Bye, Bye Britain...

Maybe...

My flight is late so I'm not sure that I will be flying to my next destination. That test of patience...I'm still failing!

I slept as usual most of my day and when I woke up I decided to just take it easy and rest all afternoon. I pulled out my ipad and started looking up things and went to the website of the market that had been recommended to me as a nice place to visit for taking pictures. Since this is a 'business' trip, I started looking at great pictures so decided to head that way. What a journey that turned out to be! I had directions that a local person had given me so I was ready for the 3 different tube lines I had to take to arrive there. I checked it out with the concierge and he was quite helpful. Actually the new hotel was wonderful and I won't be going back to the one where I've always stayed. The people make the difference for me and the concierge staff has all been wonderful at this hotel so they get me back! The free bus is right outside the hotel so it was convenient.

What an experience, I went out to the bus stop and asked the older teenagers, if they were in line. They said no and when my bus came they said I had to flag it down to stop. So stupid me did that and there were many other people in line and the bus stopped and the kids laughed. I asked if they were just playing with me and they said yes. I smiled, knowing someday someone would make them look like fools too, and got on the bus. After the embarrassment of what I said to Kenny Rogers a couple of weeks ago, that was nothing! And yes, it was the real Kenny Rogers, but that is another story!

So I climbed on the bus with the other people and asked the driver if he would tell me the stop I wanted and he said yes and then a man standing next to me said he was getting off there and would show me. He and I started talking. He is in town for business and said he was just out wandering and asked where I was going. I explained it was a small market that lended itself to good pictures. He said he would go along with me and check it out too. Again, another fascinating companion! His story...he said he worked very hard very young and was very lucky and was retired by the time he turned 30! He is from Australia originally but 20 years ago moved to the US and lives in DC now. He is here on business and as we got to know each other he explained that he is making connections to buy minerals and gold from African countries. When we got to the right stop we went to the train station and he got a call he'd been waiting for from a man he had followed to 4 different countries! The man is a diplomat and hard to catch...so it would seem. He said he had to take the call and would try to rejoin me before the train left and as soon as the train pulled up he came rushing down the stairs and over to where I was. What an interesting hour and 15 minute trip that was! He spent his 20+ years of not working, taking classes and exploring the metaphysical world. He didn't seem interested in reiki when I mentioned it so I just listened to what he had to say. So much to learn in our world! He was such a positive thinker and it really was perfect timing for me, to be with someone so positive about life and the universe and what he said made sense. We changed trains 2 times and finally reached the market as the vendors were closing up. Oh well, I got a feel for it and can tell it is a small, but charming place. Dave was quite the inspiration and a very pleasant travel partner, when we reached the market he said he was going to return the business calls he'd received and we said goodbye and good luck to each other. A very interesting exchange to say the least! And a great positive thinking experience which was well timed in my life right now, no question that meeting him for my private motivational session was the reason I ended up heading to the market at the last minute. I did have fish and chips at a stand and the chips, or fries as we call them, were very good! Not like the ones in Belgium, but not like ours and they were very nice! The cod was good too and I picked up a couple of salted caramel chocolates at a store that advertised a cacao plantation in Argentina I think it was, where their award winning chocolate comes from. A nice experience too.

I wandered alone and enjoyed the sights that were there. Pubs were getting filled and the people were spilling onto the streets and quite a sight. There was the girl with all colors of hair, the man dressed up like a caveman and then the one with a white wig like the old days. Yes, this would be the place to wander and watch! And that was all at one pub! I decided to head back to the hotel at the airport since it would be getting dark and it was quite a journey. I was standing at the stairs contemplating which entrance to use and a very kind elderly British man asked if I needed help. I explained that I wasn't sure which way to go down to get to the westbound train and he explained you go down anywhere and then follow the signs. I told him I knew where I was going and had the directions in my hand. Luckily he asked to see them and told me that there was construction on part of it and the tube was closed so I couldn't get back the same way I'd gotten there...again a gliche in my perfectly laid out plan! So he took me to the map and showed me the way to make connections avoiding the work zones and saved me a lot of time and stress I am sure! It took almost an hour to get back to the hotel and then there was the walk to the bus stop and the wait for the right bus and finally I was back at the hotel! Exhausting but nice evening!

I fell asleep easily but unfortunately woke up early and was unable to go back to sleep on the plane in a couple of hours. It is a long flight but as of now, the plane was not too full so hopefully there will be room to relax.

