Day 4, Monday 2nd August 2004. Heading home.

It's always a bit of a let down - in fact a thorough disappointment - when the party's over and its time to go home. My flight back from Stockholm Skavasta Airport wasn't until evening time, so I shuffled up to the track to idle away some time. I was walking around, popping the odd picture and I wandered down to the empty start line which had quite a bit of water swilling around. I took a few scenic pictures and then decided I was going to copy an interesting picture sequence I have seen (sometime recently) via where one was able to have a clear 360 degree view which could be controlled via the mouse. I was fairly sure I didn't have the technology to do that, but I know I would be able to 'stitch' a load of pictures together for a similar view. I chose a place to stand on the start line and fired up my "melt-black-ice-at-500yards" flash gun and started taking my 360 degree sequence. I remained still and moved myself 'around the clock' and as I came around to nearly where I started, I noticed one or two people coming into frame. I carried on firing, to finish the sequence off and it was with a sense of growing horror that I realised these people were Swedish Television who were interviewing (I think) Kjell Petterson and were all getting there day repeatedly lit up by the idiot with the big flash gun....... Oops!! I kept my face covered, moved a little distance away, without attracting any more attention (how is that possible?) and then sprinted off the premises! Sorry Kjell!

I helped out a little with various tasks that presented themselves but the wait was going to be a long one, I suspected that the number of people hoping to head to the same airport would, by any stretch of the imagination, far exceed the capacity of the vehicle no matter how squashed we got. Various people put their thinking caps on and I was grateful for the  suggestion that involved me. I had such a wild time, I would have cheerfully walked all the way home, so to be included in any transport arrangements was a complete luxury. Smax's Promise Top Fueller, Rig and Trailer were heading off on the way to Norway and the driver patiently waited for me to get hold of my stuff and throw it all in the trailer. A couple of Smax's crew members Richard & Stuart Macdonald slid into the cab and disappeared to the crew bunks for some welcome sleep. What amazed me, is just how comfortable these trucks are! It had been a while since I'd been in a truck and I was looking forward to being chauffeured for a change.

The journey was soon over and we were pulling into Skavasta airport. I was thinking 'this is going to be a tight fit' but our cheery driver cared not a jot and the truck growled angrily into the drop off zone with women and children screaming and running away. Perhaps that last sentence has a smidgeon too much of the dramatically effect than that which actually happened, but you can guess it was certainly an arrival with some 'style' which was observed by some passers by with interest. As I opened the trailer, revealing the 'Smaxmobile' to get my case, rucksack and laptop; the questions started being asked "Wow!! Do you drive that thing" "It's a tight squeeze, but we try....(!!)" Oh... I could have kept that going for days...

I enjoyed having a few hours to catch up on loads of text messages and to enjoy just sitting quietly and doing nothing. Time certainly flies when you're having fun and it wasn't long before a couple of American vehicles (which I didn't recognise) arrived and disgorged a number of familiar faces. Moments later and the huge black truck and trailer combination ("Castle Söderquist") arrived with the irrepressible Knut at the steering wheel. Kind exchanges were liberally swapped and lots of firm handshakes later, Knut rumbled off from the Airport and we all thought about checking in and heading for the departure lounge. It was going to be a busy flight and not a single spare seat was there on the entire aircraft.  I had stupidly omitted lunch and the evening meal which the others enjoyed at the airport and I was going to regret this later. Anyway, about three quarters of an hour into the flight, I fancied a cheese and onion half-baguette (No. Make that a quarter baguette with 'Half Baguette' written on it), a tin of mineral water and a tiny tin of Cheese and Chive Pringles. How much? £3? £4? ..... Not £5, surely? No. ELEVEN POUNDS NINETY PENCE PLEASE, SIR. My enthusiasm for Ryan Air's convenient flights was diminishing rapidly. "Get your flight for 50p". Rubbish! I paid £190 for my flight. I paid over £60-ish in excess baggage at Stanstead and 1400 SEK for excess baggage at Skavasta and I was still prepared to keep my mouth shut. £11.90 a small (admittedly very tasty) roll and the other stuff, is "Airway Robbery", plain and simple. Ryan's CEO, Michael O'Leary, tells the world what a wonderful low-fare airline Ryan Air is, but omits to tell us that he'll pull our pants down (so to speak) at every opportunity. The profit motive should never be forgotten, but there's making a bit of the 'ready-salted' which we all must do - and then there's taking the Mick. I've never even met a person who's had one of these supposed 50p seats or whatever they are. It would be nice to extend that honesty and say "Yes we are a low fare company (cobblers) but we'll have you for every extra - with a smile". No. Forget the smile. I now see what all the others do to avoid the excess charges, so I won't be bitten by that, again. The bitter taste in the mouth just isn't necessary and, believe me, its written all over the faces of the Staff who work with this organisation, from the check-in people to the flight attendants. 

As reported elsewhere the journey home would be one that ended up taking a couple of weeks, not the couple of hours that were planned but hey - that's what makes life interesting!

Many thanks for taking your time to read this.

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