and we're off!

greetings from germany!

yesterday was one of the smoothest travel experiences i've ever encountered. i can attribute that partly to my over-researching tendencies, partly to my new gold status on american, and partly to sheer luck.

when jenny dropped me off at the airport, i headed straight for the first class ticket counter - one of the gold status perks. i checked my two bags and headed to the security line, also the first class lane, and breezed through. when the plane boarded, i was thrilled to discover that the flight was empty, and i took advantage of the row to myself to catch some zzz's during the 3 1/2 hour duration.

we touched down in chicago on time, and, miraculously, my flight from chicago to frankfurt also departed on time! not only that, but it seemed my luck would hold, as the flight was again, nearly empty. i again had a row to myself, and between that and the benadryl, i slept for most of the 8 hour journey.

my arrival in frankfurt was the most frought with potential disaster. i don't speak a lick of german, and i had to figure out how to get to the train station and take the right train to bamberg, where arika would be picking me up.

i can't tell you how i stressed about this beforehand. stressed and researched. i had copies of the airport map with me, as well as step by step directions i found on some random school group's reunion blog to get me to the right place. and as a result of that research and the german country in general, it all transpired beautifully.

when the plane touched down, the 'welcome' sign on the building visible from the tarmac said simply 'welcome to frankfurt,' and i knew then that i would be just fine.

i breezed through passport control (a new 'germany' stamp added!) and customs, both of my suitcases had arrived no worse for the wear, and i was able to follow the signs in german AND english to the train station, without difficulty. i stopped at the deutsche bahn ticket office to confirm that my pre-purchased online ticket was all i needed, and as the agent was already speaking english to the customer in front of me, i didn't even have to whip out the 'sprechen zie english?' card.

the agent confirmed that i was good to go, complimented my new manicure, and i settled in to wait for my train. it arrived promptly, as i understand german trains typically do, i boarded without incident and only minor awkwardness as i tried to maneuver my two suitcases to the luggage rack.

now, lest anyone think to themselves "she took two suitcases? she's only gone for a week!" i'll explain. first and foremost, i could. you can take two bags on international flights without cost. secondly, winter coats and sweaters take up a lot of space. and lastly, i actually needed a second bag (a hiking backpack i borrowed from the d family) for my mid-trip hiatus in venice, as i didn't want to worry about rolling a bag through cobblestone streets.

i spent an hour on the 'fast train' before arriving at wurzburg, where i would change to a regional train for the rest of the journey. also not sure what to expect of this transfer, and knowing i had only 5 minutes to make it, i was pleasantly surprised to be able to deboard the ice, walk across the 15 foot wide platform and board the regionalbahnof. i was also relieved to alight the train on the car reserved for handicap, bicycles, and strollers, as it was completely open space with seats that folded down as needed. what that meant is that i did not have to maneuver my two suitcases uncomfortably down narrow aisles.

at that point i counted my journey a success. since, from here on out, all travel will be car and plane, i felt like i had safely, and dare i say it, easily, made it through the most difficult part of the journey!

arika and her toddler, annabeth, greeted me at the bamberg train station and we wandered for a bit before landing on a place, recommended by her neighbor, for dinner.

it was very german, and not in touristy way. the tables were wooden, as were the seats lining the walls, and the place was tiny, but warm and cozy. no judgement here please, but i ordered the 'chicken snacks and fries.' don't worry, i won't leave without triyng schnitzel and brat, but i'll admit, i need to work up to it a bit. and despite being the most american choice on the menu it was very good!

after dinner we made for arika's new bmw, hit the autobahn, and headed to her home in lupburg - about an hour and a half from bamberg.

i was surprised (as was she, i understand) to see just how much space she and her husband ended up with. one of the perks of his being an officer i suppose, but the house has a lot of room, and i enjoyed the large guest bedroom last night. until 4am, when i woke up and couldn't go back to sleep:) - hence the blogging.

we have a big day today, so i'm hoping that 5 hours will be enough to get me through. and by this time tomorrow i'll be on my way to munich airport, ready to board my flight to venice, where i'll meet deb and we'll spend the next three days exploring the island!