Jollies to Germany

Wednesday 30^th May (the date I actually wrote this :-))

Ok I realise I haven’t actually wrote anything about Italy yet but I’ll get round to that at some point, honest. 

Ok so yesterday I arrived safe and sound in Frankfurt Hahn airport. I have never been so grateful to get OFF a plane in my life (I know ME!). The flight only took an hour but I had gotten myself so nervous before boarding that I made the flight worse. I hope I've not caught a fear of flying.

Let me say the full story. Yesterday I left my campsite and boarded to bus from Lido di Jesolo bound for Treviso where I would change to a local line to the airport. I was going to Treviso Airport to fly and meet Jasmin, in Germany for a few days. The bus drove us around Treviso and I was able to see the ruined outer walls and the waterways that seem to make an appearance in every Italian city I have visited.  I think I’d like to come back to Treviso, it has some male clothes shops and I’m in desperate need of a pair of jeans which fit!

Once in Treviso I used my pidgin Italiano to try and find the bus to the airport. The first bus driver, a lady (I was surprised, she’s the first Italian female bus driver I have met), was so helpful. She told me to take the number 2 bus to the airport, and that it was a green and white bus. Thanking her for her help I took myself off to look for this white and green bus. It turns out it was behind the kind lady bus driver’s bus. How convenient, a sign, or so I thought. When I asked the driver this time did he go to the Airport, he told me ‘No Airport, Padova.’ So off I trotted in search of another white and green bus.

Unable to find another white and green bus I asked in the shop where the bus to the airport was, and I was pointed towards the green and white bus bound for Padova. The counter assistant then explained that the bus travels from Treviso past the airport and onto Padova. Someone had clearly irritated the bus driver, or maybe he just did not want me to reach Germany. I think he was jealous that I was going on my holidays.

Boarding the green and white bus bound for Padova with a little stop at the airport for little old me, I relaxed into thinking soon I would be there. A text, and wee look around later, and then I suddenly see a plane, on the ground, about to start taking off.  I panic push the button and check with the driver that we actually are at an airport, because in Manchester planes drive around on the ground all the time. Turns out I’d blinked and missed the airport and had to walk back ten minutes to find it. Not only did I miss it. I was stood next to the runway and I had to ask in a shop ‘Dove’il Aeroporto?’ A question I never thought I would ask so close to a parked plane.

The Airport I couldn't find

Back to the reasons of my gratitude for not being on one of those white and blue metal birds (God Bless Ryanair). Checked in and through security I looked at the overpriced tat the airport shops were trying to flog. I did discover a new flavour of vodka ‘Oriental Apple.’ 

The Vodka I MUST try!

Tempted as I was to buy it I decided that a litre of Vodka in 2 days was probably a little bit of a challenge and I relented from sampling it. I utilised the internet for half an hour until boarding commenced. I had been that engrossed with my Skype conversation, and the lack of window presence may have had an impact on my blatant ignorance to the fact there was torrential rain storm happening outside. With thunder and lightning in the distance. Very close together I might add. All other flights had been delayed, due to ‘Adverse weather conditions at Treviso Airport,’ but ours. Panic began to rise in me because, frankly, I don’t like to fly my plane in the rain.

Telling myself I was being irrational, I boarded at the back steps watching the fork lightening above the runway, appreciating my last few moments of fresh air. even though i knew that being hit by lightning is safe for some reason i could not shake the feeling this was a bad sign. All my panic was totally pointless. The take off was smooth and the only turbulence we encountered was on landing into Hahn. But I still have never been more grateful to be able to walk off of a plane as I was when those doors opened in Hahn.

Maybe a slight exaggeration

I met Jasmin, her boyfriend, and his friend Carlos; we had a drink in the airport and then drove back to Saarbrucken. The roads where tree lined, apparently woods, I have no idea how I will be able to find my way back there on Thursday evening. Partly because it was dark and partly because I slept for most of the Journey.