11 -27 November 2012 - General Catch Up

O gentle reader, I have been a lazy scribe once more and left you all wondering where I have been and what I have been doing.  Fear not, I have returned.

As you are all eager to read all about my Indian sojourn I thought it best to do a brief catch up entry to cover a couple of weeks.  In essence not a huge amount has happened since Ma and Pa departed these fair shores (even a landlocked country can have shores can't it?).  It has been just mostly normal day to day stuff. I know, boring!  How does that lend itself to any witty repartee?

There were of course a couple of highlights. 

Highlight Number One

Firstly we had some friends over for dinner (Vicki and Alfred) which meant cooking for more than two people.  This meant of course choosing the menu and making sure all the decor and decorations were just so....not sure what poor S thought!

Well the night was a lovely success and so much so that I forgot to take any photos.  So you will just have to make do with a short menu run down:

Starter: Champagne, the best way to start, continue and end a meal!

Real starter: French onion soup with sherry and Gruyere.  This was actually a MasterChef recipe I found and it was excellent and perfect for a cold night.  Of course you have to love chopping at least two kilograms of onions to make this.

Main course: Weiner schnitzel (home made breadcrumbs of course) with smashed potatoes and a cucumber salad (S made the salad).  I managed to get them to be beautifully golden brown and the veal was extremely tender.  The potatoes, were, well, potatoes but the salad was refreshing and a perfect (and traditional) accompaniment.

Dessert:  Creme brulee which was supposed to have cardamom in it.  It is tough to find Asian spices in Switzerland and S tried but we then ended up with kokuma.  I now need to find recipes with kokuma!

Wines:  Delightful range of French whites and Australian reds.

Also did the good dinner party thing and cleaned up after the guests left.  This meant a very relaxed sleep in on Sunday - praise the Lord!

Highlight Number Two

My routine on every second Tuesday is to explore another town/city in Switzerland.  As most of you know I like order and routine and am not restricted to this second Tuesday regime (really I am not.  I say this as I touch each hot plate twice to make sure it is off and six returns to the front door to ensure it is locked).  It happens to coincide with a Hildi day - our cleaning lady who likes to sing and chat to herself.  I don't think she is channelling demons but just enjoys her own company.

So this particular Tuesday took me to Baden (not Baden Baden which is in Germany) but the Swiss version which is obviously not so nice as they did not name it twice.  It is a town which has a number of natural thermal springs (Bad = bath) and was a favourite spot for Romans in ye olden days.

The pictures on the Baden website made it look wonderful but in reality I found it to be a little run down with a number of boarded up buildings - not very Swiss at all.  Even the main thermal bath was closed but it was suggested to use one of the ones in a hotel which was available to the public.  Which is what I did.  I enjoyed a little sauna, a little steam and also a little ice in the cold room - a real weenie shrinker that one!

After that little bit of local culture it was time for more and I headed off to the Villa Langmatt Museum which was the former home of the founders of the engineering company ABB.  The house is filled with works of impressionists (don't we all have Monet's, Gaugin's, Siseley's and Van Gogh's hanging in our homes).  It was an incredible collection and to top it off, almost no people!   Who loves a crowd anyway.

I then had a wander through the cobble stoned streets and did a spot of shopping, well I bought more Nespresso pods!

Highlight Number Three

It was time for another airline geek fest.  This time I did not have to travel to the USA as it was right here in Zurich.  I even managed to convince S that this was a suitable way to spend time on a Sunday.  He is very forgiving or just wants to keep me quiet.

It was a pretty good fair actually with the usual range of models and memorabilia.  I was surprised by the number of catering trolleys that were available but resisted the urge (big PHEW from S) as I have one from the big QF in storage in Melbourne.  That said, I couldn't resist a little catering box from SWISS.  It has become a storage unit in the study and is mostly filled with airline amenity kits.

The next instalment will be our Indian adventure.  I bet you can't wait but those of you on Facebook have already had a sneak peak at some of the photos.  The words will, as always, tell so much more!

5 - 10 November 2012 - The Parentals

Well, gentle reader many of us remember leaving home for the first time and being out in the world on our own.  For some it was pure joy, others terror and for others still a combination of both.  I can't remember mine...the therapy is helping me though and I wake up screaming a lot less now.

