We have safely arrived in Russia, and are on the cruise ship. We have spent the past two days touring Moscow. Amazing! Who would have ever thought we would be emailingg friends from a restaurant on Red Square? Tha tis exactly our location this morning.
I am sad to learn that there will not be email access on the cruise ship. So do not expect to hear from us for at least 10 days. If we are fortunate to find internet access in any of the towns along the way, we will send a blog. But that is uncertain, so do not worry.
Also, we have turned off the cell phone, as costs in Russia are 5 dollars a minute.
I will keep writing in a manual a trip journal, and report when I can connect for a blog.
Meanwhile, life is good. It is a bit cooler in Moscow so some relief from the heat. Thanks for your prayers for our safety. We are having a good time!
David and bonnie
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Munich later Sunday.
We both slept for a couple of hours after arriving at the hotel, and woke a bit groggy and disoriented. I wonderd how long I had been asleep. We decided we were hungry and took the underground back to the central train station. There are lots of people there even though it is Sunday, and many small restaurants and shops. We wander around trying to decide what to eat and wanting to try some local food. We sit at a table in a small cafe. The waitress brings us menus in German and I ask for English. She apologizes for her poor English and brings the menus. We both order a salad, David gets one with sliced sausage on it. Mine is sliced turkey. Maybe we are just hungry, but this tastes really good!
When we finish eating, David wants to try asking for the check in German. My I phone has an app with some German, so I look it up. The German phrase is "Die Rechnung, bitte" (The check please) The waitress is not expecting him to speak in German, and she thinks he is saying "restroom" in English, so she brings him a token for the pay toilet. We try to explain, but she is not getting it. So we ask in English for the check and she brings it. So much for trying to speak the language!
By now we are getting tired again and besides, the hotel has told us that the airlines usually bring lost bags in between 6 and 7 pm. We are eager to see if they have arrived and head back to the hotel. By now we have the underground figured out and can even pick the correct exit to come up to ground level at the hotel. But, to our disappointment, the luggage is not here. I offer a quick prayer to ask God to work this out.
We head to bed and quickly fall asleep, but wake off and on during the night as our bodies think it is daytime. My cell phone rings at 4 AM. It is Tammi wanting to chat. It is 78 PM where she is, and she has forgotten when we were to head out for the trip. We catch up briefly. By now, it almost 4:30 and seems time to get up, so we dress and I go to type a blog before the dining room opens at 6:30 for breakfast.
When we finish eating, David wants to try asking for the check in German. My I phone has an app with some German, so I look it up. The German phrase is "Die Rechnung, bitte" (The check please) The waitress is not expecting him to speak in German, and she thinks he is saying "restroom" in English, so she brings him a token for the pay toilet. We try to explain, but she is not getting it. So we ask in English for the check and she brings it. So much for trying to speak the language!
By now we are getting tired again and besides, the hotel has told us that the airlines usually bring lost bags in between 6 and 7 pm. We are eager to see if they have arrived and head back to the hotel. By now we have the underground figured out and can even pick the correct exit to come up to ground level at the hotel. But, to our disappointment, the luggage is not here. I offer a quick prayer to ask God to work this out.
We head to bed and quickly fall asleep, but wake off and on during the night as our bodies think it is daytime. My cell phone rings at 4 AM. It is Tammi wanting to chat. It is 78 PM where she is, and she has forgotten when we were to head out for the trip. We catch up briefly. By now, it almost 4:30 and seems time to get up, so we dress and I go to type a blog before the dining room opens at 6:30 for breakfast.
A Few Observations
I failed to report about some of the things we noticed as we were arriving in Munich. First, we could see from the plane the perfectly groomed agricultural fielDs of the German farmers. From the air, they were a lovely patchwork of greens and browns. The grow lots of corn here for animal consumption, also wheat and hay. They work with modern farm equipment and are very productive. We also saw snow on the high Alpine peaks. And there are big areas of heavily forested lands as well.
