JAR's European Adventure....read all about it here!!!
JAR wrote the following about his Europe visit. I enjoyed reading it so much that I got his permission to put it up here. Names of people are changed or disguised. I hope you enjoy this too!
The things that went wrong......by JAR
I lost the wireless adaptor for laptop the day before I was leaving. The day before I was to leave R emailed me and said he could not come to get me at Frankfurt but to take the train to Wurzburg. I found the train schedule on the internet, but could not buy a ticket because the time was too short before I was leaving.
Arrived at LAX airport three hours early to wait in four lines; each about half an hour.
First, the check in counter; then a line to have your baggage scanned, then a line to get it back, then the gate security check, shoes off, hand bags Xrayed, then the line to get on plane.
I found the train station in Frankfurt airport and headed for them. I saw platforms 1 thru 3 but I knew I needed platform 4. I had to walk several blocks looking for it. I asked for a ticket for Wursburg. The ticket clerktold me there was no such train. I said ICE train 721 at 1:09. Then he said oh..Vurzberg at 13:09, gleiss 4 Yes thats it. Two more blocks later I found the Fernstation for long distance trains. I watched as the one hour earlier train that I thought I could not make boarded and pulled away.
I had a snack in the BordBistro, on board the train. R was at Wurzburg as he promised.
I misremembered when my FRA to MXP flight was. I thought it was about 2:30 PM, discovered it was 9:30 am, in Frankfurt more than an hour away, my visit here was over now.
I had to cut short my HXXX time and get up at 4 in morning to take a taxi.
There was an accident on the autobahn, two trucks had collided. For about one hour we were virtually stopped as we went onto a side road with miles of cars in the dim light and light rain. Cost $180 fare, train had been $50.
Tried to check in at aiport with self service machine but it would not let me.
All well to MXP, G picked me up at airport.
We could not make the W machine work. It spilled out wxx missing the small opening.
Neither hotel nor PAL had wireless, did not know what I was talking about.
M took me to an internet cafe in town to use the computer, but it was closed till 4:00 PM
We came back at 4:00 but then found they had no wireless either . I could not use my laptop to get GXX mail. We walked down the street carrying laptop looking for wireless signal. I left my bag with money and passport inside in the firstcafe. I did not realize it for half an hour when we came back to the car.
RD took me to station Friday night but we could not buy train ticket Lecco to Milan Centrale to Roma because that was considered a reservation and that closed at 7:30
I set GPS alarm clock to make certain I woke up ontime. It jammed and I had to remove the battery to make it work again.
Hotel owner took me to train station at 8:00 next morning but there were no tickets.The clerk told me I could buy tickets for a later train and try to get on the earlier train in Milan but I would have to talk to conductor and pay extra. I just bought the tickets and took the first train to Milan. It was delayed and stopped out in the middleof nowhere for fifteen minutes. When I got to Milan it was about right for the later train.
I got to my seat in carozzo 7, coach 7 which was a block away from the engine. My seat was facing backwards. That has a tendency to give me motion sickness.When the train pulled into Florence I saw my chance and switched seats. The train pulled out backwards and I panicked assuming I was heading back to Milan. I asked one of the other passengers and they reassured it was the train to Rome but the rest of the trip was in reverse, me sitting backwards again.
Somehow the electric train interfered with my magnetic compass and never showed the right direction. The GPS did show me that we started out about 80 but as we got out the city the train ran about 150 MPH. I could not find the waypoint on my GPS or the hotel reservation sheet. I checked on my GPS for lodging nearby. It actually found it. The hotel was 500 feet in front of me.
The hotel wanted to keep my passport said they had toget some numbers, but I waited till I gotit back.
GPS could not read near the tall buildings had to walk in middle of street I walked right past the Trevi fountain and had to come back.
My camera started jamming, would not come out all of the way. It ran the battery down going back and forth. My back up camera and battery had also run down.
During the last few days even though I had not used it, the pins bent inside my foreign plug adaptor so I could not recharge the batteries. I asked the hotel clerk to see if they had one, no, they sent me to train station where there was an electronics store. When I got there it was closed.
It is 10:00 PM. Then I had enough for the evening. I turned out the lights to go to bed. The switch sparked and all the power in the room went out. No one answered the phone, apparently operator had gone to bed.
I put on my pants and went downstairs to get the clerk. A man came up and reset breaker down the hall, and changed a burned bulb in the lamp.
The next day I decided all this walking was too much and got on a tour bus. The open top deck was full so I sat down below. At the only seat where the audio plug did not work.
At the next stop a bunch of people came off of the top. I tried to go up the stairs but was waiting for a lady to come down. A couple behind me gotimpatient, pushed past me, pushed their way upstairs and took the last two seats.
