Off to Brussels

We’re finally off to Brussels. I have never been to Brussels, so I’ve been looking forward to add it to my “places I have been”. It’s a pity that it’s for work, and that I’ve already been warned there isn’t much to do or see in Brussels. But, “come on”, I said to myself, “think positive”…

So the 3 Maltese, Spanish/Catalonian representatives wake up at 5a.m… oh damn. I’m sooo tired! I hate it when I’m tired – things always go or seem to go wrong when I am tired.

We arrive at Terminal A of Barcelona airport – a few rain droplets hit the taxi’s windscreen just as it they our hopes of a smooth journey to Brussels – and I realise that I am supposed to be in Terminal B. Bdejna tajjeb… “Hasta la vista hombres” and a quick jog from one terminal to another I finally checked in.


The next episode deserves its little section – ´The Delay…an understatement´:

I’m on the plane – “quiero una ventana” I demanded at check-in – so I got what I wanted; a window-seat next to the most hyper boy, talkative, annoying little boy. This should give you an idea:

his name is Carlos, he learnt a little bit of English at school, he didn’t know to fasten the seatbelt, he like my mobile Tetris game (and he was better than me at it), he doesn’t understand the concept of NO from his parents, he know whom I work for, he gave me a paper with all the Spanish rude words he knew written on it, his father worked in Orlando as a bar man, he is from Tarragona, Spain…

This is just what I remember of all he told me. Non-stop talking, non-stop kicking (poor woman seated in front of him… well serves her right for constantly getting off with her boyfriend in front of me). Well you know what? It wasn’t that bad after all. He bothered the vacuum cleaners in front of us, he made me laugh, I had someone to talk to, he said “Andrew, ahora, tu eres mi amigo, si?” And that’s how I mad my first friend, since I left BCN airport…

Back to the delay.. this friendship was very important for my sanity. As I buckle my seat belt and the one of Carlos, it is announced that due to very poor visibility in Brussels, we would be leaving in an hour. Three quarters of an hour later, it is announced that we got clearance to take off in 20 mins. Then ten minutes later it was announced that we could only depart in 45 mins. Those 45 mins went by, and it was announced that we would be leaving in 10 mins. As these 10 mins pass, we started to move towards the runway. On the way there, the plane comes to a halt, and the stewardess announces we won’t be able to leave since due to the thick mist Brussels airport had to close, and they would be “trying to find a solution”. Some 20 mins later it is announced that we where given the go ahead to depart. We drive on to the runway and stop again. The plane starts to move, and stops again. It’s starts to move again, and stops again. It’s like the pilot and co-pilot were not the best of friends and just couldn’t agree on who was going to push the throttle leaver so as to depart… Finally the pulling feeling.. I’m sinking in my seat… take off… a outward breath of relief!

The beauty of over-land flights – it’s not just a blue seascape dotted with distant snapshots of the white foam which waves create – it’s different landscapes – greenery, mountains (snow capped and not)… 2 hours later we had obviously arrived to Brussels.. unless their landscape was made out of cloud shaped cotton. We start descending as Carlos signals with his hand swooping downwards for the Nth time. Into the clouds we go; all you can see is a thick mist… well actually soon enough I found out that it was mist. When it cleared I realised we were only 2 seconds away from landing!