Day 2 (Monday 3rd November) travel to Doha and Venice

 We boarded our Qatar Flight to Doha on time. No issues, all went smoothly. Seating is good for a 777, we have some leg room and plenty of storage. Certainly a mix of people onboard. Melissa researched the best seats for aircraft, she was spot on. Close to the toilets within too much through traffic of people moving forward. 

Entertainment was okay. Not too many new releases on offer. There was enough movies etc to pass the time of 14 hours.

Landed in Doha 5ish in the morning local time. Saw the sun rise on another day. 

Passing through security as pleasant as security can be.

The airport is clean and well maintained. Cleaners in each toilet to clean a stall etc after they are used by each person. Prices are high, but to be expected. Staff friendly, locals and folks from Africa. The airport manages to be artistic but also very functional. Plenty of signs to guide the travellers.  So far so good. 

Day 1 ( Sunday 2nd November) off to Europe

Finally the day departure has arrived but not without drama and great sadness. Yesterday we dropped off our dear Squirrel the cat off at the RSPCA cattery for his stay. 25 minutes later he was found dead in his cage. We will miss him greatly. RIP dear Squirrel Nov 2014 to Nov 2025. 

Charlotte said her goodbyes in person while poor Jacqueline did it by FaceTime from Sydney. Much grief.

We fly out at 10pm from Brisbane international airport. We have organised an airport lounge ready for departure. 

A brief visit to Charlotte breaks up the drive to the airport. 

Our fantastic neighbours, along with Charlotte and Kym are watching over our house, our sincere thanks. 

The check-in was by self-service with kiosks. Okay, except many didn’t work. Frustrating process, overall. Security went smoothly no issues and our lounge is nice as well as close to the gate (80). 

The Escape Lounge food is very nice. Not aligned to airline but to the airport. The lounge over looks gate 81. Staff are professional and friendly, so recommend. Not as good or as extensive as a major Airline lounge but still good value for money.