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GATWICK (GB)    A "SHORT" STOPOVER

 HOW 4 HOURS TURNED INTO 4 DAYS
15/2 2020. On my way home from Central America, the first leg from Guatemala to Orlando with Spirit is smooth, and I get to see the mangrove – in-between the terminals - in Orlando, and they are actually great looking. I also get to taste my first Dr. Peppers – and it will not bother me, if it should be the last as well. 
The long leg to Gatwick with Norwegian is seamless as well, but I do not sleep at all.
Then the chain falls off. Easyjet have canceled my flight – along with a lot of others flights, and it is slightly chaos in their part of Gatwick airport. I am finally told, they can book me on a flight on the 18 - in three days! Passed midday. Apparently, the slightly windy conditions are too much for their planes. The rest of the airport work fine, it seems. They book a hotel for me – for one day, and tell me to read an e-mail about where. Well, the Wi-Fi works, but not the internet. I finally figure the name and address of the hotel, and ask how I will get there. The Easyjet staff tell me to walk or pay for a taxi, which they will refund.
It is a short and steep drive, but I end up at a nice hotel. Unfortunately, they have not heard of me! And apparently, I’m the only Easyjet victim here, by some odd reason. I wait for hours, and then buy a pizza and a mug of tea, expecting Easyjet to pay later. By now, I can feel the two days on the road.
Considering my light wardrobe, I fail to see myself wandering around in rainy and stormy London the next three days. In addition, I end up with only one day in Denmark, before I head for India.
The food is a problem: Too few vegetarian options, and those that are, are too rich in calories. Lunch was a huge pizza, dinner a burger with fries and a huge garlic bred, followed by a soaked brownie with ice. And no chance I won't spend all the 10+15+20 pound Easyjet will pay each day for food. I stay awake till ten, trying to get adjusted.

16. I am woken-up by a loud noise after 13 hours of deadly sleep, and get to the breakfast buffet with two minutes to spare. As no surprise, it is still raining, and apparently, the storm Dennis have been hard on England. I got plenty of office work to deal with, and get cracking.

I just reach the lunch, a it get to be a light one: Sandwich with pesto and semi-dried tomatoes and a mount of fries, followed by and a ginger- and a chocolate shortbread. Then I catch-up on the WRC from Sweden, before I work some more.
Diner is Kerelean Cauliflower Curry and Triple Chocolate Sunday. Not the most exiting travel day, but could be worse, for sure - on a quarantined cruise ship or alike.

17. Another great nights sleep unfortunately mean; I get two hours too late for breakfast. But 12 hours of sleep was great. Once again, Easyjet have failed to make  the hotel booking, and I'm kicked out at my room.  The hotel ask me to head back to the airport, and sort it out with Easyjet. It is still a eleven pound taxi-fair each way. I get the receptionist to give me a room Easyjet have reserved to someone else.

Busy at the office all day, and no chance I enter England's 6C and windy outdoor. Nice to catch-up on the office, but I am ready to head on now!

18. I remember to set the alarm, and I get to plunder the breakfast buffet. Finishing up a few things, watch the squirrels and magpies at the lawn, then by the shuttle to the airport in good time. I will not state that the extra three days in England was pleasant, but it could have been so much worse. Quarantine on a cruise ship, fearing the Corona virus, family visit in a distant country, work....

The shuttle is cash-only, and 4 pound is 8 dollars! And a taxi from the hotel 6 pound. Anyway, I am in the shuttle, and got dollars to burn. We pass a lot of fallen trees and branches, but also some huge areas with flowering daffodils. Along with the sun, it give an impression of spring - although the temperature spoils is completely.

I get to do a round in the Terminal North, and here is a Harry Potter shop. I sure know someone who would love a peak!
A nice flight to Copenhagen, straight into the train to the central station, five minutes to wait, and straight on to Roskilde. It is cold, drizzle and miserable as I remembered it. 48 hours to spend, then it is off to India.