Rhine Getaway Viking River Cruise
Day 13: Friday, November 12, 2021 - Travel
The day's statistics:
- Weather: low 50s, cloudy and windy with an upper 40s wind chill
- Steps: 11,406 Linda; 10,309 Steve
- Miles traveled (approximately): 4,254
It was oh-dark-early when we got up. We gave ourselves an entire hour to get ready for the transport to the
airport.
We woke at our scheduled 3:20 AM. Our flight from Basel to Amsterday was at 6:20. There is a "two hour before
flight" pick-up requirement, so we had to be picked up at 4:20 AM.
Linda got in the shower first, and I made the first cup of coffee. By the time it was done, so was Linda, so I
made the second cup for her.
Due to the previous night's preparation, we didn't have too much extra to do to get ready, and by 4:00 we were in
the lobby waiting for our transfer to the airport.
And the hotel provided a grab-and-go breakfast bag for us.
Peter, our shuttle driver, had us on the road at 4:19. And by 4:34 we were at the airport.
The check-in window wasn't scheduled to open until 5:00 AM. And when we got there, there was already more than
two dozen people on line in front of us.
Fortunately, they opened the check-in counters at about 4:45. and started checking people in.
We checked our baggage: Linda's was 19 kg (for the metric challenged, 42 lbs), and Steve's was only 18 kg (again,
for the metric challenged, 40 lbs).
Things were moving along smoothly, and we headed upstairs to go through security. And that's when we had a small
problem...
It seems that the liquids we were carrying were not eligible for carry-on - we had wine.
Our option? "Someone" had to go back downstairs to check the bag. (OK, it was me.) We took the laptop out of the bag
and I headed back down to the baggage check-in. The line was longer than it was when we went upstairs.
The ONLY thing I had with me was my wallet and boarding pass (no passport and no phone).
Fortuately, that was all I needed. I added the carry-on to the luggage check-in simply enough - and it was
15 kg (last time, I primise, for the metric deficient: 33 lbs) - then I headed back up to security.
I scanned my boarding pass again and... got an error. After all, I scanned the boarding pass to get into security
the first time, but there was no scan out. So when I tried to scan back in, the system knew it. I talked to the
guard, and he let me go by. I had to get metal detector scanned again, but, in the long run, still had PLENTY of
time for the plane.
We found Gate 2, which really wasn't a challenge because it was immediately to the right after secuirty.
We sat off to the side and ate our breakfast - which was just a cheese sandwich with with lettuce (no picture).
Eventually they called us to board our plane. Basel would be considered a "small airport". Our flight was one of
the ones wherein we had to actually walk on the tarmac to get onto the plane.
No, it's not dark because it's overcast. It's dark because it SO DAMN EARLY!
We eventually took aff at exactly 6:20. It wasn't like they had to wait for runway traffic to clear...
It was a quick hop to Amsterdam, all 1 hour and 15 minutes of it. Then we drove around the airport, in the plane,
for literally ten minutes.
It took us eight days to get from Amsterdam to Basel, and only an hour and fifteen minutes to get back.
We were waiting for the sun to rise.
Some last shots of Amsterdam?
We got off the plane, and started to make our way to gate D47 for our 10:35 flight to Boston.
We made our way to security. There was a long line, but about eight cattle shoots open that were
processing people. You step forward, a plexiglass gate closes behind you, you put your passport on the scanner, you lower
your mask and the automated system compares a live picture of you to your passport picture.
Mine was having a problem, but becuase the woman on line behind me was leaning on the gate and the security system didn't
like that. A guard told her to move and then all went well.
Something was up at THIS gate... (I counted 25 of them in hazmat suits as they walked by)
We stopped at a shop and got a large coffee to share. Then we made our way to the gate seating area. We now had
more than two hours to hang out and wait for our next flight. Rather than give up our great seats, Linda went for
a walk and I supervised the luggage. She returned. Then I strolled away for a little while. A little time after
I got back, the attendants asked to see our boarding information - which consisted of our passports, and our
health declarations. As it turns out the forms we got from Viking before leaving the hotel - were the previous version.
It only took a minute or two to fill out the new one anyway. Our documents were scanned. Then we just sat and
continued waiting. Eventually they started calling passengers for seating. I'm of the type that I'd rather wait in
my seat than on line. We have assigned seating, so it isn't like there is a rush to get the best seat.
