Stopover in Atlanta

Having taken off 40 minutes late, we arrived here at 3.10pm US time on what turned out to be Virgin Atlantic's maiden flight from Manchester to Atlanta - is that the best sort of flight for a Virgin plane?!

Surprise, surprise, look where we've ended up!

The PA at the start was at pains to make clear that there were always two pilots on the flight deck.

Entertainment, food and drink were fab on board - almost all drinks were free.  We had a low-level medical emergency on the flight - a woman was having trouble breathing but the cabin crew were excellent and I'm sure they upped the cabin pressure as I suddenly felt much more alert!

Another part-time job opportunity for Grandma?  Pianist at Atlanta Airport required!

It was quite a rocky ride coming down in to Atlanta but we both survive - just!

Even the fire truck turned out to christen us with water as we taxied up to the air bridge

For Sarah - this is what was on offer!

We then joined the mother of all queues to get into the US.  Finally a member if staff told us that if we had previously used the ESTA we had we could go through an auto immigration check-in - which we did.

Graeme's case then went walkabout and, after some panicking, we found it on the carousel for the flight from Heathrow.

Technology corner is soon established n the departutre lounge

We're currently enjoying the shops and are about to hit McDonald's - what happened to the 5:2 diet?!  But then it's not quite Monday yet, even in the UK!

We're now at the gate for Fort Lauderdale.  Just under two hours of a flight and then to the hotel ..... and so to bed, as Samuel Pepys would say!