GOING HOME THURSDAY OCT 19

WE WERE PACKED AND READY AT 4 AM FOR OUR RIDE TO THE AIRPORT. OUR FLIGHT TO PARIS WAS DELAYED FOR APPROXIMATELY 45 MINS. WE ARRIVED AT THE DREADED CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT AND EXPERIENCED LONG LINES AT PASSPORT CONTROL AND SECURITY. IN PARTICULAR WE HAD TO GO THROUGH PASSPORT CONTROL TWICE. THE SECOND TIME IT TOOK AN HOUR TO  GET THROUGH DUE TO VERY FEW BORDER STAFF ON DUTY. FROM THE TIME WE LEFT THE FLIGHT FROM MALTA IT TOOK NEARLY 3 HOURS TO REACH OUR DEPARTURE TERMINAL. BY THIS TIME I WAS IN NEED OF AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE. I TREATED BARRY TO A BEER AND THE TWO BEERS COST 24 EUROS. I COULDN'T WAIT TO GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS ASININE AIRPORT. FORTUNATELY OUR TORONTO FLIGHT LEFT ON TIME AND ARRIVED ON SCHEDULE

APART FROM THE ABOVE EXPERIENCE I THINK I SPEAK FOR EVERYONE THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE MALTA HIKING HOLIDAY. IT HAS BEEN A MOST ENJOYABLE TIME WITH A WONDERFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE. I'VE ALWAYS LIKED AND RESPECTED MEREL. HAVING SPENT 17 DAYS IN HER COMPANY I LOVE HER EVEN MORE. WHAT A GREAT HOST AND ORGANIZER SHE HAS BEEN. SHE HAS DEMONSTRATED THE PATIENCE OF JOBE, UNLIKE YOURS TRULY. HER KNOWLEDGE OF ISLAND AND IT'S HISTORY MAKES THE HOLIDAY EXTRA SPECIAL.

RUTGER LED US ON GREAT HIKES. INITIALLY I HAD QUESTIONED HIS CHOICE OF PATHS AND THE DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY FOR SOME IN THE GROUP. IN RETROSPECT I REALIZE HE HAD NO IDEA OF THE CAPABILITIES OF SOME OF THOSE HIKING. HE TOO EXERCISED PATIENCE AND MADE HIMSELF AVAILABLE FOR THOSE REQUIRING A HELPING HAND. I FOUND MOST OF THE HIKES TO BE INCREDIBLY SCENIC, I ESPECIALLY ENJOYED THOSE AROUND THE COAST. I'M GLAD I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUB SHOULDERS WITH SUCH AN EASY GOING INDIVIDUAL.

MY IMPRESSION OF THE GROUP WAS A POSITIVE ONE. EVERYONE SEEM TO GET ALONG FOR THE MOST PART. I ACCEPT THAT SOME MAY HAVE ISSUE WITH MY ATTITUDE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAME TO TIME KEEPING AND LISTENING TO BEING INFORMED. PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGY IF I'VE OFFENDED ANYONE. FOR THOSE THAT KNOW ME BETTER MY "BARK IS WORSE THAN MY BITE". I'VE ENJOYED GETTING TO KNOW EVERYONE AND SINCERELY WISH OUR FRIENDSHIP WILL CONTINUE.

I'VE BEEN ON TWO HIKING HOLIDAYS THIS YEAR, SICILY & MALTA. I CAN HONESTLY SAY THEY HAVE BEEN THE MOST MEMORABLE IN MANY A YEAR. THANK YOU MEREL & RUTGER FOR GIVING ME A HOLIDAY TO REMEMBER