Two buses . First to take me to the bahnof next to airport. €6.10 bargain!! I’ll be there just after 11. Then to negotiate with Lufthansa about my bookings. Seems I have forgotten to put in my middle name and it is resulting in all sorts of dramas.

Bag drop and check in was seamless. Munich airport is busy!! We have only ever been here early morning or very late evening.

The flight is delayed. Of course I’m a bit stressed as I now have less than 50 minutes if all goes well and Gate Z doesn’t auger well. Even the Lufthansa crew member seated next to me, flying home for a few days off, has no idea where Gate Z is but she does reassure me saying there will be so many airport staff to help.

It is a long walk but thankfully it is in the same terminal. Oh and yes of course it’s Gate Z25, right at very end of the concourse and it must be the oldest part of the Terminal with some rather obscure destinations. And just as I thought I might be running late I catch a glimpse of the departure board. Rather than 16:40, the flight to Baku would leave now at 17:50. Maybe..

It’s a four and a half hour Lufthansa flight on a smallish jet. I calculate about 130 passengers. It was reasonably full.

 I was in the exit row with a delightful Ajerbaijani who was visiting family after living in Canada for a couple of decades. There was no screen but we were provided with a blanket and pillow and food and drink. Farhad and I talked about everything from culture and history, to stock options and the diversity of peoples living in the Caucasus and surrounds.  It was a very pleasant flight and the time flew.

It was late. Customs waved us through and we stood at the conveyor belt and waited….and waited…and waited. Eventually baggage began to emerge and regularly got caught and someone came and detangled the strap and it continued. I waited. Of course someone’s bag has to be last. It was now after 2am local time and I was also concerned about the driver who was suppose to transfer me to the hotel at 11:30. Fortunately I sent a message and he responded. I waited. No. Today was not my day. Turns out my luggage needed a rest and was still in Frankfurt. After lodging a report I was told it would be on the same flight tomorrow and then delivered to the hotel. So that meant I might get my luggage at around 3am Monday! Great.

By 2:58 I was at the hotel well and truly ready for bed. Seeing the earplugs beside the bed and then noticing the constant hum of what I think were air-condition units, I was not reassured but I was just too tired to do anything other than wash away the day, take a Valium and falling into bed. I woke three hours later. The noise was annoying. I put up with it for another hour and then went to beg for another room. It took a while but I was accommodated.