Porto to Frankfurt Thursday 25 September

Well the day has finally arrived that it is time to start the trek back home. Bags out and breakfast completed. Car booked to take me to the airport at 9am. Julie leaves an hour later as she is off to Ireland for a Back Roads tour. Last look at the marina where the Estrela is berthed. No flamingos this morning to farewell me.

Traffic was a bit chaotic but we arrived safe and sound at the airport 25 minutes after leaving the car park so after an easy check in and a relatively quick bag scan check there is plenty of time to kill before my flight. The lounge at Porto airport is very low key and well below average in regards to seating comfort, food freshness and beverages But it is eventually time to head to the gate. We are loaded on to buses and then have to walk up stairs to the plane. At least I'm at the pointy end this time. We are about 25 minutes late leaving but as I don't have to worry about a connecting flight it isn't a problem. Goodbye Portugal, I've had a ball.

Once we are underway we get offered lunch. Thank goodness for the English translation as I would never have guessed what I was having!

Got some more reading done during the 2'25 hour flight. Hello Germany. It's clearly been raining here.

Smooth landing and a long walk to the baggage claim area, then a 15 minute wait for the bags to start coming through. Very happy to see my case. And then the fun really began. I am booked into the Hilton Garden Inn for the night. Travel agent assured me it was just across the road from the airport. Looked the directions up on maps and this is what I got.

Ye gods! Which blasted way is up.... But I headed off undeterred and got to the external doors which put me straight into a busy roadway with no hotels in sight. Back into the terminal and I can't find any airport staff anywhere so at a car hire counter am advised where the info centre is so of I go and finally find it only to see a sign indicating that it was not staffed. No other options provided. I then see a sign that says Visitors Section so end up walking the length of the terminal only to find that I now have to go up a set off escalators which was impossible with my big suitcase in tow! No lift anywhere to be found. I then locate a Lufthansa employee walking along reading a roll and tap him on the shoulder to ask for assistance. Thankfully he speaks English and tells me I have to go up 2 floors and follow the signs to the long distance railway lines. He points to escalators nearby and I tell him I can't use them because of my big suitcase. I ask if there is a lift nearby and he says it is too far away. Having already taken a lift down a floor I knew that one wouldn't do me any good as it only went between 2 floors and I needed 3 floors. Weighing up my options, I considered throwing myself onto the floor, curling up in a ball and crying.... or mastering going on an escalator with a large suitcase and a carry on case up 2 escalators. Just as well I was wearing my big girl pants as I opted for the latter and with my heart in my mouth I managed to get up the 2 escalators without falling over, although I was swearing under my breath! And voila, I now see a sign for the hotel and keep following the signs until I finally got to the end of the signs and found myself in a food court. WTF? I spy a lift to the side and get in that and go up a floor. Straight ahead I see the Hilton hotel sign so make a bee line for reception only to be turned away as I was not at the right Hilton hotel. I am now wishing I had taken my earlier first option.... I am directed to a door at the side and told this is where I need to go. I am now at the reception desk for the right hotel and thankfully there was no problem with the booking so I am given the key to my room and off I go,arriving at my room some 40 minutes after I set out looking for the hotel. Once the suitcase is open I contemplate drinking the custard liqueur, but instead, take off the bra, make a cuppa and enjoy flopping on the bed until I feel rested enough to go for a shower. I attempt to log onto the wifi but find I appear to need a promotional code or will be charged for the use. My booking says it is free WiFi, so I attempt to call reception to clarify the matter. The bloody phone doesn't work! So braless (but with a top on) I head back down to reception and the lass at the counter assists me log on without a code. Back up to my room to finish my cuppa so decide to put the TV on (which I don't usually do) hoping to find an English speaking channel or at least one with English sub titles but the only one I can find is CNN and that idiot T is being interviewed. That's it. I'm done! TV off. I have a blog to complete, some more reading and another cuppa warranted before lights out.