Ghostbusters and the Royal Emperor’s Crown

Location: On the train, somewhere in Austria between Salzburg and Innsbruck

So…we’re on the train…again. We are headed back to Innsbruck from Vienna and I must say, I am so glad I brought schoolwork with me on this trip. As much as I didn’t want my trip to be about work, I also can’t say Ellie and I planned on having extended 5-hour conversations on the train with each other multiple times in one week.

“I’m Sexy and I Know it” is blasting somewhere ahead of us in the car. Unlike what I’m used to, playing music outloud on public transit is apparently not against the rules here. It’s annoying…and so was the Ghostbusters song that played a few minutes before it. Really? Pick a genre…

We met everyone from Ellie’s team (including the coach, Therease) at the Innsbruck train station at 8:30am. Our train to Vienna departed at 9:06am – upon boarding we were excited to once again find the 6 person “cubicle” cars that allowed you to stretch out and get a great nap in if you were lucky to find an empty one. Ellie and I grabbed the first one available, had a near-heart attack when Therease opted to join our little room, were relieved when she decided to move elsewhere after discovering we planned on sleeping and settled with Jaci (teammate from California) who wanted to also be in our room vs. another one a few doors down that Therease had then invaded. For the first portion of the trip, we slept and it was awesome. Then, the sun really started beating down into the train and I felt like we were in a sauna. I moved my laptop (schoolwork!) to a table tray so the heat of the battery wouldn’t touch me and also downed my entire water bottle. Five hours later and sweating we arrived in Vienna.

We had a bit of time at the train station before we headed to the gymnasium. I spent it wandering around a bit in the shops and grabbing some food with Ellie at a convenience grocery store. We both selected a salad that really should’ve been called “Bowl-O-Lettuce”. We joked about feeling like cows grazing in the pasture…and I wound up throwing away a lot of green stuff.

It was a beautiful day outside, so once arriving at the facility we remained outside enjoying the sunshine until her team needed to go inside to change for the game. After heading inside, I selected my seat in the stands and did a little more schoolwork (notched another assignment off my list!) before the match began.

The match was at 6pm and was a really neat experience for me. There weren’t many fans there (I had been warned), but to just see what Ellie has been travelling around doing was pretty cool. Her team lost in 3…and yes, her coach is just as crazy as Ellie may have already told you she was. Afterwards, we stuck around a bit to watch Match #2 (Ellie’s team was going to be playing the loser of that series next) with the team Ellie’s team had just lost to. As a reminder, Kayla and Jenna (both American players who Ellie knows) play for that team and we were going to be staying with Jenna Wednesday night instead of travelling back with Ellie’s team.

After riding in the “team car” back to Jenna’s place, Ellie, Jenna and I headed out on the good foot, walking to the train station (think: subway) and riding to our dinner destination. The restaurant was called freiraum and it was really neat. It was dimly lit with candles, upbeat music – kind of like a lounge. There were many people drinking and smoking of course (I swear 99% of the people here smoke – and it is allowed everywhere…unlike what we are now spoiled to experiencing in America with no smoking in bars, restaurants, etc.). I ordered Pumpkin Soup and a traditional Austrian dish called Schinkenfleckerl. It was a combination of ham, pasta and potatoes au gratin…and it was amazing! We had a great time and then headed back to Jenna’s to call it a night – after of course borrowing a mattress from another teammate’s room a few floors up and a surprise Skyping date with my fav!

This morning, Chef Jenna whipped us up some pretty tasty French toast with fruit before we took off for our next adventure. I was wondering how my body would hold up, lugging around a heavy backpack (and with schoolwork, comes books and a laptop!!), but there was only one way to find out! We spent all morning and early afternoon touring old town Vienna. Some of my favorite stops were the Gothic St. Stephen’s Cathedral (“Stephansdom”, 1300-1450), the Treasury in Hofburg palace and the gardens at Schonbrunn Palace.

