I heart Lufthansa

Oh, I love the Germans and was reminded how much I enjoy flying Lufthansa. There was a time when I frequently flew the Windhoek-Frankfurt-Los Angeles corridor and so was able to take advantage of airport lounges and business class upgrades. Going back to economy was not too difficult this time around as it was a relatively empty flight and Russ and I each had a row to ourselves. Here is what makes a difference - feather pillows with cotton cases, excellent food (we preordered special low-fat meal and were rewarded with salmon, julienned vegetables, and a leafy salad) and overall efficiency.

Walking onto one of their planes resembled entering the United Nations, causing one to wonder if Frankfurt was indeed the center of the universe. Once we arrived, the airport bustled with people seemingly dispersing to all corners of the earth. It still smelled the same as I remembered, like freshly baked bread but without the stale cigarettes (it is remarkably smoke-free until you step outside where travelers and employees alike are furtively lighting up).

We discovered one of the best ideas ever - if you have comfortable yet empty hotel rooms, why not rent them out for the day to bleary-eyed travelers for half the cost of an overnight room? We are currently at the Carat Hotel, a four-star establishment with a large fluffy bed, hot water, satellite television, and free internet. We managed to sleep four more hours, shower twice, and just relax before heading back to the terminal for the last segment of our trip. Brilliant and the best part of this twenty-six hour odyssey.

Of of the most startling moments came right at the beginning. As we were waiting in Hartford, the ground started to sway. I immediately thought it was an earthquake but logic prevailed "earthquakes don't happen here in New England." They may not, but the ripple effect did, as we learned of the 5.8 quake centered in Richmond, VA. So an earthquake and tornado warning within two days - what could possibly happen next?