12 days of basketball – Day 1

It is finally here !!!

The Susipaparazzi 12 days of Basketball has officially started! How has the first day been… 5am wake-up at home, walk with the dog .. we like our early morning walks.

Final bits of packing at home and few emails this and that way – then to the car and off to URHEA-halli (yes – I just was here yesterday!!) and some headshots to do before traveling to the airport. Good fun to take some profile photos after a little break.. and also reminded me that us photographers are often as much anticipated as a visit to the dentist.

But – hopefully managed to make the photoshoot a little bit relaxed and not as bad as most people remember them to be. At least I THINK it went OK… there were no tears, so that’s a positive.

Pack the stuff after the shoot, and head to Helsinki-Vantaa airport – park the car there, my wife will pick it up from there over the weekend. Walk to check-in, drop the bag.. not much queue at the Lufthansa desk, so was a in&out mission over there. Nice little fact was to get upgraded to Business Class for the flight tonight.. not really needed as such for a short flight.. but always appreciated (also means a free dinner on the flight!!)

Getting stuck at the baggage scan, too many batteries, cameras, dongles, lenses in the bag.. so had to open the bags for a check. But the nice thing at Helsinki Airport is that you can leave everything inside the bag.. no need to take laptops, cameras or anything out anymore.. so a photographer is happy!!

Usual flight stuff, got to board among the first (not that is matters – the plane won’t leave before the last person is on!), so settled down on my seat.. headphone on and podcasts on.. bit of crypto currency pyramid story.. nicely timed as well as I only had 5 minutes left on it when the plane landed.

I was one of maybe four people who actually stayed in Munich from the flight.. everyone else seemed to have a connecting flight. Which of course meant that my bag came very quickly (posted an obscure photo of baggage claim on Instagram.. and got a message in two minutes saying. MUNCHEN!!!!.. HOW THE HECK DID YOU GET IT FROM THAT IMAGE!!! REALLY!! ;-))

Oh, dinner on the plane.. Lufthansa having some regional weeks for their onboard meals.. so lots of beef on offer this time.. braised beef and some pastrami starter… definitely beats an airport restaurant grub… so good points for a free meal on the flight!

With the long day behind me – decided to stay at an airport hotel in Munich, as the first game is only tomorrow – so 5 minute walk from baggage claim and at the hotel.

Actually a hotel where I have stayed before – think it might have been with Susijengi on some travel in the last few years…. only a long good night of rest here (last time it was a SHORT night here…)

Tomorrow picking up a rental car in the morning and heading to the first game of the trip.. which apparently MIGHT still throw a little curve ball to my plans.. but let’s see..