At 4.45am the black BMW Uber arrives early in via S. Maria del Pianto, we’re ready to go.

We scoot out to Fumicino Terminal 3, at up to 150km/ hour, he’s working his phone, driving one handed, overtaking other speeding cars, I think he’s been on the F1 circuit. We’re in Qatar checking in half an hour early.

Problem – The Navigators new handbags give her a heart attack, they ( Qatar staff) tell her she has 3 carry on bags and she is advised she can only take 2. F….k she swears under her breath. But shes not leaving the bags and she has no room in her heaving with shopping backpack so I graciously suggest my bag may fit them in and it’s the only option as the other 3 big bags have already disappeared down the conveyer belt of no return. The bags fit, she settles, and I did suggest, under fear of a death threat, that I mentioned this as a potential issue last night. Her response was blase, because she usually gets away with things by giving opposition the ” stink eye” Anyway problem solved, we move on, don’t we Pauolo!

Security and immigration is easy, then the long wait for our gate at Fumicino.

The short flight (5 hours) to Doha is without incident. Then , a coffee break with a  4 hour wait for the long haul to Sydney leaving at 8.40pm Doha time.

Doha airport is busy, full of transiting travellers, working class navies, cleaners etc in grey, women in burkas, sheiky looking dudes with heavily manscaped faces in long white robes with ropes around their heads and officious looking staff in maroon suits carrying walkie talkies, saying ” breaker breaker, big dog is on the move” or words to that effect in Arabic.

At Gate 13, there are Aussies like us waiting. No doubt looking forward to being home in their own beds soon.

That’s it for now, Day 29 we’ll be back in Australia.

Goodbye to Doha – وداعا للدوحة

Pauolo