Tag Archives: Airports

Rolling blog. Norway next…

24 Monday Feb 2025

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12:00

After spending over a month in 35 degree plus heat and humidity I’m swopping the tropics for a short trip to Scandinavia. Having spent some of the morning reliving my time in Malaysia through editing pictures (you can find the results here) it’s time to leave Halifax and the Pennines behind and head off to Manchester Airport once more. I’ll blog throughout the trip, so feel free to pop back and see how it goes…

13:05.

I’m on way! Dawn kindly dropped me off at Sowerby Bridge station, where I caught the 13:02 bound for Salford Crescent.

I’ve not done this for a while!

As you can see from the picture, it’s a lovely (almost spring-like) day for travelling. Far better than the gloomy conditions I arrived home in.

14:40.

I had a 30 minute interlude between trains at Salford Crescent, a station that’ll soon gain an extra platform to take pressure of the island structure that was provided when it was first built. It’s not difficult to see why it’s needed. There’s an intensive service through the station nowadays. Plus, it’s an important destination in its own right due to the changing nature of the area. There’s also a lot of people like me changing trains to access Manchester Airport services.

16:10.

And relax. I’m at the airport after a trouble-free journey. Getting through security and all the other airport gubbins was easy as the place is really quiet today. Now I’m killing time before my flight departs. I’ve already had a text from KLM to say it’s delayed. Fortunately, the delay is only 10 mins (at the moment, anyway) but I have less than an hour at Schipol where I change planes, so I hope it doesn’t get any worse.

My steed from Salford Crescent to the Airport.

16:50.

I have to admit that Manchester Airport has got better over the years. Even so, neither this nor any other airport would be my choice of transport, but it’s not always down to me to make that decision. Here’s my next conveyance.

17:20.

That was interesting. We have a nearly full 737-800 and the crew have been desperate to get people to stash coats and small bags underneath the seats in front of them ‘cos people are bringing too many big bags on board which will only fit in the overhead racks! This has caused further delays as stuff has had to be redistributed!

Despite that and my now lack of legroom, the flight’s not been bad. We flew out of Manchester just as the sun was setting, the passed over rugged Derbyshire before heading slightly South to cross the Wash and skirt Cromer before crossing over into Europe. Another interesting thing about the flight is that the majority of the cabin crew are late middle-aged. I’ve no idea why. KLM isn’t a budget airline either. You get free nibbles and a drink. Not bad on such a short flight.

20:25 (Netherlands time).

I’d forgotten just how big Schipol airport is! It’s massive. When we landed we seemed to taxi for a good 20 mins (at a lick too) before we got to an air-bridge. Getting from there to my departure gate took ages. There was no time to stop off anywhere even if I wanted to. I made it to gate D71 five minutes before we started boarding. This is another full flight that seems to have been upgraded from the Emberauer I was expecting to another 737-800. Still, all that matters is that I’m on – and I have a window seat (not that I’ll be seeing much this time of night).

Passing through Schipol has brought back lots of memories of Amsterdam, a city I’ve not revisited for far too long. There’s lots of stories I could tell, going back to 1981 when I first came over with the intention of staying. My girlfriend at the time and I joined a group of friends who were squatting here. Sadly, it didn’t work out (Barbara didn’t take to things), and we split up on our return, but that was the start of my long relationship with the city which I’ve enjoyed with various friends and partners over the years – or just on my own. Now I’m just passing through, but I have a hankering to return. Perhaps a long weekend in the summer?

Right now, it’s time to explore pastures new and the ancestral homeland as the Biglands originated from Norway many centuries ago…

Homeward bound?

Shame it’s only a flying visit and I won’t have chance to visit the relatives, or the town of Bygland or Byglands fjord.

23:00.

Oslo airport is pretty quiet this time of night, and I entered the Schengen area in Schipol there was no more immigration ho-hah to pass through (don’t get me started on the Brexit shambles). Now I’m on the airport express train into central Oslo. Cool looking, aren’t they?

00:15. (Norwegian time).

