The flight from Buenos Aires landed in Madrid at around 05:00 local time, about an hour after breakfast was served. For breakfast it was a bread roll with what tasted like it might have been chicken and cheese. They also provided plenty of drinks at this time, 20 minutes before putting on the seat belt sign to stop people using the washroom.

It took quite some time before we disembarked and by the time we were in the terminal there was only 90 minutes left until we needed to board the next plane. Despite having just come off an international flight we still had to go through a security check (and no passport control). As it’d be another 8 hours before we’d get to eat again we stopped by Starbucks and picked up a drink and a sandwich. It was also a chance to sit on chairs more comfortable than on the plane or at the gate.

The flight should have started boarding more or less by the time we got to the gate, but once again the flight was late leaving though not by much. We arrived in London a couple of hours later, in some ways relieved that there were no further flights to take. From there it was an easy train journey across London, although slow, before heading North and eventually our separate ways.

After over 5 days of heading home by all manners of transportation, the expedition was over. We’d seen so much since we set out at the end of December; many species of penguins, whales killing whales, and amazing landscapes.

Swimming in Antarctica in nothing but swimming trunks, and falling down a crevice beneath the snow are two things I’ll remember for a long time. Of course though, it will also be memorable as we had achieved our goal of visiting Antarctica, the last continent.