Home again, home again, jiggity jig
0230 GMT; 0430 local (Central European Time, Summer)Wake up, shower, dress, brush teeth, pack final bits, like pajamas and toothbrushes just used. (Rest of luggage already packed)
0330 GMT; 0530 local (CET, Summer)Check out of bed & breakfast, walk to train station
0400 GMT; 0600 local (CET, Summer)Arrive at train station, make one final check for the train tickets that we were pretty sure we had lost, and purchase replacement tickets. Board train from Trieste Centrale to Venizia Mestre
0430 GMT; 0630 local (CET, Summer)Train leaves Trieste
0635 GMT; 0835 local (CET, Summer)Train arrives in Venizia Mestre station, in Venice, only 15 minutes late
0650 GMT; 0850 local (CET, Summer)Board bus that goes from Venizia Mestre train station to Venice Airport
0720 GMT; 0920 local (CET, Summer)Arrive at Venice Airport and get in line to check in for 1125 flight to Gatwick airport, outside London
0740 GMT; 0940 local (CET, Summer)Wonder if the line will ever start moving.
0755 GMT; 0955 local (CET, Summer)Note that we have now been in line for over half an hour, and the line has moved about two yards.
0825 GMT; 1025 local (CET, Summer)Note that it is now an hour that we've been standing here, and, while we are visibly closer to the front of the line, we're still not exactly what you'd call close, and we still have to clear security and passport control.
0900 GMT; 1100 local (CET, Summer)Get to front of line. Check in. It takes about 30 seconds, even though Lis and I don't have our reservation numbers. See, we're traveling carry-on only, and the hold-up has been that they've apparently not been able to figure out how to put baggage into the system properly, so it's been taking, like, five minutes per bag. Since we have no checked baggage, we whisk right through in no time at all. Spare a thought to the half of the line that is still behind us. . . i
0915 GMT; 1115 local (CET, Summer)Board the plane.
1000 GMT; 1200 local (CET, Summer)The 1125 plane takes off. They really couldn't let the plane leave until all the people who'd been waiting in line for the past two hours actually did get on. I can't blame them for that decision to hold the plane. Being half an hour late would suck so much less than to be at the airport in plenty of time and have the airline's own incompetence prevent you from getting on the plane.
1200 GMT; 1300 local (British Summer Time)Plane lands at Gatwick
1230 GMT; 1330 local (BST)Have cleared passport control, and are on a bus from Gatwick to Heathrow
1320 GMT; 1420 local (BST)Arrive at London's Heathrow airport. Check in. Discover that, because the luggage requirements are so strict at British airports, we have to check our luggage, even though we've been able to use it carry-on on every other part of our trip. Oh, well, didn't get to do the WHOLE trip carry-on-only, but we did pretty well. Look around, get a meal at an airport restaurant, wrestle with my conscience about buying a bottle of absinthe, illegal in the US, at the airport duty-free shop, and smuggling in into the US. I lose, and don't buy it. It sucks. My instincts as a bartender told me that I had a responsibility to get it, so I could judge the stuff. However, my instincts as a bartender ALSO told me that I have a responsibility to uphold the laws and regulations of my country, state, and city, regarding the import, sale, serving, and consumption of alcohol. I know I'm the only person in the entire world who looks at it this way -- I don't think Bacchus even HAS Paladins (frankly, I'd think Maenads are chaotic neutral at best. . .)
1635 GMT; 1735 local (BST)Board plane to Logan Airport
1730 GMT; 1830 local (BST)Plane takes off
0000 GMT; 2000 local (Eastern Daylight Time)Plane lands at Logan Airport in Boston
0030 GMT; 2030 local (EDT)Through customs, passport control, waiting for luggage
0050 GMT; 2050 local (EDT)Got luggage, meet Dad, who came to pick us up. We coulda saved 20 minutes if we hadn't had to wait for luggage. Big deal.
0135 GMT; 2135 local (EDT)Got home.
0300 GMT; 2300 local (EDT)Post this. I have now been awake for over 24 hours. Well, not really -- I napped a little on the plane. Still, I should go to sleep now.
How was your day?