Munchen Hochzeit

I just got back today from Germany and a fab weekend at my cousin Lisa's wedding. I will recount my adventures and observations in the style of my friend Mr Shervington, although i fear it will not be quite as diverting...

Friday I was in a state of nervous excitement all day, you'd think I'd never been on a plane before! My first experience of flying away for the weekend at any rate, and my first trip into Europe (that is, further than Brussels!) Hard to believe isn't it? After some confusion about flight times, I boarded at Durham Teeside (which is the smallest funniest airport ever) and took off to Amsterdam. With all the flights this weekend I was reflecting on how much I love takeoff. I find it so exhilarating, especially in the small 'cityhopper' planes. The acceleration down the runway and the anticipation just before you lift into the sky, being pushed back into your seat as it rises - what a rush! Don't mind me...

I finally arrived in Munich at 10pm, after too long spent admiring the workings of Amsterdam airport. My first view of Germany..and that was only the autobahn and in the dark. Sadly I was not to see much more, and of Munich pretty much nothing! We stayed in a rural hotel, which was perhaps the oddest place I have ever stayed. We had an ensuite with a bath, a sink and a large fridge, but no toilet. The room had two lamps and a TV, none of which worked! And the curtains when pulled closed left a gap of 15cm or more. Added to this, despite being pretty large, the hotel appeared to be completely empty apart from those of us there for the wedding!

The wedding was held in a small church in a nearby town. It was mostly in English but there were a few moments of confusion as someone explained something in German and we looked around for someone to translate. Despite the different country and language I was struck by how similar it all was. And not just that the church service was similar. It was more the realisation that wherever we go in the world there is something that’s ‘at home and among family’ when we’re worshipping with other Christians. I was so glad to be there and to celebrate the wedding. Bride and groom were radiant and excited…exactly as they should be! After much setting up and preparation the evening’s festivities began. A feast of pork belly and ribs with dumplings and gravy, potato salad, bread and cheese – yummy! And entertainment to follow…not all of which was completely intelligible!

I was supposed to leave Munich at 10am on Sunday but it wasn’t to be. My flight was overbooked and I was bumped onto a flight leaving at 8pm in the evening, requiring an overnight stay in Amsterdam. I wandered around, read lots, spent some time with dad and Leo (who caught a later flight), and generally kicked my heels for 8 hours! I spent a delightful hour in conversation with a older German lady off to visit her sister in Felixstowe. Her English was limited so we exchanged language snippets about home and family until her check-in time. I eventually escaped Munich airport with generous compensation, meal voucher and hotel ticket. I spent the night in an unexciting Travelodge-style hotel and finally arrived home at lunch time today.

I very much enjoyed my small glimpse of Germany. Everyone I met was charming and helpful. Complete strangers would step in, smiling, to assist with things lost in translation. Airport and airline staff were friendlier and more helpful than I expected…and certainly more so than in Amsterdam or home in England. Despite not previously being a fan of the German language, I found it surprisingly fun to speak – or at least attempt to! All in all, I think I’m up for a return visit!