The past two days have been full days of travel. First, Liz's parents drove us to the HUT in Salem. Within two minutes of arriving, we were on our way to Portland International Airport. We took the HUT (shuttle bus) from Salem through rain and hail to Portland. When we arrived at PDX, we immediately noticed something strange. The normally well-lit terminal was dimly lit, and the lines were much longer than usual. Power outages slow things down at airports. There was auxiliary power for essential services (minimal lighting...) But things like check-in kiosks, automatic sinks in the bathrooms, and computers at the currency exchange booth were not operational. Fortunately we were early enough that we were able to make our morning flight to D.C. Our plane was delayed, not due to the power outage, but due to an earlier bird-strike, so they had to fly in a second plane.
On our flight from Portland to D.C., we had a favorable tail wind, which helped us to make up time from the bird's unfortunate choice. When we arrived in D.C., we had one of the world's easiest airport connections. We got off our plane and looked at the kiosk to find our next flight. We must have been talking out loud, because someone a few feet away let us know that the gate for our next flight was right in front of us! We even had enough time to get some lunch salads for our flight to... Detroit! Who knew that Detroit was in between D.C. and Prague? Well apparently it is if you book using frequent flyer miles!
Our flight to Detroit flight ran late, though neither of us can remember why. While we were still on this plane waiting to exit, our next plane (from Detroit to Paris) was already boarding! We made a mad dash from gate A-6 all the way to A-60 in a few minutes (thanks to a helpful woman from Detroit and the tram). We were two of the last purple to get on the plane before they closed the door of the aircraft.
Our layover in Paris was long enough for Liz to get a latte and for us to get a loaf of delicious bread. I was able to order this bread in French - le pain avec fromage. We noticed that the Paris airport seemed to be more about form than function. The bathrooms were ultra modern, with mirrors covering almost every wall, but they were not very practical in their layout. The terminal was an architectural monument, with cafés and other shops centrally located. But there were not enough seats for people waiting at the gates, and in order to get to the coffee shops, cafés or bathrooms, you had to go down stairs. Each area seemed to be at a different level. Aesthetically, it was beautiful, but it was not the most practical, given the number of passengers with carry-on luggage. We also noted a sign warning of a crime punishable by up to three years in prison and a 300,000 Euro fine. What, you may ask, is the crime worthy of such a stiff punishment? Assault? Grand theft? Embezzling funds? An act of terrorism? No. The punishment is for "buying or carrying a counterfeit product." I hope the bread we bought was authentic. If not, you may not see us for a while. Fortunately, we've eaten the evidence, so I think we're OK.
From Paris, we had our final flight to Prague. We packed using carry-on only, but were informed at the gate that our bags needed to be checked because the flight was so full. Fortunately, our checked carry-on bags made it to Prague and we had little trouble locating them at baggage claim.
On our two long haul flights (Portland to D.C. and Detroit to Paris) we managed to get a fair amount of sleep. Last night we slept well and are already on Czech time.
So far we don't have a clear sense of how Prague fits into our future. However, we do have a sense that we will get clarity over the next few weeks. We also believe that there is a purpose for us being here.
Wow. It sounds like getting there was quite an adventure in itself!! Hope your trip is wonderful!
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