Barcelona – Frankfurt – SFO: The Long Day Of Traveling Home

Up at 7 am; woke Marie up at 7:50 am.

8:30 am:  Joined Jordi with Pau in the living room.  Marie sat on the floor next to Pau’s bouncy chair to play with his hands and talk softly to him.  Grit joined us with Nils.

After buttered toast and tea, it was time to say goodbyes.

Jordi brought his car to the front door while we waited with our luggage.

On the way to the airport, I asked Jordi what they were going to do today.  He replied, “Go to the mountains as soon as possible.”  The cabin is his parents’. The temperature is much cooler where the cabin is located.

With boarding passes in hand, we still needed to check in our luggage.  Though they were carry‑on sized, I was going to check in the duffle and possibly the backpack; Marie’s luggage was all carry‑on.  The agent said it would cost €110 to check in my baggage.  He asked if I wanted to check in my backpack also.  I replied, “Not at €110 each!”

Then he asked if Marie was checking in her luggage.  I said, “No, especially at €110 each!”  He replied, “No charge, you can check in a bag.”

“But you said it would cost me €110.”

With a roll of his eyes and a sigh, followed by something under his breath, he said, “You get one bag.  She gets one bag.  You can check in 2 bags.”

“How much?”

“Nothing.”

“Okay.  Which gate do we go?”

“Right now 10B, but check the monitor.”

After the security line, the monitor indicated we were to report to Gate 44B.

We arrived a little before boarding began.  We had seats 10 A and B.  The woman next to me in 10C is from San Leandro.  She and her daughter just finished a 15 day Celebrity Cruise.  They’re on our same flight to SFO.

10:44 am Depart Barcelona.

12:48 pm Arrive Frankfurt.  Went through customs and immigration, getting a departure stamp in our passports.

As luck would have it, our connecting flight would be from Gate Z19.

Once again, we took an elevator down, walked a few people walkers (walking conveyor belts); and then another elevator up to the third floor (after going to the second floor in error); and then found our gate.

We were told we needed to go to a security desk across the room.  We were asked about our luggage control then directed to another desk for a card boarding pass containing a security sticker.

With new boarding pass in hand, we proceeded to a line to board.  As we approached the front of the line, we were told we were in a security line and needed to get into “that long line over there, but you can sit and wait.”  A woman, who had been in front of me through each line sat with me and Marie.  She lives in Stockton (a 45 minute drive up 580 from San Francisco).  A young (college aged) woman was in line when the Stockton woman told her she needed to go to the security desk across the way.  We let her back in front of me.  College woman sat with us, too.  She’s from San Leandro – her dad’s picking her up.

As Marie and I had seats 57 A and C, she asked the college girl which seat she had, wondering if she might be sitting between us.  No.  She was in Row 38.

When the line shrunk, we got into line to board.

We waited to see who’d sit between us.  Upon announcement that all had boarded and the crew was preparing to take off, Marie and I high-fived.

2:17 pm Plane took off for our 10 hours 45 minutes flight home.

I watched “Avengers”; was served breakfast followed by lasagna, salad, bread and butter, cake.

I watched “Mirror, Mirror”; was served ice cream

A woman asked to sit between us.  I asked why.  She said her daughter and friend were behind us; she’d only be 15 minutes.  Quite more than 15 minutes passed when she asked her daughter to hand her a neck pillow.  I asked her if she should go back to her seat to sleep.  She said, “No, a little longer.”  When the movie ended, I asked her again.  She then left.

I watched “Thousand Words” followed by “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”.  After filling out a customs declaration, we were served a snack:  cheese roll, turkey and Gouda, potato chips and chocolate crispies, candy and cranberry apple juice.

12:50 = 16:50 PST:  Arrived SFO.

The immigration line was very slow.  Marie and I were discussing how the woman who sat between us was giving me dirty looks after I asked her to leave.  The woman continued to sit behind me with her daughter, who was about 10 years old, sitting on her lap.  When it was our turn to step up to the window, Tom, the immigration officer, gave us a hesitant look when we both stepped up.

Judy – Is it okay for us both to come up?  She’s my daughter.

Tom – Were you two arguing?

Judy – No.

Marie – We were just talking about someone in the other line who wasn’t very nice.

Tom – Okay.  It looked like you were mad.

From there, it lightened up as he compared Marie to her picture.  He said, “Looks like you loss some weight.”

The customs guy who wrote “2” on my declaration form, as we quickly passed by.

At baggage claim, the carts were free, not $5 – perhaps because of complaints?

Another line for customs….

After stepping outside for shuttle service, we were informed we needed to catch SuperShuttle upstairs.

We found our way upstairs via elevators on the far right of the building.

After a wait for SuperShuttle, and upon boarding, it looked like we were the only ones – cool.  Driver said we had to wait 10 monutes.  Awww… No one showed, so we had a direct drive home.   Quiet ride home via 280.  I began to doze off.  It was 3AM for us.

7 PM:  HOME!  Anthony greeted us.  He helped me with my luggage.  I hugged him – twice.  Michelle was working at the Mountain Winery tonight.

After asking Anthony to wake me up at 9, so I can prepare dinner, I took a nap.

8:30 pm Anthony knocked at my door.  I checked the cupboards and refrigerator for inspiration/dinner options.  Decided going to Panda Express was easier.

Shortly after returning from Panda Express, Chad arrived.

I filtered through the mail and unpacked while waiting for Michelle to come home.  I gave Anthony his necklace/cord, then his tee shirt (and United blanket for fun).

Midnight:  Michelle came home.  We ate together and talked about her Shanghai experience (mostly about her last week with her new friend).

It’s good to be home.

Until the next adventure, thanks for sharing in my experience.