Tears all round.Even the sky is crying. It is the first day of significant rain in our whole trip and for once, it feels justified and real. We head up into the low cloud hanging over the Rechburg hill behind Straßdorf and into blinding rain and howling wind - a bit like someone wailing.
Over the top, it clears a little, although the going is still slower than normal in morning work traffic.
We are headed to Munich International Airport (Franz Josef Strauß) via Ulm. Somehow, this trip seems to take longer - as though something is holding us back a little.
The traffic while normal for a business day is heavy and we keep pushing on.
We get to Munich Airport at around 9:50 am. Returning the rental car is an interesting experience here - you drive into a huge underground lot where all the company's cars are received together by an efficient band of ipad toting young people. Quick checks all round for damage and mileage and a check of fuel and you are asked to "leave the keys in the ignition please" and off you go.
Michael sorts a luggage trolley as we have as much to bring home as we took over!Back through the car rental hall - thank goodness we are not trying to get a car today, there are hundreds of people in multiple queues.
We had discussed upgrading our return flights to business class to try to give us some more space and the hope of some sleep. I had emailed Thai Airways, but they said it could only be done on the day at check-in. We have a little time to kill, as the check-in desk does not ope until 2.5 hours before departure (it is now 4 hours before). We find a cafe and have one last German meal for breakfast - Weisse Wurst mit Bretzel und Mustard. We added freshly squeezed orange juice to top it off - yummo.
Finally, the check-in counter is open. We walk up to the clerk and tell her we want to enquire about an upgrade to Business Class. She tickets our economy seats and then sends us to her colleague for the purchase. Just to make sure that we know how much it will cost, she takes out her mobile phone and calculates the two ticket prices and shows it to us. €2,990 ($4,470.23) THEN she tells us that this is for the Munich to Bangkok sector only. Egads. Still, we so need some sleep - neither of us slept well last night. The Clerk is just about to process the new tickets when I had a brainwave and I can't think why I didn't think of it before:
"Is the plane full?" I ask."No", she says "in fact there are about 100 empty seats".
"Any chance that we can have a spare seat between us then," I ask.
She is very obliging - she gives us seats 40D and 40G which are the two aisle seats in the centre block, and blocks out the two seats between us - effectively giving us 4 seats!! For free.
Way to go - a $4,470 saving!
Feeling very pleased with ourselves, we head through security through a maze of walkways and corridors and get to passport control to find only 1.5 gates open. 1.5 because the second one is dealing with people in wheelchairs (any older Indian), families with babies or children, rabbis who refuse to queue like everyone else and the odd person who tries to jump the queue. This was the most painful part of the process and it takes more than 40 minutes to snake our way through. Michael stops to get nougat that we couldn't get in Schwäbisch Gmünd and, having coffee, we realise that we still have some unspent Euros. It is better to spend than to lose on the exchange, so we pool it and Michael goes to see what he wants to buy. Came back with a new watch for ME, and nothing for himself. Ahh, love! 💖
Needless to say, we had a comfortable flight and Michael even managed a few good zzzz's. The service is fabulous and the trip uneventful. Food was really tasty - complete with real cutlery. I had Chicken in Gravy with Potato and vegetables while Michael chose Pork and Beans with rice and an egg. We both had a small proscuitto salad, pretzel rolls, cheese and crackers and cake.
When we get to Bangkok, we need to transit to our next departure - along with at east half of our flight and many from other flights. One of the very good things about Bangkok Airport is that the signage is really clear in directing you where to go - AND it includes distances so you know how far to your destination! And unlike our arrival where we had to walk so far, this time it is only 350 m to the transit security check point and then only 400 m to the next gate. Then down to the gate that is not yet open.
And the world is still crying. We came in to Bangkok through some pretty impressive storms that included lightening!
And if the first flight was so good, this one was almost the opposite. I will be writing to Thai Airways and pointing out the very significant differences. The plane is full - in fact I only see two empty seats.
Michael is beginning to look annoyed. Now that we are on the way home, he just wants to GET home!
We are served breakfast, the same one that we had so recently had on the Munich - Bangkok sector - not a problem, not everyone has come from that flight. No pre-meal drink of water - yes, problem. Cheese omelette, potato cake, chicken sausage and tomato relish. Orange juice, diced fruit (the pineapple and pawpaw (which I don't normally like, were delish), croissant with impossible-to-open butter and jam.
Ten very long hours later - no water offered between meals - in fact no service at all, no working entertainment system, which meant that the lights were dimmed out as soon as breakfast was served - like by 10 am and the heating turned up. Talk about the sweats. Being crammed,it is hard to sleep. Thankfully, I still had Felix's book and soon finished that.
Later in the flight we got to know three young Italians sitting next to and in front of us. They are coming to Australia for their working holiday year and we chat about their home and ours. They know about couchsurfing, so we expect them to visit us during the year!
Ten VERY LONG HOURS later, we touch down in Sydney.
Donna is meeting us - wonderful. I sms her to let her know that we need to go through quarantine where, as expected, the painted eggs present a problem - they need to be dipped in some anti-bacterial solution and if we want to keep the egg carton that has protected them thus far, it will cost us $100 to have it treated. It goes!
The officer is very obliging (although I witness two of her colleagues not as nice). She helps dry and wrap them and even gets us some bubble wrap to help protect them.
Finally, out to Donna and to be greeted with bear hugs. I think that we are all remembering our joint time in Europe all those years ago.
