We are behind each other with window seats. It’s very comfortable and there are loads of compartments to put your stuff. 

We got bubbles and olives to start and after a very long time got our meals. A Mezze platter for me followed by Moroccan chicken and rice and a lovely glass or 2 of Bordeaux. Mike had the soup and chicken also. 

The beds are great and I love the little stars that come up on the ceiling when the lights go off. 

I’m relaxed. 

Mike and I had coffee in the lounge/bar with a snack of wasabi peas. We passed on the cakes, jelly beans and other treats though Mike had a yummy cheese and sun dried tomato roll. They assemble and disassemble the lounge in the area in front of the middle boarding doors. 

Breakfast also delicious. Cheese omelette with sausage and mushrooms, fresh fruit and croissants. Bread and muffins for those that desired more. All very necessary after the 12 hours since our last meal while we’ve been doing nothing except watching movies. John Wick 4 is bound to be an Oscar nomination (not) but it filled a couple of hours. As did Batman (I fell asleep) and the Tutor (dark and very well done!)

Our stay in the Emirates lounge was brief but long enough for me to change clothes and stretch our legs. This moving sculptural globe thing is in one of the lounge areas. It is also a water feature.

We had seats beside each other for the leg from Dubai to Manchester. Great food again and lots of movies. I had not really engaged wit the travel time for that leg thinking is was about 2 hours and not the 7.5 hours it actually was. 

We had an easy exit from the airport and our Emirates driver was waiting. He was decidedly normal and thankfully drove the hour and a half trip to Nottingham normally also. We arrived at the Premier Inn at 2.49 pm. That was apparently 11 minutes before the staff could check us in without charging us an additional tenner. We joined the other couples sitting at tables overlooking a pretty sad looking canal and waited. 

The Premier Inn is like Manchester Airport:  functional and convenient. Won’t win any beauty competitions and would benefit from a refresh. Our room is sufficiently roomy for a week’s stay.  It unfortunately doesn’t have air conditioning but it has a fan and windows that open. 

After showers we met up with Steve and Fiona and walked to their apartment which is close by. We had a very light dinner back at the hotel and to bed early. I was pretty exhausted and sinus ridden but otherwise we are both pretty good. The adventure has begun.