My husband had been planning a trip to Germany for ages. We have an extended family in Germany. His cousin P has been inviting him quite many years and had practically given up on Sagi ever visiting Germany. I had been behind my husband's life for going on a vacation abroad. I had suggested various destinations like Sri Lanka and Turkey, but Sagi was adamant that if we are going abroad we will go to Germany.
The year 2014 has been a very challenging year for me both professionally and personally. I am pursuing a diploma programme which effectively keeps me out of office for 10 days at a stretch in every two months. So, I was very reluctant as to how to approach my superior for a vacation of two weeks. However, she kindly obliged. I and Sagi checked with P as to what will be a suitable time for him to have us around. We finally decided on the last week of August and first week of September. The climate in Germany would be very pleasant in these months as it would still be summer.
We then checked out for various flight options through various travel websites. We would be travelling with our daughter, MC, who is two years old. P is incidentally, her Godfather. We settled for a Lufthansa flight from Mumbai to Stuttgart (that's where P is based) via Frankfurt and a Swiss Air return via Zurich. We would be in Germany for 16 days.
We left the entire itinerary preparation to the able hands of P (We did not regret that one bit!). Inspite my numerous missives, he did not divulge the itinerary, rather he told me to be patient and enjoy the best vacation I would ever have. As a preparation for our visit, P would send us links of some YouTube videos on what to expect at Germany. The links he shared were -
The next plan was to apply for Schengen visa. I went through the website as well as called the visa application center couple of times to confirm the documents required for the visa. The website was very much helpful and gave all the information required for the visa. We received our visa's within 24 hours of the application!
P had given us strict guidelines on what we should be carrying with us. He wrote mail after mail instructing us not to carry many clothes, as he had a functional washing machine and we could use that. Similarly, carrying soaps and shampoos was also banned. He even insisted on carrying just a few diapers for MC - his reason being, "Nappies are also available in Germany" :) Finally we packed two medium sized suitcases for a two week trip. He indicated that the whether would be pleasant in August / September with an occasional rain. So, we carried just a single piece of warm cloth.
My biggest worry was MC's diet. She is very picky about her food and it is quite a task making her eat her meals on time. P was also concerned about what she would eat. I had informed him to stock his fridge with milk and egg.
Finally the D-Day arrived!!! It was a 3.00 am flight from Mumbai which was expected to land at Frankfurt at around 8.00 am (German Time). We reached the airport at 12.00 am. It was my first time at the new T2 terminal and it was awesome. MC was super excited and she was running around the terminal. We tried feeding her and putting her to no avail. The security check and immigration clearance proceeded smoothly. The flight was on time and by 2.30 am we were boarded and then the worst time of my life began.
P had given us strict guidelines on what we should be carrying with us. He wrote mail after mail instructing us not to carry many clothes, as he had a functional washing machine and we could use that. Similarly, carrying soaps and shampoos was also banned. He even insisted on carrying just a few diapers for MC - his reason being, "Nappies are also available in Germany" :) Finally we packed two medium sized suitcases for a two week trip. He indicated that the whether would be pleasant in August / September with an occasional rain. So, we carried just a single piece of warm cloth.
My biggest worry was MC's diet. She is very picky about her food and it is quite a task making her eat her meals on time. P was also concerned about what she would eat. I had informed him to stock his fridge with milk and egg.
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| MC and her Papa at T2, Mumbai |
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| MC and her Papa |
Finally the D-Day arrived!!! It was a 3.00 am flight from Mumbai which was expected to land at Frankfurt at around 8.00 am (German Time). We reached the airport at 12.00 am. It was my first time at the new T2 terminal and it was awesome. MC was super excited and she was running around the terminal. We tried feeding her and putting her to no avail. The security check and immigration clearance proceeded smoothly. The flight was on time and by 2.30 am we were boarded and then the worst time of my life began.
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