Dunno why, but I was surprised to see just how much snow was on the ground as the train made its way from the airport to central Oslo. Maybe I’d been lulled into a false sense of security by the temperatures on the weather forecast. It’s not a problem, and central Oslo has been cleared of most of it. My hotel is right outside the station which is ideal for going for a wander tomorrow morning before i meet up with colleagues from Siemens and the UK. Right now it’s time to turn in as we’re going to have a busy day tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s a couple more pictures from the trip.

The airport Express pauses at Oslo Central.
Euston station, eat your heart out!

I may be in Norway, but the first sign I saw when I left the station building made me feel right at home!

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Asia day 37. Time’s up…

20 Thursday Feb 2025

Posted by in Air Travel, Airports, Indonesia, jakarta, Photography, Travel

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I’ve decided to have a lazy last day here in Jakarta. After all the running around i’ve been doing, it’s time to savour a last day of soaking up some sunshine up on the hotel roof (which I have to myself). It offers some great views across this part of the city and the streets below where I can watch folk go about their daily lives whilst the multitude of local cats wash themselves or doze in the heat.

Besides, life will be full on when I get back and I’ve learned the value of peaceful solitude over the years. Now’s the opportunity to enjoy it for a couple of hours!

16:30 (Jakarta time).

In fact I enjoyed the sun for all that time – and dried a shirt that I wanted to travel back in. I even managed to nip out for a wander and chance to get a last few shots of street-life before it was time to leave. Asia fascinates me. I love the way so much of people’s lives is lived on the streets and how many people make their living there. It makes for such a vibrant and interesting place, so far removed form life in the UK. It’s also a photographer’s dream! Jakarta’s a mad place, but I must admit – I’ve rather enjoyed it. It must be the masochist in me. It reminds me of some Indian cities, only with added massive Singapore style shopping centers full of international brands. The only things I won’t miss are the pollution – and smoking. Indonesians are inveterate smokers and it’s a habit that seems to be catching on with more and more women – as is vaping.

Having run out of time I packed, showered and ordered a taxi to the airport. Navigating Jakarta’s mad traffic took way over an hour but as I had plenty of time before my flight it wasn’t an issue. Now I’m airside having checked in easily enough. My first flight to Doha is with Garuda Indonesia whom I don’t remember having flown with long-haul before. At Doha I transfer back to Qatar so this is chance to make a comparison.

Terminal 3 at Sukarano Hatta airport is much like any other. You could be almost anywhere in the world if it wasn’t for the people passing through that give it its identity. Here there’s still people off on the pilgrimage to Mecca as well as international travelers of all sorts. In the queue to check in I ended up in conversation with an Indonesian woman from Java who was on her way back to Singapore where her and her husband live. Her English (or rather West coast American, where she studied) was excellent. We chatted about Indonesia and language all the way to check-in. I love impromptu meetings like that.

Right, almost time to go as my chariot awaits. I doubt I’ll have time to blog en-route so the next time you’ll hear from me I’ll be back in the UK.

00:00 (Qatar time).

I’ve time to kill between flights here in Doha so here’s a quick update. My Garuda Indonesia flight wasn’t bad but the Boeing 777 wasn’t the most modern of aircraft. The entertainment system was outdated, and the headphones suffered the classic problem of ill-fitting sockets leaving to sound cutting out unless you jiggled them. Plus, the most modern film was at least 5 years old! Still, the food was good and the legroom wasn’t bad.

Beef with fragrant rice.

I even managed an hour or so’s sleep. Bonus!

Security at Doha is tight. I had my bag x-rayed once, and I was frisked twice – the last time at the gate. All the staff (not one of whom are local) were polite and efficient, so the whole thing was stress free so I was at my new gate within 15 mins of my plane landing. I wonder what Manchester will be like?

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

To be continued…

Asia day 34. In transit from country to country…

17 Monday Feb 2025

Posted by in Air Travel, Aircraft, Airports, Indonesia, jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Travel

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The time’s just after 11:00 here in Malaysia and I’m at Kuala Lumpur airport waiting for my Air Asia flight back to Jakarta. To be honest, I’m sad to leave. There are so many exciting rail projects that I didn’t get chance to look at, I barely had a day in one of my happy places (Georgetown) – and I could hear a beach calling my name. But it wasn’t to be…

As usual in Asia, I was up early, but I didn’t have a great night’s sleep (too many things going around in my head), so I was having my last roti canai breakfast at 07:30 this morning.

