So once more I am back to Szcecin in Poland on business. It’s an attractive place – it’s just a pity that it takes a Ryanair flight from Stansted to reach.
Stansted was heaving when I arrived late afternoon and there were long lines at security. This was, in part, due to idiots such as myself. Despite numerous warnings I forgot to put my phone in the tray. And my watch. So I set off the scanner alarm as I nonchalantly strolled through. I was then asked to join a long line of other miscreants to be scanned once more.
Once scanned I went to retrieve my bags but my tray with my laptop and iPad was missing. I’d spent so long in the miscreants line that I wondered if someone had walked off with them all. Turns out they had but it was just another security officer wanting to do a check as I had left some liquids in my bag.
I did, however, remember to take my belt off!
The flight was short. Shorter than expected which was a bonus and we were quickly out of the plane. Szczecin airport is so small that I was quickly to customs and through. I did stop and think about for how much longer will that be the case post March?
In an ironic echo of the troubles at home I was told that there is some disquiet here about “all those Ukrainians coming over here taking our jobs”. How very apposite. Apparently there are more Poles in the UK than there are in the whole of Szczecin.
I spent the day in meetings. Developers being developers they hardly moved from their chairs but by mid-afternoon I was getting a bit stir crazy and had to get out. Fortunately there is a nice park opposite so I walked around there to blow away the cobwebs.
In the evening I tried to go for a meal at a local restaurant but everywhere I looked was full with valentine’s couples so I was left with the hotel as being the only option. No sign of young or old lovers there.
