I’ve mentioned how libertarian the Greeks are. How carefree and helmetless and yellow-line-free they live their lives. And I love that. Freedom to choose, laws as guidelines rather than officious pedantry.

And then I got into our Uber to the airport. And Ubers in Greece are all regular taxis, all yellow and stripey and shit. The driver was ‘playing’ on his phone, which was stuck on the dashboard in time-honoured manner. The screen showed his Uber app, but there was sound of voices, I thought, on the radio. However, driving down the road, still fiddling with the phone and cleaning his sunglasses (way too much freedom for this passenger to endure), he found what he was looking for. The tv channel showing the debate we’d been listening to. Which he then watched as he drove us towards our destination. Which we hoped was the airport rather than the ditch by the fucking roadside. I mean, really?? TV whilst driving???

But he must have felt my seething anger/fear seeping through my mask and turned it off. And safely didst we arrive at the airport.

I’m not a princess. I wish to state that plainly and clearly from the outset. If I was a Princess it would probably be the Stephanie of Monaco type, all sex and drugs and rehab and abuse of power and total bitchiness, rather than the traipsing round minefields for the good of humanity type like the saintly Diana (may the Lord rest her troubled soul). But me, princess, I don’ fink so.

But when flying became possible again, the only seats offered on most European Air Miles flights are in Business Class. BA obviously worked out that ‘the world’ has not spent an air mile in 18 months and most users have reclaimed old ones from the inevitable covid cancellations. So for European flights, for BA, its a no-brainer. The ‘business class’ seats are exactly the same as the others. Ok, they leave a gap in the middle, but they don’t have to put bedrooms with en-suites up. So it costs them very little and it means we just have to spend a few more air miles to get them. Which bothers no-one as devotees have almost countless after the year + of inactivity, and it gets a few more ‘spent’.

But I don’t mind travelling almost like a commoner, because there are benefits. Mainly fast track through the airports and the lounges. Which is fine at Heathrow because fast-track is very fast and the lounges are… ok. But in Athens, fast track doesn’t work because all those fabulously multi-lingual Greeks suddenly don’t get the words written, in Greek, and ruin my life. Then the lounge is shit. Ok, for a free coffee there’s not a lot I wouldn’t do, but then I asked where the toilets were. And was pointed… OUT THERE!!! On the main concourse, OUTSIDE the rarified atmosphere of THE LOUNGE!!!

“WHAAAAATTTTTTTT????!!!!!” I asked gently. “I have to shit with the serfs? Poo with the proles?? Make toilet with the trash??? Crap with the commoners???? Wee with the working classes????” And then I fainted. My knees buckled, the world swam and then went black. If that’s not some form of unconscious appropriation. Because that’s what Grace Kelly would have done. And any other real princess. And one so seldom has the opportunity to swoon, in real life.

And now I’m home, just in time for Spurs to lose. And Lila started ‘big school’ on Thursday. OMGeeeeee…

Not the best Saturday

A xxxx