Secondly, to report that folks here dress much as US people do. Lots of variety and colors. Women often wear leggings under skirts and dresses. Business men wear suits, but casual dress is usually jeans and tees. There are many western logos on clothing like Nike and Abercrombe. When people wear tennis shoes, they are usually black with white soles.
We came here expecting cooler temperatures, but the past two days have been stifling hot and humid, with us sweating through our clothes in a matter of minutes. If the heat continues like this, we both packed the wrong clothes. I brought long sleeve shirts. David brought long pants. We may have to buy shorts!!
Secondly, to report that folks here dress much as US people do. Lots of variety and colors. Women often wear leggings under skirts and dresses. Business men wear suits, but casual dress is usually jeans and tees. There are many western logos on clothing like Nike and Abercrombe. When people wear tennis shoes, they are usually black with white soles.
We came here expecting cooler temperatures, but the past two days have been stifling hot and humid, with us sweating through our clothes in a matter of minutes. If the heat continues like this, we both packed the wrong clothes. I brought long sleeve shirts. David brought long pants. We may have to buy shorts!!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Munich arrival
We watched "Water for Elephants". (Now I will take it off our Netflix queue.) Ready for a nap, I take the unused packaged pillow and blanket furnished by the airline for the empty seat next to me and put it in that seat for my head. I extend my seatbelt as far as it will go to allow me to lay down. I put my feet in David's lap and actually am able to fall asleep for a while. Later I got up to walk around and exercise my feet and legs, go to the bathroom and get a drink of water. The cabin crew gradually turns on the lights to waken the passengers. They seve us a small breakfast of yogurt, juice, and a breakfast roll. They come by later with about two swallows of either coffee or tea in a tiny cup.
We are surprised not to have to complete any type of immigration or custom forms. We land in Rome, but are still behind schedule because of the delay in taking off from Chicago. The agent tells us how to find the gate for our flight to Munich and we racewalk through the terminal, weaving around other passengers. No time for a bathroom break or to buy water--besides we do not even have any Euros yet. We heave a collective sigh of relief as the plane is still boarding so we are able to get on. Flight time to Munich will be an hour and ten minutes.
Landing in Munich, we deplaned and went to baggage claim. There was quite a wait before bags began to come onto the baggage delivery system belt. At last a few came and slowly, bit by bit, a few bags at a time arrived. The crowd gradually dissapated as each individual or family was able to claim their luggage. After nearly an hour, we were the only people left in the area. We were disapponted, but not surprised that our bags had not come through. Afer all, we had barely made the connecting flights ourselves.
We went to the lost baggage claim area and spoke with Ursula. a pretty blond woman who took our information and said they would deliver our bags to the hotel when they arrived. Another flight from Rome is due in around 6 PM. David asks if she has been to the US and she says twice. He asked if her luggage was lost and she says no. David said he hopes Germany will treat its tourists as well as the US treated her. She gets the joke. She gives us directions to the S Bahn train which we will take into the city. We stop at an ATM to get Euros, then go down to the train level. As we look at the map and are trying to figure out which tickts to buy, a young woman approaches us to ask if we want to buy ( although she says sell instead) the day pass she has. She and her husband bought it to get to the airport, but it is good all day. We wonder if this is a scam, but as we talk with her and ask questions, finally decide she is legitimate and we pay her 10 Euros for the pass, which will give us both unlimited travel on the entire Munich system today. Next we have to figure out which of two trains to take--the hotel information says either will work, but we ask a local and he says because it is Sunday, one of the trains does not run as far as we need to go. So we take the S5 instead of S4. We count the stops on the map and decide we need to get off at the third stop. We are getting around pretty easily with just our carry on luggage, since we did not get our larger bags at the airport. We board the train, count off to the third stop and get off. The hotel instructions say the hotel is right beside the train exit, but there are six exits! We choose one and go up to ground level. We know we must be near the hotel, but cannot see it from here. We walk to the end of the block and David spies the Sheraton sign high up on the hotel. Now we have our bearings and walk to the hotel. Mercifully, they have our reservation on file. We check in, let them know to expect our luggage later, and go to the room to shower and crash. It is about 2:30 local time.We have been travelling for over 24 hours and are ready to rest.