My last one for a while…

Sitting in a local eating hose watching the world go by is quite educational. The place I chose I know of old but it was interesting seeing the old men coming in who obviously all knew each other, picking up a breakfast to take to work (or take home). Suitably replete I returned home, showered, finished my packing and said goodbye to what’s been my home for the past three nights. It’s been fine but next time I think I’ll go back to where I stayed in 2023. I missed having a big window to storm-watch from!

Getting out to the airport was easy. There’s a direct rail-link that runs every 20 mins and takes 33 mins to get to Terminal 2. Arriving is a bit confusing as you have to walk through a huge shopping centre before you find the actual airport! There was a melee around check-in but I got through quickly enough. security and immigration were just as much a breeze. Now I’m sat plane-watching as I’ve time to kill before my flight leaves. Nicholas Lim (a Singaporean friend) has texted me to say the Jakarta airport rail-link is up the spout, so things may be a little slower at the other end!

I’ll update this blog later. Right now here’s a few pictures for you.

Aboard one of the new Chinese built KLIA trains en-route to the airport.
The view from the outdoor smokers area’s best for plane-watching!
I’m forever blowing puddles…An Air Asia flight creates waves as it passes through the remains of last night’s torrential rain.

It’s early evening after a ‘fun’ arrival. The flight from Malaysia was great. It took 2 hours to get to Jakarta, where the weather’s just as wet as KL only with more overcast skies. The fun started at immigration. Getting my visa on arrival was simple. It was the biometric gates that were the hassle as my arrival co-incided with several hundred people from all over Indonesia who’d just flown back from the Haj to Mecca! The queues would have been bad at a European airport, but watching elderly village women (who’d probably never flown before) trying to come to grips with the gates was a sight to behold! It was almost worth the delay. Everyone was patient with everyone else, but it did take some time!

Ordering a Grab’ taxi at the airport I travelled into Jakarta by road. The trip wasn’t bad until we got close to where my hotel is. The main roads were jammed with all manner of vehicles going in different directions but we made it through in good time until we turned into a narrow one-way street. We got caught in a jam coming up to a crossroads and moved about 100 meters in half an hour. It was so rammed with scooters, cars, and parked vehicles it was almost impassible to pedestrians, who had to try and weave their way through the gaps in the traffic. I’ve not seen anything like it for a long time. We ended up getting to my hotel 45 mins later than planned, but hey – I’m not going anywhere else tonight. The Choska Residence where I’m staying is rather plush. Impressive from the outside, it’s got some great public spaces. The rooms are fine too, with a fridge, desk and big TV as well as plenty of wardrobe space and a nice bathroom. It’s in a mixed area that seems in some ways to be quite affluent but in others not, with lots of street stalls and the usual detritus of Asian big city life. Just across the road is an interesting place that has links to my hotel. It’s billed as a communal living space. In a new building is a cafe, several different eateries – and a laundrette! Like my hotel, it seems popular with young Muslim women.

Yes, that is a row of washing machines along the back wall!
Nice place, isn’t it?
The exterior.
– and the lobby of my hotel…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

A return from our Turkish delight…

09 Tuesday May 2023

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Yep, we’re back in the UK after our long weekend in Istanbul which was enjoyed by all. I was certainly impressed with what the city had to offer in the way of history and architecture, but also in its people. Yes, some areas can be very touristy and you do get some hassle from touts in those places but it’s mild compared to other parts of the world I’ve visited and once you get away from that the atmosphere changes. All of us agreed that the vast majority of local people that we met made a really positive impression.

This morning it was time to fly back with a different airline from a different airport. Today we were flying with Turkish Airlines from the International airport on the European side rather than where we landed at Sabiha Gökçen on the Asian side. The airport was opened in 2018 and already covers a huge area, although there’s plans to expand it even more. Now, I have a love/hate relationship with flying. If I can avoid it I will because of the environmental cost and damage flying causes (especially domestic and short-haul), but sometimes there’s no viable alternative. That said, I do wince when I see massive new airports like Istanbul’s. The facilities may make life a lot easier for passengers but there’s a huge amount of steel and concrete involved in there construction, as well as clearing the land for the site and all the servicing facilities and power needed. Then there’s the fact that – really – they’re often huge shopping centres you merely catch flights from and International was no exception to this. There’s a mammoth amount of stalls selling luxury goods, expensive trinkets and the obligatory duty-free. On the plus side, the place isn’t cramped and claustrophobic the way some older airports can be, although there was a distinct lack of seating until you get to the gates. Maybe the planners just want you to spend your time wandering aimlessly through the shops in the hope you’ll buy something.

