Well I'm back in Columbus! It's good to be home -- not sure if Alex or my neighbors cat the I feed, Xion, was more happy to see me. It's only because I feed them I know but it was a nice welcome!
We got to the hotel a little after 8:00 from the Tourmalet climb. Dinner was at 9 so I had less than 1 hour to pack my bike, shower and get to dinner! It was close but I made it -- I was concerned I didn't get the bike in the bag well but it came through fine.
Dinner was fun, long as it was the going away celebration. Weird to leave people you'd just spent a week with and may never see again. So many nice folks, and became closer friends with Amy and Dean who were wonderful travel companions.
French dinners are slow casual affairs so it was almost 11:15 or 11:30 before slipping away and getting back to the room. Quick pack, got into bed about 12:15 and read for a bit.
Snapped awake at 2:22. Quick shower, finish pack, downstairs by 3:30 am. That would be 9:30 pm back here in the states. It was going to be a LONG day!
2 hours from Luchon to Toulouse. Our line for check in was quite slow and we were getting worried. But we got checked in, off went our bags, and into Security Check #1 for the day.
Finally off to Frankfurt. Landed about 9:45 am. Quick run through some shops, bite to eat, and off to try to find our terminal We went through a security check. Then off again to find our gate. Then another security check to get to our gate. Whew. Already tired of this!
Finally the transatlantic flight loaded -- it was a very full flight. Running on little sleep -- fell asleep waiting at the gate. Woke up for the flight -- got to watch 4 movies, and part of an HBO comedy special!
So now we're in Philly. Through the passport line, to baggage claim. We have to take a shuttle to our terminal and we're running close on time to make our flight. No bags come for an eternity then a few trickle out. Finally ours start coming -- I see my bike bag but it's having trouble as there are already bags on the conveyer belt. I try to grab it but between the bags, the movement of the conveyer belt, I'm not getting it and starting to drift right and tripping over folks and their bags. It starts to do super slowmotion flips on the carousel so I can't get a handle to I have to shout a feeble help and a man to my right is able to grab it! It was really kind of funny!
So run through to the Nothing to Declare Line. Pass through customs, drop the bags off at another carousel and sprint off to Security Check #4. Then re-gather, repack my knapsack for the 4th time and sprint off for the shuttle. Off to terminal F. Last gate of course. But there is no plane, no departure, our gate has moved to we head back again. Get to the right gate but the plane has been delayed in Nashville. At this point that is OK as we can get a bite to eat.
On the 2 hour flight to Columbus I finally crashed. I couldn't for the life of me keep my eyes open! My seat mate woke me up for some water but that was about all I lasted!
Flight landed at 7:45 or 8 ish. Bags came off quickly. Quick ride hope -- got home about 8:45 pm ish or so.
So 24 hours after waking up, 4 airports, 3 countries, 1 transatlantic trip later -- Home Sweet Home!
Quick bike ride today. Weird in a way to be back in familiar surroundings, no language to worry about! But nice to be home.
Now if my house and laundry would magically clean themselves!
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WHEW - I'm tired just reading about it. But - it was WORTH IT ALL - heard you got to TOUCH Lance Armstrong:)
ReplyDeleteWOW ~ what a day :-) I remember running through the Philly airport ~ would have crashed if I got to the gate only to find it had moved. But God is good ~ knew you needed a break so delayed the plane coming in (ha ha):-)Columbus will be rather boring after all the fun and excitment you had for the last week. Now for the laundry ~ at least you have a working dryer now :-)
ReplyDeleteI did I did touch Lance! -- but you'll have to read future posts to hear all about it! It was a long day -- was kind of ready to come home. Now I'm already ready to go back!
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