European Adventures - 2. First Day in Europe

2.  First Day in Europe

Does it count when we are still in the air but flying already over Europe, to be IN Europe?  The time difference of 6 hours always gets to me. And like you read in yesterday’s blog, flying to me is a chore.

Even Carol, a very patient person and being Canadian so a very polite person, got annoyed about the SCREAMER just behind us on the flight. For literally 1 and ½ hours this kid screamed in a full voice. Constantly, full force this about 6 year old boy screamed his head off. It was painful. Phew, I am glad to be off this flight and Carol was glad to have her earplugs.

We landed about 11 AM local time on May 23, 2018. Now we had to pick up our luggage and then to get through customs, then pick up our rental car, etc. We pre-booked our rental car on line with Budget.

Knowing how large FRA airport is, we tried to get a wheel chair for Carol but after we waited for some time, too long in hindsight, she had no option but to walk. Nobody seemed to know where to catch this wheel chair. 

Now of course we had the luggage, too. Luckily we found a cart rental station. You need exactly a one Euro coin to release a luggage cart from the rack. We had 5, 10 or even 20 Euro bills, but of course, the machine did not give change. Credit card or exact cash only was my choice. OK, I used my credit card to release one of those push carts for suitcases, but this setup of getting a push cart was already  a great distance from the normal exit. We were searching for the rental car counter. I asked of course, asked where the Budget Rent a Car counter is and after 3 shoulder shrugs by some people I was directed to a long, long hallway. I could not see the end of this hallway. The guy who showed me the hallway said go as far as you can see, there is the Budget Rental Cars. Hmm, is that really so far? I looked at Carol and we decided to walk this long hallway for a while and ask again down a ways. Yes, we were confirmed, down this hall. 

By now I could tell Carol, not the best walker, would not make it this far. So, I sat her on top of the luggage cart, on top of the suitcases and had an instant ‘wheel chair’. I am sure we where a sight but it worked. We made it down the long hall only to find out we went a little too far. We had to backtrack and yes, there is the counter for Budget, in a kind of alcove, semi-hidden, no push carts allowed into that section. A long line of people greeted us, all staying in line waiting to get their car. The counter had 2 sections, An Elite counter and us, the regular guys. Nobody was at the ‘Elite’ counter so I went and told the lady I had a reservation. Ha, she was so indignant that I dared to even approach her… I had to go back to the ‘regular’ line up. NO way would she help out, no way would she even give us anything since we are not the Budget Rental Car ‘Elite’. 

Wow, welcome back to Germany. I ALWAYS ‘hated’ (yes, hated, not dislike) these stuck up Germans and their snobbism and elitism.

We had to wait for 45 minutes in line to get our rental agreement signed and then, of course, had to walk back to the ‘long hallway’ this time without the lost push cart for the luggage and find our rental car.

Our Rental Car, a KIA Cee'd

By now it is close to 2.30 PM. 

It took us close to 3 ½ hours just to check out of the airport and get into the rental car. Luckily we received a good rental car, a KIA Cee’d, a model not made for the American markets. When I say ‘good’ I mean it was good for me, it was not a good car for Germans, way too under-powered on the Autobahn as I would find out soon enough, but it was an OK car for what we needed.

So now at 2.30 I have to drive to Krefeld where I was born and grew up; at least a 2 ½ hour drive going north.

Without a GPS we could not have done it. I was glad the car had a built in GPS and it was set up in English. It made it a lot easier to navigate. We became slaves to this GPS machine, did as we were told. The GPS had a ‘strange’ way of calling a Highway a ‘dray’ but otherwise we got along just fine. 

 

Arriving in Krefeld I had to find the hotel we booked for the night. A smallish place named Niederrheinischer Hof. (Don’t you love those short names)? Well, Hof is short.

The owner was an Iranian but of course he called himself Persian. The room was ok for one night but no A/C, it was hot in Krefeld. We left the windows open and slept on top of the covers but still it was hot. Yet, after our flight and being up and about for close to 40 hours we finally slept.

Oh, dinner that night was a sandwich from the bakery nearby. It was 6 pm when we got our sandwiches. I know for sure because I had to talk the lady in the bakery into giving us the sandwiches, they were just being put away; the shop closes at 6 pm sharp. You know, Germans are punctual and do not allow for any exceptions. I also ordered chocolate croissants, I am sure I paid for them, too, but when we got to the room they were not in the bag. I could not go back and complain since the shop was now closed. Was it sneaky?  Or was it just forgetful?

Enough for day 1, good night!

