Vacaville to Palma

Friday 25 May 2007

My trip to Spain got of to a slow start today. I got up at 0430, showered, shaved, dressed, took my vitamins with papaya juice and buttermilk, ate a banana, and made a cup of tea to drink on the way to the airport. My youngest son, Oliver, arrived about 0520, left his dog, Carlo, with my wife, Betty, and we loaded my luggage into his pickup. We left the house promptly at 0530, and headed up highway 80 to the Sacramento Airport.

Oliver, my youngest son, dropped me off at the American Airlines desk in Terminal B at 0615, before heading back up I 5 for a backpacking trip in the Trinity Alps. I went into the terminal and after a few minutes found the right line at the American Airlines desk. It was not moving at all. After half an hour a lady told us that the plane was delayed 2 to 3 hours, and that they would help us find alternate flights if the delay would cause us to miss connecting flights. About an hour later they had served only 2 of the 30 passengers in the line.

A lady then told those ending their flight in Dallas to check their luggage at the curb and go through security. She gave the rest of us each a telephone number to call to change our flights. A few minutes later a Sacramento County Sheriff officer asked me if I had gotten alternate flights. I told her I didn't have a cell phone and couldn't leave my luggage to go to a pay phone as I was alone. She gave me her cell phone. I was on the phone with American Airlines for half an hour before she found me alternate flights to Zurich Switzerland by Sunday morning. She told me that there was nothing she could do about my flight from Zurich to Palma.

By this time, 0830, I was first in line and was soon at the counter being helped by a very pleasant Miss Young. She listened to my story and said she could do better. She spent half an hour and got me alternate tickets to Palma, although I would not arrive until late Sunday afternoon. By this time, 0900, I was in desperate need of a rest room, and made a bee line to the nearest one. I stuffed all my luggage into a stall and managed to get the job done. I took a Super Shuttle home and emailed Ana my new schedule.

My daughter, Elaine, took me back to the airport in the evening. We left Vacaville at 1800 and my flight left Sacramento after 2100. I changed planes in San Francisco, and got into New York early Saturday morning. I left New York late Saturday, arrived in Zurich Switzerland early Sunday morning. I left Zurich on Swiss Air early Sunday afternoon and arrived in Palma mid afternoon. Ana and David took me to their home for coffee and an ensaimada. The map below illustrates my actual trip to Spain.