Elegant Elbe: Day 17
Day 17: Tuesday, November 14, 2023 - Berlin, Germany, and travel
The day's statistics:
- Weather: upper 40s to upper 50s, rainy and overcast
- Steps: 1,588 Linda; 12,364 Steve
- Miles traveled (approximately): 6
Our last day on this trip. 😞
We awoke at 3:00 and took showers, dressed, and had our luggage out by the requested 3:30.
We then headed to the lobby as there really was nothing else for us to do at this point other than wait to leave.
Breakfast was a to-go bag of an assortment of foods: water, yogurt drink, granola bar, and a couple other noshes
(I didn't take notes, it was early, and I was tired).
There were only four of us, and we rode to the airport with Ladene and Russell from North Carolina.
It was a quick 40 minute or so ride to the airport as there was literally no traffic.
We were met at the drop-off point in the parking lot by a Viking representative that had an airport wheelchair. We had a luggage cart
that allowed me to push while she pushed Linda. We went straight to the Preferred Check-in counter and didn't have to wait on line.
The agent told us that, due to the carry-on bag weight, we had to check all four of our bags, though they were free to check. Fine.
We were going home anyway and if anything was misdirected, we didn't care that much as we had access to whatever we needed at home
(like last year). We got through that quickly, and were wheeled to the Mobility Assistance waiting area. As a travel companion, I was
allowed to just tag along with wherever Linda was being taken.
While we waited, I stepped away to check the toteboard - our flight was currently on time.
Also while waiting, we finished our breakfast.
A gentleman with the Mobility Assistance team arrived to take us to the gate. We headed to security, passed through with no issue,
and continued on. While he pushed Linda along, he greeted some fellow airport employees "Bonjour" to one, and "Caio" to another.
Linda asked "How many languages do you speak?" He said "Five: German, English, French, Italian, Spanish. I know that guy because
he's from the same village in Italy that I am." Neat.
We arrived at the gate by 5:20, and he told us a colleague would be by to take us to the plane.
We may or may not have left four pieces of fruit on a seat in the waiting area, rather than throwing it away - maybe someone would
eat it, or it would otherwise be put to good use.
After sitting for an hour, the same mobility assistant agent showed up and took us over to the ticket agent area. And left Linda sitting
next to another mobility assisted passenger. We were the last to pass the ticket agent. I offered to wheel Linda - because I could -
so the other gentleman could be pushed by the assistant. We weaved through the gangway and arrived at the door to the plane.
As we boarded, we found the co-pilot doing his preflight check.
We found our seats by 6:45. At 7:07, we started moving, then sat for 5 minutes, and took off at 7:16.
Just ten minutes later we were given a snack of water and a Nutri-Grain® bar.
I got pictures of what should be northern Germany and or Denmark, and then England.
We landed at Heathrow at 9:03, and taxied to the gate by 9:11 (not local time).
After turning off airplane mode, our phones synced to the local time, which was an hour behind Germany - so it was really just after 8:00.
We waited on the plane until everyone else was off - as requested - then made our way out to a waiting wheelchair. Linda was wheeled
to the elevator, we got off, and boarded the shuttle to the gate building. Sitting in the first seat behind us was Ladene and Russell.
It was just a couple minutes to the building, and there was another assistant waiting at the building to help. She wheeled Linda
to another elevator, and took us to the second floor, where we were handed off again.
During this transfer, we learned that Nadene is a retired CDC employee, who worked there during the swine flue.
Now we were wheeled through customs, and into security - but this time we waited on line, though it was a short line. It
only took a few minutes - the wheelchair got more scrutiny than both of us combined - before we were on our way again.
We were headed to gate 35.
Linda was wheeled to the gate, and we had fifteen or so minutes before we would even start boarding.
I approached the ticket agent and asked if the flight was full. I was told no, so I asked if we could possibly move to a row where
there was an empty seat between us so Linda could put her leg up. The agent was able to move us, but to a row three rows further back.
Great. Linda wanted to sit at the window to lean against it and put her leg up. I usually sit at the window for picture taking. But
we all make sacrifices at times, right?!!?
The plane didn't start moving until 10:20 - five minutes after the scheduled departure - and then sat until 10:38 when we took off.
Over the course of the flight, the plane was empty enough that the guy in front of use, in the center row next to us,
and behind us all stretched out across their respective rows to nap.
It wasn't long after takeoff, so we must have still be over England, or perhaps somewhere else over the United Kingdom.
We entertained ourselves watching movies: I watched Cobweb (a decent thriller flick), and Linda watch Indiana Jones.
We had our first food at 11:50 UK time. We both had water, bread with butter, salad with dressing, cheese spread, cracker, and lemon
crumble cake. For entreés, Linda had the chicken curry with rice, and I had meatballs with mashed potatues and string beans.
We continued our entertainment by watching the Meg 2.
At 4:30 UK time, we had another snack, with coffee.
During the flight, I was able to capture a few shots out the window. Pairing the in-flight tracker with the photos, these should be:
Goose Bay, Canada; Maine; Massachusetts (Cape Cod?); Long Island; New Jersey shore; and southern New Jersey and or southeast PA.
We started our descent at 5:20 UK time, touched down at 12:38 ET (the phones picked up cell towers and synched when the plane was
low enough), and were at the gate by 12:45.
Once again we waited on the plane as requested, then headed out to find an assistant with a wheelchair waiting for us. We made our
way to baggage claim and after a few minutes, had our luggage. I then called ExpressPark South for the shuttle. We waited with the
assistant at the pick-up location and after a few minutes, were aboard the shuttle.
We picked up a couple other passengers on a domestic flight (from Nashville), and headed to the parking lot.
The shuttle pulled up behind the car, and we got off. I shoveled the 4 luggage bags into the trunk. Linda decided to sit in the back
seat so she could put her leg up.
We started to move and the car was making an unusual noise - not what we needed on arrival...
It almost sounded like the luggage in the trunk was bouncing around a little - though it was a little too "cyclical" (at a
steady rate) of a noise to be luggage. But we stopped and I adjusted it anyway. After moving again, that wasn't it.
We paid the balance of the parking fee - 10% was paid to reserve the spot - and continued on. The noise was there, and it
seemed to be related to pressing the brake pedal. I pulled over onto the shoulder and looked under the car just to see if
there was anything underneath causing a problem. Still no. We hopped on i95, with trepadition, and headed toward Delaware.
We punched Wegman's into the GPS from where we were, and headed there. I ran into the store why Linda hung out in the car.
I returned, and we continued our journey home.
At about 3:00, we were back. And that wrapped up our 28 day journey.
This was the longest trip we'd ever taken.
Would we do it again? Yes - with the exception of the fall - as we sort of have to as we have another trip scheduled for the fall of 2024,
another back-to-back pair of cruises: Holland & Belgium, followed by River of Gold, Portugal.
Fortunately, this trip wasn't "too much", in that if it were, we would be up a creek because we had the next
one booked before we even left for this one.