Saturday 24th - the final installment
OK, I’m tired, I fly for home tonight, Qantas have only upgraded my SIN/MEL leg according to the internet and its raining and cold in Frankfurt – what am I going to do…
My friend from Sydney and I both checked out of the hotel, both complaining about the party goers from the night before and both commenting on the likelihood of snow in Frankfurt. He had an early flight to Vienna, so I decided to leave my luggage at the airport and beat the feet around Frankfurt for the day. After a few Euro and a train initially
I bought a reindeer skin at Arlanda and I had to sacrifice something (other than the reindeer) for it to fit in my suitcase. I had two jackets with me, an Italian hand made “bluey” type coat vs. a beige coloured rain coat with fox fur around the hood – believe it or not, a hard decision to make concerning which one was being donated to the room cleaners…
The pros and cons:
Italian hand made coat – expensive, warm and wife will kill me if donated to the room cleaners
Beige rain coat with fox fur – expensive, warm and there’s an animal rights protest march in Frankfurt today which this coat is sure to attract some attention…
Ok, I know the Cro-Magnon man in all of us would have loved to be seen at the march in the beige rain coat, but the thought of the wrath of 1000 crazed animal supports vs. my wife – no contest. I hope my room cleaner appreciates the rain coat and the fox didn’t die in vain…
My friend was flying business class Lufthansa, so the progression through the 1000’s of people lining up for flights was reasonably fast and painless, the pain didn’t begin until I bought morning tea – a coke, a bottled water and a green tea - €16.30.
Bidding farewell, I grabbed an all day all transport ticket- approx €8.50 and headed back to main where I tried to map out the rest of my day. Frankfurt – a cocktail of old and new, of slum and ritz, of out of control animal rights activists and some old bloke in a beige rain coat with a fox fur collar… Before someone gets into me about animal rights, I firmly believe in treating animals with respect and kindness however that does not stop me enjoying a 500 gram eye fillet or wearing leather shoes.
I traveled Frankfurt by foot for hours pausing only to rehydrate, warm up or change lenses on my camera. I finally succumbed to fatigue and the need for a cold beer and by means of a cab and a train, found myself back at the airport by about 6pm, luggage in hand enjoying a meal of Frankfurters and Becks.
About 8pm, I checked my luggage and again made a Bee line for the Cathay Pacific lounge. Entertaining for the first 30 seconds would be how I would describe the nut at the security check. Signs everywhere explaining the amount of liquid allowed to be taken through security and onto planes – yet he chose to argue. And argue. And argue to a point where while waiting to have my luggage X Rayed, I lost the plot with him – I am normally a docile well reasonably docile person, but this man made me crazy. I shouted at him to hurry up, it was only a bottle of water and get the ^&*% out of the security area and let the others through! He chose to ignore me and still carried on. This guy had balls of steel – in case he hadn’t noticed, the security people were packing 9mm terrorist stoppers and weren’t impressed.
Finally I managed to get through and find my way into the First Class Area to the left of the CP lounge and relaxed for I guess about 30 seconds. You guessed it – Mr. Water man was in the QP next door telling everyone about the water – whether they wanted to hear it or not.
This man was a menace, and as I was beginning to stress even further with him, the flight was called and I headed to the aircraft. I was seated 27A – that mongrel was 28C – I’m not joking! During the safety brief, he carried on about the plane crashing and no one would live so what was the point, he carried on about the water and was generally an obnoxious mongrel of a man. If you are reading this Mr. Herbal Doctor – you know exactly who I am – that’s right, I’m the one who offered to go and have a quiet chat with you in the toilet if you weren’t prepared to shut up for the sake of everyone on that flight! (and I recon there were at least 6 other blokes who would have drawn numbers for that privilege)
There, I’m over it, I’m calm, that’s it, I’m settled…
Right, Frankfurt / Singapore – I took a pill, slept for 8 or so hours, didn’t watch a movie, read part of a new book I bought and drank the water stocks dry (too many pre flight Becks and sleeping pill combination I would say).
Singapore, went into the first class lounge, connected to the internet with my extreme III Pazer assisted wireless internet – as a correction from previous, Emirates are the kind suppliers of this service – noted that a certain member of the FF regular contributors is taking a 380 for a fly (i'm not sure if it is the sports pack or not - Mitsibushi make quite nice cars now...)– checked my email, had a quick shower (love the multi heads), more water, a quick stop at the Perfume Connection to pick up Mrs! Order and up to the top deck for my upgraded flight back to Melbourne
A long week. See some of my pics at http://www.munitalp.bigblog.com.au