Between a few requests to write another holiday blog and a few to simply stay in touch, I never really gave any thought to actually writing another chronicle of my adventures until just now.
I am in the midst of a 19-day trip which consists of two parts: WORK (in Dublin) and PLAY (in Phuket, Thailand). The Dublin portion of the trip ended with a flight to Frankfurt in a brand new ultra-sleek jet operated by Lufthansa. I have been very fortunate to have traveled so much this past year and as such, have racked up the air miles.
I was booked to visit Thailand and Viet Nam last year but a political protest shut down the airport in Bangkok, causing me to cancel my trip. It was on a whim (with the encouragement of a bad day) that I re-booked the vacation - in First Class.
The Lufthansa flight included a meal which was way beyond my taste and if you know me at all, you'd appreciate that I am not much of a fine-diner. Smoked eel in cucumber/dill sauce, interlaced chicken breast with bread pudding and a chocolate tart did nothing to whet my appetite. The server offered me an alternative meal but as soon as I saw the octopus tentacle, I quickly declined that too. Feeling bad, the server ended up bringing me a banana, an orange, an apple and two pots of yogurt to my delight. I was very happy.
After a short nap, I had arrived in Germany without incident. The plane was parked far away from the terminal and I noticed a bus waiting to shuttle the passengers over. Being one of the first to disembark, I headed down the staircase with thoughts of rushing over to the bus to spare myself from the elements (wind/rain). For some reason, a person at the bottom of the stairs caught my eye and I looked up to see a sharp-dressed man with a sign featuring the word CARROLL. I walked over to identify myself and after he confirmed my first name, he led me to a limousine - an added perk of booking First Class.
I was conflicted with deeply hidden excitement and embarrassment (I was wearing a simple sweatshirt from American Apparel, jeans and trainers) as I climbed into the sleek, black Mercedes. I chatted with the driver in English and some broken German (my summer endeavours sort of paying off) as we drove to a special entrance to the terminal. The driver advised me to look for the First Class terminal when I returned from my visit to town during my seven-hour layover. There, I would find a personal guide to escort me through the airport and on to the lounge where I am sending this now. Here, there is a cigar room, full-scale restaurant, a massive bar with every type of scotch, cognac and I-don't-know-what-else and refreshment rooms featuring spa-quality showers and toiletries from Salvatore Ferragamo.
Dinner was excellent and all and all, to say that today has been exciting would be a gross understatement. I must go now. I have been told that I have to meet my next chauffeur in three minutes. :)
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