European Adventures 2018 - 1. Off to Europe

Off to Europe…. 

We just came back from New Orleans and already we are up in the air, flying to Frankfurt, Germany. 

We were invited to celebrate the wedding of Stefan Knopf in Heidelberg, Germany. To just fly in for the wedding and then fly out did not make sense, so we combined our trip with visiting cousins I had not seen for decades, some of them I found only recently on Facebook. And then we planned to skip north to see some Scandinavian Countries.

The flight to Germany was the, by now, typical hassle of going through a thorough search to just sit in an aluminum can and then be flown to another spot on earth. You know the routine, be there hours before the flight, check in your luggage, go through customs, a security screening and then wait on the other side of this ‘barrier’ to be lead, like cattle, into the plane. 

Air Canada Planes

Ah, another thing, you cannot carry anything ‘dangerous’ like nail clippers on you, or regular sized toothpaste. I know for sure, because this stuff was confiscated by the TSA (Transport Security Agency).

Did you notice I hate this kind of treatment?

I often ask myself if all this security is needed. I have a NEXUS card, so I am pre-approved in many ways; still it’s a hassle to use public transportation. Or in this case fly with an airline. We used Air Canada because we had found this flight months ahead of time for a price that then was the cheapest. But no matter what airline you fly or what ‘class’ of seat you have, it’s more or less all the same treatment.

Flying used to be ‘glamorous’ it is no longer that way. People do not dress up to fly, they dress down to fly. If they would allow pajamas, I am sure a lot of people would wear them. Some of the clothing I saw reminded me of PJ’s. I am sure they were comfy for the wearer but what a sight they present.

We always try to be ‘early’ because there are so many possibilities that get one delayed. 

After we passed through the TSA, we now had to get to our gate. 

Have you ever flown out of Pearson Airport in Toronto? Our gate was 300 miles away; to walk it would take as long as to fly to Germany. 

Carol is not a good walker, so we arranged to have a ‘shuttle’ take us to the gate. But that in itself is a hassle that can only be described by saying: Try doing this once.  You need to get a wheelchair and a pusher. No, I could not push the wheel chair, an assigned person did that. 

Air Canada - But Not Our Plane

In relay-like fashion we were handed off. The pusher brings you to a spot where a train trolley will pick you up. You then sit there and wait for the ‘train’. THEY (the trolley crew) decide you have plenty of time and let you just sit there. When the train comes they will take all the others folks first and tell you they will be back for you later. Once you get on the train, they will drive you down to the far end of the terminal, close to your gate; but only close to it, where there is another group of wheelchairs with pushers to roll you to the final gate, your gate.

Ah, it is cumbersome but… from the check-in point to the gate is literally a mile or more. Sure they have rolling ‘walkways’ we could take if you walked but then you have all your carry-on bags and paraphernalia and you need to haul that along, too. At a certain given age, an airport is not a friendly place to visit.

I am not a good passenger on any transportation. I see shortcomings in the way they handle people. But I also see people who are hopelessly lost and incompetent. I just don’t like being around people like that. Some people are pushy beyond belief. Some are as slow as turtles. Yuk, I don’t like flying.

We made the flight, sitting in coach, trying to be comfy in a seat designed for the average Japanese person of 160 cm height and a weight of 60 kg. I don’t fit the seat... being 190 cm and 120 kg makes a difference. You say lose weight?  Right… how about genetics?  Want me to shrink, too?

The plane is designed to maximize the load capacity; especially in coach. Sure I could fly Business or 1^st Class, but that would triple or quadruple the cost of flying. Let’s be realistic and make all seats equal, but comfy. I am sure there is a better way. I could design it, if you paid me for it.

I really, really don’t like flying or being treated like cattle going to slaughter.

Ok, I used this entry into Europe as a venting tool, but hey, it’s my blog.

That is how I think about flying…. I would rather drive or ride if that would be possible.

So, off to the next chapter……arriving in Europe, 1^st day in Europe.

7. Getting Home

7) Getting Home

The ride back to Toronto was all highways.

While the Club had set up a meeting place in Wellsboro, PA to meet some other Club members who could not make the NOLA trip, Carol and I had to get back to Toronto. We only had 6 days to get home, repack and then fly to Frankfurt, Germany.

Yes, we had made arrangements to be in Heidelberg, Germany for Stefan Knopf’s wedding…

I will write about that on my next blog…

What a wedding that was…. HOLY SMOKE!

When we left via the motorcycle in the AM on May 14 I heard someone yell…

                              Ya’ll come back, ya hear …!

And I thought…. Ok, we will!