I know someo of you have actually been missing your daily digest…..partly because it eases you into your working day. Hope to continue to update the blog but it will be more sporadic as internet access won’t be as easily available over the next six weeks due to travelling in remote areas of Africa. So don’t panic if you don’t receive any blogs – the kidnap risk of the Middle East has now gone…….famous last words…..
Let the mayhem begin……Part 2….
As you know, I’m picking up the trail in Addis Ababa which is where I would’ve been were it not for Egypt & Sudan problems.
Arrive Birmingham airport for flight to Frankfurt.
Bag is stopped at X-ray again for further scrutiny. Now what’s wrong with it?! Have to wait my turn as there’s an elderly lady in a wheelchair having her bag scrutinised. In her 70s, she’s holding a Ryanscare boarding pass and the security want to delve into her bag as some “liquid” has shown up on X-ray. They remove the offending article. It’s a bottle of……wait for it……wood glue. Yep. A whole plastic bottle of wood glue. In her bag. I mean. Really? Perhaps she’s got a peg leg. Anyway, it’s confiscated. I’m up next and trying to think what’s got their knickers in a twist as I feel there’s nothing in the bag that hasn’t already been through various X-rays no problem. The officious woman finds my travel corkscrew and removes it practically stabbing me in the chest to prove I could stab someone with it. It’s been through every airport around the world (well, sort of…) including Manchester and Heathrow, I sniff. “They’re not doing their job properly then!”, she retorts. Refrain from going into the argument of “well if I wanted to stab someone on an aircraft I’d buy a bottle of Duty Free and smash the glass over them”. A pressing need for food takes priority. Good to see a friendly smile from the Business lounge receptionist – used to see her every Monday morning for a few years.
On the flight ask for a Coke and the bottle is called Sarah. Stewardess pours out the Coke and it froths up. “Sarah is a little lively”, she remarks. I don’t know any Sarahs……Susan(ne)s on the other hand……
Meet a colleague at Frankfurt airport. He’s flying out as I fly in and we have a 30 minute window of opportunity for a beer. Good to see you mucka!
Having lived in a village on the outskirts of Frankfurt for about a year and a half upto a couple of years ago am keen to return to my local pub for food and a beer. Regret taking the S-bahn that goes via the football stadium – it’s full of drunken German fans. There’s nothing worse than a drunken German. At least it’s expected from the Brits.
Pop into the Apfelwein Muller. My local in Niederhochstadt. If you’re ever in the area – do pop in for a Kase-Senf Schnitzel. The waitress and owner are surprised (and pleased) to see me again and it’s good to be back – albeit far too briefly.