The next stop I was faster. I went up the back staircase and was able to get a good seat. As we drove along I realized while changing seats I had missed San Pietro stop where I had wanted to go. I decided to just stay on the bus while it went around the city. I was tired of walking.
At San Pietro I got to see the tombs of the popes, but the Vatican was closed on Sunday and I could not get in to see the Sistine chapel. I wanted to go to St Mary of the Immaculate Conception but it was not on the map guide, the taxi driver did not know what I was talking about. This time the GPS performed its "nearby points of interest" located "Santa Mariadella Concezione" on Via Vittoria Venuteabout a mile away. I just showed that to the taxi driver and he said OH, Vittoria Venute.
I thought I would go away from the expensive restaurants and sit down where it was quiet.
I ordered raviloi con spinaci and they brought mecanneloni but it was OK so I ate it.Then for second course I ordered roast chicken breast with vegetables. They brought me a leg and thigh and charged me for chicken with potatoes. The two German men next to me had ordered a small desert they saw in the window by pointing it out. Their order was all wrong too. The Germans spoke no Italian and the waiter spoke no German but they both spoke poor English I told them in Italian the mistake he made. He was shocked that I could speak.
I thought I knew where the Fiumcino trains left from because I had checked Saturday when I arrived came the next morning in plenty of time. I tried to buy a ticket from the machine, it wanted E11, it took my E10 , then I looked in my pocketand realized I had packed all my loose change to simplify airport security. I had no more Euros. It would not give me by E10 back but printed a receipt I had to go to collect from a ticket officeI found an ATM machine and waited for the man to comeout. When he did I realized a card was stuck in the reader and mine would not go in. It would not work at all. I found a ticket office but it was still closed.I found another ATM about a block away. I asked for E50 just to be safe. It came out in a E50 but I remembered the train ticket machine would give no change more than E9. I ran the machine again and asked for E20 this time. Each transaction cost me $5.
Ticket in hand I headed for platform 28. Train was at 7:52. It was 7:48. I begin to rush.I am at platform 25. All of 1 thru 25 are in a row about a block across.I walk quickly for about a block following the signs. Every time I think I am close I have to go around a corner and even farther. About two blocks away, outside the train station I find platform 28, see the train and head for it. Ticket taker said, "partito" (it has departed) the doors were closed. A minute later it pulled away.
Waited 30 minutes for next train. Got in first class section mistakenly. Then I saw another person's ticket and realized on this train first class and second class were same price.If a conductor comes I am going to pretend to be dumb and not speak.
Got to airport, checked in with self service machine. There was a girl there to help. This time the machine knew me and gave me a ticket. I had been in a line of maybe five people.The plane was late in leaving.
I was still in the air when I looked and it was ten minutes till my next flight was boarding. I knew I had to go thru passport control and special extra security in Frankfurt. We land, they announce a gate change,then before we get to terminal another gate change. I am panicking a little but realize other people have same connection. The lady next to me has a huge bag and has to go to gate 28. I told her I would help her off the plane but then I had to run. The plane appears to taxi around the runaway for about half an hour before we get to gate.I get off of the plane, we have arrived at Terminal A, I have to be at Terminal B.
The lady has found a courtesy electric car; I put her bag on it but there is no room for me. I see the arrows pointing to terminal B but then they just disappear. Then I see it directs towards an elevator. There is a line waiting, I decide not to wait and just go down the stairs that I found It is at least four flights down. Then I run underground for about what seems like half a mile, up another four flights of stairs. Go thru passport control then to the special "bound for America" security check line.
This time it is a "hands on"body check, no wand. I think I would rather the woman do this check. I have to take off my shoes and sit down so they can feel the bottom ofmy feet. I arrive at the gate to realize that I have plenty of time. It has not even started boarding.I talk to the people next to me. They said yes, we were running with you, we skipped the elevator down but too it coming up. I called this a triatholon. They all laughed.
Tried to sign up on connexion to use internet. It kept telling me my password was invalid. Waited 15 minutes and tried again. same thing. It did go to a page that could not be found.Then the entire wireless signal just disappeared for about an hour. We were over the cold and snow of Greenland. About the fifth time it worked.
LAX, got home. Landed on time but a KAL flight was at our gate. Had to sit on the tarmac half an hour waiting for it to leave. Got to my car. there is a ticket on it. Though my registration is current, apparently my tag is missing, $25. $84 for parking. I think that has gone up again.
The moral of this story is simple, organize things as much as you can, know as much as you can, take back ups and make "B" plans. In the end there are things beyond our control. One might as well sit back and enjoy what you can as long as you can and not get too stressed about it.
When do we go back ?