Some of my friends know exactly where I am headed and some do not. Any ideas? Well, the truth is I am going to the last place on my 'bucket list'. I am flying from London to Athens and on to Santorini for a day and 2 nights basically. Then I am taking a ferry to Mykonos where I will spend 4 days and nights just enjoying the beauty from my balcony! I'm splurging, not a first, but probably a last! Not a last trip but a last splurge like this! I will be staying at the fabulous hotel on the mountain side that I saw on my first trip to Mykonos on the ship. Fabulous, from the way I remember it looking from the road, and my room with a balcony overlooking the sea has it's own private pool! Yes a splurge to be sure!

In Santorini I have a small apartment with a verandah view of the caldera and sunset. However today the flight to Athens is late so I'm not sure I will make it to Santorini at all with the connection, but if so, I will probably miss the sunset, which by many accounts is the most beautiful place in the world to see the sun set. Well, hopefully I will have at least one tomorrow night to see. In Mykonos I will be staying at 2 different hotels on different parts of the island. Again I hope to get many pictures to turn into cards. I am taking cards and post cards made from pictures from my previous visits so possibly I will find places who might want to carry them, wouldn't that be exciting! I don't think I would mind traveling to Greece on business once or twice a year!

However sitting here after the morning I've had, after little sleep, I am not sure I will be traveling far again. What a challenge this has been! It started when I made my reservations a couple of weeks ago. I never got the confirmation from the airlines. After a few days I made another international call to tell them that and then shortly after the call the reservation came and as I checked it, I saw they had the wrong name...Nitzi. I immediately called again and told them and they said it was impossible to change my ticket, not to worry. I explained I was worried because with security I didn't think i could board a plane with the wrong name that didn't match my passport. They said don't worry that I could take care of it at the airport. So I did worry and got here quite early to take care of it. Well the plane was delayed by an hour and there was no one at the check in counter, they only come 2 hours before the flight. So I sat and waited. Finally it was time to check in and I told the lady about the name mistake and she said don't worry, N is close to M so no one would care, it wasn't as if it said Ritzi or Bitzi, then there would be a problem. I am laughing now just thinking of how serious she was, when I thought it had to be a joke! I told her I would not try to get on the plane with the wrong name that didn't match my passport! She kept insisting it was only Nitzi, not a BIG deal! Finally she called a supervisor over who said I needed a new print otu with the right name so I had to go wait in the ticket counter line for quite a while and then the lady called the supervisor and said I needed to PURCHASE a new ticket with the correct name!!! HERE we go again! I said I WOULD NOT buy another ticket because they made a mistake on the name! Exhausting really! Incompetence everywhere! So we called over the supervisor again and she said to just do a print out of the flight details, but again it would have to say Nitzi if I didn't want to buy a new ticket! Yep, failing the patience test!!! So now I have a print out that says Nitzi too. I still can't believe this! I got through security and now the next major step I will face as Nitzi is when I get to Athens, there might be a 'slight' problem continuing on my journey! I thought I had a sense of humor, but it is long gone at this point! Although I do have to smile when I think of my new name! I do not want to be stranded in Athens so I will hope that no one notices the N instead of the M and I will try to be thankful it doesn't say Ritzi or Bitzi as pointed out by the agent at check in!

While I was waiting for the line to open I was chatting with a girl from Poland who works at the airport and she was so sweet and she told me she moved here to be with her boyfriend and when she said that her whole face lit up, such a sweet thing to see! She liked that I explained that part of my heritage and was as sweet as she could be. Nice people are such a gift along the way! I know my frustrations come out and I always try to apologize to the people I'm working with because most of the time it is not their fault.

Things in Europe are different and I didn't realize it my first couple of trips until Cesar explained the way things work. The people at the ticket counters and check in counters are not employed by certain airlines, they work for the airport and service them all. It means there really isn't a pride that goes with the job and it seems they are less concerned about you. That might be a mistake, just my observation...noted by Nitzi, not Bitzi or Ritzi, mind you! Most are kind, but it is just different here. The same at the gates, the person who checked you in at the main terminal might be there to take your boarding pass as you board the plane. I hope that I don't see the "you're fine since it doesn't say bitzi or ritzi" girl again, once was enough for her!

Well, boarding starts soon so I will finish this post and if all goes well I'll be writing from Santorini, Greece next! Ciao from London!