The Vindication Cruise!

 We’re headed back to the Med to repeat the last 14 days of our 36 day cruise in which I got COVID and missed the end!!! Stay tuned…sure to be drama…

AND…the first 5 days are no exception;)

***Photos aren’t working right now for some reason- will add them in later.

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Well, this trip started out like many of our trips. Which is to say- nothing was going as planned.

First, the world is literally on fire. There are extremes so extreme that hyperbole fails me to even adequately attempt to describe the shit show. Phrases are being thrown around like wiping civilizations out. I get heart palpitations and anxiety just thinking about it and I need to stop checking the news but I cannot because every 3 seconds my brain says - hey, maybe check on the civilization wipe out situation.

Then, there are some lingering health problems on both sides of the family that have us worried and anxious to be on the other side of the world.

And, then there is just the travel industry period. PERIODT. As the kids would say.

Sunday, we were up and at ‘em and Christiana brought us to the airport where we checked in and then went to have lunch and Chardonnay at our favorite airport restaurant. We forgot it was Easter. And by that I mean, we didn’t call for reservations. But, there were 3 seats at the bar. Hallelujah!

After lunch, we strolled right through security with TSA Precheck touchless. This is amazing. I’d tell you to look it up and get it but then you’d also be in line, so maybe sit this one out.

We flew to Phoenix for one quick night. We stayed in downtown Scottsdale right by the cool bar we found last month at spring training. While at that bar, we met a nice couple from Colorado who told us about a bourbon bar around the corner so that’s where we went for dinner and drinks. 600 bourbons on the menu!! Oddly, we had no bourbon but we did have great oysters. The next morning, we slow rolled getting up and then walked over to the first bar for a quick lunch before going to the airport. 

The Phoenix airport was also great- strolled right through TSA like a boss. Went to the American Airlines club which was so packed that when we did finally find 2 seats, we were across the room from each other. But, that’s no hill! Also, we intended to be there for 2 hours so we figured it would work out. In about 10 minutes, we found seats together at the bar and we remembered the funny bar tender from another time. 

Things were going well- including a round of Bloody Marys made with whiskey- which I will testify is oddly good - and sitting next to a sommelier who was giving us tips on wineries in Santorini when all the sudden we started getting the texts showing the flight was delayed.

The last 5 or so flights out of PHX we’ve had have all been delayed so while we weren’t exactly surprised, we also weren’t too thrilled. As it was, we weren’t going to get to NYC until midnight…and now…

But, the one kudo I can give to American Airlines is they have worked on their app…so as soon as it delayed a second time, we immediately got a button in the app to reschedule to a different flight if we wanted. We took a look and found one leaving sooner, still business class, but arriving in Newark, not JFK. Well, the bummer is we were staying at a hotel at JFK…but also at midnight there isn’t a lot of traffic and we could take an uber so we switched the flight and then hopped up to change terminals and get on the new plane.

The flight was fine. We still arrived around midnight where our original flight ended up not taking off until 2 am or something. We grabbed the uber and got into our hotel by 1 or so. Easy enough!

The next day, we had the day to kill. We normally stay downtown in Times Square or up in midtown but since we only had a day and wanted to mostly just chill and destress, we decided to just stay in Queens by the airport. Oddly, despite there being the JFK airport and at least 5 large hotels right in a row, there were no restaurants right there. We ordered in delicious deli sandwiches for lunch. We took a walk to another hotel in the afternoon and discovered it was actually freezing. Which was nice because the warmest thing we brought was a hoodie. We walked back faster later when it was even colder…brrrrr. I tried to order up some food, which worked but the world’s largest pizza box arrived. Offensively large. Embarrassingly large. So large there literally wasn’t anywhere to legitimately set it down in the room. What is up with you New Yorkers and these large pizza boxes? You know your apartments aren’t that big either.

Oh, I forgot that earlier in the day I had 2 meetings I needed to take. I came down to the lobby for them, which was interesting because for some reason that lobby was poppin’ like it was a club at 1 am. There were at least 4 tvs on full blast, general music playing louder than the tvs, everyone was talking or listening to something on their phone without headphones for the love!!! I tried to go outside but it was so cold I couldn’t stay. (Later found out it was 22!!!) Nothing says a great environment for running your boss’s staff meeting like this lobby, but there I was. 

As an extreme plus, we noticed there was a washer and dryer in the basement so I was able to run a load of clothes and get us back to a clean slate. Bam!

Anyway, it was a pretty chill, fine day and one we needed before all the shenanigans…and little did we know what that would even mean. 

So Wednesday, we have an easy morning. We had leftover pizza and still didn’t get through half of it. We decided we would try to leave the hotel around 3:30. Our flight was to board at 7 and we weren’t sure what TSA would be like at JFK. To our delight, we had an epic check-in experience in some sweet, separate area where we sat on tufted leather couches while a nice lady checked us in and a nice man came and took our bags. I need to pretend I’m rich more often. This is really the life!

