7.8.2022 – Frankfurt-Vancouver-Calgary
Not a very good night. Didn’t sleep deep or well. Waking up before the alarm as always when I have a flight. Packing up, eating the apple I got on Lufthansa the day before for breakfast and fast check-out by posting my key in a box.
Over to the terminal where I don’t have to cue and continue straight to the security control. No problem there and then to passport control. I take the automated one since everybody is waiting in line at the booth and the scanner must have thought it is important that I can get through in like 10 seconds. Scary face, maybe. 😀
Maple Leaf lounge before the flight. But first buying some chocolate as a gift. The lounge opens at 6 and I am there 5 minutes early. Nice small lounge where I get some breakfast. Not the best ever. The rolls are dry and hard, but nice fruits, coffee and some bread with cold cuts.
Killing time until 5 minutes before boarding. Directly to the gate and non-stop on board the plane. Seat 4 K is my home for the next 10 hours. Cabin manager Robert is comming around greeting everybody. Another purser gives us the menu and asks a little bit later for our food order to be served after takeoff.
Getting comfy there and then it is time to take off and start towards Vancouver. Watching some movies during the flight, listening to some audiobook. 10 hours are a lot to kill and I am not goot in sleeping on the plane.
Dinner (the operate on the time of our destination) is served and it is good. I just left the fish on the starter. But the beef filet was great. Got som cheese and chocolate cake for dessert. A glass of champagne, soft drinks. Good stuff.
Some light turbulence on the way, but nothing bad. Service all the time if you want. Tried a Canadian Riesling, which was good and enjoying the flight otherwise.
Landing in Vancouver after 10 hours. Great vies over Greenland which looked amazing (I would like to check it out some day) and a great view when coming in for landing at YVR.
Walking through the long hallways of the airport to immigration. I did everything online and it is a fast process, with a few questions and then I am in the domestic terminal. The terminal is small and not very nice. But I have to be there for three hours before my last flight.
Economy class on a Boeing 787-9. The small planes of SAS have more space than that one. Nothing for long haul. We get a 30 minute delay thanks to a plane that was pushed behind us that couldn’t start it engine and had to be towed to another stand. But the flight time is only 60 minutes today (was supposed to be 90). So just a little bit late in Calgary.
Out to the luggage claim where Karen is waiting for me. I am tired, but I have to stay awake to no mess up my whole sleeping pattern. My luggage arrives bulked like hell. And the luggage is new. Just bought a nice Samsonite before the tour. Not funny. Have to file a complaint at the office and fill out an online form the next day.
Karen takes me to my hotel downtown. The Fairfield by Marriott Downtown. Room 616 with a king sized bed and a view towards downtown. Good bed, nice bathroom. Not bad and the price was OK for Canada. Still somewhat high, but hey – it is holiday time.
Getting settled in, coordinating with Kyle, another local geocacher that wanted to take me around. Meetup in front of the hotel with him and a cacher friend of his. We take a small tour through the suburbs and we find about 10 caches. But not much more because I am getting very tired.
Back at the hotel at 21:30 and it is just a question of drinking some water (it is hot in Calgary) and getting into bed and I don’t remember much after that.