I'm baaaaaaaaaack
and what a palaver. I zooted off to Germany to buy cigs, as one does. Very cheap flights, very cheap hotel which it turned out was mainly for people who spoke Arabic but friendly and cheerful and it was fine. Until I packed this morning and checked my travel folder and my passport was MISSING.Minus 8 hours to flight time. No problem.
Went down to reception and as it happened a policeman was there and he said to go to the central police station in town. So I did. They said to go to the police station at the airport. So I did. They said to go to the airport police so I did. Airport police said go away.
So I went to airport information who said get Ryanair to accept emergency travel docs then go back to the police and report your passport stolen then go back to the airport police for the emergency travel docs.
Ryanair don't man their desk until, hmm, 2 pm?
Minus 4 hours to flight time. No problem
They said go for it. I went to the police who said fine here is the letter that your passport is stolen, now you need 2 photographs for the emergency one. They were, by the way, LOVELY. Even drove me in a police car to drop me off at the photographers! So I get my photos and beetle back to the airport.
It is now 4 pm. Minus 2 hours to flight time. Mmm, bit of a problem?
Airport police said go away.
I said no I won't.
They said if you are from the UK you can ONLY get travel docs from your consulate, as the UK doesn't accept our emergency documents. (British citizens, please take NOTE)
There isn't a British consulate in the town I was in. However they did find me the phone number and I phoned the nearest one who yawned and said lady, 4.30 pm on Friday afternoon? Tell someone who cares, or come see us on Monday.
Minus 1 hour to flight time. PROBLEM.
Long story short (yeah, as if) I got past boarding control at 6 pm, through Security at 6.10 pm, past Passport control at 6.15 pm, and we boarded at 6.20 pm.
It was - lively.
So that's why I wasn't back to chat on the blogs after saying I would be
Comments (34)
It nearly killed me haha
Just having my 3rd cup of coffee nothing like 2 nights in a cheap hotel without coffee facilities to make you appreciate the stuff more than ever before
Did you get the all important ciggies after all that?
Lloyds passage? I asked
Ja, ja.
I had passed it about 5 times thinking what an English name it was - so English not a single person had mentioned the name! It looked dead trendy and boutiquey but halfway down was a lovely big tobacconist and they had stock and took credit card - it wasn't that no-one else had cigs, but no-one took credit cards!
You probably didn't want that long an answer but I am sooooo enjoying speaking English again
Mum's the word, eh?
Some other time, when I'm tetchy, you're on
When I started about 45 years ago,you could not even change Finnish money in a Italian Bank,so when they stole all my foreign money in the Hotel from my attache case and yes funny,left all my Finnish money,I had to change the money on the black market,losing 30 % of its value.
Gosh I wonder if when the UK leaves the EU it will bring down the price of cigs?
HA.
One thing I found interesting, while the UK is putting fewer cigs into packs (without reducing the price) (17!! in a pack) Germany is putting more into packets. Some of the cartons I bought have 24 to a pack. That's handy.
I've got that, plus a midnight skinny dipping session offer on the forums.
It was really hot in Germany, especially for someone dashing around like a lunatic. Quite a relief to get back to 14 degrees and rain in Scotland, but while I would have paid to skinny dip earlier in the day, suddenly the urge is gone
The offer came from sunny Spain from Reb
I am sure some thankful Arab is now using your passport to import her huge family into the EU.
Jeez, if you need cigarettes, go to Luxembourg.
Ian, what Cal said
Red, OUCH on losing all those cigs!! Had that happen to me once, I was raging!
Sola, yes, the manager and I searched the room together. In Germany the hotel owner has a legal duty of care to guests called Strenge hattung des beherbergungsuirtes (I have it written down, couldn't say it to save my life)
DC - yay for your missing photos and the reason
KN - haven't been to Luxembourg yet!
over and out see ya later