We are surprised not to have to complete any type of immigration or custom forms. We land in Rome, but are still behind schedule because of the delay in taking off from Chicago. The agent tells us how to find the gate for our flight to Munich and we racewalk through the terminal, weaving around other passengers. No time for a bathroom break or to buy water--besides we do not even have any Euros yet. We heave a collective sigh of relief as the plane is still boarding so we are able to get on. Flight time to Munich will be an hour and ten minutes.
Landing in Munich, we deplaned and went to baggage claim. There was quite a wait before bags began to come onto the baggage delivery system belt. At last a few came and slowly, bit by bit, a few bags at a time arrived. The crowd gradually dissapated as each individual or family was able to claim their luggage. After nearly an hour, we were the only people left in the area. We were disapponted, but not surprised that our bags had not come through. Afer all, we had barely made the connecting flights ourselves.
We went to the lost baggage claim area and spoke with Ursula. a pretty blond woman who took our information and said they would deliver our bags to the hotel when they arrived. Another flight from Rome is due in around 6 PM. David asks if she has been to the US and she says twice. He asked if her luggage was lost and she says no. David said he hopes Germany will treat its tourists as well as the US treated her. She gets the joke. She gives us directions to the S Bahn train which we will take into the city. We stop at an ATM to get Euros, then go down to the train level. As we look at the map and are trying to figure out which tickts to buy, a young woman approaches us to ask if we want to buy ( although she says sell instead) the day pass she has. She and her husband bought it to get to the airport, but it is good all day. We wonder if this is a scam, but as we talk with her and ask questions, finally decide she is legitimate and we pay her 10 Euros for the pass, which will give us both unlimited travel on the entire Munich system today. Next we have to figure out which of two trains to take--the hotel information says either will work, but we ask a local and he says because it is Sunday, one of the trains does not run as far as we need to go. So we take the S5 instead of S4. We count the stops on the map and decide we need to get off at the third stop. We are getting around pretty easily with just our carry on luggage, since we did not get our larger bags at the airport. We board the train, count off to the third stop and get off. The hotel instructions say the hotel is right beside the train exit, but there are six exits! We choose one and go up to ground level. We know we must be near the hotel, but cannot see it from here. We walk to the end of the block and David spies the Sheraton sign high up on the hotel. Now we have our bearings and walk to the hotel. Mercifully, they have our reservation on file. We check in, let them know to expect our luggage later, and go to the room to shower and crash. It is about 2:30 local time.We have been travelling for over 24 hours and are ready to rest.
A Slow Start
Our friend, Don B. was at our home early Sat AM and we were on the way to Sky Harbor by 5. We checked in at the kiosk and got our boarding passes for all three flights. The agent who checked our bags said they would be checked clear thru to Munich, our final destination, even tho we will change airlines in Chicago. Sounds good, right? We ceched the bags and went through security in fairly good time. We sat at the gate people watching and I did crosswords while David got a cup of coffee. They finally called our plane to pre-board, and a few first class passengers went down the jetway. But they did not call for others to board. We began to think there was a problem, and the agent came on to say there would be 45 minute delay because of weather-related traffic delays in Chicago. He went on to sya that they presumed we would prefer to wait in the terminal, because if we boarded, we could not get back off. He further said they were low on snacks on the plane, so suggested we might want to use the time to buy something to eat.
David and I are reviewing our itinerary to see how much time we have between this flight and the international flight. We have two and a half hours--so far, so good. Meantime, US Airways is changing multiple gates for other flights because we will be tying this gate up. People grumble as some of them even have to go the B gates rather than D and thats a far walk. Our plane boards and we get settled in our seats. The captain comes on the intercom to say that in addition to the departure delay, we are also being re-routed to take a very long route and this will add another hour to the flight time. David and I look at each other. This is not good news. Now transfer time will be critical. The captain continues by saying that the extended route could be changed if the Chicago weather improves, and he will keep us posted.
