The morning was overcast but, for a change, there was no fog. So we finished off the rest of the jobs we had to do before leaving, like installing the LED warning light in the port window of the wheelhouse, so that I could check that the power was still on, using the port webcam when I am in Australia. We also loaded all the bikes, including the two new electric bikes, onboard to keep them out of the weather. I then drained all the water out of the tank (that I had just filled) ready for winterisation. We then finished our packing, ready for departure. As we were doing this, I got an email from Singapore Air warning me of a potential strike at Charles de Gaulle airport tomorrow, and advising me to arrive extra early at the airport to clear customs. However, there was not much I could do as I was already booked on the earliest train of the day to get me to CDG.

In the mid-afternoon we left Auxonne to drive to our B&B for the night at Solgne (the same one that we had used when I had arrived 4 months earlier). Our plan was for Rita to drive me to the TGV station early next morning, then for her to go back to Besain to leave the car with Sarah, before taking a train to Bern and staying with Regina before her flight from Zurich in a few days time.

We again thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Solgne, and this time took full advantage on the kitchen, dining area, lounge areas, fussball table and pool table. Rita beat me hands-down at Fussball (again) but I got my revenge at the pool table. We were also impressed by the amazing Lego collections of villages, Star Wars characters and many other things.

After a restful night's sleep, we woke at 0515h for the relatively short drive to Gare Lorraine TGV to catch the early train to Charles de Gaulle airport. Even though it was still dark, we had no trouble finding the station with its huge sign in the middle of nowhere.

At 1030h I was still struck in the queue of a thousand people waiting for passport control, and was giving up on making my 1040h flight (maybe I was destined not to get back to Australia after all). Then I got text messages and a phone call from Singapore Airlines asking where I was, then telling me that they would hold the flight and send someone to find me!  I wiggled my way out of the queue and went forward to tell one of the attendents that Singapore Airlines were looking for me. She took pity on me and told me to go to the control counter reserved for processing airline staff. I thus got through passport control (with no questions asked about my four month stay), but then found that after Passport Control there was an even longer queue waiting for hand baggage inspections. I looked around for someone from Singapore Air, but could see no one, and at this stage (1045h) I had given up hope of making the flight.

But as I stood there wondering what to do next, I saw a lady holding a Singapore Air folder, so I went over and asked if she was looking for someone and she said "Are you Mr. Richardson?", so now I thought I might have a chance. She then talked to an airport employee at the head of the baggage control queue, and successfully got me to the head of the queue (with much mumbling from others in the queue). I chucked all my baggage on the conveyor belt, including shoes, belt etc, and went through the wand inspection. But as I waited for my backpack, I saw that it had been diverted onto another conveyor belt for closer inspection. I told the SingAir girl about this, and she spoke to the baggage control staff and asked if they could hurry as the plane was being held. So they did a quick drug test along all the backpack zippers, and gave me all my stuff.

At this stage the SingAir girl handed me off to another SingAir staffer who said “Run with me to the departure gate!”. And without waiting, she was off and running, and I'm following as best I can, holding my belt in one hand and holding my pants up with the other.  We arrive at the gate and I’m passed off to another SingAir relay runner, and we run the gauntlet of passengers waiting for the next Gate K39 departure, to a bus waiting to take me to the plane, which was parked at a remote site on the apron. During this run I must have dropped my belt, which was rescued by a passenger on the other flight, who then ran after me to return my belt. When we got to the empty bus, I jumped onboard and we’re off and zipping through the bowels of the CDG terminal to our waiting plane, while I put my belt back onto my pants. All the while, all I could hear in my head was Benny Hill theme music! When we arrived at the plane, we were greeted by ground and flight staff cheering our arrival. I give the thumbs up to a baggage handler who said they had just re-loaded the Richardson baggage and got a big smile in return. Then it was onto the plane, which was only 10% full, with me saying "desolee" to everyone as I head to my seat at 1115h. Within a few moments we are airborne and at 1230h we are flying over the Austrian Alps with a glass of white wine in my hand. Thank you, Singapore Airlines, thank you!!

