Still early but a leisurely breakfast. Pam's night had been disturbed by a stomach problem so it was wise that she didn't eat. We'd turned down Minko's offer of a trip 'up the mountain' before leaving for the airport, it gave us some relaxation time before the flight.
Minko collected us at 11.30, dropping us off at Sofia airport in plenty of time - we had to loiter before we could load our bags and go through to Departures.
A pleasantly short walk to the departure lounge where theb assistants let us stay seated when they cleared everyone else out to have their passports checked before re-entering. Ours where checked where we sat. Must have looked rough........
Again, we were asked to allow the able bodied man in the aisle seat to sit next to the window/emergency exit on take-off and landing. I suggested that he stay there as the moving in a confined space was very painful for my knees. he didn't want to as he needed to get his laptop from the overhead locker to do some work once we'd taken off. Flight rules.
Two lots of additional seat moving !
The less said about Luton Airport the better. heaving onto the bus, the extremely lengthy trudge to baggage reclaim which involved three separate long flights of steep stairs, two up and one down. I can roll my cabin luggage on the flat...... two different Japanese men saw me struggle and helped with my bag on two of the flights.
Passport control queues were lengthy by the time we got there. One look at us and they waved us straight through 'crew only'. Bliss.
Our taxi lady was waiting in Arrivals, immediately taking charge of the £2 coin trolley. Ahead of us, an M and S outlet beckoned. Sandwiches, the first food since breakfast for me and of the day for Pam, a drink, milk and bread and a very long walk to the car park. All along a building site complete with puddles, rough walking and teeming hordes. I don't know how I managed really.
The journey home on a traffic heavy Friday night in steady rain, was slow. We got in at 8.00 on the dot - 10.00 p.m in Bulgaria. This taxi company is great. She carried all our luggage in and departed. The pleasure of my first cup of tea for over two weeks !
A Footnote
I saw a nurse on Saturday who said that I didn't have DVT and see my doctor on Monday. Pam queued up Monday morning to make an appointment and I saw Dr Young in the afternoon. Nothing apparently broken, A bursa (swelling of blood and fluid) on both knees would take another month to go down. Great. Left knee in particular still hot, hard and vastly swollen.
It was a lovely tour, despite the handicap.
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