20 April: Up at 4:30am, on the bus to the airport at 5:30am. Our flight goes from St. Petersburg to Paris then after an hour and a half lay-over on to Chicago then to Minneapolis.
While transferring aircraft in Paris, we had to go through another security check. I was pulled aside to have my carry-on pack searched. The X-Ray had identified something. Alas, it was my Leatherman, a full size model with pliers and several blades. None of the 6 previous flights had found it and I had completely forgotten it. OK, now 1 hour before take-off, 1/2 hour before boarding. If I want to have it shipped, I must take it to flight check-in in another part of Charles DeGaulle Airport. Broken english and undeciphered french seemed to require that I go to the far end of the building, down the long escalator, take the shuttle train to E-08, through passport control, find the Air France check-in counter, wrap and ship the thing then make my way back in time for my flight. Betty gives me my passport and boarding pass so the others don’t have to wait for me. I decide to try; 55 minutes and ticking. Down the escalator onto an empty train, finally it fills and moves out, first stop a sign reads 16-32, I want 08, I wait for the next stop. After some minutes, the train moves, damn, its going back to where I started. Everybody gets off, I’m back on the same empty train at the same place eleven minutes later; now 44 minutes. OK, back again, get off at 16-32, ask a young guard about passport control, he understands my urgency and escorts me around a long line, through a locked door and points toward the ticket counters; 34 minutes and the clock is ticking. I by-pass a line of folks waiting to check their bags at the Air France counter and ask a young clerk about shipping the Leatherman, she looks at my boarding pass then at her wrist watch, registers some concern and tells me it will have to be placed in a box, wrapped and labeled. Of course, she does not want to be the cause of me missing my flight, so two minutes later the knife is zipped in the pocket of the fleece jacket I was wearing since I had no box, the jacket got stuffed in a plastic “Air France” bag, this was wrapped with wide packing tape, I filled out a sticker, she put on the flight info and it was gone; 28 minutes to go. Hey, this is a piece of cake now that I know my way around the airport. Betty saw me approach so she started to board. I caught up with her in the boarding tunnel; 20 minutes to go.
Epilog: The flight was delayed 30 minutes while they de-iced the wings. And, yes, I did get the little package three days after we got back, delivered by Fed-Ex, no charge.
Arriving in Minneapolis, we were met by Wayne Bernikel and all made it home safely.
It was a great trip. We all thanked Betty for the time she has spent during the past year to plan and coordinate this rather complex round the world trip. Also, thanks to Jerry for arranging the flight to Saigon, the flight home from St. Petersburg and the transportation to and from the Minneapolis Airport. Plus, thanks to Fran for collecting from each of us and presenting our “group tip” to each guide, driver, conductress and selected others. My personal thanks to each of our group for being so agreeable, tolerant, and understanding. What a great group of travelers.
Betty: My thanks to everyone too, for a great trip and for making my “job” so easy!! Many thanks too for the beautifully crafted Saint Nicholases. Let’s do it again.
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I’m in favor of that!! Fran