The Whelan's

At last! Doesn't it always feel wonderful when you finally get home after vacation? This European vacation was fantastic but boy do I just need to sit back, relax and recoop. We had a very long 22hour day yesterday. Started actually the day before but for references this is how it all panned out. We had a wake up call in Milan at 3:45 am, took a 45 minute taxi ride to Milan-Malpensa Aiport (Malpensa I recently learned literally translates to "bad thoughts"). Fortunately Malpensa was a beautiful clean and very much on-time airport and we had no trouble checking in and getting our seats. We boarded around 6;30 and took off on time at 6:55am. Off to Frankfort where we had to show our passports at least 3 times, and here I thought the US had strick security measures. We landed in Germany around 8:15am and since I had been in that airport at least a dozen times in my life I was pretty sure what to expect...WRONG. They have updated that airport and enlarged it so much that I had to reorient myself and try and figure out what they had done since last I was there, over 10 years ago. The biggest surprise the Casino and Mall like shopping Boulevards throughout the airport. Let me tell you, if you have a 4 hour layover (like we did) than that is the airport to be in. We went immediately and had breakfast at a very German restaurant and I remembered immediately why I gained weight everytime I went to Germany in the past. Honestly, how many places serve chocolate croissants with your already overloaded with carbohydrates breakfast? Did I complain? Heck no I was in heaven. Chocolate heaven.

Well after that fabulous breakfast we still had plenty of time to kill so off to the shopping boulevard. Didn't buy much but it was a good time waster and no I didn't gamble but I did look in the casino. I held my ground and held onto the few Euro's that i had left over. Big warning for those planning a European Vacation....the exchange rate from American dollars to the Euro is Awful, beyond awful, it's actually highway robbery. Thank heaven I planned well and brought plenty money but boy is that a shock.

We could have left for Dulles in Dc a little earlier than we did but Alex relly wanted to travel in business class on a B747. Fortunatley we did and it is so worth the wait. Before I worked in the airline industry it was coach/economy or nothing but since then the perks of being an airline employee are phenominal. We would never be able to afford round trip business class seats to Europe or anywhere else otherwise. We got our seats and was catered to the whole way home but that still doesn't make 9 1/2 hour plane rides much easier. I tend to get a little antsy as I am sure most people do. But we survived and landed on time in Dulles and then had to go through security hell. I knew it was worse in the US but it always surprises me how long it takes to get through immigrations and customs. We landed at 2:45 and was not out until 4:00pm . Craziness and not too efficient. When we landed in Rome it was a snap, Frankfort was a little excessive but quick, the good ol USA , you might just bring your PJ's and hang out a while.

Well anyway, we are back and here I am blogging at 5am. Alex and I got up around 4:30 (In Italy it is 10;30am so I guess we are still on their time) and had some salame and toast. Yummy.

I will add a few more pictures here, first is Alex in a small walkway in Milan, Me and the kids in the square next to Il Duomo ( a large and extremely ornate cathdral in the center of Milan (or Milano Centrale as they say in Italy), next is a better shot of il Duomo, the front is a little covered because of work being done) and then there is me and the kids again and then Alex on the plane ride home.

I really should try and go to bed but instead I will just say good bye, arrividerci and aufviedersahn. (spelling is probably way off but you get the idea)