Arbatax, IOM and UK

260613 Wednesday 26 to Friday 28.6.13.
I have to return home on Saturday for a week for
personal and business reasons. The journey will be arduous. A
bus from here at 04:55 hrs with an ETA Olbia airport up north -
a journey of no less than 5.5 hrs. From there the plan is to fly
to Gatwick with Easyjet and on to the Island the same day with
Flybe. I hope to be back a week today. Jackie plans to sort out
Bootlegger in my absence. Thursday / Friday 27 and 28.06 Arbatax marina Saturday 29.06. 05:00 Departed Arbatax by bus for Olbia airport in
NE of the island. After two bus changes and 5.5 hrs drive
through some stunning scenery, many bus stops in the towns along
the way arrived at Olbia airport at 09:45. I had a long wait
until my flight to Gatwick at 16:20 but there had been no later
bus. Uneventful flight back to IoM via LGW arriving home around
20:20. Sunday 30.06. to Wednesday 03.07. After a day out on a tourist boat which included
snorkelling and swimming on several beautiful beaches on the
Sunday, Jackie spent the following four days working on
Bootlegger. The works included general sorting and tidying above
and below decks , and preparation work on the coach roof to
receive new black vinyl trim between the ports. The results
following the laying down of the trim by a contractor is very
good. During this period a nearby yard received our bathing
ladder/passerelle and welded new wheels on it relative to its
latter function.
I spent the next three days attending meetings and
taking care of personal administration before flying to
Liverpool early Thursday morning then hiring car for drive to
Sheffield for a meeting. Met up there with son Karl. After
meeting we drove to Stansted stopping off at air museum in
Newark. Friday 5th July 2013 .04:15 Woken by alarm. After taking a swift
breakfast returned hire car and checked in at this very
impressive airport. 06:15: After a coffee, Karl and I bade farewell to
each other. 07:10 Easyjet flight back to Cagliari. 15:30 After a nightmare of a taxi ride from
Cagliari which I and no doubt my seven Italian fellow passengers
thought we’d survive, arrived back at Arbatax marina to be
greeted by J at the marina gates. In my absence the passerelle
had been returned c/w new big red wheels and the new black vinyl
trim long both sides of the coach roof was completed and looking
well. J had cleaned the boat throughout including the main cabin
bilges. Bootlegger looked well. I was thoroughly spoiled for the rest of the day on
what became another day of Birthday celebration. After opening
my presents from J and sharing a bottle of bubbly we later
visited ‘our’ restaurant - Sapore Di Mare for a Birthday dinner
complete with birthday cake with one candle!! I felt very
spoiled.
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