Back in the 70s

After my last two journeys to Riga and Malta (in many respects both places are more alike than most of us would think) I felt a bit of taken back to the 70s. And this when I even hadn't left the aircraft...

I have to admit that I really like all this... retro that's (still) IN all over Europe. So why not buying and wearing vintage - that stuff was really cool back in the day and is again nowadays. Everybody likes mirror balls and the fancy lighting effects they're producing - that's proper party feeling. But there are certain things we should have left behind. I thought we left them behind but that's apparently been a misbelieve.

Back then when travelling by airplane was a very exclusive way to travel not everybody could afford, when passengers didn't have to pay an awful lot for a small sandwich and a mini bottle of white wine on the plane but got them for free, back then when technology was not as sophisticated as it is today people where happy as their aircraft was landing safely again. But nowadays as it's never before been easier to discover Europe and even the globe travelling by air, where security regulations are pretty strict for the carriers, in 2010 where a flight from say London to Malta costs just a few quid and people are travelling by airplane more than once a year I would assume that it's a matter of course that the aircraft comes down safely again. Obviously not for a majority of passengers as some recent experiences prove. I always thought it's a myth because I've never seen it before, until my trip to Riga. A journey that started with a small hole in the aircraft causing a four hours delay. After finally arriving in Latvia (the resolution for the problem was filling the hole with yellow plasticine...) something very strange happened - I was quite confused when the guy next to us started clapping his hands followed by all of the other passengers. What's happened? A superstar in the airplane? A clown's starting his show? Somebody's won in the lottery? And then I understood... I understood even better three weeks later after landing in Malta accompanied by clapping hands. I should have been prepared for that but I wasn't. I was just wondering a bit.

Two completely different weekend trips with one thing in common: A journey back into the past.