The young man next to me is reading a book about Desert Storm and is very engrossed, so I did not disturb him. The beveragesare served and then the captain says just as he suggested, they have now been approved to take the direct route. We are releaved. The coulds as we approach Chicago are still pretty heavy, but the thunderstorm are over and we are cleared to land--only the tower cannot work us in to the landing traffic and we have to pull out of sequence and go around to come back in for a second shot at getting a space in the landing queue. This time we are successful and get on the ground without further delay. Still, our transfer time has been reduced and we seek information from the agent outside the exit from the plane to find the shortest way to the international terminal. He is happy to assist us and we are walking very quickly the long hallways to the area where we can catch the Chicago airport train to the international terminal. Once inside, David heads for the check in counter ar Alitalia for our international flight, but I suggest that since we have the boarding passes, we can just go thru security.We wait in a very long security line, checking twice to be sure we are still OK on time. When we reach the screener, he informs us that the boarding passes for Alitalia, but issued by US Airways, are not acceptable. He directs us to go back to the Alitalia check in to get new boarding passes. We express concernabout the long lines, and he says when we get our new passes, to come to the head of the security line. without other options, we hurry back to the check in counter and get our Alitalia-issued board ing passes. The agent also re-issues luggage checks--even though we do not physically have the bags in our posession. He says this is necessaryor the bags would not be loaded onthe international flight. The computer needs to match us as passengers with the checked bags. OK, so now we hurry back to the head of the security line, and with only a slight hold-up, are permitted through and get to the gate. They have not yet begun boarding--this out-going flight has also been delayed because of weather. David chats with a couple heading to London. They are frequent Grand Circle travellers and had taken the Russian cruise--they enjoyed it and said we would likeit too. She tells me to take both soap and toilet paper to the public restrooms in Russia. The cruise will provide them, but even when they went all dressed up to the ballet in Moscow, there was no tissue in the bathrooms.
Ourflight is called and we are seated in the center section about 2/3 of the way back in the plane. This plane needs refurbishing--the seat coverings are shabby and the seat bottom cushions have sucken in--not very comfortable for an international flight. He complains to the attendant and she offeres to re-seat us, but he decides it will be no better. There is an empty seat beside me and that will help with having more room for the overnight flight. When we take off, we are more than an hour late and David and I are already wondering if we will make the connection in Rome to our final flight. I say a prayer and know it is what it is--in God's hands. I get comfortable with my earplugs and airline slippers whis our frined Sandy S loaned to me. We are served a small dinner with choice of chicken or beef and a pasta side dish. We decided to watch a movie, a romantic comedy. I have a watch with two dials, so I can keep track of time at home while staying current with local time--but it is diffivult to know what time zone changes are occurring as we travel across the ocean. When we arrive, I can figure out that ther is a 9 hour difference, with Europe being earlier. While we watch the movie, a young Italian man stands a row ahead of us to talk to his buddies. He is not blocking our view of the movie, as there is a sort of aisleway there. But we can't help but watch him as he is standing in front of us. Of course, we cannot understand what he is saying, but he is very animated, using his hands, but stopping every little bit to scratch his belly. He is more entertaining than the movie!
David and I are reviewing our itinerary to see how much time we have between this flight and the international flight. We have two and a half hours--so far, so good. Meantime, US Airways is changing multiple gates for other flights because we will be tying this gate up. People grumble as some of them even have to go the B gates rather than D and thats a far walk. Our plane boards and we get settled in our seats. The captain comes on the intercom to say that in addition to the departure delay, we are also being re-routed to take a very long route and this will add another hour to the flight time. David and I look at each other. This is not good news. Now transfer time will be critical. The captain continues by saying that the extended route could be changed if the Chicago weather improves, and he will keep us posted.