Security’s tight here too. Your baggage gets x-rayed as soon as you enter the terminal, then there’s the ID checks at the check-in desk, and again at baggage drop. Then you go through passport control and have your hand-luggage x-rayed once more. Finally, when you arrive at the gate there’s another ID and ticket check as well as another security search.

Finally, we made it onto the plane which was 25 mins late departing, but that was no big deal. Airlines get away with a lot when it comes to late flights. If it was a train people would be playing merry hell but at an airport people just seem to accept it. However, I can’t complain about the flight. Our plane was an Airbus A321-271NX which was as old as the airport. Unlike Pegasus, Turkish Airlines offer a full service onboard as part of the ticket price (just don’t ask how much extra you pay for luggage!). The staff were both friendly and efficient and the service really good. On the 3hr 50m journey we were served a hot meal which is in my case consisted of a Hummus starter with bread roll, chicken with rice and veg, then a chocolate pudding. You had a choice of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, plus tea or coffee to wash it all down with at the end.

Not a bad effort…

It felt like a far cry from some of the offerings of British Airways where you get a cardboard box with a sandwich and a chocolate bar – although to be fair the BA I’ve never flown more than short-haul into Europe with them for many years. Oh, and not booked by me I may add, but by companies on press trips when the Eurostar trains were full!

After such a good flight even Manchester airport didn’t let us down. We breezed through passport control, picked up our bags in reasonable time, then made our way to the station to catch a busy Trans-Pennine Express service to Huddersfield where Aubrey (having had a successful day in court where the jury was sworn-in) was waiting to pick us up and ferry us back to Halifax.

Now it’s time to unwind, having unpacked and prepared to resume life back in the UK. Dawn’s still on holiday tomorrow and off to watch the coronation with Fran and Kath (two more of the five) whilst I’ll be having a busy day at home catching up with work and picture editing from our travels. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with another highlight of our Turkish trip. Regular readers will know of our love for cats. This is a love that’s obviously shared by many Turks. Several mornings when we eating breakfast we had this charming companion distracting us – as we did today before we left…

Cute, no?

Here’s another thing that caught my eye. Tsunami warning/instruction signs in the Karaköy district where were staying.

There’s many more Turkish pictures to follow over the next few days, from tourist sites to streetlife, food to shipping. I’ll let you know where (and when) they appear…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

Rolling blog. Turkey travels day 1…

05 Friday May 2023

Posted by in Air Travel, Airports, Istanbul, Photography, Rolling blogs, Travel, Turkey

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07:15.

Finally, after having this break planned for so long that we kinda forgot about it – we’re off to Istanbul with the gang. Dee’s finishing her packing whilst I’m on coffee duty and pottering around and making sure various devices are fully charged so that I can cut down on the amount of kit I’m carrying. We’re only away a few nights so it’s hardly packing for Asia.

Today’s a good day to be heading off. It’s snother grey, misty day here in the Calder Valley alhough this morning’s political news has added a bright spot. The local election results that have come through in overnight counting show the Tories suffereing heavy defeats, UKIP being annihilated and the Reform party getting nowhere. It’s not looking good for the Tories in either ‘red wall’ seats or their Southern heartlands…

We’ve less than an hour before we get picked up to begin our journey to Manchester Airport to join a Turkish Airlines flight. Admittedly, I’d rather be getting there on the Orient Express, but those days are long gone and Brexit has just killed off the last lingering UK leg of that romantic train. I’ll blog through the day (time and wifi) permitting. It’s a four-hour flight and Aubrey’s arranged transport at the other end to get us straight to the hotel, so we should be having a pleasant late afternoon in Istanbul. Let’s see how it goes…

09:45

We’ve had an easy and stress-free taxi trip from Halifax to Manchester Airport, even the infamous ‘cobbled motorway’ (M62) played ball. Now it’s time to check in at terminal 2.

