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On September 18th 2017 Ryanair announced a huge number of flight cancellations. Over the next six weeks it planned, to cancel between 40 and 50 flights a day; a spokesman confirmed:
'We messed up planning of pilot holidays!'
Recently, they have announced further disruption, continuing up until March 2018, as they get to grips with mismanagement and inappropriate short term policies, without a thought for those who have booked holidays. Consumers and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are up in arms about Ryanair's failures and conceited, misleading way in which it is dealing with its own internal problems. Consumers are being effected in a way they never have been before and it seems on the surface at least, they can not do anything about it, at least for now. In time the compensation claims will roll in , as people realise the extent of their losses. Angry customers equal lost revenue for this airline, many never returning to use them again. Make no mistake, claim for everything; don't let this terrible company get away with a single Euro!
A friend of ours, Nathan arrives on Monday, flying with Ryanair; as far as we are aware, his flight is scheduled to arrive, without delay. Luckily, looking at the list of cancelled scheduled flights, very few to or from Alicante are included. Alicante Airport is a major hub in this part of Spain, taking millions of passengers to the Costas each year. For others the misery will continue until the company is brought to account. My advice would be to avoid this atrocious airline if you can.
I have only flown with Ryanair a few times, with no problems it has to be said; however this was many years ago. Today I always use local airports in the UK, Southampton in the main and always choose to fly with flybe, who are excellent in every respect. Ryanair is a scurrilous company, whose hidden charges and poor customer service remain cause for concern. Vote with your feet, choose any other airline; just not Ryanair!
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A few photographs from our new Villa in Gran Alacant. The Casa is situated in the urbanization of Puerto Marino, about five minutes from Calle Holanda, where I work and two minutes from the GA Centre; it is twice the size of our current home. The views of the nature reserve, from the front terrace are breathtaking and should make the perfect base for us, while we are living in Gran Alacant; far more central, than living on the top of a mountainous ravine! Fingers crossed we will be moved in by the end of November!
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I seem to spend my life jumping through official hoops, with my partner Darrell. Getting hitched to a non EU national has its ups and downs, that's for sure, but despite Darrell's Australian status, he has been granted permission to live and work in Spain; that's another milestone crossed off the list. Like the story of our life his legal rights were granted, with just a week to go, before he starts his new job at Alicante Airport; always last minute, with little time to spare; right up to the wire.
His status had remained precarious, due to his situation; legally placed slap bang in the middle, of a rather grey area of Spanish law. Most couples who come to settle in Spain are from the EU, so we had to overcome that hurdle before we started. Luckily our same sex status does not count negatively towards us now, as it did, when Darrell and I went through a similar process in the UK, in 1995-2000. Back then same sex couples were not recognised in law, so we had to fight to remain together, for many years. Today Spain has granted Darrell consent to remain in this great country in a matter of weeks; that's how far we have moved forwards; times have most definitely changed; discrimination is a thing of the past.
Darrell starts his new job next week and we can both finally begin to build, a new life in Spain. Twenty months in and we have achieved the security we desire; the UK is but a distant memory!
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Just a brief few words about Donald and Kim today, since these two leaders are in my humble opinion, the most volatile and dangerous men currently on our planet. Two men who are acting like School children, bargaining with peoples lives; yet once again, the rest of the World sits by and does nothing.
The rhetoric and bluster between these two is a little like children fighting in a playground, each trying to beat the other in a war of words. Donald and Kim hold the button of mutual destruction and could unleash nuclear warheads whenever they so choose; shocking, frightening and misguided. How can these two sociopathic despots hold the World to ransom in this way? Giving power to the foolish, is like giving a toddler a toy tank; of course he or she will want to play war games, just like the USA and North Korea are doing for real today; not realising the consequences of this menacing contest of one-upmanship!
Yesterday North Korea's Foreign Minister gave a speech to the UN; more bravado and posturing, accusing the American President of being a megalomaniac, on a suicide mission. This came a day after President Trump called the North Korean President a 'madman' and even more inflammatory, Kim Jong Un referred to Donald Trump as a 'Mentally deranged US Dotard,' whatever that means. Coming from someone who has a grasp on the English language, I not only feel alarmed at the language used, but also the potential consequences, of this childish, immature behaviour. I still can not believe in this day and age, the type of oratory and expression being used by two World leaders determined and looking for a fight. We are not talking about playground bullies we are talking about grown men, leaders, people we are supposed to look up to!
I have a feeling this is going to end badly, no matter what the diplomatic outcome. Donald and Kim don't want a peaceful outcome, they are both preparing for conflict. These are two men, whose ego's are bigger than their sense of reason; neither of them will back down, both have too much to lose. The World is on course for a war it doesn't want, just because countries can not sit around a negotiating table. Somebody, neutral has to come forward and try to heal the rift between these blusterous, egotistical, injudicious individuals, before one or the other or indeed both push that button.
We have to deal with the fact, that North Korea has nuclear weapons, that is not going to go away. This madman Kim Jong Un, should have been stopped years ago; If he had, we would not be where we are today. The international community, especially the UN has failed in its role and a dictator has been allowed to gain the upper hand. This organisation and its legitimacy has once again been called into question. If it can't do its job effectively, why is it there at all. We are on the brink of World War Three, no one is capable of doing anything to solve this mess and the rest of us look on in horror, as we move ever closer to armageddon. It remains to be seen if we pull back from the brink or not and someone actually begins to talk some sense; not childish words and the law of the jungle. All we can do, looking on as observers, is hope that wisdom prevails and finally the World can breath a sigh of relief!
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Thank you to everybody who sent myself and Darrell good wishes for our anniversary yesterday. It was just a normal evening for us; me having to working at LoungeD in the evening; oh how my life has changed. It means a lot that so many people took the time to message us both. The 22nd of September 1995 was as memorable as our Wedding in 2015. Our life has not been a bed of roses, perfect or conformist; it has been controversial, difficult, unconventional and above all eventful; today, living in Spain is no different.
My views on gay marriage have changed over the years; I actually used to be against the whole idea. Why did we have to get Married, in the same way as straight people, just to prove our love for one another? In my opinion Marriage was always a religious ceremony and since I don't have a religious bone in my body, why would I choose such a performance, a phony act of committal in front of family and friends? So many people I have known, have married in lavish ceremonies, costing thousands of pounds, only to be divorced soon after; not a great advert for this age old institution.
With very few good examples of Marriage to speak of, arranging my own Wedding wasn't really top of my list of priorities, but after a particularly uplifting New Years Eve, I made the decision to ask Darrel to marry me; it was a way of bonding our relationship together and sticking two fingers up to the detractors. Little did I know, just how important that piece of paper, marking our union would be. In a little over two months, my life had taken a traumatic turn and our decision to get hitched was validated; it was indeed the right thing to do. For once I had not made the wrong choice in life. That certificate would be the only thing allowing us to stay together in Spain. Darrell's Australian citizenship would normally bar him from living and working in Spain for an indefinite period, his Marriage to me, an EU citizen allows him to stay, unhindered.
Our time together over twenty two years has been enhanced by a tiny piece of paper. Apart from the legalities behind Marriage, making our life, living in Europe a little easier than it otherwise would have been, it has also been a psychological eye opener. Marriage really does feel different, it introduces a different level of commitment; I am reminded of my Wedding vows everyday. Our bond together as a couple has grown stronger and stronger; this anti gay Marriage detractor has finally embraced the traditional way of doing things and I like it!
