30 April 2013 - Well the last flight out of Frankfurt's almost gone......

 

Before the last flight you have to endure our little adventure through the Champagne Region.  The timing of our arrival into Germany from Australia was such that it coincided wonderfully with a quick jaunt down to Champagne.

 

We arrived into a less than sunny Frankfurt about 6:30 am and found an arrivals lounge for a quick freshen up.  It was then time to collect the hire car and a Mercedes Benz S Class was secured for our three day adventure.  We also collected a friend of S's (the infamous Stefan with an "F") and then it was time to hit the autobahn for France.

 

I was quite happy sitting in the back of the car (felt just like the Queen and I waved and people occasionally although the speed at which they drive sometimes made me think I could end up like Lady Diana - splat!).  We arrived at the village of Avize to our boutique hotel aptly named the Hotel Avize.  They spent hours workshopping that!!

 

The next couple of days was spent visiting four champagne houses being Taittinger, Bruno Paillard, Krug and Pol Roger.  Each were private tours with tastings and some even gave gifts of champagne.  I have to say it was a special experience wandering the cellars, tasting the various vintages, listening to the stories of the makes.  What a privileged life we lead.  We did also head into the city one day and checked out the local cathedral which was magnificent.

 

 

 

Not content with Champagning (I am championing for this to become a verb) we then headed back into rural Germany for a dinner at the Sonnora Restaurant which holds three Michelin Stars.  Well, it did not cut it in our books (nor the recently released San Pellegrino 50 Best Restuarants http://www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50-winners/).  I gave it a scathing review on TripAdvisor too (http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowUserReviews-g644201-d1812361-r158356719-Waldhotel_Sonnora-Wittlich_Rhineland_Palatinate.html). 

 

It was then time to head back to sunny Switzerland but only for one night for me......

 

Final Qantas Flight out of Frankfurt

 

Yes, my passion for flying and the big QF clearly knows no bounds!  Before I left for Australia I found out when the last flight for Qantas would be out of Frankfurt and managed to get myself a frequent flyer ticket to Singapore.  On the downside (other than the fact that QF had served Frankfurt for 60 years) was that it was only one day after we get home from Champagne.  What is a boy to do?!?!  I could not pass this up.

 

So it was back to Frankfurt (on Air Berlin via Berlin - with a very tight connection) to "celebrate" this sad occasion.  Managed to do a bit of lounge hopping.  First I tried the new OneWorld lounge (surprisingly impressed with pics below) in Zurich and in Frankfurt tried both the Cathay Pacific (bland and bad champagne) and Emirates (same as every other one) Lounges. 

 

My friend Felix (GM of QF in Zurich) was also here for the event and we caught up at the departure gate where there was cake, wine and tears.  A presentation was done explaining why they were withdrawing from Frankfurt etc, etc, etc.  Hmmmmmm.....

I was also joined on this flight by a friend who I first met on a flight to Hong Kong a couple of years ago and goes by the name of "Airline Hub Buzz".  His identity requires protection.  He is just as geeky as me when it comes to flying and flies a lot more than I do. 

We boarded one of the oldest (but still classy) Boeing 747's (VH-OJC) and I had seats 1A and 1B to myself.  AHB had 1J and 1K.  This meant I could set myself up for sleeping in one seat and dining in another - fab!  Felix also managed to get me a farewell T-shirt.

It was a very emotional farewell.  I had staff thanking me for taking the last flight and for my loyalty to Qantas.  There was a team on the ground all lined up waving the plane goodbye.  Even now I get a tingling in my spine and a little teary at this.  Sniff....

The crew were reasonably good and very senior.  They indulged the geeks and the crew signed an inflight magazine for me and also gave me a model plane signed by the crew.  Unfortunately it was an A380 not a 747 but the sentiment was there!

I managed to get some sleep and then it was time to arrive and enjoy my one night in Singers.  What a delight when I exited that I was met by a Lounge Staffer who escorted us to the Lounge for a refreshment.  After another champagne it was off to the the Fairmont Hotel.

My friend AHB had organised the booking here and to my surprise I received the most amazing upgrade to the Presidential Suite!  OMG, as the young people say!  The room was enormous and just kept on going (see blue outline below).  The bathroom even had its own sauna and I am told that this is the room Barack Obama stayed in.

 
Had a nice meal with AHB in Prego and the next day was spent just chilling out.

Evening time came and it was back to Changi International Airport.  How on earth was I going to get back to Europe with no QF??  Well the good people at Singapore Airlines have a daily A380 into Zurich and also had a redemption ticket available in Suites.  So, I was rapt!