But, in the words of Peter Alan, no matter how far you roam, or try to escape them, your parents will generally track you down, even in the mountains and amongst the cows of Switzerland.  Of course my parents also read this blog so I need to be kind! They are very modern and have well and truly progressed from the abacus.  A son could not be prouder.

You may recall from a previous entry that my parents, affectionately known as Ma and Pa, had to jump on a jet to attend a funeral in Holland just after my arrival down under.  As they had missed me so much and were desperate to meet all my new cow friends they (we) agreed that they would come to Einsiedeln after Holland.  Email received from them saying they would be staying a week - gosh, I have not spent this much time with my parents since I left home!

Monday 5 November 2012

As I am a dutiful and loving son I went up to meet them at the Zurich Aerodrome and had also organised for our friendly driver Moustafa to take us back to Einsiedeln in the big Mercedes.  My parents are not ones to travel light and love to fill their bags with large souvenirs and medicines...they are getting on a bit.  Actually they are both reasonably sprightly and young at 64.  Yes, you are all doing the maths now.....

So, happy little car trip was had.  Nothing to see as it was already dark.  We put them up at a local hotel, the same one where Kate stayed when she visited.  We have a super rate now and are looking forward to achieving Platinum Status - I think a room upgrade would involve there being more pine in the room!  We had dinner downstairs and I am a big fan of this restaurant too.  Friendly staff and lovely food.  Of course S also joined us for the festivities. 

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Had agreed to host Ma and Pa for breakfast and their request was for 9:00 am - how will I keep the buffet fresh until then?  After all the preparation including carving vegetables into the shapes of flowers they opted for cereal - geez! 

I forgot to add that to welcome them to town we arranged for it to snow - what more can this son do?  It is like he is angling for a greater inheritance but in reality Ma and Pa are doing a good job of spending it anyway!

So we then headed into town to explore the sights and sounds of Einsiedeln.  The snow meant that there was a complete lack of cows - big wusses I say.  We headed up to the Cloister and after three attempts to get all the way in we enjoyed its magnificence.  In case you were wondering it was not that we were dressed inappropriately but that there was a service underway.  They were suitably impressed with the cathedral.  After this it was a general amble through the cobble stoned streets and then back home for some lunch.

The afternoon was spent lounging about as the weather had turned a bit miserable.  Then it was time for the next meal and we found a place that did fondue in town in many varieties.  We chose four.  The only vegetables present were the grapes in the wine.

After sufficiently hardening our arteries we rolled down the hill to digest and groan!  The fondues were fantastic and a must do when in Switzerland....it is a bit cheesy (boom tish) but delicious.

Wednesday 7 November 2012

It was time to head out of the village and it was off to Lucerne on the choo choo.  Lots of oohs and ahs were had as we chuffed through scenic country side.  We then had a lovely walk through the old town and went and saw the carving of the lion in the rock (see previous post for pics).  It was then time for some lunch and I randomly picked an Italian restaurant along the river.

All was fine until we were nearly done and then an odd thing happened.  We were on a table for four so there was one space free.  The table behind me needed to be reset and the manager took on this task.  At first he placed the menus on the spare space but I got a bit grumpy when it became all the bits of the table including the dirty tablecloth - what sort of a place was this.  The only consolation was the look of horror on our waiter's face who could not have been more apologetic.  I said a couple of harsh words to the manager who frankly could not have cared!

Well we had plans further afield so off we went to catch another train to a nearby town (Stans) where we were to take a double storey cable car to the top of a mountain (Stanserhorn - http://www.stanserhorn.ch/en/travel/cabrio/).  It was way cool and only pictures can do it justice....

It was then back on the train to Einsiedeln.  Mum and Dad decided to explore the restaurant options in town and ended up at a Chinese place which was just fine.  I headed home to a very light supper.

Thursday 8 November 2012

This was a parent free day as they had decided to head off on a tour to Jungfraujoch - another mountain. 

Friday 9 November 2012

It is weird, my parents travel all over the world but when they are nearby you worry more about them and if they are finding their way, getting on the right train, not eating only bad food etc, etc.  I was relieved to see them when they arrived for breakfast on Friday.  When did the child become the parent....I must stop telling them off!

Today was a visit to a local town called Rapperswill (it is where Snoop Dog, Flo Rida and Ice T all hang out).  It was a beautiful sunny day and was a great spot to view the mountains and the lake and take in a spot of lunch.