11:40.

Here we go…

The 5 off on another adventure…

Our flight with Pegasus was rather good. An Airbus A321 Neo carried us to Istanbul. Here’s take-off from Manchester.

For much of the 3hr 40m flight it wasn’t possible to glimpse ground due to heavy clouds but every so often we got a decent break to compare different field systems in different countries. The one thing all the countries had in common was rapeseed crops. The bright yellow flowers are a bit of a give-away.

Once off the plane we breezed through customs snd immigration, which made a pleasant change. Aubrey has arranged a vehicle to take us straight to the hotel so that part was simple too. The roads were rammed but surprisingly free of hassle. No-one used their horns but the amount of people driving whilst using their phone’s was a bit of an eye-opener!

My first impressions were that arriving in Istanbul was very similar to arriving in Athens. Busy roads, lots of concrete and apartment blocks. The only difference was mosques and minarets.

We’re staying in the Wolf Hotel in the Karakoy district. The barrow streets are full of cafes, restaurants and bars – but not cars, which makes for a relaxed atmosphere and outside tables are great for people watching. There’s a fascinating mix of people, both tourists and locals. The biggest difference to the UK is the amount of smokers. Even conservatively dressed young Moslem women can be seen sitting outside cafes puffing away, something you’d rarely see in Britain.

More to follow…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

Asian adventure day 59. The long (long) way home…

10 Friday Mar 2023

Posted by in Air Travel, Airports, Photography, Singapore, Travel

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08:45. (Singapore time)

I’m now at Changi airport waiting for my flight to Doha. Changi’s always been on of the world’s best airports when it comes to facilities. Rather than being confined to the usual regimented rows of airport seating I’m relaxing in a single seat recliner with a table fitted with power sockets. I’m sat next to a large garden water feature, complete with fish to watch if you want to pass the time!

To give the Qatar airport staff credit. I was dealt with by a lovely young woman of Japanese extraction who heard my tale of woe regarding booking and immediately took me to a desk and found me window seats on both flights. I’d have thought they’d have all been taken but I expect I’m not alone in having problems checking in via their website!

I was looking forward to coming home but now the news has broken that the shitshow we call a government has postponed building sections of HS2, the new high-speed railway on cost grounds. The idea that a 2 year delay will save money is the stuff of fantasy, but it does show just how economically incompetent they are. They’ve already wasted hundreds of millions on the project with dither and delay which has led to plan revisions and more waste. I really can’t wait to see the back of this lot.

No doubt I’ll be blogging about this at greater length when I get back to the UK and there’s no travel tales to regale you with, In the meantime, I’m going to relax, enjoy the facilities at Changi and enjoy my flights. I’ve a rapid transit in Doha so there’ll be no time to blog there. What I won’t be doing in Changi is enjoying a drink. Apart from the fact it’s far too early this is one expensive airport. Here’s the bar prices. $21.50? That’s £13.35 a pint!

There’s no Wetherspoons full of drunks here…

The next you’ll hear from me us when I’m back in the UK. Dawn (blizzards in the Pennines permitting) is coming to Heathrow to meet me. We’re having an overnight in a hotel before travelling home together, so don’t expect to hear from me later today, even though I do arrive back in the UK this evening!

10:30.

Oh, shit! We’ve just been told our flight is delayed by at least an hour, so that’s my connection in Doha almost certainly missed (I only had 80 mins to connect). I’ve been told I’ll be put on the next available flight to Heathrow, but at this stage I’ve absolutely no idea when that will be.

12:45.

I’m still at Changi airport. The Qatar staff had promised at 12:00 update. This has now slipped to 13:00. Looking out I can see our plane on the tarmac with the cowlings around one engine lifted. That means we’re going to be delayed for several hours yet. It also means I can kiss goodbye to getting back to the UK today. The last flight from Doha arrives at Heathrow at 22:00, two hours behind the one I should have been on. The maths simply don’t stack up. I await the 13:00 update with interest…

17:00.

