Hi y'all. We are now in the same time zone as most of our readers. Officially in AST. Which is the same time as EDT. So I get to watch the games at 7:30 pm. It's been two years since I have done that.
Deeds is off at work today and I just spent a couple of hours at the pool. Read, splash, read, splash, splash, splash, read. Hehehe. Some things are the same no matter where in the world you are.
Lena arrives tomorrow afternoon. She took a few extra days backpacking around Italy. Finished off in Venizia and is actually flying from there, thru Amsterdam to Curacao on Saturday. She doesn't know it but is booked into a business class seat in the upper deck of a 747. A very cool experience.
Of course Deeds and I could not make it here as planned. What else is new. We left Panzano in Chianti on Wednesday at 4 am to catch our 7 am flight. We were up at 3:15. We had a rental car to return which was enough to give both of us anxiety never mind the fact that we also had 25 litres of wine to check as baggage that we weren't totally sure was going to be accepted as is. So anxiety was high. My expert navigational skills got us from Panzano to Florence without incident. However, we did get a little lost right outside the airport looking for the rental return. Was as confusing as hell. We stopped and asked a friendly sort at a gas station within view of the control tower of the Peretola Airport. "Shoora, isa no trawble for you. You only hava to driva into da aeroporto. Isa righta dare ona da lefta side." Uhh, no. We picked this car up just 6 days ago and the cab driver told us it had moved. Is no longer on the grounds of the airport. You now take a shuttle to get back to the airport after you drop the car off. So it is on a different road and we can't quiet figure out were it is".
He flipped. "I finda outta for you." Into the espresso shop he went. Yelled over top of customers waiting in line for their morning fix. A great exchange took place. Many customers chimed in, an argument was eminent until a guy with a uniform of some kind said. "Hesa right (hesa being me). They mova".
More discussion ensued. Finally the barista set him straight. Much pointing and curving of hands. And yelling no, no, no or si, si, si. Finally the guy marches out to the gas pumps and says. "You follow me". And he begins to gesture as you all know Italians do. "Whena you geta to da traffica light, I go righta, butta you needa to follow da roada to da lefta, when it goes a righta you followa da roada again for the righta turn. Isa easy." So we figure what a great guy. He's going to drive us to the drop off.
And off he went, us right behind. The set of lights was only 65 feet from the gas station, he stopped on the right side of the left turn, a kinda round about sorta, and motioned for us to go left. He waved arrivederci and went right. WHAT?
So we went left saw nothing and 30 seconds later were back at the gas station looking at each other like Chip and Dale. Were did all the acorns go?
I can't remember how many times we did this, round and round. And how many times we said to ourselves, "you needa to follow da roada to da left, when it goes a righta you followa da roada" And then finally. Eureka, it dawned on us that there was a road hidden behind the round about somewhere that kinda went straight. So we went again and we did and we saw and we were saved.
We had made it to the airport and began to check in. A story here too. I don't want to say that there are some bad people at check in counters but there are some bad people, sorta odd ducks if you know what I mean, at these check in counters. Lucky for us we had to repack a carry on bag because the wicked witch of AlItalia was playing hard ball with every bag (this is the height of airline stupidity, they make you take some shite out of this bag and put it in your large shoulder bag that we will call a purse, true discrimination here lads, come back and we will reweigh it). Good now it is the correct weight all is well and you can have a boarding pass. Of course when you walk away with your carry on baggage where the beatch can't see you anymore you put it all right back into the wheely bag where it was in the first place. (Sheesh, so stupid). So the repack got us away from this wicked lady and to a lady who was much more lined up with getting us on the airplane. We got our wine safety wrapped cause they didn't like the binder twine and scotch tape job we had done. Imagine? Me and my mom have been sending packages to Saskatchewan on Greyhound buses since time in memoriam and they had the gall to question the pack job? So finally we head to the gate to begin the final phase of our journey home.
But wait.
The airport in Amsterdam was fogged in. We left a half hour late and even after running through Schiphol Airport (one of the largest airports ever) like a couple of idiots we still missed the flight. So Options.
No brainer. We stayed in Amsterdam. Walked around, took some pics, drank some Heineken, Deeds went to the Anne Frank house, we had a number of great meals on the airlines dime. Deeds is off at work today and I just spent a couple of hours at the pool. Read, splash, read, splash, splash, splash, read. Hehehe. Some things are the same no matter where in the world you are.
Lena arrives tomorrow afternoon. She took a few extra days backpacking around Italy. Finished off in Venizia and is actually flying from there, thru Amsterdam to Curacao on Saturday. She doesn't know it but is booked into a business class seat in the upper deck of a 747. A very cool experience.