We get out to the car and are whizzed around to the Mecure only a couple of kms from the Airport. Although the waiter at their restaurant is closing, when the manager sees that there are a number of people wanting something to eat or drink, she makes him stay open.
We have a panini and a coffee and then head to the room. Its now about 9:30 pm and neither of us have had any quality sleep for about 2 days. we chat with Donna for a little longer and then head to bed.
Tomorrow, the last leg home and then we need to race home from Hervey Bay airport as Bella arrives at 1:30 pm.
Love to all - see you soon.
Another adventure done. 😢
We had discussed upgrading our return flights to business class to try to give us some more space and the hope of some sleep. I had emailed Thai Airways, but they said it could only be done on the day at check-in. We have a little time to kill, as the check-in desk does not ope until 2.5 hours before departure (it is now 4 hours before). We find a cafe and have one last German meal for breakfast - Weisse Wurst mit Bretzel und Mustard. We added freshly squeezed orange juice to top it off - yummo.
Finally, the check-in counter is open. We walk up to the clerk and tell her we want to enquire about an upgrade to Business Class. She tickets our economy seats and then sends us to her colleague for the purchase. Just to make sure that we know how much it will cost, she takes out her mobile phone and calculates the two ticket prices and shows it to us. €2,990 ($4,470.23) THEN she tells us that this is for the Munich to Bangkok sector only. Egads. Still, we so need some sleep - neither of us slept well last night. The Clerk is just about to process the new tickets when I had a brainwave and I can't think why I didn't think of it before:
"Is the plane full?" I ask."No", she says "in fact there are about 100 empty seats".
"Any chance that we can have a spare seat between us then," I ask.
She is very obliging - she gives us seats 40D and 40G which are the two aisle seats in the centre block, and blocks out the two seats between us - effectively giving us 4 seats!! For free.
Way to go - a $4,470 saving!
Feeling very pleased with ourselves, we head through security through a maze of walkways and corridors and get to passport control to find only 1.5 gates open. 1.5 because the second one is dealing with people in wheelchairs (any older Indian), families with babies or children, rabbis who refuse to queue like everyone else and the odd person who tries to jump the queue. This was the most painful part of the process and it takes more than 40 minutes to snake our way through. Michael stops to get nougat that we couldn't get in Schwäbisch Gmünd and, having coffee, we realise that we still have some unspent Euros. It is better to spend than to lose on the exchange, so we pool it and Michael goes to see what he wants to buy. Came back with a new watch for ME, and nothing for himself. Ahh, love! 💖
Needless to say, we had a comfortable flight and Michael even managed a few good zzzz's. The service is fabulous and the trip uneventful. Food was really tasty - complete with real cutlery. I had Chicken in Gravy with Potato and vegetables while Michael chose Pork and Beans with rice and an egg. We both had a small proscuitto salad, pretzel rolls, cheese and crackers and cake.
When we get to Bangkok, we need to transit to our next departure - along with at east half of our flight and many from other flights. One of the very good things about Bangkok Airport is that the signage is really clear in directing you where to go - AND it includes distances so you know how far to your destination! And unlike our arrival where we had to walk so far, this time it is only 350 m to the transit security check point and then only 400 m to the next gate. Then down to the gate that is not yet open. 
And the world is still crying. We came in to Bangkok through some pretty impressive storms that included lightening!
And if the first flight was so good, this one was almost the opposite. I will be writing to Thai Airways and pointing out the very significant differences. The plane is full - in fact I only see two empty seats.Michael is beginning to look annoyed. Now that we are on the way home, he just wants to GET home!
We are served breakfast, the same one that we had so recently had on the Munich - Bangkok sector - not a problem, not everyone has come from that flight. No pre-meal drink of water - yes, problem. Cheese omelette, potato cake, chicken sausage and tomato relish. Orange juice, diced fruit (the pineapple and pawpaw (which I don't normally like, were delish), croissant with impossible-to-open butter and jam.Ten very long hours later - no water offered between meals - in fact no service at all, no working entertainment system, which meant that the lights were dimmed out as soon as breakfast was served - like by 10 am and the heating turned up. Talk about the sweats. Being crammed,it is hard to sleep. Thankfully, I still had Felix's book and soon finished that.
Later in the flight we got to know three young Italians sitting next to and in front of us. They are coming to Australia for their working holiday year and we chat about their home and ours. They know about couchsurfing, so we expect them to visit us during the year!
Ten VERY LONG HOURS later, we touch down in Sydney.
Donna is meeting us - wonderful. I sms her to let her know that we need to go through quarantine where, as expected, the painted eggs present a problem - they need to be dipped in some anti-bacterial solution and if we want to keep the egg carton that has protected them thus far, it will cost us $100 to have it treated. It goes!
The officer is very obliging (although I witness two of her colleagues not as nice). She helps dry and wrap them and even gets us some bubble wrap to help protect them.
Finally, out to Donna and to be greeted with bear hugs. I think that we are all remembering our joint time in Europe all those years ago.
We get out to the car and are whizzed around to the Mecure only a couple of kms from the Airport. Although the waiter at their restaurant is closing, when the manager sees that there are a number of people wanting something to eat or drink, she makes him stay open.
We have a panini and a coffee and then head to the room. Its now about 9:30 pm and neither of us have had any quality sleep for about 2 days. we chat with Donna for a little longer and then head to bed.
Tomorrow, the last leg home and then we need to race home from Hervey Bay airport as Bella arrives at 1:30 pm.
Love to all - see you soon.
Another adventure done. 😢