I know it looks like they are nodding off and I should have made lunch come a bit quicker.  I thought I was more interesting, perhaps not?

Dinner was all set and it was another train ride and a walk to a place called Obst Garten in Freienbach.  allegedly the best schnitzel in Switzerland....the wine was great as was the service and the food.  Looks like some people had a good time and clearly think I am hilarious!.

Saturday 10 November 2012

Well it was time to bid Ma and Pa farewell.  We all went up to Zurich together.  I wanted to make sure that they made it to the hotel safely.  S and I were then heading to the Dolder Grand Hotel for a weekend of relaxation.  Note this had been booked some weeks before we knew of the Ma and Pa invasion so was in no way linked - honest! 

It was a bit odd leaving them at the airport (they were to take a shuttle bus to the hotel) but they promised they would be OK.  Zurich Airport is pretty safe, it is not like downtown LA or anything.  I can report that they made it safely to the hotel and then to their next destination.  Gee, they grow up so fast don't they?

This left S and I to go to the hotel.  It was a wonderful place which had a fantastic restaurant and an amazing gentleman's spa area - sooo relaxing.  The only odd thing that happened was that we had a prayer rug and compass delivered to the room. Curious!

2 - 4 November 2012 - Hot Dog Weekend

I have to begin this little tale with an apology of omission.   I cannot believe I forgot to share this part of my journey home with you.  What is it you are wondering?  Well, as I was boarding the Qantas A380 bound for Singapore what did I see above nose wheel?  It was the registration "QA". 

My heart went a flutter as I realised that this was the first A380 to be delivered to Qantas (the Nancy Bird-Walton) and was also the aircraft which had experienced the uncontrolled engine failure out of Singapore - I think we all remember those images of locals on Batam Island holding up parts of a Qantas engine. 

To add to this was the fact that I had literally just finished the book by the captain of this incident, Captain Richard de Crespigny!  All a bit spooky as Dame Edna would say!

The flight was uneventful and it was sort of cool to be on the first A380 delivered to the big QF.

Well, after that bit of aviation trivia it is back to regular programming....as you know by now I am never one to stay still too long and it was time for another road trip.  This time to Frankfurt to pick up the three boxes which I had sent full of treasured (and hopefully) useful possessions.  The drive to Frankfurt (hence the hot dog reference...I know, I am hysterical) is about five hours but you do get to zoom a bit on the autobahns which is fun.

Journey started with picking up a hire car as S's little SLK was hardly going to cope with all my junk!  We had a lovely bronze-is Audi A6 station wagon which was truly lovely to drive.  Even S, who is a die hard Mercedes Benz driver grew to like the car (hats off to you Audi!). 

I was a little bit excited as we were breaking the journey by stopping at a transport museum near Stuggart called the "Auto und Technik Museum".  I was told there were planes there which you could go inside - touchable plane porn....better wear the loose pants for this excursion.

Well I was not let down.  The highlight was an Air France Concorde and an Aeroflot Tupelov 144 (the Russian supersonic jet - Condordski).  I also was able to buy a model of each and pretended that by going onboard counted as flying on them - a long bow I know.

So I needed to calm down after all that excitement as you could well imagine.  Not sure taking the wheel was the best option but it was my turn to take control of the Starship A6. 

We arrived at Stefan (with an F) at about 6:00 pm to be met by the boxes and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc!  After loading them into the car it was into Frankfurt to the Hotel Jumeirah.  This is a lovely hotel tucked into the heart of Frankfurt.  They have gone with the stock standard interior colours in the room of brown, beige, caramel, ecru etc.  It also had the most complicated lighting control system I had come across - it was like the Starship Enterprise! 

We also got upgraded (in fact a triple upgrade) which I like to think was due to Rodney being a bit grumpy about something but I think it was mostly about a service recovery from S's last visit.  Still, my two favourite words, "Free" and "Upgrade".  We had a view across the city skyline which was beautiful except for the giant flat screen TV which blocked it.  Spinning on its side helped a bit.  Come on people get some homo designers in there to make sure these things don't happen!!

We headed out to dinner that night to a friend of S's....would you believe another Stephan who has a restaurant which is getting some great reviews.  And it did not disappoint.  I struggled to eat everything with a combination of too much food and not feeling 100%.  You can tell when I am unwell when I even refuse wine!  Call triple zero!

