Take
Tandem
Trip
Through
Tuscany
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In spring of 2007 while on our annual MS
ride in Western Pennsylvania, Dave and Julie were regaling us with
stories of tandem riding in Prevance France. The more they talked the
more interested Jim, Sonya and I became. The tour company that
they
went with was called Pennywise and their next tour was to Tuscany. We
all got excited about the idea so the only person to convince
was Kathie who was back home. Back home it didn't long for Kathie to
get on board with the idea. The only thing left was to get us all on
the tour. Dave and Julie already had a place in the tour because as
previous tour riders they had priority in the line for getting on the
next tour. The Orrs and the Brumbaughs were on a wait list
because the tour was sold out. After waiting a few weeks I was
convinced that we wouldn't get a spot when Pennywise announced
that they would do a second tour. Soon we were planning our trip,
buying plane tickets, and buying a tandem for the trip. After
over a year of waiting and planning the day came when we were packed and ready to go.
We checked in and proceeded to security where we were pulled from the line and taken to a special security check on the baggage level of the airport. I think we were in the trainee area. We got through security and walked to our gate. At the gate we found a table outside the Starbucks and sat for a while and talked. We grabbed a bite to eat at Potbelly’s and soon we were on the first leg of our flight to Munich. This flight took about 8:00 hours, which was the longest flight I have ever taken. I got some sleep off and on. They served us dinner and breakfast and free drinks. We landed in Munich at about 5:00 AM European time in a heavy fog.
When we arrived in Munich we checked our connecting flight
to Florence on the monitor and found that it had been canceled. We
stopped off
at a service agent station and had our flight changed to a later flight
scheduled to
leave at 09:00. We planned to meet our friends Dave and Julie at
the Novotel
Hotel in Florence at 09:00. We exited to our gates through a passport
check.
The person in the passport booth asked Kathie where she came from and
she
answered Dulles. Then he asked her if she came though Chicago thinking
that she
said Dallas. This misunderstanding took a few minutes to clear up. We
spent
some of our time in the Munich airport sleeping and trying to contact
Dave and
Julie and having breakfast with the 14 euro voucher that the airline
gave us. Due
to the continued fog our 09:00 flight became a 10:00 flight but soon we
were on
our way.
The flight we took was a Turbo Prop that we got to by way of a midfield bus. While we were boarding we got a glimpse of a few pieces of our luggage and that was somewhat re-assuring. The flight took about an hour and we flew over the Alps. What a great view!
We landed in Florence at about 11:30 and to our delight all 8 pieces of our luggage arrive with us. We proceeded to the taxi station and we caught 2 cabs to the Novotel. At the hotel we checked in and received a message from Dave and Julie that they had gone into town and to meet them at the Galleria dell’ Accademia at 2:45. We took our luggage to our rooms, changed clothes then caught a taxi to downtown Florence.
In Florence we were dropped off near the Piazza del Duomo and checked out the main part of the church for a short while. We wanted to climb the dome in the Duomo, but the line was too long for the time we had left before meeting Dave and Julie. We worked our way to the Galleria dell’ Accademia area and had a few minutes to find a snack. We stopped at a pizzeria were we got our first taste of Italian pizza. We soon returned to the Galleria dell’ Accademia were we found Dave and Julie and entered the tour of the Academy were we got to see great paintings and sculptures the most notable was the David. The David is an incredible piece of art and can only be appreciated by seeing it live. The way the marble was used makes the figure look life like and was fascinating.
We finished the academy tour and walked back to the Duomo were we hoped the line for the climb to the dome was shorter. The line was longer than when we left before so we opted for the climb of the tower in the Duomo, which was not quite as tall but still had spectacular views. The climb up the tower was 415 steps. Kathie and Sonya stayed on the ground while Jim, Dave, Julie, and I took the climb. It was a good warm up for cycling.
Next we decided to walk to the Ponte Vecchio over
the Arno
River. On the way we stopped so the Orrs and the Harpers could get
money at an
ATM. While Sonya was at the ATM someone came behind her and acted like
he was
helping her and managed to steal her card. Jim chased to guy down but
he had
already given the card to an accomplice. Luckily Jim had his blackberry
with
him were he made calls back home and he got the card stopped. The only
problem
with this was that he had to use his credit card to get cash for the
rest of
the trip.
On the way to the Arno River we walked by the Palazzo Vechhio. We crossed the bridge of shops taking pictures all the way. Dave who has become the adventurer in our group convinced 4 jet lagged travelers to climb to the Mont de Michaelangelo. This was a long steep climb but it was worth it to see another great view of Florence. At the top was a bronze replica of the David and a lovely park.
