Of Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Well, that was a little tiring! Travelling for 22 hours to get from Singapore to Bath, UK.I was very impressed with Changi Airport in Singapore. Very easy to get to, to get checked in, and to get processed through security. Absolutely no hassle whatsoever. The flight left on time and was only 12hrs - not the 12:50 I expected.The only downside was a group of ten or so Asian gentlemen who decided, shortly after take-off, to have a loud, enthusiastic conversation involving cameras and milling around the aisles of the plane. They paused briefly during food-service and then restarted. And continued after ‘lights-out’. They really were inconsiderate and people were getting really annoyed.  They then restarted three hours out of Munich and didn’t stop. You could hear them over the movie soundtracks playing through your headphones. Sigh.We landed in Munich at 5am local time. Again, very efficient processing and direction. I had plenty of time to get breakfast and a decent coffee.My flight to London Heathrow left at 7:45am local and was a quick two hours.And then I discovered LHR Terminal 1. What an abomination of an airport. Clearly efficiency isn’t actually that high on the list of ‘to-do’s’ that the Airport Company has on their whiteboards. It’s the most unwelcoming airport I’ve ever been to. Even worse than Palmerston North.Eventually I got to the front of the interminably long queue for Customs Processing and through. Caught the Heathrow Express train to Paddington Station and got there 30 mins before I needed to catch the train to Bath Spa and my Mum.I absolutely loved the train ride. 90mins of English countryside. I was met at the station by my birth-mother, and also my cousin, Mo. It’s so good seeing them again. The two years between visits has disappeared. Reconnection is a very good thing.- S.