My flight was at 9:15am. As I don't like risking a missed flight I intended to get there early. I had set my alarm for 5:30am but was already awake at 5:00am. That was actually nice because it gave me a little time to enjoy the London skyline for one last time. It was a beautiful clear morning.

A little while after taking that shot I noticed a hot air baloon gracefully floating across the city. I also managed to get a better shot to give a sense of just how magnificent the view appears in the context of the room.

When I spoke to the doorman last night about booking a taxi he gave me a tip that there are treats on the reception level in the morning for people who need to head out before breakfast is served. He was right. I grabbed myself a yummy muesli slice which kept me going until I got to the airport.

I decided to only get a taxi to Paddington Station and then catch the Heathrow Express from there. I figured it would be the quickest route and it was. It nearly took 1/2 hour to get to Paddington but then it was only 15min train journey to the airport.

After check-in I was able to go through the fast track security before heading to the Qatar lounge. They were serving breakfast.

We boarded only a little late but the plane stayed at the gate for a while due to traffic in the airport. We finished up leaving about 1/2 hour late but made most of that up.

Since I'd only just had breakfast I decided not to have anything straight away on the plan. Because of their dine any time service I could choose to have something a bit later.

The sky was clear over England and later of Europe. That's new for me. I think the last trip was cloudy all the way.

As usual there was a little sadness as we crossed the English Channel but not as much as last year. Maybe I'm just getting used to this relationship I have formed with my homeland.

I spent quite a bit of time sorting through my photos. Not only did it pass the time very well, but it was a great way to reminisce.

A couple of hours into the flight I decided to have some lunch.

I chose the goat's cheese salad followed by the chicken kapsa. Both were delicious and filling. I decided to leave dessert for later.

After a nice meal like that (and a couple of champagnes after take off) I was sleepy and had a nap for an hour. Then it was dessert time. I had the cheesecake followed by a nice chai (but forgot to take a photo).

After some more photo sorting it was time to descend. The flight was 6.5 hours long but it went incredibly quickly. I have a couple of hours before the flight to Adelaide so I'm sitting in the lounge in Doha. The lounge is massive with different areas. I'm in the "blue" area.

It's funny, but only a couple of weeks into my holiday it had felt like I had been in the UK for ages. The last week in particular seemed like a lifetime away from Adelaide. Then the moment I stepped on the plane and into the familiarity of my seat it seemed like the holiday had all happened in an instant.

But I know differently and will hold onto that feeling of drawn out absence for as long as I possibly can.

London to Doha