Hello Skippy

The A380... what can I say? It was exciting, it was business class. Yay!
We were on the top part of the plane... around the middle I think. In first you get your own cabin with a bed and all.
Dig these groovy bins. I loved them. Just shoved everything in there. You also got overhead storage, but I sat next to the window and these were easier, Dan had his stuff overhead.
(What you didn't realise is once you'd stuffed these full of your stuff then the hosties came around and gave you a set of Morrissey PJs and a little vanity case that you needed to shove somewhere too.)
Goodbye wet Sydney, we're off to somewhere sunnier *cough cough*.
This is the view in front of me. Even stretched flat I didn't reach the seats. I think Dan nearly did.
The hostie came and took his jacket to hang up in some mysterious cupboard somewhere.
The blankets were cushy and there was more storage under the seat there.
erm, yep, my feet, seat in front.. you get it.
We weren't the only ones hopping up and taking photos, don't worry. The excitement as we all settled into the plane was electric... for goodness sakes it's just a plane. Yeah, well, maybe. :o))))
Here's Dan. By now I think we'd filled in our breakfast menu, perused the dinner menu and had a drink or two.
Nice. See that, it's the seat adjuster (the technical name) and the massager, which I had running pretty much non stop both to LA and home again.
Awwwww

They might have been comfortable seats, but obviously not flattering for photos.
This was before I figured out I could move the seat into a way more comfy position.
Ok, around about here I am all tucked up in my jammies down in the dark watching an absolutely huge selection of movies. The headphones were noise cancelling so it was nice, although the plane was so quiet you wouldn't have known otherwise.
Dan, on the other hand was up in ten-forward (or whatever the non Star trek reference to it is.. the lounge?)
These are mainly his photos.
The plane is very grey and silver... in case you haven't noticed, and that far curtain leads you back down our row.
A strange couple he met up in the lounge (actually I think I might have popped in around this time to see what they were doing.. what else? drinking) actually this is Chris and Karen who were also heading over to Presidents Club but were going via NY first.

Dan getting all too comfortable with the A380.
(By the way, it's not exactly what you think of when they tell you there's a conference room/lounge on board. They should say 'conference room/lounge but remember the size of the toilets on a plane? well...)
These are the stairs down to cattle... I mean our friends in Economy (and actually Alex and Elaine were in economy so we did have friends there). Dan tells me these aren't on the plans (well not in the grandeur they are here) which is why we all thought the lounge would be bigger.
The mini bar + snack bar. Help yourself.
Did I mention dinner? We had lamb cutlets (well actually we had 3 courses but it's the lamb that stands out). The lamb was so tender and cooked so beautifully it just melted in your mouth. I can still taste it. Yummmmmmm. The food was the best.
I'm guessing by now Karen is back watching movies too. The boys are left to do what they do best, talk work and drink.


So by now we should have had some sleep. I know Dan has, and I got an hour or two... my body just didn't want to adjust and there was quite a bit of turbulence that just wouldn't let me get to sleep.
Breakfast was nice and we headed into LA.
This wing is ginormous, just doesn't look it. It hung over the runway at LA.

And here is beautiful Los Angeles, but the point of this photo is the groovy slip stream forming over the wing.. nice.
On the ground. No matter how many photos you take it's hard to visualise the size of this plane.
In fact you don't get to see it that much as you get on and off so in your own mind it's hard to get a grip on how big it is... but they are double gang planks there. It's big.

Like we ever want to travel cattle class again. pfffph