Volcano Madness Follow-Up: Adieu, Athens . . .

Well, just minutes after our previous post, Nana and I learned that we'd been bumped from our Friday flights (or our flights had been rescheduled for next week . . . or something . . . not quite sure, it's been complete chaos over here), so the Greece trip is off. Thankfully, we were able to give up our seats and apply the cost of the ticket towards a future flight--in this case, from Edinburgh to Fukuoka in August.

Since we get reimbursed for that one by our new employers, we've basically gotten out of this whole mess for the cost of about three hours on the phone. (And, of course, the cost of a much-anticipated visit with a good friend.) Considering that there are folks out there who've lost thousands of dollars and nearly a week (and counting) of travel time, I think we've done pretty well.

Greece Slips Away? And Other Volcano Craziness

Thanks to the eruption of a volcano in Iceland, Nana and I have been in travel limbo for almost a week now, and have resigned ourselves to not knowing before Friday morning whether or not we'll be headed off to Athens that afternoon. But compared to a lot of other travelers, we have it easy: we're at home, and since we're planning on staying with a friend in Athens, we have nothing to lose if our flight is canceled (in the EU, if your flight's canceled, you're entitled to a refund).

Anyway, Nana and I weren't sure if our friends and family across the pond were following the story, so I thought I'd round up a few links on the biggest aviation shutdown in European history.

-Latest from the BBC (with a bunch of further links in the sidebar)
-British Navy plans to repatriate stranded Brits.
-Slate.com on the long-term geopolitical effects.

Long story short, this thing is a huge deal, and there's the chance that continued eruptions in Iceland could make air travel within Europe touch-and-go for months (though intercontinental flights, especially transatlantic flights, should be less of a problem).

Of course, as Nana notes, there is a bright side in the potential for a zeppelin renaissance! (Complete with steampunk styling, we can only hope.)

Airport Closures Due To . . . Volcanic Dust?

You heard me right. According to the BBC, a plume of volcanic dust from an eruption in Iceland has blown into Scottish airspace, causing the cancellation of all flights to and from Scottish airports today. We actually have some friends stuck in Scandinavia and on the Continent because of it, and it's throwing a wrench into campaign plans for the upcoming general election (though in a country this small--is it really such a big deal to drive or take a train?).
 
Can't see anything obvious out the window here, but it's supposed to be a high-altitude problem, probably obscured by the lower clouds scudding through.