The young man next to me is reading a book about Desert Storm and is very engrossed, so I did not disturb him. The beveragesare served and then the captain says just as he suggested, they have now been approved to take the direct route. We are releaved. The coulds as we approach Chicago are still pretty heavy, but the thunderstorm are over and we are cleared to land--only the tower cannot work us in to the landing traffic and we have to pull out of sequence and go around to come back in for a second shot at getting a space in the landing queue. This time we are successful and get on the ground without further delay. Still, our transfer time has been reduced and we seek information from the agent outside the exit from the plane to find the shortest way to the international terminal. He is happy to assist us and we are walking very quickly the long hallways to the area where we can catch the Chicago airport train to the international terminal. Once inside, David heads for the check in counter ar Alitalia for our international flight, but I suggest that since we have the boarding passes, we can just go thru security.We wait in a very long security line, checking twice to be sure we are still OK on time. When we reach the screener, he informs us that the boarding passes for Alitalia, but issued by US Airways, are not acceptable. He directs us to go back to the Alitalia check in to get new boarding passes. We express concernabout the long lines, and he says when we get our new passes, to come to the head of the security line. without other options, we hurry back to the check in counter and get our Alitalia-issued board ing passes. The agent also re-issues luggage checks--even though we do not physically have the bags in our posession. He says this is necessaryor the bags would not be loaded onthe international flight. The computer needs to match us as passengers with the checked bags. OK, so now we hurry back to the head of the security line, and with only a slight hold-up, are permitted through and get to the gate. They have not yet begun boarding--this out-going flight has also been delayed because of weather. David chats with a couple heading to London. They are frequent Grand Circle travellers and had taken the Russian cruise--they enjoyed it and said we would likeit too. She tells me to take both soap and toilet paper to the public restrooms in Russia. The cruise will provide them, but even when they went all dressed up to the ballet in Moscow, there was no tissue in the bathrooms.
Ourflight is called and we are seated in the center section about 2/3 of the way back in the plane. This plane needs refurbishing--the seat coverings are shabby and the seat bottom cushions have sucken in--not very comfortable for an international flight. He complains to the attendant and she offeres to re-seat us, but he decides it will be no better. There is an empty seat beside me and that will help with having more room for the overnight flight. When we take off, we are more than an hour late and David and I are already wondering if we will make the connection in Rome to our final flight. I say a prayer and know it is what it is--in God's hands. I get comfortable with my earplugs and airline slippers whis our frined Sandy S loaned to me. We are served a small dinner with choice of chicken or beef and a pasta side dish. We decided to watch a movie, a romantic comedy. I have a watch with two dials, so I can keep track of time at home while staying current with local time--but it is diffivult to know what time zone changes are occurring as we travel across the ocean. When we arrive, I can figure out that ther is a 9 hour difference, with Europe being earlier. While we watch the movie, a young Italian man stands a row ahead of us to talk to his buddies. He is not blocking our view of the movie, as there is a sort of aisleway there. But we can't help but watch him as he is standing in front of us. Of course, we cannot understand what he is saying, but he is very animated, using his hands, but stopping every little bit to scratch his belly. He is more entertaining than the movie!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Final preparations
Today is Friday. We leave for the airport at 5 AM tomorrow. Our friend Don B is an early riser and we very much appreciate his agreeing to drive us there. Our flight itinerary will take us two days to reach Munich. We leave Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix on US Airways at 7:45 AM on Saturday, travel to Chicago, arriving at 1:07 PM. The overnight international flight is on Alitalia Airlines, leaving at 3:35 PM for Rome, arriving at 8:10 AM on Sunday, Aug 21. We will transfer to an Alitalia connecting flight, leaving at 9:15, arriving Munich at 10:50 AM. We got directions from the Munich Sheraton hotel for taking public transportation from the airport to the Munich train station, then transferring to another line which has a stop two minutes from the hotel.We will surely be ready for some rest!
