I'm coming home

Frankfurt airport is a dam’ funny place, considering it’s in the heart of a nation that prides itself on functional design and efficiency.

Courtesy of a hiccup with air traffic control at Heathrow this morning (to err is human, you need a computer to REALLY foul things up) the flight has been delayed. This could have been far worse – the flight before mine was actually cancelled, and although I’d have really quite enjoyed another night in Sinsheim, good German cooking, pleasant company etc; the family needs me too.

Now, theoretically the plane is due to leave in 15 mins. There are no signs of departure at the gate yet, but who knows – stranger things than a flight leaving on time can happen.

But about Frankfurt airport or ‘Fraport’ as they like to call it: it was apparently designed by an architect that knew he’d never use it. Airports in the UK are fairly functional outside passport control, with the odd bar, shop etc. But go past the barriers and they have a miniature village inside with food, stores and all kinds of things to entertain the traveller and separate people from cash.

Frankfurt has bar-restaurant Laxx. If the name doesn’t put you off (needs an ‘ative’) then the promise of the ‘Laxxburger’ should. Apart from that, there is a kind of ‘deli’ for tourists, at which I bought a litre of Coke, some potato crisps and a pack of ‘jaegerwurst’ (dried sausage – usually smoky and good rather than rubbery and fatty, but hey – it’s meat). One upside was that a minature coffee bar in the seating area was closed and I found a free socket at which I could charge my phone, so thumbs up for that.

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The passengers are now streaming off the plane that I’m reasonably confident I shall board in a few minutes. The time is 8.23pm and a couple of girls that I saw leaving a moment ago have just run back into the tunnel to get back on board. Ho hum. Now the girl on the desk has been called on her mobile and has gone back down the tunnel too.

I did feel as though my time was successful. The guys in the DSL Germany office were very sharp, and despite them having to speak English for me (they ALL speak some) I was able to compress training and installation into about 1.5 days. Most customers I’ve visited have barely learned to use the instrument in that much time. These people learned the installation side, plus how to program it as well as how to run the thing. Quite outstanding. One of them had used a similar instrument previously, but with a different software interface. I’m really quite impressed.

It will also be good to put faces to names. I frequently deal with different staff in that office, and this will make things so much easier.

One interesting thing about these people is how they don’t conform to the classic view of Germans. Far from being stodgy, solemn faced people marching in line (OK, that is a bit too stereotyped ;-) they are warm, friendly, smile and laugh at jokes. People make eye contact in the street and greet you if you do the same. They also use the greeting ‘Gross Gott’ that I had only come across in Austria, as well as ‘guten morgen’ at times. I’ve a feeling I shall look forward to my next trip to Sinsheim.

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It’s now almost 8.40pm (original departure time 6.45).

I’m still sat in the lounge by the gate.

Patience is a virtue, virtue is a grace and grace is a little girl with a dirty face.

I sit here feeling slightly grubby ;-)

We’re going!

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No we’re not. Made it to the plane OK, but once everyone was on board the captain announced that we would take off at 9.40pm.

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He told the truth. I got home at 12.30am German time.