We started the travel day in Halifax. And ended in Seville.

Boarded our first flight to Toronto and were excited to be in bulk head seats. Lots of leg room and zone 2 for boarding. 

I had an impending g feeling of doom. An over whelming feeling of anxiety swept over me as I reflected on the enormity of the situation Bob and I were undertaking. 5months is a long time to be away from your family and friends. At times i just wanted to go home and scroll through my instagram feed. 

It was here that I kinda thought that it was mostly a fear of the unknown and anxiety because I was so used to being in my safe bubble, stepping out was tough.

It wasn’t until our third flight, Frankfurt to Saville, that my mind switched over to an, adventure mode of sorts. Looking forward to and getting ready for our time on the road.

The Sturgeon Man

While in Frankfurt, we had to go through immigration and standing in the line behind us was a man in a green tweed suit. On his lapel was a pin of a fish.

“Bob, what type of fish is that on that man’s lapel?”

Bob glanced non chalantly at the pin and announced a sturgeon.

As we wound our way though the maze toward the immigration kiosks, we met head on, he heading west, and me heading east,as it were, and I asked him,

“I noticed the pin on your lapel. What kind of fish is it?”

He replied,”sturgeon”.

He continued on, “my family have a sturgeon farm in New Brunswick.” He added, “Canada” as if I didn’t know where New Brunswick was! 

I had forgotten that I was 2 flights in and checking entry into the EU in Frankfurt.

I would have like to have talked with him about his sturgeon business, but the immigration person was waving us to step up and get checked in.

This is how it is when travelling. At least with me I like to think it is. Finding interesting people and hearing their stories.

Three Flights In

we’re three flights in and I think the same crying baby has been on every flight, transfer bust and waiting gate area. I’m thinking the young couple from NS is going to Spain to visit granny and grandpa. 

Our final “leg” was Frankfurt to Seville and left at gate A52.

To get to gate A52, we unloaded and followed signs to A52. 

.

Along corridors, down stairs, left turn right turns and more hallways through the labyrinth of the unused parts of FRA airport. The stream of travellers came to an abrupt halt as the line meandered outside into a waiting shuttle.

We scuttled aboard, cheek by jowl, as the driver summoned, with a wave for more travellers to cram into the bus.

We climbed aboard and were driven about ten minutes to terminal 1 where gates A were. We disembarked onto the maze of immigration. 

Then they release you through the duty free shop. The scent laden department store of brightly lit untouchables.

We found our gate and immediately plugged in at the charging station and waited for Zone 4 to be summoned.

Parked at gate 52 was a huge 747 the double decker kind, wheels chalked, and getting loaded with cargo. I thought it weird that we would be going on a 747 and it wasn’t attached to the gate accordion. But we were there and no gate changes were announced.

Boarding was announced. It was all automatic self check in.

No check ID.

No government ID.

No passport.

We just put our boarding pass down on the reader and went through the gates. It was like getting a transit pass.

We didn’t get on the 747 waiting at gate 52, we went down the gangway, and then down the stairs, outside onto a waiting shuttle (again). With the announcement, “rows 1-15 use the front stairs and rows 16 and higher use the stairs a the rear of the plane.

This shuttle was also about 10 minutes but took us Willy-Nelly through the aprons and tarmac of the run way.

We saw planes, planes and more planes, taxi-ing,waiting and landing as well as luggage vehicles, trucks and vans going every which way.

We arrived at the plane and ascended through the stairs and made it to our seats.

on to Saville.

and on we get.

No accordian gangway, no climate controlled tunnel, just very steep aluminimum stairs leading to the belly of the plane. ✈️

I think more airlines should do this. Because you really get to feel the enormity of the plane. It’s a long way up there, and they are really big! This hulking metal beast will get us safely to our destination.

with the tunnel and the gangway you are shielded from seeing the thing that will take you flying.

i did glance over to the front stairs. Theirs was covered in a plastic “hooped” roof to protect them. Business class get all the perks!