But I am ahead of myself.
We have been working daily on checklists for things to do before we leave, as well as shopping and packing lists, including everything from getting prescriptions refilled to arranging for our friend Stan G to plant-sit. We took our potted plants to his courtyard on Wednesday. David packed his bags several days ago. (So last Sunday, did not have the right shoes for church, as they were in the suitcase.) I have been gathering things into the guest closet and on the guest bed. Yesterday, I packed my bag, and of course, have too much stuff! I barely got the bag closed and still do not have my toiletries in there! So, this evening, I will have to think like a pioneer, taking things out of the "to-go"pile, leaving some things behind, in order to get down to the necessities. I will be pleased to have the bag a bit lighter, as I will be managing my own luggage while we are on and off trains for three weeks.
I am working today-my last day of work before vacation, so the repacking will have to come later tonight. I also will go to get cash for the trip. We have debated the pros and cons of taking cash to be converted to local currency(for a fee of course) as opposed to getting cash locally from an ATM (for a fee of course). It would be simpler if all we needed were Euros, but only Germany and Austria use them. In other countries, we will need other currencies: Russia-Rubles; Poland-Zloty; Hungary-Forint; and Czech Republic-Koruna. So we will frequently need to get new forms of currency and do not want to have too much of any of them--a logistical challenge for sure. That problem will need to be solved on a day-by-day basis, I guess. No way to plan very far ahead. We do not know what to expect for daily expenses such as cost of meals and transportaion. The tour books say you cannot count on businesses to take credit cards, so you need to be prepared to pay with local currency. They won't take U S dollars. David has pre-paid our lodging and the train tickets, plus a couple of day tours.
Meanwhile, we are dealing with our Lincoln. It overheated-long story, not to be told at this point--but diagnosed as a water pump leak which drained out coolant. Of course, with 113 degree temps, coolant is relatively important :-) --so it is in the shop and I am driving the Chrysler to work today.
Speaking of work, I better get dressed and on with my day.
But I am ahead of myself.
We have been working daily on checklists for things to do before we leave, as well as shopping and packing lists, including everything from getting prescriptions refilled to arranging for our friend Stan G to plant-sit. We took our potted plants to his courtyard on Wednesday. David packed his bags several days ago. (So last Sunday, did not have the right shoes for church, as they were in the suitcase.) I have been gathering things into the guest closet and on the guest bed. Yesterday, I packed my bag, and of course, have too much stuff! I barely got the bag closed and still do not have my toiletries in there! So, this evening, I will have to think like a pioneer, taking things out of the "to-go"pile, leaving some things behind, in order to get down to the necessities. I will be pleased to have the bag a bit lighter, as I will be managing my own luggage while we are on and off trains for three weeks.
I am working today-my last day of work before vacation, so the repacking will have to come later tonight. I also will go to get cash for the trip. We have debated the pros and cons of taking cash to be converted to local currency(for a fee of course) as opposed to getting cash locally from an ATM (for a fee of course). It would be simpler if all we needed were Euros, but only Germany and Austria use them. In other countries, we will need other currencies: Russia-Rubles; Poland-Zloty; Hungary-Forint; and Czech Republic-Koruna. So we will frequently need to get new forms of currency and do not want to have too much of any of them--a logistical challenge for sure. That problem will need to be solved on a day-by-day basis, I guess. No way to plan very far ahead. We do not know what to expect for daily expenses such as cost of meals and transportaion. The tour books say you cannot count on businesses to take credit cards, so you need to be prepared to pay with local currency. They won't take U S dollars. David has pre-paid our lodging and the train tickets, plus a couple of day tours.
Meanwhile, we are dealing with our Lincoln. It overheated-long story, not to be told at this point--but diagnosed as a water pump leak which drained out coolant. Of course, with 113 degree temps, coolant is relatively important :-) --so it is in the shop and I am driving the Chrysler to work today.