We then cruised through precheck touchless again. And, because we had biz class tickets and Jason’s a high level status, we got into some exclusive lounge to kill the time. We had all kinds of food, drinks, etc. available for free. We decided to chow down on the veggies since they can be hard to come by on cruises. I would later regret this decision. 

So, a bit before boarding, we bailed out of the lounge for the walk to our terminal. This was about 6:30 PM and was the last of our joyful feeling that day. Or even the next. Also, I don’t know what day that was or what day it is. This might still be that day. Don’t ask me any questions.

At boarding time, nothing was happening. And then the text came. We got the option to rebook but the other choices were complicated. We had a direct, non-stop to Rome with business class lay-flat seats. I mean - this was the flight we wanted (and paid a lot for). 

Well, 8 hours later after non stop delays that were due to (not kidding) “Catering”, the flight canceled at 2 am. So now you have 300 displaced, pissed off people in the middle of the night. Jason has a special phone line he can call- and he did and immediately had an agent. Unfortunately, that call lasted like 30 minutes and we later found out she really screwed it up. Then we needed a hotel, transportation, etc. 

The driver on the way to the hotel was not helping my stress. At one point, he was going 19 MPH for at least 5 minutes. I thought maybe we would just eventually stop. And it was hot. And I was so tired. Struggling to not be car sick. UGH. And, the erratically driving car in front of us stopped, the driver got out, opened all the doors and the trunk and just stood there. You will NOT convince he that he wasn’t about to toss a body out.

We ended up at a LOVELY beach hotel in Rockaway. At 4 am, we were checked in and trying to understand how we were now going through London and needed to immediately apply for some sort of visa even though we weren’t going to leave the airport. We were starving…having only had 1 piece of cold pizza and some raw veggies in the last 24 hours. But mostly, my body was so tired I was shaking and nauseous. 

I woke up at 9:30 and checked on the flight. I noticed we had the option again to rebook and there was a flight to Miami and then to Rome in business. The agent who rebooked us didn’t keep our business class seats. And maybe I sound snobby here but first of all - we PAID for those and second - they are a game changer because your body can be physically comfortable the whole time. I kind of like that!! So, I woke up Jason and suggested we switch flights, which would mean we would need to jump up and get back to the airport. He agreed. 

However.

When he switched the flight it only switched him and not me. So I went in and switched mine but then I was in coach. What the heck. It SAID business!!! 

So then we had to call. And another 30 minutes of life went by. The guy was super nice and helpful but couldn’t get us back into business. So, we’d both be in coach to Miami and then Jason would be in business to Rome but not me. Fine. At this point we just need to get there or we’d miss the cruise. 

We took quick showers. I realized I didn’t have any makeup or deodorant. I mean, why can’t we have at least one thing go right here? I used Jason’s deodorant and just felt bad about my face. Whatever. I did have a change of underwear and tshirt but had the same pants and sweatshirt. Also, whatever.

We grabbed another uber to JFK. Checked back in. asked if anyone had our bags. Went back to the lounge. Had dejavu. Tried to eat some actual food just in case but my body couldn’t understand why they were serving lunch at noon when we thought it should be breakfast. Whatever.

We got to the gate and for some reason we had tickets that said we were on standby. Because, why not. So I checked in with the agent the second she arrived. This was good because she had ONE business seat and she gave it to us. It should have been Jason’s automatically but he gave it to me since I would be in coach on the next flight. We hoped he might grab an upgrade but everyone showed up for the flight so to the back of the plane he went.

We got to Miami and made our way over to the next gate. I was the only person on the upgrade list, which has never happened. This would mean if just one person didn’t make the flight, I could get back into business class. I hate rooting against people but a flat tire out there somewhere would be great right now.

I am standing back at my seat getting settled. To my delight, the people next to me are from St. Louis! All the sudden, this amazing creature was standing next to me and he said in Italian, “Rachel Thurman?” I said, “Are you about to ask me the best question I’ve ever been asked in my whole life?” He said, “Yes and no.” Well, that threw me off.

He said we had just 2 minutes left before the person in 9 L was late enough that he would give his seat to me. WOOOOOHOOOOOO! BUT, then he said, the thing is…the tv at your seat doesn’t work. I said, “Iisten to me. I cannot begin to tell you how much I do not care about the TV.” One minute later, the seat was mine.

PRAISE THE LORD. HALLELUJAH. PASS THE TYLENOL.

The flight was great. The food was great - minus this not-a-salad arugula with one teaspoon of raw apple and nothing else situation. I reclined the seat back into a full bed, used my free chapstick and toothbrush, and fell asleep for a solid 4 hours. Maybe 5 hours. The flight was around 9. Easy peasy.

I found Jason once off the plane and we navigated through immigration and the taxi line.I’m not sure what happened,but while standing in a long line a lady comes up to us and asks if we’d like to take a mini van taxi and we said sure and she pulled us out of line, walks us to a taxi, and then personally drives us to the hotel. Obviously, an angel. Also, sorry to the other people who were ahead of us but whom didn’t get invited to ride with the angel. I don’t know what to tell you.

