The next morning, we were off!
We drove to my parents' house and left Clarabelle in their garage. We got a ride from a local airport transport company.
And then were were checked in and our bags were in their way to Switzerland!
(You can see Greg and my parents in the background.)
Here's my outfit for Day 1:
Then we went through security, and in spite of the copious amounts of food I had in my carry-on bags, they didn't confiscate anything or need a second look.
We were there very early due to the schedule of the driver, so we had time to enjoy the airport and some lunch.
The Minneapolis/St Paul airport values local art!
And it's cool. Look at the ceiling in the food court where we ate!
The windows have subtle stripes on them, probably to keep birds from crashing into the large sheets of glass.
I ate the first of my veggie/hummus/cashew cheese sandwiches with pretzels.
And I discovered the best flavored sparkling water I've had yet - cherry Bubly!
I also ate some red bell pepper and cashew cheese.
Everybody found something tasty to eat.
The bathrooms in the airport are also beautiful, with mosaic tile walls.
This one is a pond with lilypads and trees.
My Mom saw something under a table, and my Dad agreed to go get it!
It was an lemonade, unopened! What luck!
Another bathroom, another pretty tile mosaic.
Details:
The lights in the food court were neat, also!
We waited at the gate.
There's a plane, ready to take us to Toronto!
And then we had some hiccups.
We got loaded onto the plane, but then everyone's phones started pinging, telling us all that our flight had been delayed. We got OFF the plane again. Everyone scrambled to try to find ways to make their connecting flights. Air Canada could not find another way for us to get to Zuerich, so we took the delayed flight to Toronto. We hoped that once we got there, the staff would be able to help us find a way to Zuerich, but they would not. They said they were only allowed to rebook us on Air Canada flights, and there weren't any more for 24 hours. We lost a full day of time in Switzerland. They claim that it wasn't their fault (it was unavoidable conflicts at the airport), so they aren't required to go to any extra lengths to get us to our destination. I do not agree with that assessment.
We tried to have good attitudes.
But I was very angry and frustrated.
They gave us some food vouchers, hotel rooms for the night, and emergency kits (because they wouldn't give us our luggage back). There was frustration all around and I wanted to cry and yell.
Eventually, we got to the hotel around 10 pm. There was an attached restaurant (Perkins, I think), and everyone was able to find something to eat. I ate more sandwiches and pretzels and ordered some fruit.
We were happy to have food and beverages and somewhere to sleep.
The emergency kit was kind of cute, and some of the things were actually helpful.
toothpaste and brush
deodorant
fabric freshener
towelette
a huge see-through t-shirt (sleeping shirt?)
The t-shirt was huge and see-through, but it ended up being helpful!
I decided to wash my undies and bra with body wash in the sink and dry it on the ironing board in front of the air conditioner.
And then we tried to sleep! I didn't have a fan or my melatonin, so I didn't sleep great, but at least we were able to lie down and close our eyes in a comfy position!
In the morning, I decided to try to create a new(ish) outfit. I put on the see-through t-shirt and put my cardigan over the top. I hadn't worn the cardigan the day before; I brought it just as a precaution, in case I was too cold (not ever a problem on this trip!) I wore the same pants I wore the day before.
I got all repacked.
In order to have enough Christie-safe food to last through the air flight, I ordered 2 pizzas from a local Toronto place that had gluten-free and vegan pizzas and that would deliver to our hotel!
We waited outside in the drizzle.
I tried to make my hair look cute, even though I didn't have a curling iron.
The pots had pretty flowers!
Then we caught the shuttle back to the airport!
Once again, we got their early, hoping that Air Canada would put us on an earlier flight (even if it was a different airline), but they would not.
So we sat in the food court and found tasty things.
I found delicious mango and pineapple smoothies! They were refreshing and I was happy to have some fresh fruit. It's surprisingly hard to find healthy fresh food while traveling, but I managed it.
I did a bunch of reading on the tablet and enjoyed it. The airport was full, hot, and kind of smelly. Also, the toilets were not in great shape and they didn't smell good, either.
It was quite foggy.
My mango smoothie was so good that I decided my Dad needed one. Mango is one of his favorite fruits!
I got another one, too!
Looks like it's on time!
And then we were boarded!
Here we go!!!
After a long flight, we would be in SWITZERLAND!
