On the way

Unsurprisingly some things have changed at Edinburgh airport since we were last there in February 2020. In particular, the taxi drop off is in a completely different place, and now gives rise to quite a lot of extra walking. Ah well. Also, a different view of the famous tower and a multi-storey car park, in excellent sunset light.

It strikes me that the tram has been brought a little closer to the terminal than it was before, but that cannot be right. I'm just seeing it from a different angle. Perhaps others would know.

Other things haven't really changed - e.g. the airside is just as it was. Quite a few things are still closed, but there were plenty of places to eat and drink - not that we wanted to. We made sure to have a good lunch before taking a taxi to the airport, and I spent a considerable amount of time thinking through what I needed to take with me. None the less, I *still* managed to forget my laptop and iPad chargers. The latter doesn't matter as Mr A has his iPad with him, but I will need to get a new laptop charger in Helsinki. This was despite reading about the fact that Bb had forgotten his chargers on their first trip out of Barcelona since the beginning of the pandemic. It's habit, and I'm out of it...

We had quite a long time to sit around in the airport (and were entertained by a "floorshow" of the police having to calm an incipient domestic between one couple who had missed their flight (through being in the pub, I suspect...), because our flight was a little late arriving and then leaving. However, it arrived just about on time in Helsinki reinforcing once again to me that there is a world of difference between a direct flight to Helsinki from Edinburgh to one involving a connection. We are lucky that Finnair have opened up their second UK route to Edinburgh rather than Manchester at the present time. However, once arrived, we sat for about 20 minutes on the tarmac waiting for the airbridge (so that isn't a problem only in Edinburgh where I've encountered it quite a few times...), and then it was a series of long very walks. To passport control, where only two booths were open, so it was quite a long wait. To vaccination control where the newly acquired Q codes on our phones did the trick (another thing I had sorted out during the day). From the exit to the new place where you have to go to get a taxi at Terminal 1, where there was a massive queue, so a fairly long wait there too. Helsinki airport, especially in the baggage collection and on the landside, was remarkably busy. All in all, by the time we reached the hotel it was nearly 1am, but check in went smoothly and the room is adequate, if basic (I was being perhaps unnecessarily budget when I booked it).

I felt reasonably safe and pretty comfortable during the flight. Only about 35 people on the flight, so lots of empty space, plus I managed to get an exit row seat on my own, so had lots of leg room and room to spread out. We also use FFP2 masks when travelling, which adds to the sense of security.

I expected it would take ages for me to sleep, what with the time difference and the travel, but to my surprise I dropped off quickly, so I can note - as this is a backblip - that I got a decent night's sleep.