The journey.

We left Monday afternoon after a whirlwind two weeks of packing and cleaning-- putting off all the details I would have normally spent so much time going over and over again.  Thanks to Michael, we made it out  just in time, turned in our keys and said goodbye to the beach and to the place I have called home for the past four years.  We left at two made it up to L.A. by six and killed some time in the FedEx store, and giving TMobile a bit more money.

Then to the airport... normally we are dropped off by friend, or taxi, I have never tried to drop myself off, nor have I ever attempted to get so much stuff out and into the airport in a drop lane.  Between us there were five heavy suitcases, one large bike box, four carry-ons (all extra large), one purse, and two doggy carriers. Help?!? We ended up in the arrival level which annoyed all the lovely security people, and it took us a good ten minutes to get all of our things out and onto carts.  While I went off to park the rented car, my Mum went up to get us checked in with all our things.  The line was long, our things too many, and our three hour suggested lead, non-existent.

The airline lady made us a bit nervous, explaining that if something was wrong with our papers for the dogs they would either be shipped back to the US or else destroyed on-site. Very encouraging.  She also gave me a much higher figure for the additional baggage fees than the lady over the phone had the previous day.  Then we were told we needed to wait to check them in through security... which took forever for someone to find a security agent.  And as the minutes ticked by, the panic I was feeling increased, and my palms... so sweaty.  The dogs of course were fine, we decided not to sneak any contraband, as tempting as it would have been. (Joking) And we raced off to find out where to drop off the rental car, with the five heavy carry-ons in tow.

No one we asked knew where we needed to drop off the car, so I pulled out the trusty iphone and, while exhibiting some very unsafe driving practices-- very unlike me, but evidence of how panicky I was-- proceeded to look up the Enterprise drop spot.  We made it, remarkably, after some illegal u-turns and running a few barely yellow lights. After practically throwing the keys at the poor man, and some tense words directed at my Mum, we made it onto the shuttle to the Airport finally relaxing a bit.

The airport was fine, we were so late we were boarded almost immediately, and off we flew to JFK.  When we arrived in JFK, slightly rested, we thought we had better make sure the dogs were going to the VetPort as I had been told, and that our bags were not going round the carousel waiting for us during our twelve hour layover.  The bags did not appear, nor did the dogs.  It seemed good, but we thought we had better check to make sure they did not appear.  Of course no one knew anything, but as we explained more and more it appeared that the dogs are not transported anywhere, no matter how long the layover, but then even after hearing our predicament, since we were on a connecting flight it was against policy to  give us the dogs!  Fortunately, there were a few dog owners in the group, and we were given the dogs to let peep.

New York was very cold, and so, despite our best intentions of walking them the whole time, it was windy and intermittently raining-- and camp inside we did instead.  The dogs were wonderful, we sat, and read and fed them.

No howling from Coco, no barking from Ollie.  And then came the time to check them back in... as we were sent from one line to another, the now familiar frustration set in.  But again, they were finally checked through security, and us as well and off to Rome we went.

When we arrived, there was of course no one to ask about the dogs, or the bike.. and so it went on.
Another three hours at the airport dealing with a jumbo roll of red tape, and then off, to navigate the Italian roads, sans map, sans GPS.  Not my brightest idea.

But we made it, after hours of driving, a few stops for myself and the dogs and we arrived in Florence.  A few more major rental car issues, a quick wee for the dogs, a long over due shower, and then off to bed.