Monday 9th April 2018

My room in the hotel faced west, so got all the afternoon sunshine and warmth, meaning that it was like an oven. Which says a lot to how tired I must have been, as I got a good nine hours sleep waking up just before seven, and ready for breakfast.

I go down to have fruit and yogurt followed by crusty roll and nutella. And coffee. Lots of coffee.

Around me there are business types, and people from the far east on holiday. I am the only one not either reading a newspaper or looking at my mobile phone, just looking at what I am eating.

Outside it is already getting warm, and the sun is shining strongly. I go back to my room, pack and do some work, and at quarter to nine go downstairs to check out then sit outside and wait for my colleagues to arrive.

Tim arrives just before half nine, then Jesper is calling me with 5 minute updates of his progress through the notorious roadworks on the ring road. He arrives just before then, so the four of us drive to the offices for the meeting. I see more attractive areas of the city which I hope to explore on my next visit, if possible.

We arrive at the offices, have a team chat, and go in. Action stations.

Some four and a half hours later, it is over and I have less than three hours before the flight.

I was a little concerned about whether I would make it to the airport in time, but I needn't have worried. I walk to the U Bahn station opposite, a 5 minute wait for a train, and three stops later I was at the Haptbahnhof. I followed the signs to the Green S1 line, and am on the familiar platform on the side of the huge station. The train before the one for the airport arrives, and just sits there. There is an announcement, in German obviously, and people start to leave.

I don't know what to do, but in due course a notice comes up on the destination board saying that all trains cancelled due to a police incident!

Eeeek!

I panic, and try to find a taxi. I had just under two and a half hours until the flight, and was stuck in the city centre.

I get a taxi: Kan Ich mit credit card betzahen?

Nein, in no taxi.

Bugger. OK< take me to a bank, I will get cash and we will go. He says, OK.

Yippee.

We go past he hotel out of the city centre, and in bad German we talk about the way in which the road we are travelling on switches direction at midday. As it is after midday we will not meet anyone coming the other way.

I am enjoying myself now, snapping scenes out of the side window: fur meine photojournal I say.

We arrive at the airport with just under two hours to go. I have downloaded my boarding pass again, I wave my phone at the scanner and am let through. I follow the guy in front of me cutting into the priority lane in security. Despite upsetting the guy on the scanner, I am let through and now have so much time to kill, so I write a blog post as I can't get on the free wifi with my work email address.

The plane is packed, but I do still have some privileges with my bronze card, and am allowed on the flight in the first group. I settle into my seat, but unlike yesterday, I don't feel tired.

The plane fills up, mostly with people with silly sized cases and bags thus filling up the overhead lockers. Those with smaller bags are asked to put theirs between their feet says the pilot. Why should I do that when I'm not a greedy stupid person. Some of these cases are clearly oversized. I pretend to be asleep so I have all the room I want. Well, not really, but you know.

We are all on board, doors are closed, announcements made and off we go, a short taxi to the runway and the engines roar and we climb into the now cloudy skies.

The flight takes just over an hour, in which time BA tries to see us; drinks, sandwiches, crisps, duty free and hand out landing cards. I am not tempted although I am both hungry and thirsty but refuse to pay their prices.

We arrive just before six, we taxi to a gate near the immigration area, so just a short walk once we are let off. No queues at the scanners, I show my passport and am through, no bag to collect so through customs and walk quickly to the car hire place.

I say I don't mind what car I have, but they give me a Skoda estate thing, the most important thing is that it has digital radio so I can listen to 6 Music on the way.

I am on the road by half six, less than half an hour after landing. Amazing.

The rain is still falling, and seems to have been since I left. Onto the motorway and it is stop start for an hour, during which I travel no quicker than 30mph, but near to the M23, the traffic melts away, and we are cruising at 70.

Darkness falls, the radio plays on. I switch to Radio 5 hoping to listen to the Citeh v Liverpool game, and it takes several minutes before I realise its still only Monday, not Tuesday.

Into Kent, Marc Riley is as entertaining as ever on the radio, playing In a Rut by the Ruts, which had popped in my head earlier that day. I smile.

I call in at Burger King in Folkestone for dinner, and I drain the cup of coke in one suck, realising how thirsty I am. A quick blast along the A20, over the cliffs and into Dover, back up Jubilee Way to home. It was nine.

We catch up as we eat, the cats are happy to see me. Or that's what I tell myself. At ten, Scully is sitting on the bed, waiting impatiently for me to get in so she can nestle up next to me.

Situation normal.

No travel for two weeks. At least.