The Cathedral was breathtaking and so incredibly old. To think it has survived all of Vienna’s many wars is amazing and explains why today it symbolizes the city’s spirit and love of freedom. The Treasury, while we had to pay a fee to view it, had so many sparkling crowns, jewels and crowns. A few of my favorite things were the crown of the Holy Roman Emperor, a “unicorn horn”, the largest cut emerald in the world and a agate stone bowl from Constantinople dating back to 300 a.d. Supposedly the bowl had a secret inscription in it that spelled out Christ’s name – but even with the help of a diagram, it was admittedly difficult for me to make out more than one letter. I suppose that’s why it was “secret” lol. By the time we made it to Schonbrunn Palace (“Schloss Schonbrunn”), I was admittedly exhausted. Feet hurt, bag was heavy and I was “history-ed” out. However, I had remembered how magnificent the Palace of Versailles was in Paris and this one was supposed to rival that palace. Ellie had already seen Schonbrunn and with a tight timetable to make the 3:14pm train (the other left 2 hours later), we decided to just stick to viewing the outside of the palace. It was still quite magnificent and the gardens were beautiful. I can only imagine what they will look like once spring has really hit and the flowers are in bloom. With huge grassy areas and little nooks and crannies to hideaway on a bench under a tree and read a good book, it is a place I would definitely come back to and just chill out and relax.

Schonbrunn Palace Gardens

More Schonbrunn Palace Gardens...

Ellie and I in front Hofburg Palace

Me and Mozart's statue - check out the treble clef made out of flowers!

Weird...me eating Gelato. That never happens :)

At 2:50pm, we hopped into a Mercedes taxi (common around here and makes me laugh) and raced off to Westbahnhof train station to catch a quick 5-hour lift back to Innbruck. No such luck with the 6-person cubbies this time around, but on the very last car we did find an open table (2 seats facing each other on either side of a table – 4 total seats). Perhaps the last car also is typically the music-blaring car too?

So…we are about 40 minutes from Innsbruck at this point. I believe the plan is for us to grab dinner with Carrie and Emilee at this place called Flojo’s…Ellie is a non-stop snacker so not as hungry for big meals. I, on the other hand, am ready to eat!

Last night in Innsbruck…and last night in Austria before hopping back across the water. I have had such a great time and am so blessed to have such a wonderful sister :)

Free Weiner Schnitzel in the Alps?

Location: Ellie's Kitchen Table -- Innsbruck, Austria

Well, I’ve spilled over the halfway point and can’t believe I only have a few days left here with Ellie. So far, I have been enjoying seeing her way of life, the sightseeing and of course, time spent with my sister that is always few and far between.The last you heard from me, we were headed to Venice. Clearly, there was no drowning on our part as I’m back in Innsbruck typing this blog. There were, however, many other adventures:)

We arrived in Venice at about 3:00pm. We were a bit conflicted on our plan of attack – but had a basic list of things we wanted to do or see and knew that many of the things were not available much longer on a Sunday. So, we decided to save the time-sensitive tourings for the next morning. Literally as soon as you step off the train, the boat station awaits directly in front of you on the Grand Canal. The Grand Canal is best described as the “main drag” in town, or the highway. The boat station, and overall system, on the Grand Canal is set up like a subway or metro system. Many stops, with names, along the way – going both directions. I couldn’t help but be impressed by the constant docking and collision avoidance executed by each boat driver. Besides the main boats, the other three types that could be seen were water taxis (speedboats that said “taxi” on them, licensed to serve), Gondolas (pricey, but the ones you have seen and read about that are very romantic and unique to this town) and a few other small boats that will take you back through smaller canals or channels that branch off the Grand Canal.

We decided to pay the €6,50 in Euros to hop on the main boat, headed toward St. Mark’s Cathedral. It was near the end of the route and we figured if we took the “slower boat” (there was also an express boat that didn’t make every stop) then we could take it all in and see some things right off the bat. After figuring out which one was the correct boat – thanks in part to the infamous Rick Steves tourist book – we sat back and enjoyed the ride.

We navigated ourselves to St. Mark’s Platz (Square) through the narrow streets and were greeted by hundreds of tourists, double the amount of pigeons and so much history! The street names were pointless to pay attention to – but thankfully we had been warned. We knew to look for the major landmark directional signs and try to ignore the rest. The souvenir shops were stocked full of Murano glass items – the famous Italian glassmaker. Of course also headlining the sales were a variety of leather items and masks (think Mardi Gras). Gelato stands were also all over the place – this was one treat I was not going to miss out on. I believe Tyler and I had it at least twice a day the last time I had visited – sooooo good:) As we heard the water throughout town, Ellie commented “This really makes me miss Lake Okoboji…is that bad?” lol. We laughed – nothing like missing Iowa while you are in Venice, Italy.

