I’d booked directly with the airline so when I went to change our flights it was possible only if we changed dates and not destinations.  As a result I would fly to Munich and organise the next bit from there. John would arrive later and we would meet up.

Erding is a delightful small town just half an hour from the airport and one that I am familiar with. We have been to Therme Erding many times but this time I intended to simply recover. I had booked a hotel Stadt Hotel which I had thought we had stayed at before…wrong..It was much cheaper  but I thought it was because it was a single room. Nah. It was old, dated and the single room had a distinct nunnery flavour about it. Nevertheless it was only two nights and I was very tired and the staff and breakfast were great and most importantly I was able to check in at 10:30.

I had an hour to fill so I  decided a coffee was in order. It was a stunning day. I found a wonderful café with table service and had a delicious cappucino and croissant and then realised this was significantly less than what I had paid at the airport. I scrambled through my bag, found the dockets and compared. Wow!!!! The exchange rate is pretty miserable so I had paid $14 for a take away coffee …and just to add insult to injury…was charged ‘dine-in’ prices!!!!

Day two and it was raining. I had a mission with my gift and achieved what I had set out to do then headed back to the hotel for a rest. The afternoon was lovely. I settled in across the square from the music and party atmosphere of Friday drinks and savoured my first Erdinger beer. Next the pub for a meal. It was enormous and accompanied by another Erdinger I was going to sleep like the dead.

Thirteen hours! I felt amazing!I was ready for the travel day ahead. Or so I thought. I was so pleased with myself. I checked the room. Clear. Took the lift, stepped outside then saw how wet it was. I won’t walk. I’ll bus it. I had to wait. The dining room was warm and dry. The owner approached me and I thought he asked me if I had left the window open which I had. He appeared seconds later with ‘the gift’! I must have left it in the lift. Oh dear I am going to have to really concentrate.