Munich - Guten Tag

The gate says it all! I am on the way.

I have been flying with Etihad who claim to have won the best airline of the year award for the last ten years and were "named the World's Leading Airline for the fifth consecutive year at the world trade awards" and "were also delighted to be honoured with titles of worlds Leading first class and worlds leading airline cabin crew" (James Hogan, Etihadinflight, jan 20414) however, I have to think about why so much pressure is placed on one assistant and that they don't back each other up! Must talk to Nicola about that one!

Well another flight done! And here I am in Munich. What an entrance we made coming down through the clouds...all of a sudden I saw ridge caped mountain ranges popping out to surprise me. As we defended the country side turned from shades of grey and blue to greens and golden brown all neatly sitting in rows. The houses seen as we flew in were red roof topped white buildings, authentic towers and even a turret! I was expecting ever green trees and have been surrounded on all sides of the glassed airport with these disiduous trees must unexpected!

This airport has surprised me the most, I have spoken my first German utterances as I needed directions to terminal A and found it some distance from the international arrivals where I landed. I was also taken aback by just how many people only speak German and how the announcements are sometimes only in German. My knowledge of numbers and letters was good enough to know that I was gate 16 and have found myself there! I can hear ABBA playing in the background and smell good coffee and can not wait to try one, just not yet as I am boarding in fünf minuten.

I experienced an interesting time with the security scanning guy who only spoke German! He was asking me for my zeat - das zeat - and I now know he didn't want my passport, bag, case, jacket or jewelry! He was simply asking my destination! This was the beginning of my confidence and I have been able to ask directions to terminal A, apologise for taking u space opening my bag and ask if I had enough time to get a taxi to Munich and come back for this flight! The answer was simply "nein" so I decided, in hindsight for the best, to make my way to terminal A gate16 and I am very glad I did as I had 30min spare!

Some notes on what not to bring during flight:

- water bottle as you can only have 100ml

- guide books as who was I fooling that I'd read them when all these great movies are on

- zango powder (sorry dad but I had good intentions on using them but just didn't do it)

- shampoo and things like that to shower as you just don't 

Things to take on the flight home: (must remind myself to do this!)

- ear phones (these are awesome they block out so much engine noise)

- e reader with books and audio books downloaded before you go (loving my Kerry Greenwood audio books thanks Heather for introducing me to her might even get to match Daniel's goal of reading a book a flight at this rate)

- lip gloss, brush, hair tie, (these items were in my hand luggage until Munich which was much too late)

- make up (I have no idea why I packed it into the checked in luggage)