Saturday started with a wonderful breakfast in the hotel and then a wander through the city before we headed off to see a friend of S's who is also a concert pianist.  A lovely afternoon tea was had and a tour of her property which included a decent sized concert hall! I think this gal has some money!

Dinner that night was with some of S's friends at a Creole Restaurant.  It was a lot of fun and one of their specialities was a burger made of bison - well could not go past this!

Sunday was merely a travelling day...just a quick 600 kilometres back to Switzerland.  It was great to get the boxes home and see what I had packed...I do question some of my decisions.....

I was not able to even get close to unpacking due to the impending arrival of the parentals....this will be the next chapter.

18 - 29 November 2012 - Oz-battical

Oh gentle reader, have you missed me?  Did you wonder what has become of me?  Did you think there was some terrible on board incident where the champagne was not chilled enough and I could no longer bear to write?  Have I been eaten by a rabid Swiss cow?  Has there been an avalanche with all the snow?  Well, as much as any of these could be possible and stop me from writing it has been a mixture of frantic-ness and bone idleness.

I have been up to so much since I last put fingers to keys.  I guess there is no better place to start (.....than the very beginning, a very good place to start) than where I left off.  When last I scribed I was walking through the hills, taking in the autumn leaves, breathing in the fresh (cow) air and belting out the occasional yodel, Swiss rap style (yo, yo-del...klaus is in de haus....you get the idea).

Well you may have noticed that the title of this entry is "Oz" and this is because I had a little journey down under to see family and friends.  So for anyone reading this who I did not get to see I am very sorry and will rectify this at Christmas time and New Year when S and I venture down under for an Antipodean Xmas.

You know that any journey means a story of flight (an no, not the marvel that it is and a history of the Wright Brothers) but I am feeling kind and so will keep it relatively short but maybe still throw in a few pictures.  S had already left Switzerland to go shopping for clothes in Asia (I am sure that is what his job is....he kept talking about jackets and learning more about them).  I had a few days in the chalet on my own and was very excited by the first snow of the season.

My lovely cows did not seem too phased and I am guessing they are wanting to enjoy as much time outside as they can until they are relegated to the barns (or Bali) for the winter - do cows fly south like birds I wonder????? 

I did meet some lovely baby cows (or veal as I like to call them) who thought I was very curious until a cat distracted them.....don't they know it is all about me!

So the day of the journey came and I had organised for a car to take me to the airport.  Not that I am lazy, well, OK, perhaps, but I was concerned about lugging my luggage through train stations.  I know, thousands of long haired, smelly back packers can do it so why can't I?  You will be pleased (or shocked) to hear that I took the train on the way back.  I am so at one with the people.

My routing would take me from Zurich to London then Singapore and Perth or ZRH-LHR-SIN-PER for those of us with a bit of geek.  The flight to LHR on BA was fine and they served their stock standard "salad" in Club Europe.  It was so average I did not even take a photo!  Arrival meant a change of terminals from 5 to 3 and the safety and security of the BA First Lounge.

As I was travelling in First (love a points upgrade) I was able to use the pre-flight dining option.  It is a nice dining area but it has to be some of the worst duck I have ever had.  Tough as duck's feet and there was sand in my spinach.  Hoorah for champagne!

The crew from LHR to SIN were magnificent.  Very generous with the champagne and drinks and very attentive.  We ended up leaving about one hour late as they had to offload a passenger who was drunk and abusive to the crew.  Apparently he got arrested when he left the aircraft as he threw a punch at one of the ground staff.  Silly man!  I had a tight connection in SIN (50 minutes) as did a number of others so the aircraft was held in SIN and was literally across from our gate so was a quick and easy transfer.  Next flight was ho hum with an ambivalent crew but was comfortable enough on the A330.

Ma and Pa were there to pick me up in the wee small hours and we had a lovely catch up and a couple of wines and headed off to bed about 3:30 am.

Time in Perth was great and although I caught up with a bunch of people I forgot to take any photos.  One of the perils of coming home I guess is that photos do not seem necessary.  I need to correct this on the next visit.  Essentially I rolled from one meal to the next.

Had a great dinner on Saturday night with Brett at the Heritage (a new Perth dining establishment, even if I did have to send my schnitzel back as it was served on a sweet potato puree, peas and anchovies - it looked terrible).  This was followed by drinks at Print Hall.

