Sigh...last days

 Thursday, August 11, 2022

Okay, this is kind of a place holder!!  I'll write about today;  but right now I'm going to join Ammar for dinner before the taxi whisks me away at 1:30 a.m.  Sure wish these flights left at a civilized hour!!

So - Thursday:  I've got a little shopping to do, so after breakfast we decide to walk to the Old City instead of taking a cab.  We need the exercise and we always talk more easily walking than in a taxi.  I know what I want and Ammar says he knows where to get it.  And he's right;  I should never argue! 

last latte!

"Royal Benedict and arugula salad"

The Lamplighter

You don't usually get to see the artist touching up his work!

The churchkhela

It was a nice walk, but it will be a nicer cab ride back home.  I need to pack and see what I can do about staying under the 22 kg (50 pound) weight limit.  That will mean putting small, heavy things in my back pack and saying another prayer to the travel gods!

When I'm done we meet for an early dinner with the hope (vain though it is) that I can sleep a little before leaving in the morning at 1:30 a.m.

She's growing in a pot on the sidewalk.  Is she a squash?

Chicken and pear salad with blue cheese balls rolled in walnuts

Super moon over Tbilisi

Friday:  Ammar has managed to have the driver from the casino take us to the airport in his lovely vehicle with the leather seats.  He even offers to wait for Ammar to take me inside and satisfy himself and I'm safely on my way.  The Lufthansa counter isn't open yet, even though they want you to report three hours early, but presently they get everything set up and I'm first in line.  When I put my bag on the scale, the numbers fluctuate between 21.9 and 22.0!!  Good thing I moved those little heavy guys! I go up the escalator to begin the return to the real world. Ammar watches until I'm out of sight and goes out to find Rati, our driver and return to the hotel for some badly needed sleep.  It was fitting that Rati drove us, since it was he who drove Ammar to the airport to meet me when I arrived!

Security is easy, with an attendant helping to load people's belongings into the trays and when I put my electronics in a tray, he says that I've done it perfectly! Nice start; but followed by a pat down.  Good thing this stuff doesn't bother me!  Then there's trek through the duty free shops where I finally see the name of the typical Georgian and Cypriot candies in writing.  It's called churchkhela, for future reference!

At the gate no one announces a boarding order.  People just stand up and start moving toward the gate!  Maybe there is some sort of hive mind so they all just know?  I stand up with them and everyone gets boarded without incident.

The trip from Tbilisi to Munich is four and a half hours and there isn't even a glass of water, or a screen for a movie.  I've got my Kindle, so it's all good.  I didn't realize that I had chosen a seat in the exit row, so it was nice to have the extra leg room.  Unfortunately it also means that your carry-on has to go in the overhead bin, so I didn't have my camera for the amazing sunrise with the full moon!

pretty display in the duty free

pretty decoration in the ladies' room!

So good!  The chicken was tender and the cream sauce was flavorful with spinach and pasta.  The salad was glass noodles with some sort of delicious dressing and the cheese was brie!  The wine was Spanish.

And a short while later, hot cookies were delivered!

The bread had nuts in it and the filling was cheese with grated carrots and cucumbers.  And you had a choice of an apple or a packaged cookie!

Things go well in Munich.  I don't have to change terminals and the gate on my boarding pass is the actual gate. Interestingly enough, I get patted down at security again. Hmmm!

Our flight from Munich to Frankfurt is only about forty-five minutes;  but they manage to give everyone a drink and a smooth and delicious piece of chocolate! And I've chosen the only seat in my row without another in front of me!  I think the unusual seat in front of me is for a member of the cabin crew.  Again, I stow my backpack where I'm told and then another attendant is upset about it!  they straighten it out and it stays put.

Frankfort is a bit better than it used to be.  We've landed at Terminal Two and my next flight leaves from there, so that's good. There is enough time to go through security (and a third pat down) and get to the next gate, with a bathroom stop. I sure hope there's food and a screen this time!  This final leg is about nine and a half hours and I've already finished one book and started another.

This boarding is a lot more organized.  I guess it has to be with so many passengers.  The carrier is actually Eurowing, a Lufthansa partner. I've got an aisle seat and the two ladies beside me visit the facilities three times during the flight! I'd forgotten why I usually take the window!!  But the food is great and the wine is pretty good and there are lots of movies.  I think I slept through part of "The Outfit", but I saw enough to recommend it! "Emma" was a delight and I think I've seen "Reminiscence" before, but who can resist Hugh Jackman!? "Mary, Queen of Scots" was much more meaningful after being to Scotland. The final entry was "The Book of Henry", a sleeper that I'd never heard of about a young genius and his single mother and younger brother. We landed before it was over;  but the ending was pretty clear.

We landed at Terminal F in Tampa, which has it's own baggage carousels.  I've checked my iTag so I know my bag is here; but I don't see it going around and there aren't any more coming.  Someone had pulled it off and left it in the middle with a lot of others.  Good thing it's got those silly pink and gray fluffy things on it!  I've been texting with Betsy, my Angel of the Uber, and we are now both in search of the GOES office so I can finally have my renewal interview.  She finds it first, but it doesn't matter because it's closed!  Maybe that's just as well.  As bleary as I am, who knows what answers I might have given them!

Ammar sent me this photo from one of the churches.  I'm kind of fascinated by
the way the red stripe along the wall seems to also wrap around me!

Anyway, I'm home and all is well. Hope you enjoyed the trip as much as we did!