Waiting!

 Yesterday we travelled. We discovered that the Getbus service from Braga to Porto airport is quite efficient. 

There was an odd moment when we set off and then the bus went back into its bay. A bus station official of some kind was waving his arms around.  A bus from another company, and presumably from another place, pulled in two bays over from ours. Our driver opened her luggage hold once more. Several people got off the other bus, grabbed their bags and ran to get onto our bus. Presumably there had been some kind of communication to the effect that there were passengers wanting to make the link. And our driver was asked to wait. How very well organised!

We set off once again, this time without mishap. It’s a fairly short journey to the airport.

At the airport we waited. Then we had a late lunch. Then we waited. We rearranged our luggage, getting out layers to put on when we got to Manchester, thus getting our bags down to Ryanair’s specified 10 kilos in weight. And then we waited. 

Eventually we boarded the plane and returned to damp and cold Manchester - rather a contrast to the blue sky and 30° we had left in Portugal. Our daughter, collecting us at Manchester, told us she had had to scrape frost off her windscreen that morning!

It rained in the night, for a change, but this morning I managed to run without getting rained on. I seem to have spent an inordinate amount of time sorting things out at home today and catching up with small grandchildren. 

While we have been away bluebells have flowered in the garden. I was afraid they might have come and gone without my seeing them. 

More seriously events have escalated in the Middle East. And now we are waiting again, to see what will happen next. Here is the estimable Michael Rosen, taking another wry look at events:

“'What do you think about people condemning us?' said the King to his tutor.

'Two things,' said the tutor, 'one:  we condemn everyone who condemns us. Two: condemning us doesn't matter anyway.'

'Really?' said the King, 'that doesn't make sense. If we're condemning them for condemning us, then obviously it matters.'

'I'm afraid you misunderstand what's going on,' said the tutor. 'There's always a rabble or mob who condemn us. These can be ignored. Then there are other kingdoms who condemn us. These can't be ignored but all that matters about them is what they'll tolerate.'

'Tolerate?' said the King, 'the point is, they're not tolerating. They're condemning.'

'Ah, and there you have it wrong, sir,' said the tutor, 'the whole point is that they're condemning AND tolerating. AND some of them, helping us too. We know that. They know that. And that's why we can carry on.'

'We can carry on?' said the King, 'Really?'

'Of course,' said the tutor.

'Oh that's good,' said the King.”

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!