We located our hotel – a cute little place that was affordable and included free breakfast, so really, who’s complaining? After dropping our bags off, and leaving the key at the front desk (they suggest this anytime you leave), we headed back out to explore. Earlier in the day, I overheard a tourist asking a local where he could find a restaurant. I remember thinking to myself “you can’t be serious” – there were places (shops, food, etc.) everywhere! Well, as we circled around searching for a place to eat, I ate my words. It took us quite awhile to find a restaurant – perhaps we were just in the wrong spot. We found one, made a decision and sat down.

Ellie ordered lobster spaghetti and I ordered the spaghetti carbonera (bacon and eggs) anddddd then came the drinks. The waiter (Miky) served us a free drink and I then opted to order ½ liter of the house white (you have to have wine when you are in Italy, right?). Well, ½ a liter was way more than we were both expecting so the intention on finishing it immediately flew out the window. The restaurant had these really cute guest books that customers had written in over the course of the years – it was neat to flip through and see where everyone had come from and of course, comforting to see an occasional English entry. However, the one thing we couldn’t quite figure out was what this great “Grappa” stuff was that everyone kept referring to. When we passed on the dessert and requested the check…we found out.

Out to our table, the waiter brought a few cookies and 2 shots. Honestly, the shots looked like dirty water with about 10 peanuts or raisins in the bottom of it. We looked at each other and thought “he can’t be serious”. Ellie took one whiff of it and almost gagged. It smelled like rubbing alcohol – or something to perhaps clean the floors with. Miky stopped back over to check on us. We definitely felt like we had to drink it – but were desperately looking for a way out. So, when he turned his back, we both dumped a large portion of ours into our wine. Thankfully we hadn’t finished it – it helped hide the additional liquid quite nicely. However, this still left what remained in the shot glass – and after mustering up the courage, down the hatch it went. Yuck. Miky stopped back over again, pleased we had “enjoyed” this fabulous drink so…he left and returned with another. Seriously? We repeated our dumping routine…stomached the rest and thankfully Miky then brought us our check.

Our last stop of the evening was to St. Mark’s square outside the church. We had heard it was a happening place to be with lots of music, drinks and food in the evenings. Apparently that doesn’t hold true either on Sunday or perhaps in the “cold season”. It was deserted with the exception of many local men attempting to sell these glow-in-the-dark trinkets that you throw into the air and then softly land like a helicopter. One man, in a thick accent, said to me “Just like the moon, just like the moon” referring to the glow in the sky. I can’t stop laughing at how ridiculous he sounded – Ellie was not as entertained. Maybe it is just because she didn’t hear him….

We capped the night off with Gelato (otherwise known as heaven) and a lengthy amount of time in a local artist’s studio. He was amazing and I spent quite a bit of time talking to him. I also invested in one of his oil paintings of Venice. I was so excited about the whole experience. Afterward, we came back to the hotel and went to bed…well, Ellie did. My body decided to hit Eastern Standard Time all of a sudden and I wound up not falling asleep until about 3:00am.

Gelato :)

The artist I bought an oil painting from. He was so great!

Venice at night was breathtaking!

The next day we spent touring the Doge’s (“Duke”) Palace, St. Mark’s Cathedral and took to more of Venice on foot. The Cathedral was breathtaking and also, for lack of a better way of putting it, so “old”. There was a lot of history inside those walls…cameras were not allowed, although most tourists ignored this (which was actually pretty annoying) in the Cathedral as well as many places within the Doge’s Palace. After touring the both of them, we decided to just wander around and explore more before catching the train back to Innsbruck. All-in-all, Venice was amazing. Knowing there is really no other place like it, and it’s beauty has captured people for hundreds and hundreds of years was very special. Leaving was a bit sad, as I realized that could very well be my first and last trip to Venice.

Last night, upon arrival we headed straight to Ellie’s volleyball practice…and lo and behold, I dusted off this 32-year-old body and participated. It was really fun – and I also feel I can totally relate to Ellie’s frustrations with her coach. The most basic frustration is the language barrier – I couldn’t even understand the instructions for the drills we were supposed to be doing! Regardless, I am very thankful to have been given the experience…and my sore body continues to remind me.

