Mess in Munich

Well, here I sit at a computer in the fancy lounge at the Novotel hotel near the Munich airport...Munich, that is, not Budapest where I am supposed to be! The day was long, actually it was about 3 days in one. I waited a bit at the lounge and finally decided, based on the hundreds of cancelled flights that I would just go to the hotel and try again tomorrow. I do not recommend traveling with any kind of disability. The cart people were great, when they showed up! I waited well over an hour and finally took off walking and the Lufthansa people stopped me, knowing about my knee injury and insisted I stay and wait and finally a cart came. I had watched 2 men who were in the lounge after 2 other cancellations and decided that was all I had to look forward to so one man and I decided it was smartest to quit waiting today and try for tomorrow. He was given a room at the gorgeous Kempinski hotel right at the airport and when I asked about getting a room there too, I was told I don't have a 'black' membership card, just a gold one so they couldn't pay for that for me. I was furious and decided that a 30 minute ride on ice roads each way to the hotel they had paid for was not something I was willing to do so with the help of the 'fancy' hotel, I booked my own room here which is a 5 minute drive from the airport. I arrived, lucky to have a room since the lady told me that people were sleeping in the camping bags at the airport, as I might have mentioned. No camping bag for me...yet! I ate a club sandwich and went to bed, with a small ice bucket filled to put in a bag on my knee. That has really helped. I woke up at midnight Munich time,which is 8 hours later than Denver time and was ready for dinner. Unfortunately by the time I got dressed and went down everything was closed. The nice reception man had a ham sandwich made for me. What does a $9 ham sandwich look like in Munich? White bread with the crust cut off and 2 thin slices of ham and one of cheese and leaf lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and red, green and yellow peppers. Quite good I have to say! Now it is the middle of the night and I am wide awake! Tomorrow is going to be another long day. Already the first flight to Budapest in the morning is cancelled but I will go to the airport early in hopes my next flight will take off. At least there is quite a lot of good food in the lounge and I still didn't get a german pretzel which is truly delicious so that awaits me tomorrow. If the flights get cancelled again, I will go to the charming Christmas market outside the airport for a while. I still have a couple of days to get to Budapest. The cruise starts on Sunday, but doesn't leave Buda until Monday so I have some time, however the forecast says that tomorrow/today/Saturday is the only break in this wintery weather so it will be best if I do get out. Budapest in only 1 hour and 15 minutes away, but seems like a world away at this moment!

Both of the free computers broke in the lobby so I was given the key to the executive lounge and it is on the 4th floor with a lovely view of the lights around. Trees are decorated everywhere, beautiful!

Thank goodness I had my overnight bag and all the things I drag with me on the plane. I didn't pack an extra top though, just a sweater to be prepared for the cold. I will be fine for another day, who knows where my other luggage is! But I'm so thankful I have all of the things I take with me!

Time is expiring on this computer so this will be the end of my mess in munich musings! Check back for an update on where in the world in europe is mitzi!!!