I think I forgot to say where we were in my last post. We were in a small town some 15 miles from the airport called Kirchhiem Unter Teck, an industrial town, set in what might have been nice countryside, or not, I did not see it during daylight hours, so impossible to say. At one end of the town was a large industrial estate, more of an industrial area really, where the supplier we were visiting were located.
And this was to be the final visit to be made with the customer of this phase of the project, although not much time to rest on my laurels as the next phase is due to begin in January, and indeed the towers are already being made, so things march on.
I wake up and am in no pain, but after a few minutes the ache begins and is soon morphing into pain. Oh well. At least my work bag has wheels, so the carrying of it is not that long, just up and down stairs. So, off we go.
I meet Anni for breakfast at seven: fruit, rolls and coffee as usual. Feeling like we could take on the world we set off for the factory a whole half a mile away. We arrive early, and so are well prepared for the day ahead.
All goes well once again, and when the customer announces they have a plane to catch at five, the afternoon session consists of just twenty minutes before wrapping up. A few hand shakes, and it was all over. After eight months, travelling in Denmark, Sweden, Germany and China, we had done it, all obligations carried out. Customer happy. Apparently.
Anni and I drive back to the hotel, I send a few mails out confirming the triumph, I get a call from the manager telling me well done, now relax and be ready for the really hectic period coming up. Yes sir!
Anni and I meet in reception at seven, but the whole Gasthaus is full of people drinking and getting ready for Christmas dinner. They appologise, but it is fine, there are a few other places in the village, and indeed a couple of hundred yards down the main road there is a Greek place, we walk there and upon entering I ask, Kooned wire mith Eurocard betzahlen? Meaning can we pay with our company credit card. We can, so take a seat, order two large beers and toast our success. Hoorah.
I plump for the simple gyros, always a winner. And it is good, and not too filling. One more beer and it is time to go back to the hotel, pack and get our heads down as tomorrow we go home. !
Friday.
And here we are, time to go home and chill. But first we have to: pack, have breakfast, check out, drive to the airport, check in, security, etc, etc.
I cram everything in my case, and manage to close it! Always a good sign. And after breakfast we check out and are on the road by quarter to eight. The motorway is busy, but we make it to the airport in good time, find the drop off point, everything is good, so we were free to head to the departure hall. Sadly, BA says we can't check in until two hours before departure time, and there is no one at the desk, so I have 45 minutes to kill before we can check in. Anni is flying with Lufthansa, and she checks in and goes through security. I wait and people watch, all seems good. The airport is stunning again, and the supports for the roof with look like trees have been wrapped in fairy lights, looking amazing in the early morning sunshine.
Finally I drop my case off, queue for 20 minutes to get through security, meet up with Anni before, at ten, go to look for my gate. It is crowded, but we have our seats, so why worry? And being a business traveler now, I get to board first anyway! ha ha. I take my seat at the back of the plane, and watch as everyone else boards and tries to find a place for all their bags. Why not check it in?
We taxi to the end of the runway, the engines power up and off we go. The flight should take an hour and a half, but we make good time. So good is our pace, we have to hold over Essex for half an hour, circling over the same place for 20 minutes. We go over the North Weald airfield some three times before we turn and fly towards east London before turning along the river, getting lower and lower, heading in the different direction to when I land at City airport. The views are sensational, but my camera is in the hold, so you'll have to take my word for it.
And then were are skipping of the rooftops of West London, down and down until we land, slowing down. The trip, the working year, was over.
I am the very last one off the plane, as I am in no hurry. The arrivals hall is in chaos as hundreds of people are queuing to catch connecting flights, but why they have to queue for so long is beyond me, no other airport seems to do this. I breeze past, go to the line for the e passports. And in a couple of minutes I am through. I just have to get my case, then find the Heathrow Express station, and I will be set. Last time here, I had to wait half an hour for a train, but as I go down the escalator, I see a train waiting. I think it might leave before I can get down, but once the station matirx sign comes into view I see I have six minutes.
I slump into a seat, it seems to have been a long week. My back does not help, but both my cases have wheels, so I can get about with them. The train accelerates out of the station and into the tunnel that will take us to the GWML. Into the sunlight, through metroland and into the splendour that is Paddington. I know my way to the taxi rank, so walk briskly up to street level, I look at my watch: I have missed the quarter past one train, but should be in plenty of time for the one in an hour. The traffic seemed to have other ideas: Marylebone Road was chocker with traffic, as was Euston Road. But I get to St Pancras with half an hour to spare, I pop into M&S to get a sandwich and a drink. And by the time I make my way to the platform level, my train is arriving.
I get on, stow my cases, slump into a seat round a table. The final leg, then.
I share the table with a heavy smoker, as he smelt like an ashtray when he breathed out. He also played a loud game on his phone, and fielded calls from who was going to meet him at Ashford.
After he got off, silence returned to my part of the carriage, we slipped through the countryside as the sun sunk in the west and the shadows go ever longer. I got off the train, passed through the gates and into Dover. I had forgotten a doorkey, so I would have to wait for Jools. What better place to wait then that The Rack of Ale? I had a couple of pints, and tied the mead they had gotten in. All was good. All was good until I looked for my phone to realise I had left it on the train. And by now it was heading back for London.
Bugger.
Jools arrived, we went to the station on the offchance it had been handed in. It had, so I proved it was mine, signed a piece of paper, made a donation to the cleaners Christmas fund. We went home.
Un packed, said hello to the cats, Jools went to the chippy, so dinner was fish and chips and a huge cuppa.
The working year was over. Except for some paperwork, but that is for Monday. Until then, relax.
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