I got on the train OK, and even managed to find space for my suitcase and then find my seat in the little 8-seat compartment at the front of the train with my four co-travellers. We settled down for the journey and a while later the conductor came by to check tickets. I showed him mine, and after a while he said "Parlez vous Francaise?". Despite my French classes over the past year, I said no, and then he asked if I spoke English. He then proceeded to tell me that my ticket was for tomorrow, not today! I immediatley realised that I had booked my train ticket when I thought I would be flying out on the 17th, and had forgotten to change it when it changed to the 16th. I explained this to him, and he said that he would not fine me, but that there was a 20 euro cost difference between travel on the two days. So I paid him the difference with my credit card and all was fine. What a great way to start the day. I was relieved, but then realised that there was another station on the way to CDG - what if I was sitting in someone else's seat and they got on at that station? All I could do was wait and see. And when we got to that station, and three people entered our compartment (making all seats taken) I started to worry, but luckily no one else entered the compartment.

We got to the CDG station and a short walk later I was at the Singapore Air check-in counter, 3 hours before flight time. I presented my papers and all seemed to be going smoothly until the lady behind the counter showed me my PCR test result, and said that it had to have been obtained within 48 hours of flight departure. I replied and said that all the information I had received said it was 72 hours prior, but she said that while this was true for entering Australia, it was 48 hours for entering OR transitting through Singapore. This was news to me (and I have since confirmed that it was in none of the emails I received from Singapore Airlines). But she could not be persuaded, and insisted that I go to the Airport Pharmacy and get a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) before I could be allowed to board the plane. So I went to the pharmacy, got the test done and then waited 30 minutes for the negative result, then returned to the check-in counter. I was then cleared to join the queue for passport control, but I had lost all the advantage of having arrived early.

So at 0845h, I joined the queue, which was slowly snaking its way to the passport control counters, most of which were closed due to the security staff strike, with only 4 out of 20 counters open for business.  Below are photos of the queue in front of me and the queue behind me.

Despite the late departure from Paris, we made good time on the flight to Singapore, arriving only 25 minutes late at 0800h. The weather was fine and sunny as we flew along the coast off the Singapore CBD, and had a good view of why Singapore is one of the busiest shipping ports in the world.

Within 10 minutes of landing, we were parked at the Changi Airport terminal, with the familiar cumulonimbus clouds gathering overhead.

The terminal was virtually empty, so I wandered for a while, then sat down to wait. I was first in line to enter the lounge area for the flight to Melbourne, but the customs officers were on their toes and found two pairs of scissors in my toiletry bag which I had packed in my backpack (they normally went in my checked suitcase). So I lost these (including my 50-year scissors which I got when I first joined the staff at Monash University). I now realised why the CDG baggage people wanted to inspect my backpack in Paris!).

Once more, the flight to Melbourne was only 10% full, so I again got the chance for a good horizontal sleep across the empty seats. Customs clearance and baggage retrieval at Melbourne were super quick, but the Border Force people must have been feeling bored as they interviewed most people on arrival, checked my baggage and had me fill in an arrival form (which had not been handed out on the plane). Vicki was the only person in the Arrivals Hall to greet someone, even though lockdown had been lifted in Melbourne. We had a great catch up chat for two hours as she drove me home to Taggerty.

Having arrived home around midnight, I woke at a reasonably civilised 7am (having got good sleeps on both legs of my flight home). It was nice to just lie there and listen to the birdsong in the garden, something I always forget about until I return home each year. But after being away for a bit longer this year, and with Taggerty having a relatively wet winter and spring, I was faced with some very high grass (one metre tall) which will have to be slahed before the start of the fire season.

On going for a walk around the property, I was susprised to see that both of our black alpacas (Magnet and Ravioli) had survived the winter. Given their age, I would not have been surprised if they were no longer around.

Given that our Foxtel account was now reactivated, I took the opportunity to watch the Final of the T20 Cricket World Cup from last week, to see just how Australia had managed to pull off that win!

My only problem at the moment was that my right ankle/heal was feeling a bit sore, after our long walk on rocky ground around Lac de Chalain on November 12, and my run through the airport at Charles de Gaulle. A trip to the doctors to look at this problem next week was to start a chain reaction which would see me just returning from hospital yesterday in January 2022. But that's another story!