Home again

Well, I'm home now. It's Saturday the 3rd. I got back early evening on the 1st. The flight home was not the best I've had.

The 6.20am bus from the ZOB in Kiel was on time - and there were no dramas there at all. It's changed only in as much as it only stops at Terminal 1, and I needed Terminal 2 (or the other way around, I don't remember).

Luckily I had a little bit of time to get some extra goodies for other people, that I hadn't been able to find until then (hooray for Hamburg magnets). My flight to Frankfurt was running about 20 minutes late - still okay for the connector in Frankfurt - but it did cut it fine (so I'm glad I didn't leave the shopping for Frankfurt). We actually made up the time during the flight - since it's such a short one, and they build in some space - but there was thick cloud cover right down to 100m (above sea level), and it was delaying take offs and landings, so we lost all the time again, circling and waiting for our turn. In Frankfurt, I basically had time to walk from one terminal to the other and not much else, if they'd been running on time. It's a biiiiig airport. We boarded late, but we were all on board for an on time take off - but we didn't take off until 1pm - an hour late. It just goes to show how much difference weather can make to a trip.

We were about 35 minutes late getting into Singapore - but since I had about 3 hours, I wasn't worried. I was wrecked though - soon after we'd taken off something had irritated my nose no end, so I was looking for a chemist and some anti-histamines pronto! I don't usually take them and since I get hayfever about once every 5 years, they're not usually in my travelling drug supplies (but I can help with a myriad of over the counter pain killers). :)

Added to that I had to fight to not throw a child out of the plane. For the first 8 hours (of an almost 12 hour flight), this child screamed - whether it was in pain (which I DO understand), or because it was happy and mum was entertaining it - which I DON'T understand. They are probably just lucky that she was a few rows behind me, and not directly behind me - she would have received and earful. Sadly I also didn't have a plastic bag to offer it to suck on - that usually helps with keeping the kiddies quiet. I was not the only person fed up with the noise. The only way I could not hear it, was if I turned up my music so loud, it hurt my ears. Not something I was about to do!

The flight from Singapore to Brisbane was much better - but it's just under 7 hours, so in comparison, it's a doddle.

We landed 1/2 hour early, took a quick trip to pick up the duty free I ordered and also a bottle of Bundy - on too good a special to pass up. Because I had the funky new microchip passport, I got to go through the automated line - which will probably be way quicker and cooler until everyone has one :). I had no customs issues - he was even happy for me to keep the Quince Jam Mama had made.

I was outside and hugging Mum and Dad, right about when I should have landed - LOVE it when you run early.

I cannot tell you HOW much I was looking forward to my own bed............