I’ve already had one trip canned this year thanks to Eyjafjallajokull, a.k.a. that volcano in Iceland. A little two-week jaunt through Iraqi Kurdistan that didn’t get off the ground because I couldn’t get off the ground either.
Easyjet refunded the cost of my flight to Istanbul. But I had to wear the cost of the internal flights in Turkey that were going to get me out to the border and back. And the B.A. flight back home to London.
This weekend I’m meant to be going to Stockholm for my mate Doug’s 40th birthday. According to the maps put out by the MET office I shouldn’t have any problems with the ash. (Not that the MET office every get it right.) But if the ash cloud omens look good, the dispute between BA and it’s cabin crew don’t. If the court ruling last night banning the strike gets overturned only 50% of BA short-haul flights will run.
With my luck of late I’d put money on both of my flights being affected. (Having said that, I wouldn’t complain too loud if my flight back got cancelled. I fancy an extra couple of days in Stockholm.)
The fun and games continues though. On June 1 I’m supposed to be heading off to Italy with Sally and Daisy to celebrate Marco’s 50th birthday. We’ve booked a villa, hired a car and lined up a room in a Nunnery for our last night in Pisa.
Trouble is, our travel insurance expired last month. And our new policy won’t cover any disruptions caused the Icelandic volcanic ash. It’s a known problem now, you see. And as far as travel insurance companies are concerned, an integral consideration in your planning process. So if the wind blows the wrong way up there in the North Sea we could be severely out of pocket.
But what can you do? That’s the new reality when travelling in 2010.
It certainly makes realise how relatively stress-free the great overland journeys that form the basis of my books were. And the benefits of travelling without a timetable.
Ideally I’d like to start living my life like that again. But I’m not sure what the headmistress at Daisy’s school would make of that.
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I heard on the radio today that some expert thinks this might go on for 20 years. I dismissed it as bullshit but it is food for thought about the way we travel these days…
Meh, I say go back overland to Mongolia or somewhere the volcano can’t affect you…
I can see the days of hot air balloon travel coming back…I’m off to buy some shares in large wicker baskets!
hello peter wish marco happy birthday for me and sarah he was so generous last year to show us sophia in livorno when we were on honeymoon hope you have a great time all the best mate
Has anyone actually made a successful volcano related insurance claim? I tried to claim for a hotel booking at Stansted that I’d made due to an early flight the next morning but it was rejected as I’m in the UK and not stranded abroad. It’s got to be the hardest form of insurance to claim against.
Oddly enough, the volcano has actually become one of the main attractions that draw tourists to Iceland nowadays. There are even guided tours that take you up close to the volcano. But, of course, these are automatically closed when the eruption intensifies.