Breakfast with some of the boys the next day (Michael, Ian, Simon, Robert and Brett) was just grand in Maylands.  So great to be able to get a decent coffee again.  This was followed by a family lunch at Ma and Pa's with three excited kiddies pleased to see their Uncle Rodney, I mean, who wouldn't be?  Lunch could only be followed by dinner with some of the book club girls and family (Mem and Melissa).

Monday for me involved a meeting with the bank (so some of the cost of the flight is tax deductible!) and then dinner with Mark, Simon and Brett at a local Thai Restaurant - Full Moon Thai or Sun Rise Thai, or Meteor Exploding Thai - I just can't remember.  I should add that I also took my parents back to the airport as they had to attend a funeral in Holland.  A sudden decision by them but I would see them in a couple of weeks in Switzerland (brace yourself for the parental blog).

Tuesday I did a spot of shopping at Karrinyup before having lunch with Alanna and getting to meet their new border collie, Speck - which by the way is bacon in German!  I am told that he is called this as when he was a pup he had a particular speck of fur and not the threat of becoming dinner for misbehaviour!  It was then an Indian Curry with Ian and Michael for dinner (the curry and not Ian and Michael of course).

Wednesday was a travelling day for me and the lovely Lisa (sister in law) took me to the airport to catch my Virgin Australia Coast to Coast service to MEL.  Little Ethan was with us which meant looking at planes and fire engines - nothing wrong with that, there could be hot fireman to see!  Grand flight over with DJ and scored a bottle of champers - lovely - which was shared with Kate that evening after she picked me up.

I was terribly lazy on Thursday.  I think the food, booze and jetting around had caught up with me.  I took myself out for some brunch and then spent the afternoon reading Judith Lucy's two books.  I have to say I have never laughed so hard in a book before - I had tears rolling down my cheeks!  I also had a very furry companion.....the lovely Miley....

Very little meowing, lots of purring and sleeping.  Miley did something similar - boom tisch!



Friday was much more active and I headed off to see Pete the Personal Trainer and have a session too.  I was sore for a few days after that but a very happy sore.  It was then a quick journey up to sunny Blackburn to see all of those that were left at Retravision.  They are all gone now.  the building sold and the end of an era.  I also read that the WA office will be closing down too and the brand being sold off to another buying group. 


Dinner that night was with a few of the former work crew (Adam, Kerri and Praveen) and I actually took photos of us in Gingerboy - gotta love their son-in-law eggs!

Saturday started off with breakfast with some of the boys (Stuart and Malcolm)  before having dinner that night with Kate at a modern Asian restaurant called "Davids" - the food was fantastic as of course was the delightful Kate.

The endless food and drink continued on Sunday where I took myself into the city to absorb some Melbourne atmosphere and buy some DVDs!  the afternoon was catching up with Malcolm for a beverage at the Railway Hotel followed by dinner at Mitsy's Diner - no michelin stars here just lots of good old American fried fare.  Was lovely to be able to catch up with Dale, David, Malcolm and Stuart again.

All of a sudden my Outback adventure had come to an end and it was time to saddle up and head back to the mountains.  It was a long flying day as I went from MEL-PER-SIN-LHR-ZRH and the flights were generally pretty good.  The big QF is still an excellent airline with a great bunch of people working for it.

So I am safely back in the Alps and was met by a thick layer of snow across everything and no cows.  I didn't even get to say goodbye.

16 October 2012 - The hills are alive.....

Or in the veritable words of the Mama's & Papa's...."All the leaves are brown [leaves are brown], and the sky is grey......".  Yes the seasons are changing here dear reader and it is now truly autumnal.

As I look out the window I see the smoke from the copper chimneys set against the pines in hues of burnt orange offset by the stark white of first snow.  The air has that wintry bite to it which you feel most on the tip of your nose and the tops of your ears.  It will soon be time for the cows to head into their barns to escape the winter chill.  All of the dark winter clothes are coming out but a flash of colour is shown from a jaunty hat or scarf.

The weather can only get colder and there will be more snow.  I am sure it will seem like a winter wonderland to me full of magic and promise until I slip over on some ice and curse the snow!  The days will get shorter and the ability to do things outdoors will become more challenging.  Skiing is of course an option.  It will be me and the kiddies on the learner slopes I think.

