It's so cold here!

 In the days when Kolkata was Calcutta and part of the British Empire it was seen as the second city of that Empire. Now, British Airways doesn't fly here and there are no direct flights to the UK. Our three-leg trip home was the simplest possible return, tying in with the thrice-weekly Heathrow to Kirkwall Loganair flight.

Overall, the journey was remarkable only for working to plan.  Kolkata to Mumbai was slightly delayed meaning our comfortable connection was given added pressure, but on the plus side we'd been able to book our luggage through to Kirkwall which we'd earlier been told would be impossible.

We were tickled by the coconut ban

I didn't sleep on the overnight flight (we left around 0230), instead alternating reading with watching films.  

Heathrow was much better than last time we transited many years ago; we've actively avoided it since then, but our fairly tight window was met with ease and we had time for a leisurely drink.  Back to the land of £8 for a coffee and Coke! Mumbai airport was £2.

Kolkata vs Heathrow - four times the price, but a cup and saucer

London was dreich but we had warm layers to hand.  Online there were a few options given for terminal transfer; none mentioned simply following the signs and getting the bus which worked perfectly.  Our Loganair flight stopped in Dundee for thirty minutes then on to home with the cloud clearing as we headed north.

Approaching Kirkwall 

We were met at the airport by Nicola and were frankly amazed that our luggage had arrived with us.  A quick Tesco shop and home to a not-quite freezing house, though online control of our heating has been rather hit-and-miss.

First meal back?  Totally unchallenging beans on toast with bacon.  Which was fine - we were ready for simplicity and familiarity rather than excellence!

After days of heat, air-conditioning and ceiling fans, this made a cosy change

Despite the queues in Mumbai Airport our immigration officer was very chatty; beyond what have you been doing, where have you been, he added many recommendations for next time (though he seemed most impressed we'd been to Mizoram!).  He asked me what I'd enjoyed most.  How to answer that in as short a time as politely possible, aware that hundreds of people in the queue are willing us to get out of the way?  India is such a vast and diverse country that in several trips we've barely scratched the surface of; the more we visit and wider we explore, the more the utter impossibility of "knowing" the nation is obvious.  

Immediately, though, the highlight for me was simple - people.  It's not always been easy or universal (I wish we'd not been exposed to a few drivers!), but we've so enjoyed times with old friends and met so many new and lovely friends, been supported, challenged in our thinking and been the recipients of so much kindness and generosity.

Thank you.