We returned to central Florence where we found an eatery and had some local fare. We then walked to the train station to catch the hotel shuttle back to the hotel. At the train station we met with about five other couples from the Tandem Tour. We all introduced each other. Dave and Julie already knew many of them. The shuttle took us to the airport first where one couple was checking on their tandem that was lost in luggage. We also picked up an English pilot who was very friendly and somewhat amazed by us biking around Tuscany.
We arrived back at the hotel were Kathie and I went straight to bed and sleep. I downloaded some pictures from the day on my computer and passed out while watching the slide show. The room at the hotel was a bit warm and I woke up at about 1:00 AM and was not able the fall back asleep. I got up several times and tried to fall back asleep until about 2:00 AM. I was just about to give up on sleep when the next thing I know it was 07:30 AM.
Italy Day 2
San Leonino | Map |
Back
We had to be
ready for the tour bus at 10:00 and had
promised to meet everyone for breakfast at 08:00. When I saw it was
7:30. I woke
Kathie up and we rushed to get ready for breakfast. We got there at
about 08:10
and neither the Orrs or the Harpers were there. We did see a group at
one table
that somehow I recognized as tandem riders, and soon I saw some of the
couples we
had met on the shuttle bus from the day before. We started talking. We
had breakfast
with Lou and Elaine Stevens at our table. They are from Shaker Heights,
Ohio
and originally from Pittsburgh. We had a great conversation at
breakfast. During breakfast Dave and Julie
arrived and
sat at another table. After breakfast I was concerned about the
Orrs. Kathie started toward their room
to make sure they were allright while I checked for email at the hotel
computer.
Kathie got on one elevator and seconds later Jim got of the other. Jim and Sonya had followed my sleeping pattern but had slept in until 08:30. Kathie and I got back to our room and packed to get ready for the tour to start. We arrived in the lobby at about 09:40 and joined others who had already landed there. At about 09:45 the bus arrived letting off the riders from the first two weeks. Since many of the couples getting off the bus knew the couples starting, this was a big hug fest. Kathie and I got to meet Rich and Ina who ran the tour. Soon we were checked out of the hotel, our luggage was loaded and we were on our way.
We stopped to drop
and pick up people at the train station
in Florence and we returned to the airport so that one thankful couple
could
pick up the bike that was lost in luggage. Soon we were in the Tuscan
Countryside. It was beautiful. The vineyards and farmhouses were more
beautiful
than pictures could tell.
We arrived in San Leonino at about 12:30 and met
at the
lobby were we were then taken to our rooms. The San Belvedere was a
great
motel. It sits on a vineyard of a working winery that produces Chianti
Classico, Vinegar and Olive Oil. Our room was spacious and beautiful.
We immediately went to the back
of the hotel under the shade of an olive tree to start assembling our
bikes. At
1:00 we stopped for an elegant lunch supplied by the hotel and then we
returned
to the work at hand.
My bike assembly went well but the drum break came out of adjustment in transit. With the help of another tour member (Clark) I got it working. At about 04:00 we finished the assembly and got ready for our shake down ride or the wake up ride as the case might be. We followed Jim and Sonya out of the hotel and started what I thought would be a short climb. The ride was almost five miles and it was 95% up hill! At times it was a 15% grade. The reward was Castellina in Chianti which was a cute little tourist town with a town church and a variety of little shops. I think the ratio of churches to wine shops in 1 to 5 in these little towns. The trip up took about 45 minutes the trip back to the hotel took 15. I then understood why I needed the drum brake on my tandem.
When we returned, the riders gathered for the first riders meeting where Rich gave us the lowdown on the tour activities but first we watched to sun set over the Tuscan hills. Then we heard Rich’s lecture. After the talk we had some sparkling Italian wine before dinner. Dinner was wonderful. It was a full four-course meal with the Chianti flowing. We sat with the Harpers, Orrs and Ortons. We ate and drank and had a great time meeting new friends and enjoying them all.
After dinner we toured other's rooms because each room was unique. Not too much later the retreated to our rooms for a good nights sleep in preparation for the next day of riding.
Italy Day 3
Rada in Chianti | Map |
Back
On
Sunday I woke early, went to the lobby of the hotel and
started this log. Soon we were getting ready to ride and for breakfast. In the ride meeting Rich laid out a very
challenging day of riding. We took awhile to get ready but by 10:00 we
were on
our way. The ride started with a nice downhill into the valley and then
the
hills started. The hills were long and relatively steep. We stopped
often for
pictures and at about 11:30 we stopped in a small town for a cappuccino
break. Along the way we hit a down hill
that was so long that for the first time in my life I was looking
forward for a
downhill to end. We climbed into Rada in Chianti where we had lunch at
a
restaurant. We had some great spaghetti before finishing the ride with
a stop
in Castellina in Chianti for gelato and down into San Leonino.
