Brazil 2015 part1

on Wednesday 30th September I left home at 5.15 in the morning and drove the 15 minutes to Glasgow Airport. It was the start of what was going to be a long day, travelling over 6000 miles in 2 flights.
I was on my way to Sao Paolo in Brazil for events marking the twentieth anniversary of the  death of Professor Plinio Correa de Oliviera, founder of the TFP, a Catholic Lay organisation which has spread throughout the world.
It was pleasant dark morning. No rain, no wind.
The first flight was just an hour, to London. We took off right on time at 6.55am. The pilot anticipated an early arrival at Heathrow, which was good news as there was only an hour between us landing and the take off of the second flight to Brazil.
But then we circled Heathrow for 15 minutes and reached the gate dead on time.
I got quickly to near the front of the queue for leaving the aircraft, but sadly the moving gantry broke down.
we had to wait 15 minutes for steps to be found which were then taken to the rear of the aircraft. An appeal to let passengers with connecting flights go ahead went unheeded.
So it was a mad dash to the transit train to the part of the airport where the next flight was.
There were other passengers on that flight from Glasgow also on the Sao Paolo flight, and we just got to the gate as it was being closed. The rushing was not good for my angina!
But we made it and settled in for the 12 hour flight.
The weather was fine, usual bouts of turbulence, but nothing serious. Not that much legroom in economy.
I had paid extra to select a meal, and it was well worth the £15. Plus you get served first and a choice of wines.
Eventually, we approached Sao Paolo. As the descent began, it was clear we were not heading into sunshine. The clouds were thickening. Then be were in a holding pattern for some moments in the clouds, and that was when I became aware, in my window seat, that there was lightning out there!
I have always dreaded flying through a thunderstorm, but not a lot I could do about it now.
Eventually we began our final approach, into a dark, and extremely wet Sao Paolo.
The touch down was quite smooth, but the rain was simply torrential. The ground was water covered.
Inside the airport it was almost deserted. We saw the lightning, heard the thunder. We were through Immigration in moments.
We discovered that all other flights had been diverted, and that our BA flight was the only one to land.
Good? Bad?.....who knows?
The chap we were to join up with who was coming from Rome sent a text to say he was 2 hours away on the ground at Campinos with lots of other flights.
Fortunately, though I speak no Portuguese, I recognised the young man sent to collect us by his demeanour and dress. Collar and tie.
Then it was the horror of being driven through the traffic chaos of Sao Paolo, 45 minutes of terror till our Hotel was safely reached.
Some of my photographs from the 2 flights.