This morning, Ellie and I got up early and headed to the Alps to ski. This was my only skiing session of the winter and I was determine to make the best of it. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the scenery was breathtaking. However, I will admit that it made me miss the Rockies. We laughed as Ellie made the comparison outloud – again, here we are missing Colorado (the States) as we are in one of most famous skiing places in the world. We spent about half a day on the slopes – trying to navigate our way on the poorly-marked trails and also through very choppy snow. We also forgot to wear sunscreen (hi mom!)…which has left a very rosy lower-half of my face at the moment. Eyes? White and raccoon-like (as Ellie would describe). Adding another new experience to the day for me, when we purchased our lift ticket, we received a coupon for FREE Weiner Schnitzel and Pommes (fries). This was an Austrian delight I had been wanting to try so we definitely took full advantage of the deal...and I probably won't have it again, lol.

Headed up the chairlift for the first run

Bundled up, Ellie and I at the restaurant at the top - the views don't get much better than that and the weather was actually gorgeous

Top of the world :)

After returning back to Innsbruck, we took quite an extended nap before heading to Ellie’s practice. I again was allowed to practice with the team which was fun and a good workout…especially considering I had sampled my first Weiner schnitzel earlier in the day (we received a free coupon at the resort!) and was regretting it. I am quite okay with taking a break from serving volleyballs over the course of the next 4 months or so – I think I got my fair share during the last 2 practices.

We’ve packed our bags for tomorrow (today in actuality)…Ellie’s team (including me, as a spectator of course lol) are headed to Vienna for her match. I’m very excited and also can’t believe I only have about 2 more days here.

The Golden Roof and the City of Water

Location: Somewhere in Italy

Well…clearly I made it.

I am currently riding on the train with Ellie to Venice. I am beyond excited. Here, we will spend the afternoon and evening touring, stay in a hotel and then tour in the morning before heading back to Innsbruck.

We have been busy over the past few days. Friday, after landing in Innsbruck, Ellie, me and my luggage took a bus to Maria-Theresian Strasse to meet up with her friend and teammate Emilie and Emilie’s boyfriend Stefan. This location is kind of like the main drag – a strip with stores, restaurants and a mall. I was hungry so we ate outdoors at a place called Orangerie. Ellie helped me order something “authentic” which wound up being these pasta noodles (they looked like French fries) and an Apfelsaft G’spritz (tastes just like Apple Juice!). After eating, Ellie and I headed back to her place to relax until she had to go to practice. I took a much needed nap and woke up feeling a little better, although still kind of like a zombie. Could have really used a Starbucks.

Hot off the train, eating at the Orangerie

My first meal in Austria

Speaking of Starbucks, at the Frankfurt airport I made a stop at one. 1) because I figured it was the last one I’d see the whole trip and 2) I was exhausted. As we all know, I didn’t sleep much on that flight from Dulles to Frankfurt before the infamous breakfast was served. Anyway, the Starbucks guy looked at me crazy when I asked for an iced coffee – and the result was expected. A cup of ice, hot coffee from the coffee maker and a straw. I made it work, but it was not that great and I wound up having to down it anyway because I had to go through security, again, to access another terminal.

At my gate (which I thought was my Gate because it is what was printed on my boarding pass for the second leg of the flight way back at Dulles) I found a table to sit at and worked on a presentation for class. Downfall, of course, is that there were zero outlets anywhere…and when I did finally find one, it required a converter which I clearly didn’t have. Smh. So much for a lot of schoolwork. I tried to lay down and take a nap, but that was rather unsuccessful. I also people-watched quite a bit, including two men’s volleyball teams that fly out of my gate during my 5.5 hour layover. Their team names were Asseco Resovia and the Rhein- Neckar (or Necker?) Lowen. They were flying to Lubijana…and that’s just about all I gathered. I learned people-watching is a bit different when you cannot understand anyone. There isn’t any possibility of eavesdropping on conversations – it is a complete observation of body language and guessing what they may be saying. It got old fast, lol.

Anyway, back to Innsbruck. So, Ellie’s practice was interesting. She has been describing the experience all along as completely not on the same level as college. And while I would have to definitely agree, her team was much better than I feel I had then figured them to be. It was just clear that they did not have the bond that a college team would have based on experiences and time together. It made me think of the NBA and NFL – and how much harder it must be for these people who do this as a living to bond based on the passion they still hopefully have for the sport. Of course, not everyone on Ellie’s team only play volleyball. The Austrian players make much less money, so they have other jobs too – the volleyball team is not their sole source of income. I will also admit it was not easy to sit and watch practice – I wanted to play! I supplemented my urge by shagging an occasional ball and working on some schoolwork when the drills weren’t of interest. It was really fun watching Ellie play though – and a position I hadn’t seen her play since high school!

