Round The World and other travels

A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries

This is: Canada & Mexico 2011

The home straight

(Link to flight log in side panel)

It's always a slightly odd and disorientating feeling to arrive back in Europe in the middle of a warm and sunny afternoon when all one's instincts suggest that it ought to be early morning. The effect was that much stronger given the sweltering 29C conditions. I set out on the long walk through the lower corridors of Frankfurt's vast Terminal 1. The advantage was that I avoided the need to go through Immigration, and Security was also a breeze - at least, it was for holders of Business Class boarding passes.

I eventually arrived at the familiar territory of the B-gates Senator Lounge, which was thankfully much less crowded than usual. I recalled being there on my return from Vietnam some six months previously, and fervently hoped that the last leg of my journey would proceed rather more smoothly on this occasion. One glance out of the windows confirmed that this was likely to be the case. When the time came, the boarding process was efficient despite the use of a bus gate. Most passengers had to scan their own boarding passes at the automatic barriers.

(Link to flight log in side panel)

Having arrived back at my home airport on schedule, the good luck continued and in no time I was on board my own car and heading for home. I made a quick stop at an M&S 'Simply Food' store to pick up a few provisions and then it was a clear run on this odd, semi-holiday Monday. (Although traditionally only an English holiday, in practice it is also observed by some Scottish companies.) I was able to look forward to an extra day off work on Tuesday, as this had been essential for the original Alaska Cruise itinerary - remember that?

And on that note, I must close by reflecting that in retrospect, there was nothing about this trip that said 'Plan B'. The German and Canadian sections had played out largely to plan and had been thoroughly enjoyable, if we forgive - and I must, as a Scot - the capricious and sometimes malevolent whims of the Canadian weather. But the highlight of the trip, without a doubt, was my first-ever proper visit to Mexico (excluding a few previous cross-border forays) - a country with some serious issues that nevertheless gets a disproportionately bad press, but where careful planning and sensible choices can be rewarded many times over.