Tuesday, June 14, 2005

chaos

flying RyanAir
RyanAir is a "budget" airline of europe. but don't confuse this with the likes of Southwest or JetBlue. No, flying RyanAir is an experience all on its own.

Our journey began in Rome. Technically, it began with the official RyanAir bus transport from the city to the cheap, no frills airport. Once arriving at the airport, there was a mad dash for everyone to get off. This should have tipped us off to the adventures we would soon have, but, naively, it didn't.

First, none of the luggage was organized. Why? Because each person threw their own luggage in the back of the bus and.....well....Italians are not known for their driving skills. Motion sickness pills become your best friend. So, getting our luggage off the bus was an event all on its own. There was no order and no one to help. Essentially, it was one massive free-for-all.

Free for all seemed to be the name of the game. There was no order in the airport. We received a boarding pass number, but, of course, that meant nothing. In fact, when it was time to board the plane, numbers 1-65 could go in the right hand side and numbers 66-the end would go in the left. Being honest girls, Andrea and I dutifully marched to the end of the line. Wouldn't you know, both lanes converged.....so the boarding pass numbers meant absolutely NOTHING.

Once we finally got on the plane, it was another free-for-all again. Basically, you just have to muscle your way around, just to find a seat. The same goes for getting off the plane.

My favorite part about flying RyanAir is the fact that on my 2nd flight (from Dublin to Edinburgh), i actually got priority seating. yah right.

the scottish bus system
today andrea and i decided to see the city (edinburgh) the cheap way. since it was raining, we hopped on the city bus and planned to take it around....all for a mere 80 pence! Andrea also had the great idea to climb to the top of the double-decker bus, so we could see even more. Wouldn't you know, all the windows were fogged, so we couldn't see anyways.

Despite the lack of a view, we still had fun. Until the bus stopped. We were both on the top level of the bus and then we heard the engine turn off. We looked around........and the entire bus was empty. We climbed down the stairs and the driver was reading the newspaper. So, for about 15 or 20 minutes, the three of us just sat there. Andrea and I looked nervously around, wondering what we should do. We furiously scanned our Edinburgh city map, only to find that we had driven off the map, so we had no idea where to go. It was just us and a city bus, stuck in the middle of a Scottish residential neighborhood.

To summarize: we took the bus to (1) keep warm (2) see the city (3) actually get somewhere. After over an hour of driving (or sitting), we managed to accomplish absolutely.....nothing.

european weather
when the warmest i've ever been was while in the Swiss Alps, there are serious problems.

In the same day, Andrea and I have gone from both wearing tank tops this morning, to wearing 6 layers and still freezing. She actually had on 2 jackets, 1 sweatshirt, 2 tank tops, 1 long sleeve shirt, and 2 hats. Plus, her hands were blue.




5 comments:

orangejack said...

Yeah, but you know you're lovin' Europe!

Jeremy said...

Sheesh! Karin, adventure seems to follow you no matter where you go. How do you manage to get into such awkward situations? Only you... ;)

I was in Edinburgh a few weeks ago and it was my favorite stop in all of Great Britain. Such beautiful views (when not raining). Make sure you climb Calton Hill for a good scenic lookout point. And Scott Monument is fun too. You definitely have to show everyone your pictures when you come back.

Now, get back to exploring, and try not to get yourselves killed or completely lost.

Anonymous said...

Ok, I know everybody loves your crazy antics and adventures and yes, I enjoy reading about them too. However, I was just thinking that you never post anything really personal on your blog.

Perhaps there's a reason and it's because you don't want to announce to the world things that should be reserved for close friendships and confidants. But what about simple observations or complaints about life? What about a little emotion, such as whether you're feeling up or down or frustrated, or whatever?

Here's a thought: after spending several years in Seminary to accomplish a very difficult degree, how about sharing some spiritual observations in your life and/or the cultures that you're experiencing.

I would really like to see/read what you have to say about God and what he's doing in your life, not just how clutzy and silly you are. I don't know you as well as probably many other of your readers do, but I know enough to say that you have a lot deeper thoughts and a lot more to offer your readers and friends than a chuckle, a shake of the head and a response of "that silly Karin is at it again, ha ha".

Again, I appreciate your blog and reading about your life on the other side of the country/world, but I just wonder if it could be a lot more than it is, especially from a smart (and now officially educated) thinker like you.

-MikeL

Anonymous said...

I am sure those spiritual insights will come later....like when you are warm! Keep that journal up to date and try to keep up with TWO mittens (ha!)....We are glad you are having a great time and count the days until we see you again!
Enjoy every moment, and get to meet some of the people...and learn what Europe is really like...rather than the distorted media versions. Love you! mom

Anonymous said...

Thanks for taking the time to post, Karin. I know those internet cafe fees can be steep! It's great to imagine your quirkiness in other cultures and look forward to hearing all of your more detailed versions of the trip. We miss you here in Florida!