Of course Deeds and I could not make it here as planned. What else is new. We left Panzano in Chianti on Wednesday at 4 am to catch our 7 am flight. We were up at 3:15. We had a rental car to return which was enough to give both of us anxiety never mind the fact that we also had 25 litres of wine to check as baggage that we weren't totally sure was going to be accepted as is. So anxiety was high. My expert navigational skills got us from Panzano to Florence without incident. However, we did get a little lost right outside the airport looking for the rental return. Was as confusing as hell. We stopped and asked a friendly sort at a gas station within view of the control tower of the Peretola Airport. "Shoora, isa no trawble for you. You only hava to driva into da aeroporto. Isa righta dare ona da lefta side." Uhh, no. We picked this car up just 6 days ago and the cab driver told us it had moved. Is no longer on the grounds of the airport. You now take a shuttle to get back to the airport after you drop the car off. So it is on a different road and we can't quiet figure out were it is".
He flipped. "I finda outta for you." Into the espresso shop he went. Yelled over top of customers waiting in line for their morning fix. A great exchange took place. Many customers chimed in, an argument was eminent until a guy with a uniform of some kind said. "Hesa right (hesa being me). They mova".
More discussion ensued. Finally the barista set him straight. Much pointing and curving of hands. And yelling no, no, no or si, si, si. Finally the guy marches out to the gas pumps and says. "You follow me". And he begins to gesture as you all know Italians do. "Whena you geta to da traffica light, I go righta, butta you needa to follow da roada to da lefta, when it goes a righta you followa da roada again for the righta turn. Isa easy." So we figure what a great guy. He's going to drive us to the drop off.
And off he went, us right behind. The set of lights was only 65 feet from the gas station, he stopped on the right side of the left turn, a kinda round about sorta, and motioned for us to go left. He waved arrivederci and went right. WHAT?
So we went left saw nothing and 30 seconds later were back at the gas station looking at each other like Chip and Dale. Were did all the acorns go?
I can't remember how many times we did this, round and round. And how many times we said to ourselves, "you needa to follow da roada to da left, when it goes a righta you followa da roada" And then finally. Eureka, it dawned on us that there was a road hidden behind the round about somewhere that kinda went straight. So we went again and we did and we saw and we were saved.
We had made it to the airport and began to check in. A story here too. I don't want to say that there are some bad people at check in counters but there are some bad people, sorta odd ducks if you know what I mean, at these check in counters. Lucky for us we had to repack a carry on bag because the wicked witch of AlItalia was playing hard ball with every bag (this is the height of airline stupidity, they make you take some shite out of this bag and put it in your large shoulder bag that we will call a purse, true discrimination here lads, come back and we will reweigh it). Good now it is the correct weight all is well and you can have a boarding pass. Of course when you walk away with your carry on baggage where the beatch can't see you anymore you put it all right back into the wheely bag where it was in the first place. (Sheesh, so stupid). So the repack got us away from this wicked lady and to a lady who was much more lined up with getting us on the airplane. We got our wine safety wrapped cause they didn't like the binder twine and scotch tape job we had done. Imagine? Me and my mom have been sending packages to Saskatchewan on Greyhound buses since time in memoriam and they had the gall to question the pack job? So finally we head to the gate to begin the final phase of our journey home.
But wait.
The airport in Amsterdam was fogged in. We left a half hour late and even after running through Schiphol Airport (one of the largest airports ever) like a couple of idiots we still missed the flight. So Options.
- Fly to Madrid and onto New York. Overnight. Next day fly to Miami, 4 hour stop over and on to Curacao. Arrive at approximately 6 pm. Not likely folks
- Fly to Madrid and on to Caracas. Overnight. Next day fly into Curacao arrive at 10 am. No fun for us - no thanks
- Overnight in Amsterdam. It is only 10:30 in the morning when we are presented with this option. Take the same flight out tomorrow morning arrive in Curacao at 1:30 pm.
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| Amsterdam Central Station |
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| The Anne Frank House. Line up went around the corner |
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| Lots and lots of bicycles, everywhere. And the drivers of these bikes are fearless! |
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| A cute little two seater parked up on the side walk, bike path is to the right |
A great sleep and arrived here on Thursday. Fresh as a two day old daisy.
So I write this blog, looking out at the Caribbean. Trade winds wafting across the balcony.
Going to be a nice week down here. Then we are home.
Thanks for watching, talk soon
Diane, Jerry and soon Lena
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