The 13:00 update was to move the time of the update to 15:00. It was clear by now this was no minor problem. Shortly afterwards we received the news that the plane was was being rescheduled – to 04:00 tomorrow. We were all to be taken back into Singapore where we’d be put up in a hotel until coaches came to collect us at 01:00. This meant going back through the faff of immigration and filling out online passport checks first, then collecting our baggage and jumping into taxis to take us to our hotel, the £200 a night Grand Park City Hotel, not the sort of establishment I’d normally stay in on my own unless I was on a press trip!

Dinner (on Qatar) is at 18:30. In the meantime I’m going to relax for a bit and enjoy the luxury.

17:15.

Whilst I was writing this I had a phone call from the airline. They’ve pulled out some stops and rebooked me on a direct flight from Singapore to London with Singapore airlines. Now, instead of arriving God knows when, I’ll be in London at 05:55 tomorrow morning. Still later than arriving today, but a lot better than having to change at Doha and get a flight whenever.

19:15.

The saga continues! I’ve just received an email from Singapore Airlines to say my new flight (SQ322) is delayed! Instead of leaving ay 23:45 tonight it will now depart at 02:10 on the 11th. I’m really not bothered as it means I land at a better time – 08:20, which means Dawn gets a lie in at the hotel!

23:45.

I have this feeling of Deja Vu! I’m back at Changi airport only this time it’s terminal 3 not 1. 3 is rather like having an airport tacked on to the side of a shopping centre. Admittedly, there’s some interesting architectural features and lots of planting, but – it’s still a shopping centre.

Having been fed and watered at the hotel earlier I’m fine so resisted all the temptations. To be honest the price of local dishes isn’t bad. It’s the Western stuff thats ‘chingy’. But, right now I simply want to get on that plane and head home.

00:35.

Still waiting for the call to head through security to the gate. Apparently (in contrast to the size of the rest of the airport) the holding area’s small. In an effort to stay awake I went for a long wander into terminal 1 where I was earlier. Changi’s a truly International airport. There’s folks from all corners of the planet here. Quite a few have bedded down as their flights aren’t for ages. No-one bothers them. It’s a marked contrast to the last time I spent a night at Stansted before catching an early morning flight. The airport had security going around harassing anyone who tried to get in a horizontal position as it was ‘forbidden’. I’ve ensured I’ve never used that airport since.

Don’t try this at Stansted, and don’t expect any carpet either.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

Arrival…

11 Wednesday Jan 2023

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The time’s 10 past midnight here in Singapore. Despite the fact I’m tired after such a long trip from the UK I’m also elated to be here so I wanted to get a few memories down in a blog whilst they’re still fresh in my mind.

My flight from Doha was another good one. Rather than the Boeing 777 I’d expected we flew in an Airbus A350-900. They’re decent planes. OK, ignore the fact that when they named the company ‘Airbus’, thus destroying any cachet air travel still had, their planes are good and Qatar’s internal fit-out adds to that. I enjoyed having decent backseat TV screens to watch films on and the archive is excellent – there’s just so much to choose from that it’s impossible to find something you won’t enjoy. The crews are very good too. Predominantly Asian (at least on this sector) they’re only too happy to help.

The seven hour flight meant we arrived at Singapore at night but as I had an aisle and not a window seat I wasn’t too bothered. Plus the A350s are fitted with several external cameras which you can view on screen. The lower body camera’s great fun as you come into land because you can watch the nose wheel deploy then hit the runway!

We touched down a little after 21:00 local time but it took a while to get out of the airport. Immigration were good. My biometric passport wasn’t accepted by the machines so I had to join the manual queue but the woman whom I dealt with was polite and efficient and never asked me for some of the more onerous paperwork-checking like Covid certificates, onwards tickets or suchlike. That said, you don’t even get your passport stamped anymore as you’re required to fill out a form online 3 days before you arrive. I’m not complaining. I’ve enough Singapore stamps as souvenirs and I need the space in my passport for all those EU stamps we get thanks to the Brexitshambles (don’t get me started)!