Bed came soon after practice – after updating ourselves with NCAA games that were happening at the time. We watched the ending of the Norfolk State upset of Missouri (15 seed over number 2) and then the next morning learned of Duke’s fall to Lehigh (another 15/2 seed).

Yesterday we spent a majority of the day touring Innsbruck. I picked up some items (mainly candy and chocolate – you know me!) at a store and we tried on some things other places. I saw the infamous Golden Roof, we ate Hawaiian pizza (that had bananas and cherries on it!) and saw Old Town Innsbruck. It was a lot of walking which was good exercise but also a bit hard on the back. I think the best discovery of the day was a church we happened upon. It had a huge, wooden door that Ellie curiously opened and as we walked inside, past the blankets that hung right behind the door, I felt like it was an ancient discovery. The church was breathtaking. We later learned it was St. James’ Cathedral, which Ellie said she had been meaning to see so that was a bit of a bonus for her.

St. James Cathedral

Ellie and I inside the Cathedral

In front of the Golden Roof

Hawaiian Pizza

The team she was scheduled to play last night had bus problems on their way to the match. In short, they wound up forfeiting the match which was disappointing for 2 reasons: 1) Ellie knows 2 of the girls on the team, both whom which we trained with in Anaheim…but I know one of them too because she is from Iowa and grown up playing volleyball with/against Ellie. It would’ve been fun to see them. And 2) I now won’t get to see Ellie play a home match in Innsbruck. Wednesday, we will travel to Vienna to play the same team (it will be match #3 of the best-of-5 series) so at least I will still get to see her play. In fact, her coach is looking for another player for that match. Ellie told her I could play – but amidst the language barrier and also probably not really knowing if I can play or not, she dismissed the idea. I am hoping I can practice with them either Monday or Tuesday though – that would be fun.

Last night we went to an old restaurant called Ritter-Kuchl (I think, lol). It is comparable to an American medieval times…only it was so cool because it was believable. The building was genuinely from the times and the food was authentic to Austria. There were four courses and we could only eat with our hands. We were with a group of 11 – it was a surprise dinner in celebration of Stefan’s birthday (Emilie’s boyfriend whom which we had eaten with the day before). It was so much fun!

Afterwards we headed to a bar where the group continued the celebration with cake and drinks. Ellie and I did not stay long, however, as it was pretty late and we had a train to catch in the morning…which brings me back to my current location :)

I’ve finished my presentation for class next week and now hope to start another assignment to complete before we get to Venice. I definitely don’t want my trip to be about schoolwork or work. But 4-hour train rides are good times to enjoy the view and also stay ahead! It is supposed to rain either today or tomorrow and be quite cloudy. It is hazy right now – but I’m still looking forward to seeing the City of Water :)

A Warm Wet Towel & Bottles and Bottles of Wine

Location: Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean

Well, it’s 1:23am in the morning in Washington, DC, but here in Row 40, Seat K on Luthfansa Airlines, it is apparently time to get up. The cabin lights were just turned on and the flight attendants are making their rounds with warm, sanitary cloths and….breakfast. Welcome to the time zone change ladies and gentlemen. It is 6:23am in Frankfurt, Germany (our destination) so we adjust as so. I have been sleeping (if you can call it that) for probably just under 2 hours.

It is kind of weird to think that I am flying through Frankfurt. A lot has changed in my life since I last booked a flight here (and didn’t wind up going) nearly 10 years ago. This time I’ll only be staying for a 5.5 hour layover before connecting to my final destination: Innsbruck, Austria. There, Ellie has been living for the past 7 months, playing professional volleyball. I am catching her last few weeks “on the job” before her season is over and she heads back to the states. ..I am also the last Blankenship to visit.

The last time I was on an international flight was 8 years ago when I traveled to this same basic region on a 2 week trip with my high school friend, Tyler. We visited Rome and Florence in Italy; Munich, Daukau and Ludwig’s Sleeping Beauty Castle in Germany; Paris in France; and Lucerne, Switzerland. We packed it in – but had an amazing time.

