Thursday, January 19, 2012

Flight home....THE LONGEST DAY!!

So the worst part of European travel is getting there and getting home.  On the way to a vacation their is always excitement, on the way home it is a date with the real world.  This can add to the experience.
Staying at the Sofitel was great.  In the morning, woke up, grabbed the luggage, elevator to lobby, out the front door and cross the street.  We found the British Airways counter and checked in.  At the security booth there was a group of men that seemed to have problems with their passports or visas.  They kept going between the booths, eventually they all got in one line.
Once through immigration and security we sat down in the waiting area.  As an after thought, we should have looked for breakfast outside the secure area.  Breakfast was 'digestive biscuits' and a Coke Free.  In the waiting area was several of our fellow cruisers.  Most had spent the day in Athens enjoying the sites, and stayed in the city, this meant an hour or so to get to the airport.  Did I mention it was 6:15am when we arrived?
The flight to London left on time and was pleasant.  There were several cruisers right near us which was unusual since we had all purchased our ticket and seat assignments separately.
Once in Heathrow, we de-plane and walk through the terminal.  The strange thing is we have to go through security again, since we obviously had been through it once to get on the plane.  They separate me and my roommate in the lines and that was it.  I made it through and could not find him at all.  I hung around the area for 90 minutes until the gate was announced, and then went there.  He had been sitting at the gate the whole time, his security person had told him where to go.  But he did not wait for me and did not seem concerned that I was missing.
The flight to Miami was VERY long, seemed like days.  At least there were some interesting shows on the in seat media centers.  Once in Miami, the same thing, he finishes first and bolts for the door without even looking for me since I was standing in line watching.  Outside we waited for the transfer to the parking lot where the car was left.  Once in the car and on the way home,  Linda Blair came out, that is the roommate's alter ego.  I said it was wrong that he just left me, but he was it was your fault for getting in the line I was told to get in and he was directed to another line.  If I had walked off, it would have been reversed, that I should have waited.  WHATEVER.
So eventually we make it home.  Nothing like one's own bed and pillows after a long day of flying.  It was 9:30pm, but that is east coast time, Athens is about 3:30am, so about 21 hours of travel, UGH!!

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