Round The World and other travels

Flight Log 5 : LH507

Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) - Frankfurt (FRA)

So for the second time this month and the fourth time in 2009, here I was again making my way upstairs on a Lufthansa Boeing 747-400. I was the first to arrive in the cabin and, on meeting the cabin crew, I made tentative enquiries about how busy it was going to be. "We have three passengers in this area," came the reply. I was unsure whether the answer referred to the entire F cabin or its forward section, but either way, it was good news once again! In fact, both interpretations turned out to be true. There were three First Class passengers, and we were all seated in the front half of the cabin. I briefly considered moving back in the interests of spreading out a bit, but it simply didn't seem worth it. The other two looked just as quiet and unobtrusive as I like to think I am. After my first slightly dodgy experience of LH F on a 747, how wonderful that I got a double seat to myself the next three times in succession!

Anyway, back to the details. I was quickly brought a glass of Champagne and some mixed cashew and macadamia nuts, followed by pyjamas, slippers and amenity kit. The menu and wine list came next, and the crew member explained the Dreamer's Delight option - a simplified meal served all at once, for those wishing to maximise sleeping time on board. Given that it was only early evening in terms of local time and that the flight was a long one, I quickly decided that I would be opting for the full First Class service. Soon after this, the Purser came by to say hello to each of the passengers in F.

As we pushed back slightly ahead of schedule, I noticed a Zurich-bound SWISS A340 departing at the same time. I reflected that my next three scheduled First Class flights would be on board such a beast and was looking forward to bringing my LX F total for 2009 up to equal the LH figure. We proceeded to the runway, followed closely by the SWISS Airbus, and I took my leave of South American soil at precisely 1846 local time. The seat belt signs stayed on for a full 20 minutes after departure.

Evidently some serious problems were experienced getting the IFE system properly initialised, but we eventually got there. The Purser came round to apologise in person. Meanwhile, cabin service followed the established pattern of more Champagne, hot towels and an amuse-bouche, in this case polenta-based. As we approached Recife, I listened to a selection of music by Josef Haydn in this, the year of the 200th anniversary of his death. The next item on the agenda was dinner, the full menu for which read as follows :-

DREAMER'S DELIGHT
Use the time on board to get some restful sleep
COLD GOURMET PLATE
Roasted Duck Breast with Plum Chutney, Prosciutto and grilled Mango
or
HOT SPECIALTY
Lime Risotto with grilled Shrimp and green Asparagus
CHEESE AND DESSERT
Camembert, Emmental and Gorgonzola Cheese
Floating Island, sugared Egg White Dumplings in Vanilla Sauce

FULL DINNER MENU		WINES
Hors D'Oeuvres		Champagne
Caviar with the traditional Garnishes		'D' de Deveaux Brut, Champagne Veuve Deveaux
Seared Herb marinated Shrimp with Shallot Marmalade
Steamed Chicken Breast Tonnato with Capers		White Wines
Roasted Roma Tomato with Mozzarella and Basil Pesto		2007 Münsterer Riesling, Spätlese trocken, Wenigut Kruger-Rumpf, Germany
		2006 Carneros Chardonnay, Artesa Vineyards and Winery, USA
Salad		2007 Vieilles Vignes 'Maitre de Chais', Provins Valais, Switzerland
Seasonal Greens presented with Dressing
		Red Wines
Main Courses		2005 Biblia Chora Estate, Pangeon, Geece
Seared Tenderloin of Beef in Port Wine Jus, Bok Choy and Gratin Potatoes		2005 'Christine', Stellenbosch, Buitenverwachting, South Africa
Pan fried Saint Peter Fish in Lemon Grass Curry Sauce with sautéed Vegetables and Yo Mein Noodles		2002 Chateau Dassault, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé, France
Seared Chicken Breast with Honey Mustard Sauce and Split Pea Puree
Pumpkin and Ginger Tortelloni with creamy sun-dried Tomato Pesto Sauce		Dessert Wine
		2007 Westhofener Bergkloster Siegerrebe Beerenauslese, Weingut Neef-Emmich, Germany
Cheese and Dessert
Gruyere, Brie, Gorgonzola, Parmesan and Provolone Cheese
Dulce de Leche Mousse with Vanilla Ice Cream
Lime Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis
Specialty Dessert Wines

I had the caviar, the shrimp-based starter, some salad, the beef main course and the pannacotta dessert, all of which were excellent. I continued to drink the Champagne initially, before switching to the French red. I rounded the meal off with a pot of Earl Grey. Once everything had been cleared away, I quickly changed into my pyjamas and settled down for the night. In order to increase the comfort level of the seat and avoid over-heating, I spread the blanket on the seat and lay down on top of it. I had barely closed my eyes, however, when one of the crew spread a second blanket on top of me.

I had three hours of solid sleep, followed by a further 2.5 hours of lighter dozing. I decided to get up and change at around 0800 Frankfurt time. We were close to Algiers and about to leave the North African coast. Very quickly after arriving back at my seat, the crew brought me a glass of orange juice. About half an hour later, a hot towels service signalled the start of breakfast :-

BREAKFAST

Cold and Hot Specialties

Freshly squeezed Orange Juice

Fresh Fruit, Papaya and plain Yoghurt

Granola or Frosties with Milk

Smoked Salmon and Gravad Lax

Grissons Meat, Canadian Bacon, Salami

Provolone, Gouda and Reino Cheese

Scrambled Eggs freshly prepared at your request, with Bacon, Spring Onion and Mushrooms

I had some muesli and, scanning all the available items on the menu, asked if it would be possible to have scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. No problem at all!   The subsequent routing took us over Palma de Mallorca, east of Marseille and across the Alps towards Zurich. I wondered whether the A340 was still hot on our trail. The estimated arrival temperature at Frankfurt was 23C, rising to 28C later in the day.

As we neared our destination, the Purser came by again to say goodbye and we had a short, but interesting, chat about the current state of Lufthansa's takeover of bmi. We touched down at 1036 local time and made it onto stand six minutes later. Altogether, another superb experience in Lufthansa First Class!