(That sure was interesting, JAR.....I bet u had alot more fun because of the mishaps!!!)
The things that went wrong......by JAR
I lost the wireless adaptor for laptop the day before I was leaving. The day before I was to leave R emailed me and said he could not come to get me at Frankfurt but to take the train to Wurzburg. I found the train schedule on the internet, but could not buy a ticket because the time was too short before I was leaving.
Arrived at LAX airport three hours early to wait in four lines; each about half an hour.
First, the check in counter; then a line to have your baggage scanned, then a line to get it back, then the gate security check, shoes off, hand bags Xrayed, then the line to get on plane.
I found the train station in Frankfurt airport and headed for them. I saw platforms 1 thru 3 but I knew I needed platform 4. I had to walk several blocks looking for it. I asked for a ticket for Wursburg. The ticket clerktold me there was no such train. I said ICE train 721 at 1:09. Then he said oh..Vurzberg at 13:09, gleiss 4 Yes thats it. Two more blocks later I found the Fernstation for long distance trains. I watched as the one hour earlier train that I thought I could not make boarded and pulled away.
I had a snack in the BordBistro, on board the train. R was at Wurzburg as he promised.
I misremembered when my FRA to MXP flight was. I thought it was about 2:30 PM, discovered it was 9:30 am, in Frankfurt more than an hour away, my visit here was over now.
I had to cut short my HXXX time and get up at 4 in morning to take a taxi.
There was an accident on the autobahn, two trucks had collided. For about one hour we were virtually stopped as we went onto a side road with miles of cars in the dim light and light rain. Cost $180 fare, train had been $50.
Tried to check in at aiport with self service machine but it would not let me.
All well to MXP, G picked me up at airport.
We could not make the W machine work. It spilled out wxx missing the small opening.
Neither hotel nor PAL had wireless, did not know what I was talking about.
M took me to an internet cafe in town to use the computer, but it was closed till 4:00 PM
We came back at 4:00 but then found they had no wireless either . I could not use my laptop to get GXX mail. We walked down the street carrying laptop looking for wireless signal. I left my bag with money and passport inside in the firstcafe. I did not realize it for half an hour when we came back to the car.
RD took me to station Friday night but we could not buy train ticket Lecco to Milan Centrale to Roma because that was considered a reservation and that closed at 7:30
I set GPS alarm clock to make certain I woke up ontime. It jammed and I had to remove the battery to make it work again.
Hotel owner took me to train station at 8:00 next morning but there were no tickets.The clerk told me I could buy tickets for a later train and try to get on the earlier train in Milan but I would have to talk to conductor and pay extra. I just bought the tickets and took the first train to Milan. It was delayed and stopped out in the middleof nowhere for fifteen minutes. When I got to Milan it was about right for the later train.
I got to my seat in carozzo 7, coach 7 which was a block away from the engine. My seat was facing backwards. That has a tendency to give me motion sickness.When the train pulled into Florence I saw my chance and switched seats. The train pulled out backwards and I panicked assuming I was heading back to Milan. I asked one of the other passengers and they reassured it was the train to Rome but the rest of the trip was in reverse, me sitting backwards again.
Somehow the electric train interfered with my magnetic compass and never showed the right direction. The GPS did show me that we started out about 80 but as we got out the city the train ran about 150 MPH. I could not find the waypoint on my GPS or the hotel reservation sheet. I checked on my GPS for lodging nearby. It actually found it. The hotel was 500 feet in front of me.
The hotel wanted to keep my passport said they had toget some numbers, but I waited till I gotit back.
GPS could not read near the tall buildings had to walk in middle of street I walked right past the Trevi fountain and had to come back.
My camera started jamming, would not come out all of the way. It ran the battery down going back and forth. My back up camera and battery had also run down.
During the last few days even though I had not used it, the pins bent inside my foreign plug adaptor so I could not recharge the batteries. I asked the hotel clerk to see if they had one, no, they sent me to train station where there was an electronics store. When I got there it was closed.
It is 10:00 PM. Then I had enough for the evening. I turned out the lights to go to bed. The switch sparked and all the power in the room went out. No one answered the phone, apparently operator had gone to bed.
I put on my pants and went downstairs to get the clerk. A man came up and reset breaker down the hall, and changed a burned bulb in the lamp.
The next day I decided all this walking was too much and got on a tour bus. The open top deck was full so I sat down below. At the only seat where the audio plug did not work.
At the next stop a bunch of people came off of the top. I tried to go up the stairs but was waiting for a lady to come down. A couple behind me gotimpatient, pushed past me, pushed their way upstairs and took the last two seats.
