Home at Last
Yesterday we arrived at the Vancouver at [who knows what time it actually was based on my biological clock, but I think it was around 16:30PST], a little worse for wear, but more or less in one piece.
More or less, because — well, you add up a [exciting, of course] 777 km drive from Alba Iulia, Romania, to Budapest, Hungary, to Bratislava, Slovakia, to Vienna, Austria, and then flights from Vienna to London to Calgary to Vancouver — and then the fact that my suitcase seems to have disappeared somewhere between Vienna and London, and the other two bags were lost between Calgary and Vancouver. The discussion with the Air Canada lost luggage counter was therefore pretty . . . let's say, convoluted.
At least we got a call in the middle of the night last night (well, 11pm, but well after our jetlagged asses were fast asleep) to let us know that two of the three lost bags had been found (presumably the Calgary to Vancouver ones) and would be returned to us at 9am this morning. No sign yet of my bag, whose contents included (as I'm painfully aware, due to having to fill out a separate Lost Baggage Customs Form for them) included most of our souvenirs: Romanian CDs, a couple of books, two of the three bottles of wine (lord I hope those didn't break somehow), and a nice gift from some family friends in Romania (an Italian marble bowl).
It also may or may not have contained my first photocard of images (we'll know that once the other two bags appear).
Especially because of being forced through the exercise by the customs form, I've been reviewing which of the contents I'm most choked up over, being: the photocard (if it's in there — yes, valuable lesson about putting such things in carryon bags now), my two very favourite sweaters, and my black suit (which was supposed to be for a Romanian New Year party which didn't end up happening). Some of the other stuff (camera chargers, books, etc) would be a pain to replace, but not quite so bad or expensive. I think I've found a way to pull the music back off my iPod, and at worst, I'd ripped them into the computer in Romania, so we could get family to burn is a new copy (it's not like we didn't already pay for them).
Subsequent posts will include our stories from Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria, but for now, the priority is breakfast, I think.
More or less, because — well, you add up a [exciting, of course] 777 km drive from Alba Iulia, Romania, to Budapest, Hungary, to Bratislava, Slovakia, to Vienna, Austria, and then flights from Vienna to London to Calgary to Vancouver — and then the fact that my suitcase seems to have disappeared somewhere between Vienna and London, and the other two bags were lost between Calgary and Vancouver. The discussion with the Air Canada lost luggage counter was therefore pretty . . . let's say, convoluted.
At least we got a call in the middle of the night last night (well, 11pm, but well after our jetlagged asses were fast asleep) to let us know that two of the three lost bags had been found (presumably the Calgary to Vancouver ones) and would be returned to us at 9am this morning. No sign yet of my bag, whose contents included (as I'm painfully aware, due to having to fill out a separate Lost Baggage Customs Form for them) included most of our souvenirs: Romanian CDs, a couple of books, two of the three bottles of wine (lord I hope those didn't break somehow), and a nice gift from some family friends in Romania (an Italian marble bowl).
It also may or may not have contained my first photocard of images (we'll know that once the other two bags appear).
Especially because of being forced through the exercise by the customs form, I've been reviewing which of the contents I'm most choked up over, being: the photocard (if it's in there — yes, valuable lesson about putting such things in carryon bags now), my two very favourite sweaters, and my black suit (which was supposed to be for a Romanian New Year party which didn't end up happening). Some of the other stuff (camera chargers, books, etc) would be a pain to replace, but not quite so bad or expensive. I think I've found a way to pull the music back off my iPod, and at worst, I'd ripped them into the computer in Romania, so we could get family to burn is a new copy (it's not like we didn't already pay for them).
Subsequent posts will include our stories from Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria, but for now, the priority is breakfast, I think.