Landing, Etc.

So, where did I leave off? OK. So as we neared the 30 minute mark until landing, I find out my neighbour is actually a nice guy. We chat away and he is full of information about Europe. Lived and worked in Germany for years, worked around the world, and did lots of business is Poland. When he found out I had a 6 hour layover in Warsaw, he said I HAD to get a taxi and go into downtown Warsaw. I had to see this massive memorial that Stallin in Russian built for the Polish people after the war. He gave me cab info, Polish money info and how to get around in the airport info. Awesome. But we had to land first, so here we are. My video of the landing. If you want to see it in full screen, go to YouTube....

Isn't that nice? A free view of Poland for you. So, the landing was great, and it was the best part of the flight. Smooth and nice. We made it to the terminal is less than 5 minutes and I was the first off the plane. It kind of freaked me out actually because when I went into the airport, I was the only person there except for a few cleaners. It was realllllllllllly odd. Look.....

So I get through and while waiting at customs, my seat mate sees me and we go to the taxi area where he gets me a cab and wishes me will. Nice.....

Off I go to Warsaw. Interesting place.....some history, some new, lots of tall skinny people with most of the women having blonde hair and wearing high heels. My taxi driver gives me a running commentary as we come into town, telling me about "the gift from uncle Stallin" and where the mall is, where the Eurozone is for the soccer, etc. Rambling away. I just want out of the car as this is the first place I learned about the mystery of Polish men and strong body odour. Ewwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeee. Paid my cash and off I went. Walked around and can say that this is a true representation of downtown Warsaw:

So that was fun. Never been there before and I am thinking I likely never will again. And if I do, I know there are many others I work with who will also experience this. Oh yes, they certainly will........

Off I go back to the airport with a cab driver who might as well have been a deaf mute becuase he did not listen to a word I said after "take me to the airport" and never said another word until he told me the price. Odd ducks around the world I tell ya.....I check back in through security which took all of 5 minutes, then off to the LOT business lounge which was oh so nice. As usual, unlimited drinks, meats, cheeses, breads, etc. I loaded up (to save the company money on expenses you know.....I am very pro company....) and spent the next frustrating 2 hours trying to log onto the internet, which never did work, so it just made me angry which made me eat which made me feel fat which made me angry which made me eat.....it was a viscous circle that finally ended when it was time to board my next flight.

My second leg of the journey was on a smaller regional jet. I had an oh so friendly check in at the LOT counter, given priority because I was business and then it was off to a bus to bring us to the plane since it loaded on the tarmac. This is my second experience with the Polish male armpit of death, what I will call the stink ray. It was pointed right at my head and I had no chance to avoid it as it was like sardines in the bus and about 300 degrees. But it was a short ride and I was only a little blue when we got off the bus and walked to the plane to board.

This was ok. I again had a front row seat with a window. I actually had both front seats as it was business. It was a newer and nice looking plane, clean leather seats and only two of us were in the 20 or so business class seats. I was offered a drink even when the common folk were boarding and I was treated with utter respect. I really am not a snob, but it was nice to feel this after 9 hours of a totally different experience on the last flight. Forgot all about that experience did you???? Scroll down my friends and read away.....then come back as I have a little more to say before this one is put to bed.

OK, so my great flight crew was all smiles and nice. Offering me wine and water and anything I wanted. These guys were the tops!

OK......take off was immediate and nice and smooth. We were barely in the air when my meal comes. How much more food can I eat?? Well, keep shoving it at me and I will keep pushing it down if it is good enough. This time it was a salad with some beef and some lovely smoked cold fish which was awesome. And a nice little bottle of French red, some water and, well, a great big smile.

I eat most of this and then have a coffee and it was time to start our decent. We were coming into a lighting storm and it was pretty rough. There was lots of lightning all around the plane and I watched with great facination as I wondered what would happen if one of those bright blue bolts shattered one of our wings. Wondered if we were low enough to like, kinda float to the ground. And then we were through the storm and I could turn in that fantasy for later. The landing was quick, I was off the plane 1st again, into the terminal (hid my face from the stink ray this time) and when I arrived at the terminal, my bag was just coming onto the rack. Since I went through customs in Poland it was out into the Berlin air, grabbed a cab right away and made it to the Westin Grand Berlin soon after.

Next stop.....back to Warsaw and then from there to Toronto again on Friday. This time it is LOT planes on both legs of the jouney so I am hoping for a comfortable seat, no stinky pits and a TV that gets more than a fuzzy map. Oh, and a safe uneventful flight home. That over everything else.