Day 46...Das ist SUPA!!! - 11th August

It took us several hours to get from Heathrow to Kristins yesterday. We didn't know what public transport timetable would be for that early in the morning fo rus, so we spent and extra 10 pounds and had a car pick us up at 4.30am (joy!). We also shaved a few hours off doing that too. Phew! As it was, we got up at 3.30am for showers et al.

Take two! At Heathrow they had us all stand in a line outside on the drop-off road, until our flights were called for us to check in. It was lucky that it wasn't raining! Then BA came out and read a whole bunch of flights that were cancelled that day. A whole bunch of them started with 'm' so we were packing ourselves, but it ended up ok. Once in, we weren't allowed any handluggage at ALL. No purses, no phones, nothing. Wehad already prepared for this an donly had our travel wallets. I tried to sneak a book but wasn't allowed. Rough! We were worried about our big SLR camera, but they ensured us (as they do) that it would be ok and plastered fragile stickers over it. I fretted the whole time though.

They gave us plastic bags for our wallets and sent us through security. for all the hoohah about extra security, it was no different to what Nate and I have been encountering every flight so far. This is because we have one-way tickets (don't terrorists buy return tickets in case of this?) So it was the usual pat down and shoes x-rayed etc. It was actually quicker as we had no bags for them to pick apart and dust for suspicous stuff. They didn't check our shoes for powder this time though, which I thought odd. We got onto our flight just in time after all that, and had a really uncomfortable flight to Munich. I was so tired I wanted to sleep but didn't have a neck pillow and kept snapping my neck. I think i was coming down with something too.

Once there we got our bags (as I watched the SLR case tumble out of the opening and slide down with a bounce onto the baggage carousel), and headed out. As we emerged a really bright light shone in my face and a camera and a journo came bouncing up. I didn't speak german so I couldn't give them a quote, but they asked to film me and my fabulous BA plastic bag. I had no makeup on and felt like poo but said ok and stood there while they filmed me. They asked me to show my bag up, but I was so tired and their accent confused me, I thought they said 'back' so I turned around on them. they thought it was funny. And my first entry into Germany - I'm on german tv!! Even though my hair was like a birds nest and my pants were rolled up funny.

We felt like death and went and caught the train to our pre-booked hotel (which we had had to move an extra night over). It was a good deal too. everywhere it was 60 euro and so were they, but we booked online months ago and got it for 50 with breakfast. yeah. the Hotel Garni Flora where we stayed was ok, it was a big old building with a large creaky staircase and a shared toilet all theway on the other side of the floor. But the shared shower was next to our room, so I could duck in and out with my towel and not get changed. Anyway, how many times do you use a toilet at a hotel? 3 times? We dumped our bags down and checked our Peugot Leasing details for day and time. Becuase we had missed a day due to the terrorists extraordanaire, we actually had to pick our car up that day! And where? ....the airport.

We had a 12 hour public transport pass so we sighed, got back on the tram to the airport. We ha da quick stop at a cafe to eat first or we'd go insane. I laughed at Nate trying to order in German with a bad Australian accent. Strooodehl. (strudel) haha.

We got picked up back at the airport and taken to the Peugot office by a niec German guy that sounded like one of the three little pigs in Shrek. The Peugot leasing office was down a dirt road in some guys weird back office or something. But the Peugot is leased with no exess insurance for both parties, and we weren't even required to return it with a full tank of gas! Super.

Nate drove us back to Munich (Munchen in german to you). He drove quite well, but said it felt really really strange! We parked the car near our hotel and used the rest of our transport pass for the rest of the day. We were staying near the Hauptbahnhof (central train station in german to you again) so we trammed and trained it to Marienplatz - the city centre. Munich seemed both bigger and smaller than I expected. Maybe taller highrises or something were needed? We were more in the old town area with Marienplatz, and the town hall (Rathaus in german to you) had a large restaurant underneath it. The restaurant under a Rathaus in any town is usually called a Ratskeller, and this was what this one was called. It was huge underneath, there were so many rooms it was like an underground town! heehe. It was a veritable rabbit warren of cavernous rooms.

We fluffed it with the waiters who quickly discovered we spoke English. they could speak english so we got by ok. After that, we wandered around the main square. The Rathaus was so finely decorated with gargoyles and people, and even a dragon scaling the wall. the detail was incredible.

It was still light so we wandered around the streets looking at fountains and shops and architecture. the people here have a much more european feel than the UK. Its kind of a beige/60's mishmash and maybe even a facial structure thing I think. It feels very german-ey to be in German. (Inny you'll appreciate that haha). Munich has the usual stores (the virgin, the H&M etc etc ) but the layout was nice and it had a good feel to it. The food is way different though! From the subway stations to the service stations to the streetvendors - rather than a sick looking pastry and maybe a plastic wrapped sausage roll, or candy or chips - you get big crusty bagettes with salad and juicy ham, tomato, salami and stuff! Nate's in heaven!

We ended up walking all the way back to the hotel, as it was a nice area to look around. It was raining slightly and added to the mood of the area. I was feeling pretty rotten so we went to bed after dark (after 10-11 sometime I think).

* I have caught what Nate had in Nottingham and feel like death. My whole body aches and my throat is sore.