Barcelona Conference - Day 1 - Bloody Zurich!
So I, like the modern techno savvy gentleman that I am of course ensured that I had done all my booking online. This means I can have a lot more time to check in, something useful when you are just taking hand luggage. This time, fortunately, my mobile check-in worked. Easily scanned the image off the phone screen. But that was too easy. My flight had been delayed, in good old rainy Birmingham International. This was not good. I had the best part of 50 mins to get through Zurich (which from my last experince when going to Germany seems to be frequented by dawdling idiots). Oh Boy! However I was told that this should not be an issue for me, as the delayed aircraft would be flying faster to make up time. Now Zurich is a funny fucking airport. The planes seem to never taxi to the actual gates. No it is all done using buses. A bus from the plane. A bus to the plane. So more time wasted as idiots pile on and off. Now fortunately I am not lazy and so when I have the option of escalators or stairs I choose stairs. So I thought I was going to speed through transfer. Nope. See transfer for most other airports I have been to does not require to go through security again. This however is Zurich, and so I feared I waould have more sow moving idiots going through the x-rays. This happened to me, again, last time when I was going to Germany. I had already gotten annoyed with a wonderful couple of old people in Brum when they seem to fail at how the liquids on airlines rule works. Even though Brum has numerous of these weird pseudo holograms that talk and tell you what to do. Sigh. Surely it could not get worse? Well having dodged the expected idiots (hey lets all walk together across the width of the corridor), I got to the gate with about 10 mins to spare (I should power walk at the Olympics). So I brought up my boarding pass on my phone and scanned it. Bzzrrt! Denied! Shit I thought. However, after a quick look at their database and sorting out a few things, bam, business class upgrade. WTF! I have nevered had that before. Next, another bus to the fucking plane (WTF Zurich. W. T. F. ???) and half way along that came to a very abrupt halt, sending people off their feet. Fuck knows why? Phew. So here I am now, in business class, enjoying the refreshments. Seems like the Swiss like have cool little flat screens that flip down from the overhead and showing info on the flight (air speed, altitude, time, weather, google map stuff of where the hell we are - oh yeah we flew over Kunsten.... I think - and other bits). Wine please! Landing in Barcelona, and wow, that is one massive airport. Designed more like a hanger, it shits on anything in the UK. And yes, the heat and humidity hits you. Not crazy levels (as I landed in the evening) but very noticable. From there it was very easy to get to where I wanted, grabbing the shuttle bus to University Square, which even from there you could spot the hotel (I love having a good sense of direction). Now the hotel looks amazing. Look it up, Hotel Jazz. Yeah... jazzy. The decor is all monocrhome and the bedroom is fantastic (I slept like a log). I will add photos to this. So for my first day here? Go get a small bag (I need it to carry a few things to the conference) and get some sunscreen.And yeah. A phone in the bathroom.
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