Speaking of work, I better get dressed and on with my day.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Downloading apps
I am challening myself to advance my technology skills. Just doing this blog is certainly a daily learning experience!
I decided yesterday that it would be good to have some resources handy on my I phone as we travel--a temperature converter and a currency converter to begin with. So I turned to my trusty "My I Phone" Fourth Edition book, and walked through the guide to locate the iTunes store on the internet, then search for travel-related applications. There are literally hundreds of them! I selected "Speaking Easy Russian", and "Basic German". These two give the written English word or phrase, the written translations, then you can hear someone speak the phrase so you can actually get the pronounciation. These cost 0.99 cents each. I found the termperature and currency converters. They were both free. I also found a compass, and a travel guide for Vienna and one for St Petersburg. The US Department of State has one called Smart Traveller which has tons of information about each country and also provides any travel alerts issued by the feds. It gives the background of the country, a section called Know Before You Go, and lists locations of the US Embassies and Consulates.
The process requires me to select and download the application to the I-Tunes account on my computer, then transfer the application to the phone when I plug the I phone into the computer and click on "apply" Wa-la!
I decided yesterday that it would be good to have some resources handy on my I phone as we travel--a temperature converter and a currency converter to begin with. So I turned to my trusty "My I Phone" Fourth Edition book, and walked through the guide to locate the iTunes store on the internet, then search for travel-related applications. There are literally hundreds of them! I selected "Speaking Easy Russian", and "Basic German". These two give the written English word or phrase, the written translations, then you can hear someone speak the phrase so you can actually get the pronounciation. These cost 0.99 cents each. I found the termperature and currency converters. They were both free. I also found a compass, and a travel guide for Vienna and one for St Petersburg. The US Department of State has one called Smart Traveller which has tons of information about each country and also provides any travel alerts issued by the feds. It gives the background of the country, a section called Know Before You Go, and lists locations of the US Embassies and Consulates.
The process requires me to select and download the application to the I-Tunes account on my computer, then transfer the application to the phone when I plug the I phone into the computer and click on "apply" Wa-la!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Train tickets
We have debated about buying a Eurail pass, trying to figure out whether the pass would be less expensive than individual train tickets.We found this a challenge, as prices for individual trains are not available until less than a month before departure. We eventually decided to buy the individual tickets, so this turns out to be one of the last tasks before we leave. Many of the trains require reservations, and we needed to be certain that we could travel on our selected days so as not to have to revise our bookings for lodging, which has already been confirmed.
David used the Eurail website to explore train schedules on the days we knew we wanted to travel. Several questions arose, and David called to speak to a representative who works here in the US. Wait times on the phone are unreal! We finally worked out schedule times and ordered the tickets on line. Eurail sent us a confirmation, but said they needed to review our request before granting approval and charging our credit card.The next day, they notified us of approval and will ship the physical tickets to us before we leave. I understand there is a possiblity to exchange the tickets if needed later, for an additional fee, of course.
David used the Eurail website to explore train schedules on the days we knew we wanted to travel. Several questions arose, and David called to speak to a representative who works here in the US. Wait times on the phone are unreal! We finally worked out schedule times and ordered the tickets on line. Eurail sent us a confirmation, but said they needed to review our request before granting approval and charging our credit card.The next day, they notified us of approval and will ship the physical tickets to us before we leave. I understand there is a possiblity to exchange the tickets if needed later, for an additional fee, of course.
Friday, August 12, 2011
The Luggage Saga
We leave a week from tomorrow! Every day we work on another aspect of the trip--or maybe more than one. They say anticipation of a trip is half the fun, and while that may be true, it is not without its challenges.
My most recent luggage purchase was two years ago while we were in China. A critical zipper broke on the bag I was using at the time, so we shopped at the outdoor market in Hong Kong for a replacement--a bright red bag. That story was an adventure in itself!
