Day 0 at Gatwick

This is where the fun starts!
After breakfast we checked with our taxi-man (Adrian) that all was well.
A horrendous morning with gales and lashing rain, we were please that we had chosen to fly to England rather than take the ferry as the condor sailing were all disrupted by the weather.
The palm leaves were all over the front drive, but they have stayed there as we are sure that there will be more when we return.  However we were glad that all the outside chores were done yesterday. Rain-gear was packed in our backpacks just in case and we gambled that it would not be cold enough for our Guernseys.  Our super lightweight cases weighed in at 16 kgs each, but that was with the boots packed, so we have some leeway for coming back with any goodies that we may see worth buying!
Once we are in Chile, we will be wearing our boots on the planes, so we are allowing ourselves the luxury of shoes to travel there.
We sorted the Aquarium with the auto feeder (which delivered three helpings yesterday whilst it was being set up) and while replacing a filter foam, we discovered a guppy that had been caught in the pump!  Outside pond has a 7-day feeder, so we have asked Simon to replace this midway through our holiday.
Many thanks to Top Gear for ensuring our trips in Argentina will be full of excitement; fortunately we are not venturing as far south as Ushuaia, so we might escape a lynching.

Just before leaving the post arrived, and we now have a booking in next years diary for a wedding in November in Stockport.
By the time we boarded the plane, the weather had improved and there was warm sunshine.  Alison enjoyed her first very short flight in the new Aurigny jet, which arrived early, but had overtaken the storms, so the weather here was just as bad as in Guernsey this morning.
Arrived at the Hilton and received our complimentary upgrade to an executive room, so afternoon tea and cocktails in the lounge, which also gave us the opportunity to print our boarding passes for tomorrow.
A leisurely morning in prospect as we take a late coach to Heathrow terminal 5.