The feelings of anxiety and nerves returned big time on the day of the flight. We didn't have much to do, everything was mostly sorted.  What we did have was several hours to sit about waiting for our half past 3 taxi and plenty time let the nerves brew.

As airports go, Madrid's piece of the internatiol aviation jigsaw is alright.  Security was fast, pre flight burger OK and by 8pm we were in our seats and ready to go.

Before we left home, our Spanish teacher Mariela, who lives in Edinburgh but hails from Buenos Aires, was great at teaching us the colloquialisms, the stuff that we really needed to know.  We understood that South America was very different from Spain and where the differences lay and it didn't take for this knowledge to come to the forefront.

The aircraft had reached it's cruising altitude of 40,000ft, the captain had switched off the fasten seat belt lights our drinks had been served and the meals were on their way. 

"Pollo o Pasta"(Po sho o Pas ta) asked the air steward. In Spain they say Po yo, so given chicken is Axel's favourite I was ready for it and when asked I confidently replied "Dos Pollo" with a smile on my face.

Jessica mentioned about Axel's earlier bleeding nose, it was a cause for concern before the flight.  I used to and still do occasionally suffer from random nose bleeds and it is particularly difficult for kids.  As a precaution we took a roll of toilet paper on the flight and and we were both glad we did.  Midway through the flight, when all the lights were off and the only people not sleeping were either watching movies (or in my case playing Who Wants to be a Millionaire) Axel woke up. "I'm bleeding" he was really upset, dealing with a bleeding nose in the dark isn't the best, scooping up a child and whisking him off from a dark aeroplane seat to a very brightly lit cramped toilet isn't really any better, but 10min later he was cuddling his mum and much better.

There isn't really much more to say.  The flight was the longest that we have ever been on, neither Jessica or I  slept well but the kids seemed to which can only be a positive.  It was a smooth landing and then something happened.  Don't get me wrong, I am well aware that sometimes there is a round of applause when a plane lands, I have experienced it first hand.  I recall once a plane I was on skidded on the runway and there was a wee round of applause out of relief.  Another time a Ryan Air landed on time and following the Ryan Fanfare there was an ironic round of applause.  This was different, the landing was smooth nothing out the ordinary.  On landing the whole plane erupted into what can only be described as a hearty round of applause, Jessica and I just looked at each other.  Perhaps we should have joined in. Did the kids join in? I never noticed. 

Buenos Aires. The Finnies have landed.