Finding my way to the metro was a bit of a chore as I’ve not done that route for several years, but in the end it was fine, I just had to negotiate the maze of corridors and escalators to terminal 2. I even had enough credit left on my old ‘EZ card’ from 2017 to get me into the city. The difference in public transport is marked. Everyone’s still wearing masks here in Singapore. Plus, you don’t get the same sort of moronic/rowdy behavior out here that you can do in the UK. I had to change at Expo to get the Downtown line to Jalan Besar although that’s an easy cross-level interchange and everything’s well-signposted. My hotel’s almost right across the road from the metro station (apart from the cheapness, it’s why I picked it). The only chore when I arrived tired after a long flight was that they’d put me on the 4th floor – and there’s no lift! You know it’s the sort of place that might generate a few stories when you arrive to find reception dark ‘cos the staff have gone home – but they’ve left you a room key with a note on the desk and the first guest you bump into is a tipsy Indian transvestite…

Duly settled in I decided to nip out for a celebratory beer. Only one mind. There’s a nice little hawkers market two doors down the road which sells all manner of food – and drink. The food prices don’t seem to have changed that much, but I winced when I bought a large bottle of Tiger beer, which cost £4.80 – in a hawkers market! I suspect I’m going to be on a health kick whilst I’m here as a decent meal will cost you half of that.

The eye-watering Tiger! I hate to think how much they’re charging the city-boys at the posh bars in the financial district nowadays…

Beer prices aside it’s lovely to be back. I’m still getting used to that fact but sitting in the hawkers market, watching the world go by made me feel very at home and at ease. Now for a good night’s sleep and a busy day tomorrow…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

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Thank you!

Neither here nor there…

11 Wednesday Jan 2023

Posted by in Air Travel, Airports, Doha, Musings, Photography, Travel

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02:00 (UK time).

I’m here in Doha airport in between flights. It’s changed a bit since I was last here. I take that back – it’s changed hugely! I’m currently sat in the indoor forest, listening to birdsong whilst a waterfall provides background sounds behind me. It really is quite a place, which is just as well as I’m here for the next five hours!

My flight from the UK was fine. I shared the row with a friendly and easy-going young Indian couple. The stewardesses were excellent and the food was fine. The only problem was when we hit some turbulence and I ended up wearing part of a glass of red wine! As it was 18:15 UK time when we took off there was no point trying to sleep so I watched a couple of films instead, including ones I’d missed at the cinema like ‘Dune’. Based on the Frank Herbert book I read as a teenager it was certainly a visual spectacular and very enjoyable. After that I dipped in and out of a couple of films based on the Marvel comic books but none of them were much cop.

Now tiredness is catching up with me so I’ll head off to a quiet part of the airport where I might be able to get my head down for a couple of hours, ready for the next leg to Singapore. Well, once the call to prayer has finished, it’s just shattered the peace of the airport as it’s piped across the PA system. In the meantime, here’s a couple of shots taken in the airport. I got told off for getting my SLR out, so these are camera phone pictures.

There’s acres of seating here but very few places you can lay down and stretch out without being chided by staff, so I’ve found the Male ‘quiet room’ which is equipped with a couple of dozen loungers and carpeted floor space where such activity is permitted.

04:00 (UK time, 7am Doha time).

I managed to get an hours kip in the (not very) quiet room, then went for another wander. By this time the sun was up and a lot of flights had arrived as the airport was far busier. I have to admit, it’s an impressive place. I couldn’t resist having a trip on the cable operated railway which runs the length of one of the buildings. It’s very swish. I’ll post pics later as I managed to get some SLR shots without being told off! Meanwhile, here’s the sun rising behind my Boeing 777 as it waits for us to board.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!

27th October picture of the day…

27 Tuesday Oct 2020

Posted by in Air Travel, Airports, Musings, Picture of the day, Travel, West Yorkshire

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Work hasn’t been at the forefront of my mind today, mainly because it’s my Birthday and Dawn was determined to make it a good one for me – despite the awful weather we’ve had today which has rendered any idea of a long walk in the country out of the question, unless you fancy pneumonia for a birthday present!

Instead, after a lazy (ish) morning the pair of us went out for lunch to La Luna in Halifax as a rare treat. Due to the madness off this year we can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times we’ve eaten out recently, especially as the increased restrictions have meant we’ve had to cancel plans several times.