So, I am trying to make the most of the beautiful clear days which we are still getting and heading out into the wilds of Einsiedeln.  I have had a strong urge to climb a hill (which I like to pretend is a mountain) since I have been here.  My fear has always been wandering on to someone's property (and then being yelled at in Swiss Deutsch) or being chased by a bull across a field!  In my wandering around town I have come across a couple of walking trails so it was time to explore.  I am hoping these will remain marked in winter as well and I can still get out and about.  Not that I think I will be snowed in or anything, well, hang on, now I think of it best make sure the food supplies are well stocked!

I was pleased to find this hill trail which also has the Stations of the Cross on it, although I could only find four or five, clearly I am on the wrong path.......

The hillside is beautiful and with the changing leaves it makes it pretty special.  It is not too hard a climb although my calf muscles certainly noticed the next day.  It is a lovely loop across the hill with some great views across Einsiedeln.

No walk is complete (or one of my blogs for that matter) without a cow reference.  I could here the gentle bells as I was walking through the hills (there was no skipping and I did not think of myself as Heidi, not once, promise).  I went over to the fence to observe and chat to them.  After a few minutes of so one curious cow came over to say hello (Moo!).  This was then followed up by another two cows and then the whole herd!  They were very friendly and liked a nice scratch on their head and enjoyed licking my hands.  They were very cool.....

We chatted and laughed for ages.  Talked about barn prices and the decreasing hay quality.  We got close to religion and politics but it seemed to be a moo-t point with them!




Yesterday was a big day for me as it was the first snow of the season.  I am sure, as I said before, there will be days when I will not think it so pretty but I am allowing myself to relish it for now.  Most of it has melted away now you can still see it on the distant mountains.

5 - 7 October 2012 - Atlanta Antics

Oh patient reader, I realise there has been a gap between drinks and I have no real excuse.  My busy alpine life has not really been that busy.  I have discovered some great walking tracks up hills but otherwise it has been low key.

A month or so a go a friend of mine alerted me to the fact that there was an airline memorabilia fair being held in Atlanta, Georgia.  This peaked my curiosity not only for all the geeky things I could buy but also the chance to go to a new city and to fly on some wide body jets again.  So, off to the interweb I went to see if I could find a reasonable fare for this aviation adventure.  I came up with a very good option with KLM and Delta - two new airlines and one new plane - which of course means new models too!

I did try to convince S to come with me and he was on the verge of agreeing and then sense and reason took over!

Friday 5 October 2012

 

So 5 October came and off I set to the Zurich Aerodrome on the famed Swiss railways.  It was very odd heading off on my own without S.  Checked in at KLM for my flight to Atlanta via Amsterdam's Schipol Airport.  Headed up to the very uninspiring Air France Lounge (liberally called a Salon).  I whiled away the time and then it was time to take a bus to my little blue Boeing 737.  I was in Euro Business Class which as I have said before is essentially economy with a spare seat in the middle.

 

Once we were all settled the captain announced that we were going to be delayed for about one hour as there were thunderstorms in Amsterdam.  The gentlemen who was next to me was not happy as it meant missing his connection.  He did not believe the captain!  Anyway after about five minutes we got the all clear and off we went and Mr Grumpy got told he would make his connection.

 

The flight passed uneventfully and a light lunch was served which consisted of a choice of three rolls.  The closest they got to champagne was Cava, a Spanish sparkling - meh!  Please note the "teaspoon" next to the cup which is more like a swizzle stick!!

 

 



So we arrived into Schipol and then I went to find the Crown Lounge which was some distance, up some stairs, through middle earth and required an adjustment to the space time continuum to find.  Enjoyed a light beverage and watched some TV on the iPhone - marvel this technology - what next?

 

Then it was off to my new jet - well it is actually quite an old jet but I had never flown on one before.  It is a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 and has three engines and is very old school!  Brace yourselves for some exterior and interior shots!

