Hello friends, I'm writing from beautiful Basel, Switzerland. It's not at all like I remember, not a yucky industrial city, but rather a small charming city on the banks of the Rhine. I think I may have spelled that wrong. Too tired to check.
I left on Friday at 1:20 pm. The very second I got in the air, the plane I was on to Atlanta was put in a holding pattern which caused me to miss my connecting flight to Zurich. After waiting in line with a nice young Swiss man who missed his Zurich connection as well, for a few hours. We both had "stand by" tickets on a flight to Paris leaving that night on Air France. Had to wait on pins and needles while 499 other passengers boarded the Beluga-whale shaped plane to receive the very last seat. I was lucky enough to make the flight but my traveling partner did not. Felt like one of those odd moments when you win a beauty pageant and you have to like feel a lot sorry for the runner up. But you are really not that sorry. I was so glad I got on that plane. Sorry Niklas.
The flight to Paris was awful, that last seat I got on the plane was broken, the headrest wouldn't say up. French steward dude tried to help, but didn't really care. Sat next to Erik the Snuggling German, and behind a South African shin banging seat recliner man. Got to Paris and missed my connection to Zurich. Not in small part thanks to mister between-terminals-bus-driver man who replaced a seeming competent bus driver and commenced his FIRST DAY ON THE JOB training. Awesome. Sorry Mademoiselle, your next flight will not leave until it is the perfect time to make you not want to take a train straight to Basel, but it will be delayed another two hours because we, are incompetent and can't make a flight land or take off on time.
Get to Zurich. Luggage? Hmm. Didn't leave Atlanta. That seems to be Americas fault, but I still blame France. And Portugal. Mostly because Portugese sounds nothing like Spanish so I couldn't fight with the lady who tried to butt in line infront of me in the "we lost our luggage line". Hey lady, no espanol, no service. And I had an hour train to catch after that. So after 24 hours travelling I arrived in Basel and the crew met me at the station and took my carry on from me and graciously carried it the rest of the night. We had some good food (for Europe) and a great night sleep in a pretty nice European hotel. After two days in the same t-shirt and a move to a hotel that actually had internet... and a garden... and free cokes in said garden... I got my luggage back and then took a hot bath. MMMMmmmmm. Much better.
Electical situation is good, only burned up my hair straightener thus far, and that is a sad causualty but I will find another... one that the power grid in Switzerland can handle.
Man I work with some smart people. I tell you what. I am blown away by the minds I'm with for these two weeks. Couldn't ask for better road warriors. The Swiss are strange, Deiter-like, nice, smart beautiful people. Watches and trains and buses they do very well, air conditioning, not so much...
Pics when I get time.
Linz
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