Anyway, at 9:40 we eventually got on the short line, our documents were collected, passport checked, and we
boarded.
We taxied for seventeen minutes. As we got underway, we found out that this should be a seven hour and 28 minute
flight. At noon, we had lunch.
Linda had pasta, and Steve had curry chicken with rice.
We passed the time by listening to a recorded book, one of Janet Evanovich's. We were up to book 26 (listening to her books
on vacations is sort of our thing now).
We also watched the movie Stillwater, with Matt Damon.
And we played some games on the seatback screen.
Before long, it was time for another meal. This time it was a pizza like Hot Pocket™ sort of thing.
And we also had some wine.
What goes best with passion fruit mousse? Right, WINE!
We were on approach to Boston. (Hey, it was a long flight, and getting a little boring...)
We arrived in Boston at about 6:35 PM Europe time (it was 1:35 ET).
Our arrival path and walk to the next flight sent us through baggage claim. When we traveled to Europe for ALL our
previous trips, we arrived at Philadelphia directly from overseas. We happen to ask a security agent about the
process and we found out that we were supposed to claim our baggage because we had to go through customs, then
check the bags again for our connecting flight to Philly. Good thing we asked.
We collected our bags, and went to Customs. This consisted of (for us, maybe because we had Global Entry)
stopping at a kiosk, scanning our passport, answering "declaration" questions, and getting our picture taken. Then we
approached the agent, lowered our mask for identity verification, and were admitted into the country.
Now we headed to Gate A4.
But where is gate A4? We started walking, took an elevator to level two, and were at a spot with a
parking garage in one direction, and a bunch of international gates in the other - one floor down. We wound up
going down there to ask where the Delta terminal was. We were told to go back up from where we just were, and go
all the way down to the Delta terminal, past the parking garage. It turned out we were in the right place, we just
didn't know it. So we went up there, and started walking. The pedestrian walkway went over a four lane highway. And then
there was more parking. And another terminal. And more walking. And more parking. I don't think we could have gotten
any further away from where we started and still be in the airport. But we finally got to the Delta terminal.
We now still had a nearly two hour wait - boy this was a long day. While we waited, I went to go get us some
coffee. I stopped at a shop and ordered a cafe au lait (coffee with milk, right?). I paid $5.79 and stepped to the
side where the pick-up counter was. As I saw the woman making the drink, I commented "I think I ordered the wrong drink."
She asked what I meant. I said that I just wanted a regular coffee, but that it didn't look like that is what she was
making. She said she could change it. I said but I paid for the other drink, which was a lot more. She said
I'll give you two. Deal. I returned to our seats and we each had a coffee.
Before the next flight, we had 5.2k steps each.
As we sat waiting for our flight, we heard the attendant announce that our flight was overbooked. They were looking
for two passengers willing to take the next flight, at 8:20 local time. Our flight was scheduled for 3:15 local
time. And they were offering to pay for dinner, AND give a $500 Visa gift card. Had we not been on our fifteenth
hour of travel so far, with three more to go, we probably would have jumped at the opportunity.
At 2:55 local time they called for us to board. We departed the gate at 3:12 local time and taxied for 14 minutes. Our
flight was scheduled for one hour and eight minutes. It was raining in Boston when we departed.
We arrived in Philly at 4:38 local time.
We retreived our baggage and called the partking lot for the shuttle to pick us up. We were by Zone 3,
but we were by the second zone 3. Eventually the driver got to us, we boarded, and were driven to our car. We
paid for the parking at 5:25 local time, and were on the road toward home.
Speaking of long flights, our Amsterdam to Boston flight was 10 hours in the air. And we passed five time zones.
Not six, but only five because while we were in Europe (Budapest) on the last night, we observed the transition to
Standard Time - a week before it was observed in the US.
We stopped at the supermarket on our way home to pick up perishables for the week ahead: milk, salad, and fruit.
Then completed the last leg of our journey arriving at home.
When we got home and eventually unpacked, we found that what was in the late checked-in carry-on mostly survived. The
only two things that were sacrificed - which wasn't bad considering how hastily the carry-on was "prepared" - was a
plastic shoe horn, and a lone shot glass (the one from Cologne, and since we had six in all, that wasn't that bad).
That's it for this trip. Our next journey is planned for Spring 2022, where we will be visiting the
capitals of the Northeast U.S. / New England.
Thanks for reading.