The next stop I was faster. I went up the back staircase and was able to get a good seat. As we drove along I realized while changing seats I had missed San Pietro stop where I had wanted to go. I decided to just stay on the bus while it went around the city. I was tired of walking.
At San Pietro I got to see the tombs of the popes, but the Vatican was closed on Sunday and I could not get in to see the Sistine chapel. I wanted to go to St Mary of the Immaculate Conception but it was not on the map guide, the taxi driver did not know what I was talking about. This time the GPS performed its "nearby points of interest" located "Santa Mariadella Concezione" on Via Vittoria Venuteabout a mile away. I just showed that to the taxi driver and he said OH, Vittoria Venute.
I thought I would go away from the expensive restaurants and sit down where it was quiet.
I ordered raviloi con spinaci and they brought mecanneloni but it was OK so I ate it.Then for second course I ordered roast chicken breast with vegetables. They brought me a leg and thigh and charged me for chicken with potatoes. The two German men next to me had ordered a small desert they saw in the window by pointing it out. Their order was all wrong too. The Germans spoke no Italian and the waiter spoke no German but they both spoke poor English I told them in Italian the mistake he made. He was shocked that I could speak.
I thought I knew where the Fiumcino trains left from because I had checked Saturday when I arrived came the next morning in plenty of time. I tried to buy a ticket from the machine, it wanted E11, it took my E10 , then I looked in my pocketand realized I had packed all my loose change to simplify airport security. I had no more Euros. It would not give me by E10 back but printed a receipt I had to go to collect from a ticket officeI found an ATM machine and waited for the man to comeout. When he did I realized a card was stuck in the reader and mine would not go in. It would not work at all. I found a ticket office but it was still closed.I found another ATM about a block away. I asked for E50 just to be safe. It came out in a E50 but I remembered the train ticket machine would give no change more than E9. I ran the machine again and asked for E20 this time. Each transaction cost me $5.
Ticket in hand I headed for platform 28. Train was at 7:52. It was 7:48. I begin to rush.I am at platform 25. All of 1 thru 25 are in a row about a block across.I walk quickly for about a block following the signs. Every time I think I am close I have to go around a corner and even farther. About two blocks away, outside the train station I find platform 28, see the train and head for it. Ticket taker said, "partito" (it has departed) the doors were closed. A minute later it pulled away.
Waited 30 minutes for next train. Got in first class section mistakenly. Then I saw another person's ticket and realized on this train first class and second class were same price.If a conductor comes I am going to pretend to be dumb and not speak.
Got to airport, checked in with self service machine. There was a girl there to help. This time the machine knew me and gave me a ticket. I had been in a line of maybe five people.The plane was late in leaving.
I was still in the air when I looked and it was ten minutes till my next flight was boarding. I knew I had to go thru passport control and special extra security in Frankfurt. We land, they announce a gate change,then before we get to terminal another gate change. I am panicking a little but realize other people have same connection. The lady next to me has a huge bag and has to go to gate 28. I told her I would help her off the plane but then I had to run. The plane appears to taxi around the runaway for about half an hour before we get to gate.I get off of the plane, we have arrived at Terminal A, I have to be at Terminal B.
The lady has found a courtesy electric car; I put her bag on it but there is no room for me. I see the arrows pointing to terminal B but then they just disappear. Then I see it directs towards an elevator. There is a line waiting, I decide not to wait and just go down the stairs that I found It is at least four flights down. Then I run underground for about what seems like half a mile, up another four flights of stairs. Go thru passport control then to the special "bound for America" security check line.
This time it is a "hands on"body check, no wand. I think I would rather the woman do this check. I have to take off my shoes and sit down so they can feel the bottom ofmy feet. I arrive at the gate to realize that I have plenty of time. It has not even started boarding.I talk to the people next to me. They said yes, we were running with you, we skipped the elevator down but too it coming up. I called this a triatholon. They all laughed.
Tried to sign up on connexion to use internet. It kept telling me my password was invalid. Waited 15 minutes and tried again. same thing. It did go to a page that could not be found.Then the entire wireless signal just disappeared for about an hour. We were over the cold and snow of Greenland. About the fifth time it worked.
LAX, got home. Landed on time but a KAL flight was at our gate. Had to sit on the tarmac half an hour waiting for it to leave. Got to my car. there is a ticket on it. Though my registration is current, apparently my tag is missing, $25. $84 for parking. I think that has gone up again.
The moral of this story is simple, organize things as much as you can, know as much as you can, take back ups and make "B" plans. In the end there are things beyond our control. One might as well sit back and enjoy what you can as long as you can and not get too stressed about it.
When do we go back ?
(That sure was interesting, JAR.....I bet u had alot more fun because of the mishaps!!!)
posted by akumangkok at
8:11 AM
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