India is remarkable, has lived up to expectations, and is a place I would like to explore more, although Delhi is now done, and I’d hope other parts might be less pushy. You can’t just walk anywhere without someone offering you advice or urging you to use their taxi/Tuk Tuk. Hotels were very good and oasis of calm with tremendous service from hordes of staff.
Despite gripe above travel was easy – from the efficient joys of the Delhi Metro to the mania of travelling by Tuk Tuk. The driving generally is insane with horns blaring and near misses galore. That said, we only saw one accident (Tuk Tuks crumple horribly) and I was terribly impressed by the responses of drivers to finding a calf walking down the fast lane of the three lane road between Agra and Delhi. It was alive when we swerved past.
Our regular driver – a man of insight. He said to Alison on our first drive, “You are very lucky to be married to a man who smiles so much”. Who knew?
We were unfortunate in that the air quality in Delhi was dreadful because of the unhelpful combination of farmers burning crops and Diwali – government efforts to ban firecrackers went only so far. However, it did not spoil the holiday save blue skies stopped after day two and you could feel it in your throat.
India Gate – on a cloudless day according to BBC weather
Rather than ramble about what we did, here is a selection of photos which hopefully give a sense of the fun we had. Suffice to say the tensions between what we enjoyed and some of the things we saw, made us think. We have far too much, and take it for granted. India’s history makes you think of where we all are currently, and I don’t just mean the Raj.
The Imperial – built in the 30s for Brits inevitablyAnd still very comfortableAnd peacefulNew Delhi: Lutyen’s epic scale on Kingsway, now Raj PathNow Indian government buildingsSt. James’s Church near Kashmere Gate north of Old Delhi. This was the area where the British first governed from and where, in Delhi terms, the mutiny occurred in 1857. Beautiful church built twenty years before by Colonel Skinner, half Scot, half Indian, and therefore rejected by British Army. His solution was to found his own regiment, Skinner’s Horse, which still exists in the Indian Army.Happily the newspapers reveal that funding is being made available to restore it as a national monumentThe Skinner graves. The red stone by the fence is for a lady born in Edinburgh in 1902 and whose ashes were interred in 1998.The headquarters of the North Indian Railway Board. It was the original governor’s residence.The road outside the Church is aptly named and was once very grand. Like many Indian streets its shops reflect a particular interest, in this case cars.It is less fine nowNearby is the cemetery started at the time and still being used for Christian burials. Empires come and goTragedy and stoicismCelebrations at Connaught Place included a laser show and heavy metal!Taj Mahal was simply wonderful. Our guide instead on many staged photos which won’t be shared. Much surpassed laughter. Her – so what are you going to build me? Him – Remember, it was for his third wifeAgra FortOld DelhiThe smells were varied Again, faded grandeur, but this time from Mughal era.Gandhi Smriti, New Delhi – built by an Indian, not a Brit, in the 30sGandhi’s roomThe final walkIndian National MuseumHarappan Clay animals from 2700 – 2000 BCHmmm.
Now those of you with limited horizons might miss this on flying into Delhi. Try not to, as it’s only a ten minute taxi ride to the other side of the runway from the Terminal and it is sensational. Cost to enter was 30p and it contains some remarkable aircraft, some of which can only be seen there. There were also two charming men who positively engaged me in conversation and were both obviously IAF officers, one a former Mig and Mirage pilot.
Fascinating chat about their aircraft, Indo/Pakistan politics – in the 60s there was mutual understanding about POW conditions since both Air Force heads knew and had served with each other pre-partition, but that was now long gone – and future developments of the museum. That led to the invitation to sit in the Spitfire XVIII which I accepted with gusto.
A very good start to the holiday! Non anoraks may now skim through a small selection of pictures if they must …
Westland Wapiti – the last on the planet. Once flew over Glasgow and Edinburgh with 602 and 603, and something similar was the first to fly over EverestA real FoxbatLysanderTempest War bootyB24 LiberatorCanberra – ECM pod, not a gunpack underneathSmall boy in SpitfireAnd the charming man who made it possible Fairchild Packet with jet for mountain ops, with Mig 21 behind nosePano of the hangar. Hurricane far corner left plus second Spit XVIII in bits
The FC Terminal is as good as I hoped it would be. Never entirely full or ever feeling over busy, and therefore very different from Concorde Lounge. Alison slept in one of the nap rooms while I showered, collected more ducks, and had a tiny breakfast number three, for comparison purposes only you understand. Like Munich, staff were enthusiastic and helpful.