Despite it being a Tuesday lunchtime La Luna was very busy which was good to see. They’ve stripped out a lot of tables inside but they have another seating area undercover in the arcade outside so they still have enough seats to make the place viable economically. We shared dishes off the small plate menu and mixed a Greek Meze plate with Singapore Crab Springroll (fresh white crab seasoned with chilli, ginger, coriander and served with sweet chilli jam and avocado mayonnaise) and Gambas Pil Pil (pan-fried extra-large king prawns with paprika, chilli, garlic, lemon, parsley & olive oil served with ciabatta). I washed it down with a rather nice glass of Merlot (well, it is winter!) whilst Dawn had a Peppermint tea. The portion sizes meant three dishes was plenty for us and the quality of the food and the presentation was very good indeed. It was such a lovely break from what’s become normal life.

Afterwards we drove over to Wakefield as Dawn wanted to buy me a new waterproof walking jacket, sadly the selection on offer at Go-Outdoors wasn’t what I was looking for but hey ho – we’re not going to buy something just for the sake of it. On the way back the appalling weather caught up with us. Wind and driving rain made the trip back fun to say the least as the cars windscreen wipers went into warp factor 7. The views from the hills above Huddersfield can often be very attractive – but not when rain reduces visibility to a few hundred metres and drops light levels to the equivalent of dusk. Even the giant Emley Moor TV transmitter was lost in the low clouds.

Back at Bigland Towers we’ve settled in for a quiet evening at home in front of the fire although we did decide to take a risk and book a long weekend away in Hexham, Northumberland next month. It’ll be the only time we’ll have this year to get away together and – as it’s an apartment – we’ll be self-contained and independent if any more restrictions kick in. I’ve always wanted to explore parts of Hadrian’s wall and more of the Tyne Valley, so this seemed like the ideal opportunity.

The rain’s battering the window as I write this so we’re both happy to relax and enjoy a chicken stew that’s been simmering in the slow-cooker whilst we’ve been out, which meant we returned home to some delicious smells! We might even stretch to something as adventurous as a play game of Scrabble, or even watch a film. The outside world can take a backseat for once. Anyway, we’re being sociable (at a social distance) tomorrow – so this is our time. After all, I’m only Sixty..X once!

And so to the picture of the day, which has been chosen totally at random by putting a name into the ‘search’ facility on my picture website, and it threw up this…

Here’s the main hall of the old Berlin Templehof airport, just a few weeks before it closed in 2008. Built by the Nazi regime between 1936-1941 it’s an impressive building that a few of us were determined to visit during one of our regular German forays.

The site and associated building have a fascinating history. You can read more about them here. Sadly, I never got to fly in or out of Tempelhof, but I’m glad I saw it before it closed.

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

No rest for the wicked…

20 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by in Airports, Manchester, Travel

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Monday 05:15

Sorry for the lack of blogs this past week. To say life is hectic at the moment really doesn’t do things justice! I’m typing this from Costa Coffee in Manchester Airport whilst I wait for my flight to Dusseldorf. I’m heading back to Germany for the second time this month on yet another press trip – this time to have a look at some of the other projects the company are involved in besides the Class 700s for the UK. It’s going to be a hectic (but fascinating) couple of days. Siemens are my hosts & their events always provide plenty of interest. I’m particularly looking forward to learning more about the new Avenio trams they’re building for Doha which will run without overhead wires – a technology that could be very useful in our growing cities.

That aside, I can’t say I’m a fan of kicking my heels in airport lounges – especially this time of morning, but when needs must – at least there’s a welcoming Costa Coffee & free wifi here. The lounge is a melange of people here for different purposes which is reflected in the destinations up on the departure board. There’s business folks like me heading off to locations such as Aberdeen, Dusseldorf, or Dublin, whilst the hen parties & tourists we’re rubbing shoulders with are heading off to Ibiza, Alicante & Amsterdam. Despite the earliness of the hour, terminal three is surprisingly busy. Mind you – that could be just my perception as the place isn’t exactly large. Heathrow it isn’t.

Once I get back I’ve a day at home before heading off to York where I’m volunteering at the Railway Benefit Fund Spring Ball. I’ve a queue of subjects to blog about, so as soon as I have some spare time I’ll get typing. In the meantime, you can keep up with my travels & pictures here:

http://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/p921265531