At the hotel we compared notes with other riders then had a wine tasting put on by the winery then dinner. It was another four-course meal featuring veal. Dave and Julie sat with other couples that night. They are on their third Pennywise trip and have many other friends that they wanted to visit. The Orrs and the Brumbaughs sat together with the Carolyn and Hank and had a very pleasant evening.
Soon it was time to sleep in preparation for our first transfer day. Packing needed to be done before we left.
Italy Day 4
Monteriggione |
Colle di val d’elsa
| San
Gimignano | Map |
Back
On day four we
got up for breakfast and went to the riders
meeting. We packed our bags and loaded them on the truck before we
took off for
San Gimignano. The entire day was about 21 miles of biking. An early
stop took
us at the town of Monteriggione. This was a small walled town with nice
shops
and restaurants. We stopped and toured and shopped in this town. While
waiting
for Kathie to come out of a shop an Italian man and his Asian wife were
asking
about our trip. The man spoke a little English and the woman a little
more.
They were amazed at how the whole tour worked. This was very nice
cultural
exchange.
We moved onto Colle di val d’elsa. This was another walled city. Here we had a Pizza Lunch. This was bigger than Monteriggione and had a beautiful church inside one extreme of the city walls. The basement of the church had a macabre alter that seemed to be used for funerals. Outside that church we engaged a little Italian gentleman who spoke almost no English. Sonya started a conversation with him. He told us about his trips to New York and Canada as best he could. We continued to tour and then took off for San Gimignano. We soon found ourselves at the motel just outside the town. We checked in and showered then took a bus into town.
We toured San Gimignano including its plazas and the tower at its duomo. This town was quite a tourist town and there were many shops of all kinds of merchandise. We climbed the Grand tower and took some great pictures. We found a place to eat, had a gelato for desert and caught the bus back.
Italy Day 5
Volterra | Map |
Back
On day 5 we had breakfast at the hotel and after the riders meeting started out for Volterra. The ride to Volterra was the toughest so far. It started with about 8 miles of mostly climbing then about 6 miles of down hill then 6 miles for a 1300 ft.+ assent to Volterra. The town was another Tuscan walled town with allot of history. There were Tuscan and Roman ruins throughout the town. We had lunch at a Pizzeria then took a walking tour of the area. We got to see an excavated Roman amphitheater, one of the 2 remaining Tuscan arches in the world, and a demo on Alabaster lathing. We finished the tour picked up a gelato and started back down into the valley. The trip back down was a bit scary but we got to the valley without a problem. The climbing was a bit less than the trip out and we got back in time for an after ride party and a dinner supplied at the hotel. We then went back to our room to get ready for another day of riding.
Italy Day 6
Casole d Elsa, Rosia
| Murlo | Map |
Back
On the 6th day we
cycled from San Gimignono to Murlo. The
day started with a downhill then a climb to Casole d Elsa. This was
another
Tuscan town but less of a tourist attraction than others that we have
seen. It
had an interesting collection of sculptures all around the town and a
town church.
We stopped and walked around then stopped for cappuccino then were off
on the
ride again. Along the way stopped at a super market and bought water
and sandwiches then later stopped in a park in Rosia. We lost track of
the Orrs and
later found out that they took a wrong turn that took then an extra 8
miles to
recover from. They caught up with us at lunch then stayed with us for
the rest
of the day. We stopped at a small
village for water about 7 miles short of Murlo. The town had a small
park where
we sat and rested as other riders came and went.
After a small time we got back on the bikes and took the few climbs to get to Murlo. Here our hosts had a beer party waiting for us. After the party Kathie and I showered and rested then went to dinner in which the main course was wild boar. We had nice conversation with several other couples then headed off for bed.
Italy Day 7
Abbazia di Monte Oliveto, Torrenieri
| Map
|
Back
On day 7 we
traveled from Murlo to Pienza. The day started
with a quick trip to a Abbazia di Monte Oliveto, a working abbey. There
we
got a tour of the abbey and then had lunch at the restaurant in the
abbey. The abbey had hallways around a plaza lined with frescoes that
our tour guide explained the history behind. Another interesting part
of
the tour was the main library in the abbey that had ancient volumes and
interesting architectural elements. During the tour the battery on my
camera
died and the spare was back at bike. I missed getting pictures of some
frescoes. We had a nice lunch and then
moved on toward Pienza. We stopped at a small crossroads town named
Torrenieri
where we checked out the church in the town and bought water. We
finally got to
the climb into Pienza where we stopped for pictures. At the stop we
found a couple
that were interested in our trip. They were from Denmark but were
taking a
minivan through Italy where they had visited all 12 Italian national
parks and
created a picture book of them. This was very nice photography. 
