Coming home
The breakfast at the Barcelona Universal was not as good as the first hotel. But we didn’t have much time, so there you are.
We were at the airport by 8:00. Check in took a while because they ask some security questions before taking your luggage, and the people at the very front of the line seemed to have some difficulties.
Eventually it was our turn – we did a good job balancing the weight between the three bags, because none of them were even close to the 23 KG limit.
While we were waiting, we saw this line for this odd thing – a machine that shrink wraps your bag for 6 Euros! I guess it keeps it from getting scuffed and scraped? Not sure.
After we were free of our luggage, we tracked down the customs desk to ask about getting our Value Added Tax (VAT) back from the big ceramic tile thing we bought in Barcelona. Even though the vendor assured us all we needed was the receipt, as we suspected, we also needed to show the custom person the actual item. Which was already in checked luggage. The custom guy said, “No item, no tax back.”. So we would have had known to schlep our suitcase across the airport to the custom guy, open the bag, pull out the ceramic thing and hope he would not want us to unwrap its many layers in order to show him what we bought. Then shove it back in the suitcase, drag the suitcase back across the airport to check it in. Then go downstairs and exchange the Euros for dollars. Nah, not worth it.
Besides, we knew Spain is having financial difficulties, so they can keep our 13 Euros. I’m sure it will help fix their huge deficit.
We had our passport checked at least 3 more times before boarding the plane. All this security is in direct contrast to how we flew through passport control and customs on the way into the country.
Our flight was thankfully uneventful. We both had remembered to wear long jeans and bring a sweatshirt on board – and we were still freezing. I didn’t even realize how cold my feet were till we were walking off the plan in Philadelphia and my feet felt like blocks of ice.
Our flight arrived an hour early. Which was immediately counter-acted by the endless line at passport control (we managed to find The Slowest Line Ever). By the time we were at the baggage claim, all the luggage had been pulled off the carousel and stacked on the floor.
After finally clearing customs, the next challenge was to find the exit to the spot where I could sit with the luggage until he came back with the car.
Good think I hadn’t quite finished my book on the flight – poor Andy got lost returning to the airport from the long term parking due unbelievably bad signage and ended up in downtown Philadelphia. A short 45 minutes later, he finally arrived, and we were on our way home at last.
The drive down 95 South was a breeze – we were home at 5:15, arriving at the same time David came home from work.
Ach, vacation is finally over. Time to start planning for next year!
Great job Amy. . .
ReplyDelete