We woke up at 3:30 a.m. as we wanted to leave the hotel by no later than four. (This, by the way, would be 6:30 p.m. on Sunday our time.)We had packed the night before, so it didn't take long to get ready. At about ten 'til four, Christine decided to be sure that Sue and Zoë were up, and they weren't! So they had just ten minutes to get ready. I went down a few minutes early to settle the bill, and somehow we all managed to get down to the lobby by four.
The two taxis that I had ordered at the front desk the night before were there ready to go. I had spoken with a guy at the front desk who said the trip to the airport would take about 12 minutes and should cost about 16 euro. So the big concern was what would the guy actually charge us and what would I do about it if he overcharged us. the cost when we goth there was 21.50 and at that moment (about 4:30 a.m.) I didn't really care that much so I just paid. Christine's cab was just about the same. So I guess either that's what it cost or we all got ripped off. Still seems very pricey.
When we entered the terminal there was quite a line at the Lufthansa counter so we got in it.
I then decided to see if I could check in and get seat assignments at the little self service kiosk. It took me awhile to enter in the data, but I got all out tickets, so all we had to do was take our bags to the checked in with baggage line. So we beat another line. We got through security very quickly and I don't think that anyone actually looked at my passport. We made it to the big waiting area by about 4:30 a.m. and the wait began. Our plane was scheduled to leave at 6:05 a.m. The flight to Frankfurt was smooth, even got a nice little breakfast. We were into the Frankfurt terminal by 9 or so. Turned out we got o stay in the same part of the terminal we arrived in so we did not have to go through security again. I found out what gate we were suppose to leave from and so we found a waiting area to begin out nearly five hour wait.
Right as we got there a plane was leaving for SF, but it would have been cutting it very closely.
There was a huge video screen playing news reports in German and English and we read USA Today, our books, and I read three research papers. We subsequently found out we were at a different gate so we went there and finally took off at about 2:40.
A four hour wait for the next plane from Frankfurt to SFO
This time we got to keep out aisle seats, but the 11 hour flight became a true war of attrition. It was another 747, so the video set up was embarrassingly horrible. I gave up on watching the Harry Potter movie, but I did manage o see most of Hairspray and a Napoleon Dynamite ripoff Hot Rod. (who would win in a fight? a cheese sandwich or a taco.) I also corrected a few research papers. I think I got down to 12 to go.
We got in by 4:40 and were through customs and to the car by 6. It was really pretty amazing. Traffic wasn't bad; we stopped at In n Out and were home before 8.
We got in by 4:40 and were through customs and to the car by 6. It was really pretty amazing. Traffic wasn't bad; we stopped at In n Out and were home before 8.
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