30.10 Day 44 . . . Last Day For A While!

Last day at our place today, for a while anyway. My work getting in the way of French life . . . Not for much longer.
We spent the early morning chilling and catching up with emails and messages. Then it was time to get on. Packing a bag to cover both of us for 11 days, together with my work bag - trying to ensure I’d not forgot anything. As we are flying it felt different to when we driven in Roxvanne, as I had everything and some spares, but not this time.
So bags sorted and everything tidied up and put away we were cooking on gas. Then a short surge in the electric turned the pellet burner display on! We’ve not had it on since being there. I pressed the on/off button to switch it off but actually turned it on instead. Pellets dropping into the burner and the flame licking away within an instant. It didn’t matter how many times I tried to switch it off, it didn’t want to know and carried on chucking out heat. Finally we decided to leave it be for a while and eventually it started to ease and finally went out. Not what I wanted as we were about to leave the property.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon chillin before grabbing our bags to go and meet our lift to the airport.
At about 5.30pm Shirley arrived together with Rosemary and we were soon on route to Limoges . . . But not for long. Literally 10 minutes later we were directed off the road by a fleet of motorcycle riding Gendarmes. To be fair, a few checks of Shirley’s documents and we were on our way again - much to Tre and my relief.
We arrived at Limoges at just gone 7pm - it being more like a service station on a motorway that’s and airport.
We said our goodbyes to both Shirley and Rosemary and we went to check in. About 45 minutes later Tre and I were sitting waiting for oit now delayed flight, having cleared security and passport control.
We finally hopped onto the plane at about 10.30pm and with a slightly bumpy but otherwise uneventful flight we subsequently landed at Gatwick at 10.30pm UK time - who knew we were time travellers!!
Was a little surreal getting off the plane and walking from what used to be called the satellite at the south terminal through to the passport hall. No more is there a transit system as there was those many years ago when working at the airport - but it brought back memories just the same.
Passports checked, we are back in the UK, bags collected from the baggage belts and Tre was on the phone for a taxi.
As we walked from the Nothing to Declare lanes outside to the arrivals hall, we were jumped on by Mr and Mrs Hollywood - scaring the bejesus out of us . . . totally unexpected. They had pitched up without telling us just to say hello and welcome us home. Was a lovely thought and gesture - the sort of thing these mad muppets do all the time.
An all to short period later The Hollywoods were on route to the car park to their car and us to our waiting taxi.
Half an hour later we were indoors in East Grinstead it being about midnight. That’s it back in the UK for the next 11 days!
A journey back to Kent tomorrow to start - and countdown to getting back to France at the end of those days . . . This time we have The Hollywoods coming for a visit . . . what could go wrong.Les mer