Wednesday, September 29, 2010

A Hop, Skip and a Jump...

Good Bye Heart Home...
09-05-09 Saturday


Ah, perhaps it is time to head home. I wake up at 2:45 a.m. and whether it is because of my possible sighing/moaning/name-it, or whether it is because of my restless log roll trying to get comfortable, or even if it is because I am feeling bittersweet about leaving Scotland, I cannot get back to sleep. I turn the TV on to while away the morning hours and groggily try to find something on in this wee hour of the morning. CG wakes, asks if I am ok, and then goes back to sleep when I tell him yes. Finally, to the pleasant drone of British accents on the BBC, I fall asleep at 3:30, only to be re-awakened at 5:00 by the wakeup call placed last night through the front desk (ugh).
Alarm_man.jpg

210049 luggage jpgWe are ready by 5:45 in anticipation of the shuttle at 6:00 and take advantage of the luggage scale in the lobby (thank goodness they are both well under the 50 lb limit – even with the spirited stones!). We are not the only ones on the shuttle this morning (it picks up more passengers the closer we get to the airport), and CG and I sit apart from each in the now crowded cab.

We extricate ourselves, grab our luggage and head inside. After walking nearly the length of the terminal, we realize that our airline’s ticket counter hasn’t opened yet, and we sit down and wait. Finally, as the line grows ahead of us, the lights go on over the KLM counter and we take our place behind the crowd.

AIRLINE 608 jpg MOD=AJPERESAfter getting our tickets we head towards the gate and, after locating it, we decide to do a little last souvenir shopping, and then grab some breakfast to pass the time before our flight leaves at 8:30. We are pleasantly surprised to find that the airport restaurant we have chosen has our favorite on the menu, and CG has one last full Scottish breakfast while I polish off a bacon/scrambled egg Panini. Then it’s back to Gate 33 where we mill around until our seats are called.

5706 jpgHowever, when the KLM employee comes out at 8:00, she has some bad news for all of us – due to technical difficulties, the flight from Amsterdam has been turned back and therefore our flight has been cancelled. We all have to be escorted by airport personnel back to reclaim our baggage and then stand in a queue for two hours before we are able to rebook our flight.

By the time we get back to our new gate, we don’t have much time to linger as the flight to Amsterdam leaves at 11:30 and, after landing in the Netherlands, we literally have to run to our next gate to catch our connecting flight to Detroit (instead of returning through Minneapolis). The flight seems doubly long this time and I take advantage of the in-flight movies to watch both Grand Torino (CG also watches that one from his seat) and Hairspray.

The flight home from Detroit seems shorter, but we are still anxious to get off of the airplane and back into the Saab waiting for us in the airport parking lot.

519491~Flying money Posters jpg
After paying a whopping $99 to leave the airport parking lot, we are home by 10:00 p.m. – some 15 hours and 7 time zones later. AM has left a somewhat frantic message for me to call back so I return her call. Seems as though she thought we were returning the day before, and she had been worried that she hadn’t heard from us. After putting her to ease, I am in bed by midnight and CG, still a bit keyed up and having missed his favorite home activity, plays World of Warcraft until 1:30 a.m.

We are home!
home sweet home jpg

9 comments:

Linda said...

I've so enjoyed your Scottish journey - it's fascinating to see my own country through the eyes of a non-native. Although we may have to make you an honorary Scot, you seem to like the place so much!

Neil Tasker said...

Like Linda, I've been fascinated by your take on our wee country. Glad you got home safe and sound. Hope the arm heals quickly. Seems to me you need a recipe for Steak and Ale Pie. Hope you took some Guiness home with you! Haste ye back.

Dragonfly Dreams said...

Thank you Linda and Neil! Now Linda, if I became an honorary Scot, I don't think my smile would disappear until sometime in December! And Neil, why yes! Yes, I would love a recipe for the Steak and Ale Pie (if you have one handy). Somehow, the internet recipes just don't taste the same! Of course, it could be that the venue has a lot to do with it...

Pam said...

Thanks for visiting and commenting. I'm interested in your take on Edinburgh. My grandfather was a member of the Royal Scots Club when it was only for Royal Scots soldiers and veterans - he fought and was injured at Gallipoli - and in his day it wasn't nearly so plush as it is now. We used to go there for Christmas dinner for a while when I was a little girl.


But the World's End pub - there was a notorious murder 20 years ago of two girls who were last seen alive there - I shudder still at the awful appropriateness of the name.

Dragonfly Dreams said...

Isabelle, how I love Edinburgh! I would gladly share my views of your lovely city. It is so different than our sprawling municipalities in the U.S.

I must admit, however, that I have acquired some extra knowledge through my reading of several Ian Rankin books. Edinburgh does have it's seedy side, as does any other large city (including mine). And, okey, I have also lived in the past through most of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon (although those have been quite some time ago).

My grandfather was also in WWI and was wounded in the knee near Ypres, and received a Purple Heart. From what I understand, he was in a trench watching a dogfight, and was hit by the shrapnel.

I adored the photos of the Royal Scots through the years on the walls throughout the club. The men are all so handsome!

I can well imagine nefarious goings-on in the World's End - it is so dark and "cozy" inside.

Thanks for stopping in!

Linda said...

How about showing us a bit of your part of the world? What seems ordinary to you will be exotic to me. I pass Edinburgh Castle every day on my way to work, and sometimes I don't notice it!

Z said...

The journey home always seems to turn out the most exhausting part of the trip. Glad you're safe home and thank you for your kind comment.

Yarrow said...

Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment :D

Hope you get plenty of rest now you're home :D

Susan said...

thanks for stopping by ... I will be back and read all about your Scottish travels. xo Susan & les Gang