August 15, 2017 - Time to head home

We will be picked up at 8:45, so we’ve got to get it together PDQ.  When we get to breakfast, the last of a large tour group is just vacating the dining room and you can almost feel the collective sigh from the staff.  The young lady who acts as hostess remembers us from yesterday.  Apparently we really startled her!  We were just standing in the doorway, right where the sign says to wait to be seated!  She even went home and told her mom!  She has finger nails that are about an inch long and come to a very sharp point.  Don’t think too hard about how she does some things with them.

After breakfast we finish packing and are downstairs with half an hour to spare.  When I turn in our keys, the clerk says there are no charges on my card, and I fess up that we had afternoon tea yesterday.  For my honesty she only charges us for one of the teas!  I have a few minutes to post part of yesterday’s blog before our newest driver arrives.  He breaks our string of Mercedes Benzes (is that the plural?) but he has a Range Rover, so the luxury continues!

As we are saying good-bye to him at the airport, James pulls up and asks if we’ve been making trouble!  Fun to see him one more time!

Inside Shannon airport we first find someone to help us use the kiosk to get real printed boarding passes, then line up to turn in our big suitcases.  When we got our boarding passes, we also received our customs forms and fill them out while we’re standing in line. My suitcase is only 15 kg!  Okay, it’s 33 pounds;  but it’s not 50!  I think Connie’s is even lighter.  

airport statue

Also while we were standing in line there is a passport security check.  We ask is we can stay and for how long.  The young man says he supposes we can stay forever since his country is letting in everyone.  Not a happy camper.

We check the couple of shops downstairs before heading up for passport and customs review.  We are allowed to go to the desk together and the customs agent, who is from Seattle, asks if we live at the same address.  Hmmm.  Maybe he’s making sure that our answers match what we put on our forms?  Anyway, he only glances at our forms before taking them and giving back our passports and boarding passes.  He does one other interesting thing.  He shows us a picture of our suitcases and asks if they are ours!  Pretty nifty technology.  It is probably part of the same system that allows Delta to send me a text when my bag is put on the aircraft, and another when it is put on the carousel at TPA.  It even says which carousel!

We take a leisurely stroll to our gate and have time to briefly check mail start to text our kids until we realize that it’s early morning at home and a text won’t be appreciated.  While we’re waiting we hear an announcement that peanuts will not be offered on this flight, as a passenger has reported an allergy.  They also request other passengers not to bring peanuts on board.  Not sure what you’re supposed to do with them as this point.  I guess you just keep them in your carry-on.

When we board our plane for the six and a half hour flight to JFK, we are pleased to find that we, again, have the two seats on the side of the plane and aren’t crowded into the center section. 

Now begins the eating fest!  First there is a beverage and a choice of almonds, cookies, pretzels (GF) or a kind bar.  Then there’s a warm wipe for hands and faces.  Then comes the mail meal, a choice of chicken or salad with beef strips.  The chicken comes with rice, onion and red peppers, crackers and cheese, salad with balsamic vinaigrette, a roll topped with pepitas, and butter, and double chocolate mousse.  And the beverage choices include red and white wine!

Again, we each have our own video screen and this time I binge watch a series called “Berlin Station”.  I also dip into “Veep”.

Farewell, land of innumerable greens!

A couple of hours after “dinner” we are offered ice cream in those cute little cups with the spoon enclosed.  And after that comes a snack box with either chicken salad or egg salad sandwiches, a piece of chocolate candy, and a teeny tiny packet of four Tic Tacs!  And there are several trips down the aisles with water.

We waddle of the plane at JFK and are told that to get to our gate we have to trek down to B18 and take the shuttle bus, which the signs call a jitney.  There is one waiting for us and we’re off in short order.  Then another question to double check out gate, since the first agent said C72 and they only go to C70!  And C70, which turns out to be the correct one, is the farthest away from where we are.  And it begins loading in a couple of minutes!  It’s a slog; but we make it before we’re the last ones to board!

We’re seated together but in a row of three.  It’s only two and a half hours home, though.  There’s just time for a beverage and a snack and some reading before we arrive at TPA.  We’re even early.

Our bags come quite quickly and we head outdoors (UGH!!!  IT’S HOT!!!) to meet Marilyn who has been so gracious as to pick us up!  She catches us up on the news from home and we recount some of our adventures.  It’s amazing to see her driving and hear that she’s already been back to school so soon after her shoulder surgery!

When we get home I open the garage door so Marilyn can be impressed by both our cars snuggling up inside!  Everyone says good-bye and the cats say hello.  It must be the end of this glorious adventure!