SQ have their own First Class check-in area with its own immigration and spits you out in the airport right by the lounges.  I received my "Golden Ticket" which gets me into the Private Room.

I had quite some time in the airport but I have a high boredom threshold so had no trouble occupying myself.  Eventually 1:00 am came and it was time to board.  Tonight there would be only three passengers in Suites so I checked to see if they could make up a double bed in the centre for me to snooze in.  This was no problem....

Well that was that.  I was home again after a restful flight and part of history.  Not sure where the next adventure will take me.  It is back to reality though with finding another German school and continuing to look for a job.

 

 

25 April 2013 - I come from a land down under

 

Have you finished yesterday's instalment?  Did you read it twice just so you could be enveloped by the soft tones and warm feelings?  It was nice wasn't it?  Go on, admit it.  You know you want to?

In case you are afraid I am writing for some other forum, no,you are in the right place.  I must say it was great to jump back into the writing saddle again.  So much so that I will share with you another epistle.  This one is more traditional in the sense that it is mostly about travel and planes.  Yes, plane porn....maybe my opening lines were appropriate then.  So be prepared to be aroused and titilated by a long cylindrical tube, the graceful Boeing 747.


It had been a long time in the planning and waiting, well since Christmas anyway, to head back to Oz on a wide bodied jet.  Sometimes I tire of the single aisle (unless it is in the first or business cabin in the nose or upper deck of a 747) with their short journeys and snack service.  Who wants wine out of a small bottle?

So first step was a five hour train ride with more luggage than Zsa Zsa Gabor to Frankfurt (via Wadenswil, Zurich and Basil).  We were also transporting two cartons of Dom Perignon which were being returned to the dealer.  Returning champagne? Insane?  Not when it is the 2003 vintage which is just terrible.  So, if you were about to stock your cellars, don't!

Seemless check-in once we arrived and then it was through to the less than luxurious Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge.  The lighting was so bright in there that you became transparent!

You will be saddened to know that for some unknown reason I took no photos of the plane!?!?!? Fear not, there are many more from many other segments!  Flight was pretty good and managed to get some sleep after some dinner and wine.  I do like the new turndown service onboard.  Nice mattress and blanket.  Very comfy.

We arrived into Singapore where we were spending one night at the Shangri La Hotel.  It is one of Singapore's oldest and opened in 1971.It is not all just fluff and pretty pictures here, I want to impart history too!

We had a lovely big room on the club level.  Overall we were not that impressed by the hotel.  Very average service and all looking a bit dated.  I mean, you just can't have enough glass cube tiles in a room now can you?

We did have a great dinner at Guy Savoy that night.  I made sure not to eat before landing as I knew S would be keen to have the 75 course tasting menu.  We met the chef and he gave us a couple of extra courses including one where he cooks salmon on dry ice - crazy!!!

That was our little Singapore Sling and the day was spent poolside reading and playing games on our devices - who needs conversation?

Next stop Changi International Airport a former Qantas hub and now merely a destination.  Yes I am a little concerned about the plight of the big QF.  I loved Singers as a transit hub and never been a fan of DXB.  In fact it is getting harder to fly on QF metal.  If I flew to Perth from Zurich there would be a QF flight number but it would be an Emirates jet all the way.  Sigh...I want my flying kangaroo back.

First stop is the Emirates Lounge (perk for being Platinum One whilst the lounges are being refurbished) for a champers and snack.  I had also bought some nice little fluffy Lindt rabbits that were also keen to join in the snacking action.

It was then off to the Qantas Airbus A330 service to Perth (now only once a day!).  And what a flight it was.  The crew were sensational.  Nothing was too much trouble, they loved the rabbits and even managed to get one into the cockpit......

We landed on Easter Sunday and it were collected by Ma and Pa and taken to Chateau George.  Next day was family lunch at my brother's new architecturally designed home.  And what a place it is - very cool.  Poor S was feeling a bit poorly so rested and then took the night off whilst I headed off to catch up with my friend Zoe.

Next day was a bit of R&R and adjusting to the warm weather and the time change.  Then it was off to Brett's for champagne and canapes before heading to Rockpool for dinner.  Fun night with lots of lovely wine and food and no-one was driving - huzzah!

All of sudden that was Perth done and it was off to Melbourne!  This was to become a trip of "two days" as this was the longest we stayed in any one spot.  The lovely Simon Dufall and Robert Bayliss joined us at the airport in the Virgin Australia (you read it right) lounge before our Coast to Coast service on the A330.  Unfortunately it was an ex EK aircraft so a little bit old fashoined but still comfortable.  In fact so comfortable I even had a little snooze.

