sunday. If she has to be stuck she's just as happy that she's at home rather than in an airport on the other side of the pond with a suitcase full of dirty clothes!

Allis> Just wondering how the volcano in Iceland is effecting everyone up north? >

~DH did say he was getting a bit smelly now, he only took enough clothes as he would need so he could just take hand luggage - I dread to think what he will be like by the time he gets back here!!

Sarah

So is he nearly home?

Janner France

He's got as far as Brussells! Who knows when he will get back home! We were supposed to be going to a wedding celebration party next weekend but that depends on the happy couple getting back from their honeymoon!

Sarah

Annie: Pat's Original Virginia Fife and Drum Corps is playing sentimental love songs for you and your DH. Happy Anniversary .... hope you are together soon. Pat in Virginia

...cut...>

The Gloom and Doom prognosticators here are saying it could take a very long time for this mess to be over. We are astounded. Polly

God sure can put man to shame in how much control we have over the world! It is astounding. Taria

i feel for the Iceland folks. cant be easy living on 35 volcanos that have one blow its top on average every 5 yrs (got that from the news). where do you go if the whole thing goes under ash or worse, under hot lava. those in Europe are only inconvenienced not threatened with the loss of their homes and very lives, as yet. the farmers are under a very thick layer of ash just as they're about to plant their summer crops. so not only no income this year but possibly they'll no longer be able to farm their land. will increase the price of basic foods there for a long while too as all will now have to be imported by ship. the news also showed some Icelanders asking what they did wrong to deserve this on their small island. j.

"Taria" wrote ... God sure can put man to shame > The Gloom and Doom prognosticators here are saying it could take a very

I saw a video on an Icelandic news site that showed a few horses standing around grooming each other and loking utterly miserable in a landscape that was just grey ash - no grass visible at all.

Livestock were the first victims in the Laki eruption of 1783-4 and they're already suffering in this much smaller one.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- e m a i l : j a c k @ c a m p i n . m e . u k Jack Campin, 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU, Scotland mobile 07800 739 557 Twitter: JackCampin

And he's home!!! After 12 trains, 5 countries, and over 36 hours sat on a train! The ferries at Calais worked all Saturday night and by yesterday morning were accepting foot passengers. DH says that all the people in the tourist offices and train stations were really helpful - some had gone to work on their days off just to help the people stranded.

sarah