Reading: Murder before evensong (Revd Richard Coles)
Weather: Don’t know as I was sat in an aeroplane, but there were white fluffy things outside
Thought for the day: What was the flying nun up to?
The start of a trip is perhaps one of the most difficult parts. The anticipation is all gone, replaced by nervousness about what is ahead or in my case nagging questions like ‘What the hell am I doing here …?’ start to ricochet around the darker recesses of your brain. The drudgery of air travel helps, moving from one queue to another, packing and unpacking bags for security, walking past the plethora of glossy shops trying to divert your attention and draw you into their artificial world, but in my case just making me rail against excessive consumerism. It all helps distract and pass the time – something which there always seems to be plenty of where air travel is concerned.
The first flight was to Madrid, then a nice long walk between terminals and then on to waiting at the gate for the second flight to Tenerife North. I boarded and for a while thought that I might have an empty window seat beside me, but right at the last minute with immaculate timing, the occupant appeared – a Spanish nun. My choice of reading for the flight – Murder before evensong by the Revd Richard Coles – suddenly seemed less appropriate and I hesitated before opening it up. Reading it had the effect (unintended by the author I am sure) of sending me to sleep, but I woke up sharply realising that with my head lolling to one side I was about to fall asleep on a nun’s shoulder. That thought kept me awake and so I returned to Murder …. A bumpy landing at Tenerife was helped by the thought of the protection afforded me by my neighbour and then a nervous wait to see if the baggage had made the same journey as me …. It had …. A short 15 minute taxi ride was the final form of transport for the day, taking me to a very comfortable (and reasonable) hotel in the centre of Santa Cruz.