This time, I’ll be visiting a few different places in Austria including Innsbruck where Ellie lives, Vienna (briefly, as she has a match there next Wednesday) and hopefully another spot in which the name has slipped my mind that Tyler (Ellie’s fiancé, not the one I traveled with) suggested Ellie visit. We have also made plans to visit Venice, Italy (across the border) for a day which is exciting for me – that one had to get cut from the list that last time due to time constraints. Finally, half of my suitcase is filled with….ski clothes! While the weather is warming (dad complained of poor, warm ski conditions during his trip here 3 weeks ago), I am so excited to be able to ski the Alps for a day! Contrary to Troy now living in Denver and living it up on the slopes, this will sadly be my only ski trip of the year this time around. Gotta love working college basketball.

But…back to this warm towel thing. I definitely don’t remember this from last trip – I guess I’ll need to pull out my journal. Oh yeah, we hand-wrote things “back then” (laughs). Screw that – this computer will be much faster…and this blog needed some dust knocked off of it. Anyway…again, back to the towel – the flight attendant comes down the aisle with a tin tray and lifts a square of sanitary towel (basically it is a wet wipe) that has been steamed with warm water. It is a little unclear to me if you wipe your hands with it – or your face, so…I went with both. I am very clean now, in case you were wondering :)

I have dodged watching any sort of entertainment. I was hoping for a JetBlue type experience with TVs in the back of the headrests, but I guess Direct TV (and the NCAA Tournament, lol) doesn’t fly over the Atlantic Ocean...at least not in the economy section of the plane. The TV monitors are still in the aisle and have been showing all sorts of things – a movie, sitcoms and some National Geographic special about Black Bears that played during dinner. …I choose the pasta over the Black Bear entree. …kidding.

Speaking of food – I remembered that on my last international flight we had been served food – but hello economy tanking. I was a bit unclear this time if we would even have snacks. So, I purchased some nuts for a whopping $8 in the gift store…Seinfeld would tell you that “nuts are very rare here”…and a pre-packed box with crackers and hummus. I figured those two things, along with a large bottle of water, would get me through the overnight flight. Then, right before boarding, my stomach growled. I thought to myself – uh oh. Guess I should buy a real dinner (my flight left at 6:50pm). So I made a quick stop at Potbelly’s and brought a sandwich on board. About 20 minutes after eating my sandwich, and 5 after I downed half the bag of nuts…wa-lah! Dinner was served. Crap.

So, as Smokey the Bear and his bear cub were trouncing around the fields on the TV monitor, I opted for the pasta over the chicken (for real this time). It came with a roll (I passed – since I’d just had 2 slices of bread wrapped around my sandwich), a miniature Caesar salad and some sort of pound cake with strawberry sauce. I put a decent dent in it…but was most amazed at the drink service. Upon boarding the plane, we were served a drink. I chose Orange Juice while the German-American speaking lady next to me selected red wine. The Asian man (who doesn’t speak and gets up and paces with his arms crossed) ordered a beer. Clearly my priorities weren’t straight. Then, with dinner we were served another drink. The woman chose red wine – I picked Coke Zero in attempts to keep me awake longer to finish more work. However, the flight attendants weren’t done yet – they followed each other back down the aisles, wine bottles in hand, liquoring up anyone who wanted more wine with their meal. Of course, the lady ordered the red. Coffee and then tea followed and I couldn’t help but think to myself about the mass bathroom break that would inevitably be occurring in about 30 minutes on the flight.

Somehow, the drinks must have been special because the bathroom break never happened and if you know me, you’d be impressed I only made one trip to the restroom in the entire 8 hour flight. I guess I also skipped the 3 wine servings and coffee pourings. But, in case the Potbellys and dinner wasn’t enough (only a few hours ago), we were just served breakfast (fruit, granola bar, roll with jam and a slice of cheese). I might need to go for a jog around the Frankfurt airport upon arrival!

The only other thing worth noting is the first class cabin is located upstairs on the plane. I cannot remember if this was the case last time I flew internationally, but I was in awe all over again. The staircase seemed so long and majestic (even though it was really just a bare staircase) that I was tempted to drop my bags and race up it for a minute. Of course, who does that right? (face turns red). No…I didn’t. Instead I walked across Aisle 1 to Aisle 2 and proceeded 40 rows back. In fact, when we land here shortly, by the time I deboard this plane my 5.5 hour layover may be almost done. :)Well, that’s probably enough for now. I am looking forward to hugging my sister and seeing/experiencing some new places and things in the process.

Ciao! (Screw German – I didn’t take it…and we are close to France too !)