The journey

At Calgary airport, ready to roll. Sporting our new Eiffel Tower luggage tags, gifts from Debbie.




We managed to get 3 seats together, and like schoolgirls, we giggled most of the way. Our flight attendants were less than hospitable, and one of them seemed to have it in for Debbie. There was a knee bashing incident, some spilled ice water, and her elbow was knocked out from under her, once. Serves her right really, she did, after all, get an extra chocolate button on her dessert.




After a sleepless night, we arrived in Frankfurt. There's a train station right at the airport, which is so convenient. We found a small commuter train and took it to the main station, with a minimum of getting lostedness.
The signs really weren't much help to us.







We had a few hours to kill at the main station, so we got our bearings, figured out where we needed to go to catch our train to Paris, then headed out to explore the neighbourhood.




















Just your average seedy train station part of town. We didn't have time to go further afield, so we missed these sights.
























Oh well, next time.
Back to the train station to hang out for a bit.




Found a wi-fi hot spot, and while there met a delightful young girl from Edmonton, who is studying to be an environmental scientist at U of A. She's taking a course in Berlin, and was on her way back there after a quick weekend trip to Rome. Bright girl, she'll go far!




Waiting...








A series of cartoons advertising who knows what. I just found the profanity to be a little unusual.




De train, de train!




Ah, a glimpse of love through the window. These two really, really, didn't want to say goodbye.








And we're off...












...and out!




That pretty much sums up the 4 hour journey.
We have a room booked in Paris for 3 nights, but not until tomorrow night. We showed up anyway, hoping our sad, tired, puppy dog eyes would help to secure an extra night. Nope, no room at the inn. The place next door however, was more than accommodating. This sweet, smiley guy talked our ears off, let us choose between a couple of available rooms, and reluctantly allowed me to take his photo, as long as he wasn't the only one in the frame.




So we made it! We still don't quite believe it!
We don't have a plan for tomorrow yet, but it definitely doesn't involve alarm clocks.
Even so, I really shouldn't be awake right now, so goodnight.

Plan B1/2

My poor head is spinning! Trying to juggle all of the travel options is making my brain hurt.




Flying to London seemed like a do-able option, but now it looks like we would get stuck there. The trains, which looked plentiful & cheap when I originally checked, seem to be mostly sold out now, with only a few very expensive seats available.

So, we're still aiming for Monday night, but we're heading for Frankfurt instead.

Only one more sleep! We're psyched!

Destination unknown

The trusty old travel bags are out of the closet,




I have a fistful of foreign currencies,




And a complicated spreadsheet to track the various flight options,




but no real plan.
Our original idea was to fly to Paris, via either Toronto or Montreal, on August 30th. As the flights filled up, we gradually pushed it further and further forward to the 26th of August, and have now given up on that option altogether. Not that Dan & I haven't gotten on completely hopeless-looking flights before. (Hey, you just never know when a volcano might erupt and force half of the booked passengers to have to disembark from a totally full flight, suddenly opening up 75 seats for stand-by hopefuls...), but the odds are definitely not in our favor.

Plan B is to fly from Calgary to London, then take the Chunnel train to Paris. We are hoping to squeeze onto the flight on Monday night, but that's still 4 days away, and the numbers change every time I check them, so it's gonna take a truck load of luck for that to work.

Plan C is to try for the Frankfurt flight on Tuesday night. That one actually looks quite hopeful, but never having been to Frankfurt, it's a little bit out of my comfort zone. Not to mention it's a 5 hour train ride to Paris from there. Oh well, at least it's on the right side of the ocean, so we'll take it if we can get it.

Ah, the joys of stand-by travel. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. It's a helluva perk and I'm extremely grateful for it. It was totally worth it to give up a normal home life for 20+ years for the travel opportunities that we've had. (Shift work, working stat holidays, and irregular days off that seldom coincided with the rest of the world's was a bitch!) Just once though, I'd like to show up at the airport in my sweat pants, with a ticket in my hand, and a hotel reservation waiting at the other end.

Actually, that must be quite boring. I'd miss the challenge, the suspense, and the euphoria when the coveted boarding pass is handed over at the last possible second.

So all fingers and toes are crossed for a successful outcome on Monday. Wherever we end up, it'll be an adventure!

Dumpster Diving

Okay, so technically, I wasn't actually dumpster diving. In our neighbourhood, if we no longer want something, but it still has some value, we just leave it out in the alley, and it usually disappears within a couple of hours.

Our next door neighbours must've been doing a clean out, because a couple of days ago there was a pile of stuff sitting out back.

There are some advantages to walking the dog early in the morning, I had first crack at the pile.

Score! There were two of these little bistro chairs, which I nabbed. When I first saw them, I thought they were made of cane, but they turned out to be Ikea's finest plastic. Whatever - I thought they'd work anyway.




So I spray painted them turquoise. What a surprise, eh?




Then I bought some fabric to make a couple of cushions. Yes, you read that right. I was going to attempt to sew cushions. With piping!
How hard could that be?




A very helpful tutorial on You Tube suggested using a zipper foot. Unfortunately, it assumed that I would know what that is. I've been sewing off & on for 45 years, and in that time, I have sewn exactly one zipper, and that was way back in high school home-ec class. I had that zipper in & out so many times that I completely shredded the beautiful wool fabric that was going to be a skirt. I've avoided them ever since.
So, what the Hell does a zipper foot look like, anyway? I studied my choices...




...and decided on this one.




Sue, you're rolling your eyes, aren't you?

Luckily, I couldn't figure out how to attach it, so I had to google the manual for my 25 year old machine. (Surprise! It was actually available!)
And another surprise, turns out the doohickey that I had chosen is a darning foot. A what? Is that a thing? Who knew?!
So anyway, I finally got the right thingamajig attached, and after a minor panic attack, I proceeded.




And you won't believe this, but I whipped up two cushions without once using my seam ripper! Hello, Ripley's?
I was feeling a little cocky, so I decided to add buttons. Another first. I've never made covered buttons before.




Ta daaa!




The plan is to take them to Mexico. We only have 4 dining chairs there, but they're big, with arms, so there isn't much room for additional seating. These skinny little chairs will be just perfect for when we have more than 2 guests.
See why they had to be turquoise?




I'm going to print a picture and pop it into Brenda's mailbox with a thank you note. I think she'll be pleased that her chairs are going to have a new life.
I know I am.