Security so different from EdinburghAnd think of the grim BA showersAnd you can even bring your own cigars and endure the rest of the world thinking pariah!130 whiskies apparentlyDining
The food and drink offer is remarkably broad, and we later enjoyed a pre-boarding lunch of Wiener Schnitzel which was excellent!
So much so that Alison was restrained!
There’s even a Duty Free Shop just for the FC Terminal itself, though we resisted the offering below which I’d have preferred to see on its side!
And did I mention ducks?
The highest spot however is the getting to the plane part. Walking for ages? Certainly not. A staff members finds you, announces your flight is ready to board, and then escorts you down a level to the parking lounge, where your passport is returned by immigration, and you stroll out to an electric Porsche! Sadly, our journey only took 75 seconds from start to finish, then a further minute up in a lift to the air bridge before being welcomed onto the aircraft.
For the first time in my puff I’d got 1A, so the front three windows were mine and the next three were Alison’s in 2A. Again, its an unfair comparison, but LH’s A380 put the BA experience to shame yet again. There are only eight seats on turning left with no overhead bins meaning the space is light and airy.
The seat felt bigger with a moveable ottoman, and there was masses of space, along with your own personal locker to put items in. Mine was in the front of the cabin, while Alison’s was at the back. It was all very satisfactory.
Good selection of films and really enjoyed being able to watch take off live using the A380’s tail camera.
The crew were tremendous, witty and willing, and the Captain even came round before take off to say hello! Food and wines were excellent.
Caviar and …Curry. An obvious combination!
While the wash bag, slippers, and pyjamas were high quality, brown wouldn’t have been my first choice as head of marketing design.
Though they did come with a dashing scarf for some reason!Look, behind the curved door – a urinal!
In a daft way, a delightful part of the experience was the washroom. Unlike BA First toilets, which being on the lower level are standard fare, the LH versions being at the front upstairs are vast. No shower, as on some of the middle eastern airlines, but room to swing a cat and admire the Brown look fully!
A bench to lie down if it all gets too much
Flight was smooth and the main eating and film watching was in the first half. The second, everyone slept, save for the last hour when trying the light meal options while sweeping past the lights of Kabul, and the amazing sight of the Pakistan/India border which is a bright line of light running for miles and miles in the otherwise dark world below.
Landing Delhi
All too soon, and five minutes early, we were there. And within an hour in the airport hotel drinking the Duty Free whisky. If only travel was always like this.
Alison has always wanted to go to India. I have always wanted to go to the Lufthansa First Class terminal in Frankfurt. Simples. Wait til a magnificent sale (2 for 1 offer and way cheaper than BA business let alone First) comes along and then don’t quite reveal that the trip means overnighting in Munich first, a breakfast flight to Frankfurt, and then a happy half day of indulgence in the FC Terminal before finally getting on the A380. I do actually want to go to India too, it should be understood!
Shiny but elderlyGenius – a holder for all your boarding passes with a window so you can scan them
The LH experience has been leagues better than BA. Check in at Edinburgh was swift with staff who were responsive and friendly. They volunteered boarding passes! Aspire Lounge is fine with a reasonable selection of hot and cold food, though disappointingly full of men whose only active adjective is f***ing. Welcome to Scotland or the UK.
Flight was efficient in a 30 year old A320 with speedy boarding (BA take note) if perplexing service thereafter in two halves. First one: serve the passengers their dinner and booze. Second: hide behind the curtain and pretend you can’t see them, but give them more if they open the curtain for themselves.
Easy overnight in Hilton in the Airport before a nine minute walk from room to through security! And then the added bonus of breakfast number one in the First Class lounge at Munich. It was sublime – calm and elegant with the best Eggs Benedict I’ve ever had! Proactive and welcoming staff (BA take note), and of course a display cabinet full of LH ducks.
Hurrah! But no time to shower as off for breakfast number 2 on the 35 minute flight to Frankfurt. I am astonished to report that muesli with a little bottle of fresh milk works well with watching the sun rise over the German plains.
Munich LoungeYum!Arriving FrankfurtOne of these may be ours later..
And then the joy of a short walk to the FC Terminal. Just stunning and I think all the talk of it being the best in the business is correct from first impressions. Welcomed in by Nadine, who escorted us through a mini security with polite staff, took our boarding cards and passports (latter to be returned on boarding) , and then showed us round the lounge to explain the options, and then brought our boarding cards back, along with our own LH ducks. Night and day in comparison with Concorde Lounge. Alex Cruz should come here for a day and learn how to provide proper customer service.
The no entry sign mercifully didn’t applyA healthy approach to life
