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The
trip might be deemed uneventful except for traveling with seven very
large overweight luggage items. Our son John used Stacey's mega-large
Chevy to transport us to the airport. Once there we checked in, were
required to pay $330. overweight and then all bags were checked. We
proceeded to the gate. Not so fast, a voice over the PA system announced,
"Would Charles Gray please return to the Delta counter?"
I waited with our large, camera filled, carry-on at the gate side
Burger King. Charlie navigated back to the counter to find that one
bag had to be divided to keep it from going over one hundred pounds.
Now we have eight very large, over weight bags.
What is all
this stuff? Not clothing I assure you. There are boat parts, boat
supplies and computers. The main computer had to be taken home to
be repaired and is now back, up and running. These were packed by
Mailboxes Etc. and they arrived in good shape. When I wasn't looking
a new TV was packed, one that is a combination TV/ VCR for use in
our cabin.
Back to the
travel log. Our luggage was checked from Orlando to Lanzarote, even
though we changed planes in Madrid and left Delta and went on AIR
EUROPA from Madrid to Lanzarote. In Spain you clear customs at your
final destination, not your entry point.
The Delta
flights were good, from Orlando to Atlanta and the trans-Atlantic
from Atlanta to Madrid. I slept, Charlie watched the movies. Arriving
in Madrid we had a very short layover, finally found the right terminal
and caught the flight to Lanzarote. We arrived in Lanzarote and
lined up waiting for our luggage. Waiting, waiting, waiting. When
we were the last people standing we surmised that it just was not
coming.
We filed
a lost luggage claim with a very lovely lady named May, who suggested
that the luggage would probably arrive the following day if not
on the next flight and they would deliver it to the boat. Whoa!
Do they really know what they are offering? We decided to wait for
the next flight, just in case. We found a very hard bench and piled
up to wait. When the next flight arrived our gear was not aboard
but our friends Don and Lois Babson from Que Sera, Sera were. Charlie
had rented a car during the wait so we had transportation to the
marina.
We checked
in with Christina at the office to let her know about the lost bags
and she followed up with a phone call. We picked up a few items
from the marina store for breakfast, showered in the marina showers
and crashed.
December
29, The luggage arrived about 14:00 as promised. Everything arrived,
no customs problems, no overweight charge from Air Europa and delivered
to the boat. It doesn't get any better than this.
Today is
the last day of 2001. The cataclysmic international events of the
year affected each of us and each life will be impacted. It is easy
to let anger, suspicion and hatred enter our minds as we think of
the innocents whose lives are ever altered by the vengeful acts
of a few.
Now seems
a very important time, to me, to realize how very small our world
is. We each have a limited ride on this sphere. Only with great
effort, restraint and wisdom can we steer a peaceful journey. Now
seems a very appropriate time for each in his own way to pray for
PEACE in the coming year, both in our hearts and in the world. Until
later from Sea Gem in Lanzarote . . .
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