EUROPE -- JUNE 2001
PAGE 10
SUNDAY: The weather was not getting any better. We drove to Oberkirch only to find everything closed. Sunday is a day for church and rest. So we took the day to read, nap, watch movies and the rain, and look forward to another wonderful dinner.
MONDAY: We had a leisurely morning and headed up to Frankfurt. We had reservations at the Sheraton at the airport for our last night. There was major construction going on at the hotel and we had a heck of a time finding a way to pull the car in to unload our luggage. We were given a very large room with three single beds. After turning in the car we went to check on our flights. The Sheraton is across from Terminal 1 where I was to catch my flight. The ladies had to get to Terminal 2 for their Delta flight; options were to take a taxi, shuttle bus, or skytrain. We had a good dinner at the hotel (I had rack of lamb) and spent the evening repacking.
TUESDAY: My flight boarded on time but departed late causing me to miss my connection in Chicago. I realized when we landed that I might miss the flight so I kept all my luggage with me as I raced for the connection. I schlepped that baggage down long hallways, at least six escalators, along people-movers, for what must have been at least 10 minutes. Having missed the flight by only minutes I was fortunate to discover a flight departing from the next gate in 20 minutes to Orange County and they assigned me a first-class seat. I couldn't believe my luck. Literally one minute before they were to start boarding they announced that the Orange County flight was cancelled. I wound up getting to LAX four hours late, and on that flight we departed a little late because they couldn't find the flight attendants.
A note about the flights: this was the second time I flew business class on a 777 and found the seats to be less comfortable than the seats on the 747 and 767. I'm not sure what the difference is, but I'm certain it's not my imagination.
One interesting thing I saw at the Frankfurt Airport was a string of about two dozen travel agency counters selling last minute packages to destinations all over the world. I stopped and talked to a man at one of them and he said the tickets were for same day or next day, and that lodging was included in what looked to me like very good prices.
I realize that this has been an extremely long travel report, but it has been as much for my record as for sharing information. I hope you have been able to get something useful out of it.
