Sunday was spent frantically packing, final laundering, Rob doing technical stuff, guys polishing the hull, Chuck measuring up for the new sail and a bit of cleaning as well.  I think we were both delighted to see Matt from Herrington South marina when he arrived at 1600 to drive us to the hotel!   Despite previous phone calls, it took 3 tries before the hotel remembered they had a room with disabled showering facilities.... But it was a very comfortable room in a bungalow style complex.   Rob got us a carry out from the not too distant restaurant and we crashed out.

Monday was gloomy and I had intended to stay at the hotel as the prospect of ladder climbing in the rain didn't appeal but as there was so much still to complete we both went back to Serafina and in the event, the rain chose not to rain on me during manoeuvres.  I did as much cleaning as possible finishing with floor cleaning - resorting to a good polish with my bum seemed the easiest solution - and then going back to the hotel with Paula at lunchtime. Paula is another liveaboard from the marina who kindly gave me a lift, despite nursing a very sore tooth post-dentist herself.   Rob finished all the jobs through the afternoon, only just in time before his lift arrived and he too crawled back to the room!

On our last evening we had a lovely meal at the hotel restaurant with David, Candy, Scott and Freddi, who, have all been unbelievably kind and helpful these last few days.  Sadly we had to have a toast to an unsuccessful end to the Washington Nationals baseball season - they lost in the final playoffs much to Freddi's misery.

Tuesday was a long and boring day: our flight wasn't until 2040 from Dulles airport near Washington.  So the morning was spent shuffling the packing in our room;  the taxi got us rather too swiftly to the airport where the promised wheelchair is not forthcoming until you have checked in and the desk was shut (hardly the most practical solution) but Rob managed to find one unchained chair amongst a huge line of them outside the airport.  But once you get the official chair plus pusher life becomes very speedy - poor Rob hobbling along on his crocked knee with all our hand luggage, struggling to keep up (there wasn't an electric buggy as there weren't enough disabled people on our flight to warrant it). There is a dedicated security station for all the wheelchair users and it soon became apparent that some fliers use it as a ploy to avoid the queues as we later saw them gaily walking around duty free carrying luggage!

Although I had rung the airline and spoken to someone in India as ever, the airline didn't seem aware of my broken ankle and even less inclined to help: eventually the senior staff member on the check in desk intervened and allocated us 3 seats so I could prop my leg up having been advised that I am at risk of developing a DVT, but they couldn't carry it through to the next flight from Iceland.  In fact flying with a problem was quite an eye-opener: air hostesses are definitely not the caring  profession you might imagine and I am reliably informed this was not an isolated example!

We eventually got home early afternoon on Wednesday and the house was lovely and clean (well except for Ewan's chaotic and abandoned room!) and Tom had even bought lilies for me!   Strangely it doesn't ever feel we have been away at all and we settled straight back in with supper with the neighbours, Tim and Pips Curtis.

Unfortunately Rob's knee has got progressively worse so he will have to see a consultant but as he points out not much can be done until I get to be more independent!   I see a consultant on Monday and will know a bit more about the injury and prognosis - getting a weedy leg already.....   So most of the things we had planned to do are on hold but it is great to catch up with the boys and friends and family.

Fair winds and fine sailing to all our friends and we will hope to catch up with you all in some way next spring when we will fly back to Serafina and sail some more in Maine and possibly into Canada.