 

There was no doubting that you were on KLM with all the (Delft) blue surrounding you.  Seats were fine and comfortable but looked weird with the "ears".  I did have loads of legroom though. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being the geek I am I made the cabin crew aware that this was my first time on the MD-11.  They all said how much they enjoyed flying the plane and were sad to see it being retired in a few years.  There was some real champagne before take off (Billecart Salmon) and some small Dutch delicacies - not pickled herring.  Main course orders were then taken by the girls in blue.  At this point I should add that I got chatting to the fellow next to me who is a private pilot flying Gulfstreams.  He was an amicable sort of a bloke but had this very odd habit of spitting out a brown fluid into a water bottle every few minutes - it was quite gross.  Thankfully he went to sleep so I did not have nine hours of this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was meal time.  Now KLM was proud to be having "Dutch Month" celebrating all foods from Holland.  Now, if you did not know, I am half Dutch and although the food is fine, Holland is not necessarily a country known for its cuisine.  So I braced myself and the results are below.  I did love the salt & pepper clogs which were a permitted souvenir.....and the cutlery...which was not...but...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I liked the orange on the tray but main course was, well, I think a picture speaks a thousand words, since when is brown, brown, and brown a good idea?

 

 

Watched a few movies to pass the time all washed down with a French red.  Have to say the flight attendants, although friendly, had mastered the art of ignoring the call bells.  Maybe they do not work in jets this old.

 

Arrival was pretty seamless and the car was there to take me to the Mandarin Oriental.  Warm welcome and a lovely hotel in the Buckhead area of Atlanta.

 

Saturday 6 October 2012

 

Saturday arrived and it was time to head out to the airport to the Delta Flight Museum where the memorabilia show was being held.  Best way to get there was by train which was pretty straight forward - yes I am on more suburban trains.  It was a pretty warm day in Atlanta (about 30 degrees) and the hanger where the fair was being held was roasting. 

 

It was a fascinating study of the human (geek) condition to see all these die hards trawling through models, cutlery, badges, safety cards etc, etc, etc.  I was very restrained and only bought a couple of things but had a nice wander about and considered my own human condition.  Here are a few shots:

 

 Geeks on parade...

What every home needs, its own aircraft galley unit, ooh, my catering trolley would fit in there.

Perfect for the home theatre or mock-up cabin in the cellar.

Rows and rows of these

 

 

I thought the landing gear could be lovely fitted with a table and an umbrella, a real talking point for those summer soirees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was then back to the hotel with my few purchases and had a bit of downtime before heading to dinner in the hotel's restaurant.  Was a lovely spot to eat other than the proximity of the bar which included a television broadcasting the local football came.  The staff and patrons were really getting into it....I had wine to try and drown them out.  Food was pretty average.

 

Sunday 7 October 2012

 

I had most to of the day on Sunday before jetting back home and tossed up a few tourist options.  Did you know Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola?  I didn't and they have Coca Cola World here!  It is also the HQ for CNN!

 

I elected to go to the Georgia Aquarium instead which is like a giant version of Underwater World.  Have to say it was pretty neat but the dolphin show was a bit lame.  No reflection on the dolphins of course - they were cool.

 

Lovely dolphins

Very cool seahorses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Glow in the dark jelly fish, the new night light but it may scare the kiddies.

 

And just for good measure, the bloke who invented Coca-Cola.  Looks like they modelled him in Coca-Cola brown!

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was then time to head back to the airport to head home.  I tossed up on the best mode of transport, limo, taxi, horse drawn carriage but decided on the train again.  Not the most glam but certainly economical.

 

Checked in and then off to the Delta Sky Club for a pre-take off beverage.  Very bright and clean lounge with great views across the apron of all the Delta jets.

 

 

So, Delta is another new airline for me and I had pretty low expectations having flown on American Airlines a number of times.  If you think there has been cost cutting in the Australian airline industry you should fly in America.  So I braced myself knowing that I had an older style Boeing 767 to take me back to Zurich on this overnight flight.

As expected the cabin looked a bit tired but this was made up for by the friendliness and enthusiasm of the crew.  They may have been on the mature side but they seemed to genuinely enjoy their job and very proud of Delta (and they thought I was a delight!).  Of course now it is time for some random cabin shots.....

It was then meal time which was served with some urgency and they forgot to warm my nuts!

The food was a lot better than I expected and I quite liked the "kind to trees" tray.  Yummy duck and a pumpkin soup to start followed by a stuffed chicken and then ice cream sundae.

Well, that was it folks!  I know this one was very airline heavy so if you made it to the end I applaud you for your dedication, perseverance and loyalty - perhaps I need to start a Frequent Reader Program - you get points for each page you read....now for a name....