The hotel is absolutely lovely. We checked in and were able to get right into our room - which is beautiful. I took a bath and Jason went straight to bed. He’s still there working on a 3+ hour nap and I’m in the lobby writing and sipping Prosecco. Things are looking up. At this rate, we’ll actually get to the cruise ship tomorrow;)

I Saw the Alps with my own Eyeballs

We were up early to hit the lounge for breakfast before catching a train to Interlaken. This place had been highly recommended for its beauty and ability to see the Alps while in the Alps without going WAY up into the Alps. That checked all the boxes for us.

We’d snagged first class train seats so we had tons of leg room and both had window seats and WHOA was that worth it. The route was about 2 hours and had about 4 stops on the way. The entire thing from end to end was absolutely stunning.

Once we got to Interlaken, our whole goal was to find a place on the water to sit and have lunch while staring at the Alps. A simple goal. But a hard one to accomplish. We first walked straight off the train and into a neighborhood as though we had any clue where we were going. Within a few blocks, we acknowledged there was no water in sight. This clued me in to look at the map- which confirmed there was no water in sight. With that, we turned around and headed back. We did a few random loops. We ended up in a few places with some potential but not ‘just right’.  One particularly cool looking Irish pub with a Biergarten that said OPEN but was 100% not open in anyway.

Finally, after probably way too much time for a place that really was NOT all that big, we found a spot! It wasn’t exactly the image we had in our minds which was pretty much a repeat of Lucerne, but it was still lovely. And, it turns out, it was also right under where all the sky gliders launched. And man were they launching.

We had a terrific meal, enjoyed the non-stop people watching and sky diving, lingered a bit, and then walked back towards the train station again to a cool spot we saw where you could have a drink while waiting for the trains. Conveniently, there was also a pharmacy because just that very morning my deodorant ran out. The horror!

We trained back. Most of the ride was calm and chill and not crowded until we got to Bern and then everyone ever got on to head back to Zurich. Apparently this is a very common work route and it was right at quitting time when we rolled through.

So, about 4 hours of training for about 4 hours of visiting the actual Alps and I’d say it was worth it to see it with my very own eyes. Incredibly gorgeous, just as I’d always imagined. There were still so many things to see and do but with just one single day left, the ‘someday maybe’ list would get a few added bullets. 

Back at the hotel, we had another card - this time addressed to us - and with a free bottle of wine. We think our daily praises of the staff to the front desk has made us the favorites.

Taking a Sea Day

 With just a few days left in the trip, it was time for a sea day. If you’ve followed along on our travels before, you know we often weave in a ‘sea day’. This mimics the cruise ship style of having some days where you don’t go into port. You just kick it around the ship. It’s more chill. (Sometimes!) A rest day, if you will.

Ash had a train booked at 1 but had to checkout by 10 so she came over and enjoyed a late breakfast with us in the lounge and just a little extra hang out time before she took off towards the train station. We could see her walk across the bridge- there she is! So tiny way below us there.

Jason and I decided we would wander around and find a local wine bar and shop- hopefully we’d get lucky like we did in Buenos Aires and get to chat with a local wine guru/som and possibly even ship some home.

We headed over towards the train station, once again taking a slightly different route and once again making it there in record time. Today the free food giveaway inside the station were these delicious chocolate bars and…sort of a cookie/graham cracker type thing. Think S’mores without the marshmallow. Delicious!

As we’re nearing where we think the wine bar is, suddenly we hear a man yelling at us. Well, not yelling AT us but trying to get our attention. He says, “Are you really from San Francisco?” Which is really a weird thing to ask random people on the streets of Zurich. But then I realized I was wearing a 49ers t-shirt. Less weird. Still weird though.

Turns out, he was from the Bay Area and had been living in Switzerland for 18 years. So friendly. He made a recommendation for a place to eat. Great.

We walked away and a minute later he came running back up to us. He gave us 20 francs and insisted we try the sausage place on him! MAN! Who ever heard of such a thing? Jason then spent about 20 minutes trying to figure out how this was a scam, if the money was laced with fentanyl, or if we had somehow been cursed. I spent an equal amount of time being thrilled that we’d been the recipients of a random act of kindness. We never died or got trafficked so I guess I’m taking home the win on this one.

The wine bar was cool- super large space. They had fresh sandwiches so we shared a bite and tried another bottle of our new favorite - Riesling Sylvaner, a dry white blend with just the right zing. Unfortunately, there was no witty banter and friendship with a wine guru. But there was a shot of grappa made from Amarone, which is my favorite wine so I couldn’t really pass it up.

The back of the bar had a shop so we did get to venture through there and bought a couple of bottles for the room based on the shop owner’s recommendations. All were terrific.

Back at the hotel, we didn’t really need dinner so we snacked in the lounge and had an early night. The perfect easy breezy day to recharge because…we’d decided to cough up the cash and head to the Alps the next day. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and make the call you know you won’t regret.