Vacation Surprise!
After 34 days of no paychecks, our vacation time was upon us. Concerned for the much reported TSA lines, we left for the airport 5 hours ahead of our flight. To our surprise, we checked our cruise clothes suitcases, breezed through the TSA line and had food in our hands within 25 minutes! There was virtually no line! The reports told us only Terminals A and E were open for security. We would still have to check our bags in at Terminal C and walk to one of the open terminals. Happily, we found that C was open for CLEAR and TSA Precheck travelers!
A little lunch, a vacation cocktail and wandering through the shops, it was finally time to depart! We were quite relaxed knowing our friend, Anne, would be visiting the dogs midday. Our new friend, Stephanie, would be with them after work… spending the night with them so they have company! Being Sapphire’s 8th birthday, we wanted them well cared for. Now, seated in the Premium section, we were well prepared for our ten-hour flight to London Heathrow. This would be our first stop… It’s always my desire to eat quickly and sleep so I’m rested when I reach Europe.
Our seats were quite comfortable. Premium class on United have wider seats than Economy Plus. They also have a bit more leg room and the seats lie down more than the economy Plus. We received an amenity bag. Our meal was delicious! Actually, I preordered a Gluten Free meal… it was a perfect dinner by the time it was served.
Meals ordered, drinks served… we are up, up and away! There are so many movies I want to watch! Barry still has no idea where we are going. He has guessed a couple of times but not the correct cities. We are on the non-stop from Houston to London. From there, we will check our cruise clothes into a “Left Luggage” facility and be off for our surprise destination.
London Heathrow was already preparing for the Christmas season. After disembarking, we made it through customs in five minutes. The new facial recognition system is incredibly efficient! The funny part of our customs experience… I went through the little camera/passport control area. Barry was in another booth. We walked out from two different areas to get stamped by the agent. After answering a couple of questions with my agent, it dawned on me… Barry had no idea where he was going! In a panic, I told my agent the situation. She laughed and sent me to the booth where Barry was being looked at like he was crazy! I explained that I had planned a surprise trip for Barry. I would be happy to announce it, if necessary. Instead, he had me whisper our two destination and share the length of time in each area. Barry didn’t hear… but quite sternly, the customs agent asked, “Do you have money to cover a week in the Europe?” We laughed and said, of course we do! He sent us on our way.
Completing the first leg of our journey, Barry was still confused. He guessed a couple of times (both incorrect) and just decided to go with the flow. We had to go through Frankfurt airport. It really altered his thinking of where we might be going. Truly, the connecting airport had no bearing on where we would end up. It happened to be a Lufthansa hub. So… left our house at 11, arrived at the airport and through TSA by noon. Boarded the flight to London at 3:30. Arrived London at 7:30am. Checked bags by 8:30. Second leg 11:30am, same terminal. Second leg landed at 2:05. Next leg… departs 4:55 and lands at 6:30pm. Long… long day!
Exhausted, we got a little snack and hung out in the gate area. Making sure to sit away from out gate (B11), there we no announcements about our flight. Maybe there was but the flight leaving from B10 had so much commotion! No one followed instructions for lining up, etc. Finally… it was the moment to find out where we would be spending the next few days! The boarding announcement for Florence!
Our plane was a regional for Lufthansa so we had to take busses out on the tarmac to our aircraft. Passing by unfamiliar planes… colorful, striped… was kind of fun! Our third and final leg of the day was, like the other two, on time. What a great day of travel!
Technically a Lufthansa flight, it was operated by Air Dolomiti. Despite it being a smaller, regional jet, the flight was comfortable and smooth. This really made up for all the travel mishaps in the past few travel experiences! My hope is that this trip beats out the craziness of Barry’s last vacation (luggage delayed, cruise shorted by two days, four missed ports, ship not in the best shape).
Within minutes of takeoff, Barry was sound asleep. As for me? I was enjoying a fun phenomenon! Off to the right of the airplane, a beautiful sunset. Shades of pinks and oranges lit the sky. On the left side of the plane, a full moon was rising… dusk on one side, nighttime on the other. Not the greatest moon photo but I only had my iphone and anything through an airplane window is difficult.
Final approach into Amerigo Vespucci Airport (FLR) was smooth as silk. Taxiing in, I was happy to see there wasn’t a jet bridge. We would be able to disembark from the front and back. We were nearer to the back so it would be a quick exit with our backpacks!
With about three options for getting from the airport to our flat, we chose the most economical. Honestly, it was probably the best way to go regardless of financial considerations. Just outside of arrivals is a small market. At the counter, they sell “tram” tickets to the city centre. One way is 1.70 Euro… cheap! We walked right onto the tram. As this was the starting point, we had plenty of seating. It quickly filled up at each stop. It was important to remember to validate our tickets on the yellow machine. This cancels the ticket. If you get caught with an unvalidated ticket, you can get a hefty fine. Obviously, they don’t want them used again… Within about fifteen minutes, we were dropped off at the Novella train station.
Outside the train station, the area was familiar as I have visited a couple of times before. Perfect weather for a quick walk. Down the bustling city street, we headed for our flat. It was quite close. Following the walking map, the street we were on ended at our building. It couldn’t have been easier. As we entered the code into the box, we looked to the left and saw… in all her majesty… the Duomo! Barry’s first taste of Florence!
Within minutes, we had entered our flat, dumped our backpacks and headed out to eat. An outdoor cafe with heaters was the perfect location for our first vacation meal. Our reward for a long travel day(s)! Our waiter was kind and efficient… sitting just outside the Duomo, the ambiance was ideal. Music playing, delicious wine and pizza on the way!
My pizza … a gluten-free crust with burrata, prosciutto, and truffles on a cheesy sauce. The taste combination was incredible. Barry had an unusual pizza that included potatoes and a cream sauce of some sort. He said it was great.
After a quick stop in front of the Duomo, Barry got some gelato. He really enjoyed his dessert! With full bellies, we headed to our home away from home for a good night sleep! Buona notte!