Arrival was prompt and then it was off to our friends Mark and Stephen where we would be staying for "two days".  Mark kindly agreed to host a little dinner soiree and my nearest and dearest Kate came and joined us for curry and conversation. 

Wednesday was a day for wandering and time to get reaquanted with lovely Melbourne.  Also managed to have a nice lunch with Praveen (you may recall him from an Indian Wedding entry).  Dinner was to be a boys night out (without the strippers, party bus, beer, fast food, so maybe more of a girls night out).  We were joined by Stuart, Malcolm (and new friend), Lindsay, Dale, David and of course Mark and Stephen at Virginia Plain in Flinders Lane.  Another cool Melbourne eatery.

Then it was another day, another airport and this time Melbourne's Tullamarine, gateway to the world and for us to Hobart.  Lovely little flight and I then discovered where Qantas had sent all the pork products they were no longer serving on the flights to Dubai....Qantas Domestic!  There was a choice of pork pie or ham........

We laid our hats at the charming and quirky Henry Jones Art Hotel (yes it looks like they are still building it but we are calling it builders chic but at least the bathroom was done) and planned our "two day" visit with the concierge.

S expressed his need and desire for seafood and specifically oysters.  He was on his own in that culinary choice as I think they are like globs of phlegm in a shell.  Urggh.

Dinner was had at a nice little local eatery (Smolt in Salamanca Place) which poured very big glasses of Veuve champagne and they served oysters.

Little Tassie snooze was had before we leapt out of bed about 9:30.  Can't rush these things!

Concierge had organised out ferry tickets to MONA (mona.net.au) and we had chosen to go in the "Posh Pit" which included drinks and a snack for the 30 minute journey.

We really enjoyed MONA and the building is just waaay cool.  That said we did it in about 2.5 hours and we then bumped into some friends who were still looking at the art on the first floor.  Oh, I am such a bad art person. 

After all that visual stuff it was time for a spot of lunch at the restaurant followed by a little lay down on the grass on giant pink bean bags.

After wandering the streets of Hobart for a dinner spot we ended up at one of their new eateries, Garagistes.  Another nice meal had although they need to instal a door near the rest rooms so you do not hear the noise from the Dyson hand dryer. 

We had a little walk the next morning before picking up our hire car and enjoyed the cool weather and blue skies.  We then took our very butch Mitsubishi Pajero up to the top of Mt Wellington for some amazing views of Hobart.

It was then, in the words of John Denver, time to be "on the road again" and this time for about five hours to get to Cradle Mountain.  We did have a little pit stop for a meat pie and an iced coffee - when in Rome! 

Eventually we arrived at the Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge where we checked in to our cottage/chalet/tree house.  We chilled out a bit and enjoyed the surroundings before heading to dinner.  Their acclaimed fine dining restaurant is a little bit rustic in terms of service (never have I seen a wine decanted like it was orange juice) but we are in rural Australia. 

We went and explored a couple of the trails around the hotel the next day which were really stunning.  Beautiful trees and some cool animals.

We spent the afternoon on the patio enjoying some wine, sunshine and made some new friends.  they were so cute and I am sure you are not suppossed to feed them but who could resist that face?

So, another "two days" gone which meant time to be on the move.  We had to drive to Devonport airport to catch our little QantasLink Dash 8 to Melbourne and then a 737 to Sydney.  I was surprised to find that Devonport even had quite a nice little regional lounge.  Onya QF!

Very quick stay in Sydney at the Four Seasons where we had a lovely meal at "Woods".  Rooms are still very small at this hotel and BMW had taken over everything so they were very full.  Even the Executive Lounge had been renamed the BMW Lounge.

Before we knew it we were airport bound to take one of the last QF 5 flights to Frankfurt (that will be the subject of another blog when I do in fact take the last flight). 

I managed to organise a little facial for S in the First Lounge and we had a lovely little meal over looking the apron and Sydney.  It is still one of the best airport lounges.

We had a fantastic flight to Singapore on a newly configured 747 (with A380 Skybeds) with an amazing CSM and crew to match.  We felt like celebreties. One amusing part of the flight was that one of the passengers was very upset that they did not have pajamas on board a day time flight.  So he decided to get into what I can only suggest is his gym gear....see below.....

Had a great chat to one of the pilots and we were then invited up to the cockpit once we landed in Singapore.  It really has to be one of the best QF flights I have had.

 

I think that is enough to keep you going for a day or so.  Next time will be the journey through Champagne, a bad Michelin Star experience and the last Qantas flight out of Frankfurt.

OK, one more thing and just because spring is in the air, seems our neighbours are emerging from hibernation!