Properly done, the morning before a long trip is a practice in patience. Everything you should worry about is done. The shirts are neatly folded into the suitcase, the socks stuffed deep inside the shoes, and the pants layered thinly underneath the travel sweater. My passport is in the front pocket of my briefcase next to my frequent traveler cards. I'm ready fifteen minutes early, but I want to leave now. The sun hasn't even peeked its head over Kansas yet, and I'm eagerly examining each occasional car that pulls by my window.

Today is France. Well, properly speaking, tomorrow is France. Today is Washington DC and Munich. With the permission of his wife, my buddy Will and I are off on a quick trip through three countries, to see masterpieces of art and to ensure that my favourite Parisian restaurant is still my favourite (it is).

UA212 DEN-IAD
8:35AM, first class, A320

I'm often taken aback by how many people are at airports so early in the morning. Will and I jumped off the parking shuttle and scurried out of the cold into the terminal. Lines snaked around like a Disneyland fantasy ride at all the check-in areas. For some reason, United had moved the 1K check-in area to the other (less convenient) end of the terminal. We pushed our way through the crowds and got our first class and business class boarding passes from Diane. Our upgrades had been confirmed at booking a month ago, so there was very little need to spend anytime at the desk. Security was, oddly, a breeze and Will and I cooled our heels at the Red Carpet Club before boarding our flight.

The flight was uneventful, which, I suppose, is how you want them to be. After post-takeoff drinks, the flight attendant offered us a choice of a mushroom-cheese omlette or a fruit plate. The omlette was passable, which is more than I can say for the movie, After the Sunset with Pierce Brosnan. I was glad to have something eat to keep me entertained. I chatted for a while with the flight attendant in the galley who complained about the state of affairs at the airline, her 30% paycut, and the executive bonuses. They must give these guys a course on what to say when customers ask "how's it going." I've heard the same spiel about 15 times.

HOW TO SPEND 4 HOURS AT IAD

Our flight coasted into Dulles nearly 30 minutes early. Not that we needed it. Our layover here was four hours, and if you've ever read any of my other entries, you know how much I loath IAD. So Will and I had made plans to go elsewhere. We grabbed the Hyatt Regency Reston shuttle and took the ride into the Reston Town Center, a mock European downtown with cafes, plazas and cobbled streets. The bellhop agreed to keep our bags, and we grabbed some lunch at Wrap Works and spent the rest of the time on Panera's free WiFi connection. The shuttle ride back to the airport took less than 10 minutes.

UA 902 IAD-MUC
6:25PM, business class, Boeing 777

Will is a first-class virgin. Riding along with him up here has been like seeing someone discover snow for the first time. His eyes get big and he makes remarks like, "WHOA!", when I show him his personal movie screen. He just had to take a shot of his leg jutting straight out into the space between him and the seat in front of him. He couldn't even reach it. I feel a bit like an evangelist who has just made his first convert.

Will grins as they bring around the pre-departure drinks. Champagne?! He swigs it down. We barely have time to look over the dinner menus before we're off, up and away. NYC glitters off the left side of the aircraft.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to snag seats together in the forward cabin of business class; a much quieter, private place to sit. In fact, this is my first time over the Atlantic in the back area of business class and I don't like it much. The noise and light from the galley is annoyingly close and people shuffle to and fro.

TO BEGIN
Spiced shrimp and chicken Wellington
Cocktail sauce and fresh lemon
Fresh seasonal green
Balsamic Dijon vinaigrette or country ranch dressing

MAIN COURSE
Filet mignon with barbecue sauce
Buttermilk mashed potatoes and braised Swiss chard
Macadamia nut breast of chicken with plum sauce
Mushroom fried rice and brocolli florets
Caraway-crusted pork with wild mushroom Cognac sauce
Sauteed spatzle and braised red cabbage

EXPRESS DINE
Today's Express Dine features your choice
of any of the above entrees, fresh seasonal greens
with Asian sesame ginger dressing
and Eli's famous Creme Caramel cheesecake.

DESSERT
International cheese selection
Havarti and Longhorn Cheddar cheese
Edy's Ice cream

PRIOR TO ARRIVAL
Continental breakfast featuring a fruit appetizer,
yogurt, breakfast bread and fruit preserves.

Seeing as I love spatzle, the choice was obvious. The pork was cooked well but would have been dry without the sauce. I cleaned plate and skipped dessert, eager to catch some z's. Then it hit... BUMP... BUUUMMMPPP... BUUUUUMMMMMPPP... "Flight attendants: take your seats." BUUUMMPPP... BUMPBUMPBUMP... There are probably kinder ways to digest your food. The turbulence last for about 45 minutes with varying degrees of intensity. According to Channel 9 (tower traffic communications) all the other airplanes in the area were experiencing the bumps at most of the different altitude levels.

Bumps or not, I couldn't wait any longer. I jumped up and ducked into the bathroom to brush my teeth. The flight attendants gave me some condescending looks, but I survived and returned to my seat after grabbing a pillow from first class. Seat back, leg rest up, I dozed off...

HOW TO SPEND 8 HOURS AT MUC

I've never landed in Munich without a stunning view from the airplane. Today was no exception. Low hanging clouds gave the snowy landscape an eery, sleepy character. Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue was dialed into my iPod as the 777 drifted towards the airport. It was barely an on-time arrival.

We had no trouble gaining admittance to the Lufthansa Senator/Star Alliance Gold lounge in the terminal. Left-side SEN, right side FTL. Interestingly enough, the showers are segregated by elite status too. If you're SEN/Gold level, the agent hands you a bright red card to give to the shower attendant. This, as we soon discovered, gives you access to literal shower suites. Nothing felt so good as the hot water dumped out of the nozzle on the ceiling. The shower suites are classicly German with clean lines and cold, wood accents. There are a few amenities for the choosing: shaving kit, wash cloths and towel, and a comb. The soap/shampoo combo goo comes out of a dispenser on the shower wall.

Will and I grabbed a quick bite to eat from the bar -- a latte with some country bread lathered in jam -- before heading through customs to the S-Bahn station. A partner-day-ticket allows up to four adults to roam freely together on the transportation system in Munich for 16 euros. The machine in the station didn't like our American VISA cards, so we had to use cash. The unscenic ride into town took about 48 minutes.

One thing that distinguishes the biergarten-filled city of Munich from other German cities is the wealth, culture and recreation that all converge into one urban center. As the capital of Bavaria, Munich boasts a particular cuisine and a variety of baroque and neoclassical buildings. Best of all, though, are its art museums.