But, sadly, that bag eventually bit the dust, so time for a new one. An important criteria for this trip is to have a lightweight bag. We will be on our own for five weeks, managing our own luggage at the airports and on and off the multiple trains we will be riding in Eastern Europe. So I need five weeks of clothing and gear, and a solid but light piece of luggage. David did a lot of on-line comparisons, and we decided on a Lipault brand from Travelsmith. It comes in a variety of colors and I chose purple! We ordered an 18 X 26 inch bag and a matching carry-on. I was a happy camper! But then we learned the carry on was back ordered. No worries--even with the delay, it was to ship in time for our trip. The larger bag arrived. It has a great frame and sturdy wheels. It weighs only seven pounds.It looks like it will serve me well. But, alas, we are notified that the carry-on will now be further back-ordered. It will not ship until after we leave!
David called Travelsmith. (Of course, I eventually want the purple carry-on to match my other piece, but that is not an option at the moment. So we left the back-order in place to receive one when it becomes available.) Meanwhile, Travelsmith offered to have us select a different carry-on, which we would pay for and they would ship free. When we return from the trip, we can return the bag for a refund. We ordered a substitute, in ocelot print. It has arrived and will serve the purpose--even came with a matching tote. Very classy!
David's luggage story begins with his decision several months ago to purchase a 17 inch laptop. (We now are a four- computer household. I have a PC and a work-issued laptop. He has his personal 17 inch laptop plus a Fire district-issued laptop for his participation as fire-board chair.) David wants to take his personal laptop on the trip, so ordered a new carry on to accommodate it. When it arrived, the 17-inch laptop was just a skosh too big! So, David returned it and ordered a larger carry-on and a matching 15 X 26 inch bag. We worried that we might not receive them in time, but they have arrived. His large bag does not look all that big, considered all that needs to be packed for this trip, but he is determined to make it work, so we will hope for the best.
Nearly ready to begin packing!
My most recent luggage purchase was two years ago while we were in China. A critical zipper broke on the bag I was using at the time, so we shopped at the outdoor market in Hong Kong for a replacement--a bright red bag. That story was an adventure in itself!
But, sadly, that bag eventually bit the dust, so time for a new one. An important criteria for this trip is to have a lightweight bag. We will be on our own for five weeks, managing our own luggage at the airports and on and off the multiple trains we will be riding in Eastern Europe. So I need five weeks of clothing and gear, and a solid but light piece of luggage. David did a lot of on-line comparisons, and we decided on a Lipault brand from Travelsmith. It comes in a variety of colors and I chose purple! We ordered an 18 X 26 inch bag and a matching carry-on. I was a happy camper! But then we learned the carry on was back ordered. No worries--even with the delay, it was to ship in time for our trip. The larger bag arrived. It has a great frame and sturdy wheels. It weighs only seven pounds.It looks like it will serve me well. But, alas, we are notified that the carry-on will now be further back-ordered. It will not ship until after we leave!
David called Travelsmith. (Of course, I eventually want the purple carry-on to match my other piece, but that is not an option at the moment. So we left the back-order in place to receive one when it becomes available.) Meanwhile, Travelsmith offered to have us select a different carry-on, which we would pay for and they would ship free. When we return from the trip, we can return the bag for a refund. We ordered a substitute, in ocelot print. It has arrived and will serve the purpose--even came with a matching tote. Very classy!
David's luggage story begins with his decision several months ago to purchase a 17 inch laptop. (We now are a four- computer household. I have a PC and a work-issued laptop. He has his personal 17 inch laptop plus a Fire district-issued laptop for his participation as fire-board chair.) David wants to take his personal laptop on the trip, so ordered a new carry on to accommodate it. When it arrived, the 17-inch laptop was just a skosh too big! So, David returned it and ordered a larger carry-on and a matching 15 X 26 inch bag. We worried that we might not receive them in time, but they have arrived. His large bag does not look all that big, considered all that needs to be packed for this trip, but he is determined to make it work, so we will hope for the best.
Nearly ready to begin packing!
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