On Rob’s birthday – and what a glorious spring day it was – we set off from Pissouri for the 70-minute drive to Larnaca Airport. It felt fitting that our Big Adventure to Japan would begin on his special day.
The first leg of the journey was from Cyprus to Frankfurt with Lufthansa.
Spirits were high as we checked in and settled down for a relaxed pre-flight drink. That calm didn’t last long. An announcement informed us that our aircraft was running late due to heavy snow in Frankfurt. Not exactly the smooth start we had imagined.
After a two-and-a-half-hour delay, our Lufthansa A320-200 finally pushed back at 18:30. As we boarded, Mandy casually mentioned to the crew that it was Rob’s birthday. What happened next was completely unexpected. The cabin crew broke into an impromptu rendition of “Happy Birthday” and presented him with chocolates. A lovely touch – and a great way to kick off the trip.
There was also a moment of unintended comedy. As we took off, Rob’s travel pillow – neatly wrapped into a ball and stowed under his seat – made a break for freedom and rolled dramatically down the aisle. Thankfully, a quick-thinking passenger trapped it under his foot and returned it to its slightly embarrassed owner.
Halfway through the flight, things became even more memorable. Three members of the cabin crew arrived at Rob’s seat carrying a box of chocolates, a small birthday cake (an apricot cheesecake, no less), and a handwritten card from the crew. They sang to him once again. The old fella was genuinely touched – and just a little red-faced.
The flight itself took just over three hours, with a few bumps as we crossed the Alps. We landed in a very cold Frankfurt, a sharp contrast to the Cypriot sunshine we had left behind. After checking into a nearby hotel for the night, we turned in, hoping for smoother skies and better luck as our journey to Japan continued the next day.
And just like that, the adventure had begun.
No comments:
Post a Comment