We arrived in Pienza, checked into the hotel and got a shower in time for Dinner. We had dinner in town with the Orrs and the O’Callahans. The dinner and wine were great and then it was time for bed.
Ahhh, a rest day. Kathie and I took a loop day to get up late but in time for breakfast. It was market day in Pienza so later we went into town to check out the market. The variety of goods was quite interesting. I was like a portable Mal-Mart. We bought some fruit then took them back to our room. We later walked around town with the Orrs, Harpers and others from the tour. We went back the hotel for a nap. We got up in time for a tour of Piccolomini, the home of Pope Pius II. Pope Pius was the person responsible the building of Pienza.After the tour we had a happy hour in the hotel. We then went on to dinner. We had dinner with the Orrs in town then found our way to the hotel and bed.
Italy Day 9
Montepulciano | Map |
Back
Day 9 took us from Pienza to Cortona. The trip was mostly
down hill and flat for most of the trip. We took a small climb into
Montepulciano. This was another charming Tuscan town with nice shops
and some
beautiful churches. Here we explored and grabbed sandwiches for a
picnic lunch
later in the day. After exploring the town we went on with our ride.
After
another 10 or so miles we ran into Lou and Elaine who were picnicking
on a
hillside on the edge of a farm. We
decided to join them and while we were there Dave and Julie and Ross
and Donna
came to join us. The view from the hillside was beautiful. We got on
the bike
and soon we were taking on the 4-mile climb into Cortona. After
checking into
the Hotel San Luca we took showers and got ready for our walking tour
of
Cortona. The tour was interesting and centered mostly around the story
of St.
Margarita. After
the tour I went
looking for a photo shop to get a replacement battery for my camera. We
had no
luck but then caught up with Jim, Sonya, Dave and Julie. We had some
Pizza and
then agreed on a meeting place and time for dinner. That night we were
unable to get into any of the nicer restarants without reservations. We
made reservations for the next night then found a place for some casual
dinning. After dinner we caught gelato and then were off to bed.
On
day ten we had another off day from riding. There was an
alumni group from America staying at the San Luca and they were leaving
on an
8:30 tour so we let them clear out before getting breakfast. We ate
breakfast
with the Orrs and Harpers then went back to our room to get ready to
tour
Cortona on our own. When we got out in front of the Hotel we ran into
a small parade. We followed the parade with Jim and Sonya until
it
ended at the plaza outside the Cathedral.
As the crowd broke up many were entering the church and we
followed them to find that it was the beginning of mass. We all
had wanted to experience
an Italian mass so we stayed and took part. The chior was great and the
mass
was a rich cultural experience. After
church we climbed to the highest point in Cortona to St.
Margherita’s church.
The church is run by monks and was not open for exploration until
later. We
walked up to the fort above the church and that was also closed but
supplied
unending views of the valley below Cortona. We descended back to town
via St.
Margherita Way were they had the stations of the cross represented in
the walls
as we descended.
After exploring we went shopping and had lunch at one of the many restaurants in town. We never hit a bad restaurant in Italy. After lunch we shopped and went back to the hotel for a rest then went to dinner with Jim, Sonya, Dave and Julie. This was another great meal.
Italy Day 11
Castiglion Fiorentino | Map |
Back
Today we started
late to avoid conflict with the alumni
group. Our ride meeting started at 9:30 and at a little after 10:00 we
were
started. There were 2 loop routes offered today, a very hilly course
and a very
flat course. We took the flat route. After dropping into the valley the
trip to
Castiglion Fiorentino seemed to go quickly. We were riding with Orrs
and Ross
and Donna Glasgow, and Bob O’neal was riding his tandem solo
because his wife Kay
was nursing a back problem. We all stopped for lunch at a quick lunch
restaurant. We then went into the old part of Castiglion Fiorentino and
stopped
for pictures. The town was not a large tourist attraction but had a
nice plaza
with a beautiful view from one edge. We left the town then traveled
back to Cortona that
included the climb back to the hotel.
Kathie and I got back to our room, showered, then headed for the town to do a little shopping. After shopping we returned to the hotel for a little rest then went to the hotel restaurant for a reception given by the hotel. After the reception we headed out to dinner with the Harpers and Orrs then we got back to the hotel for a good night,s sleep before moving onto Arbia.
Italy Day 12
Lucignano, Asciano | Map |
Back
Today we got up
for breakfast, packed and moved our luggage
to the lobby of the hotel to prepare for loading. Once we loaded our
luggage I
checked out and we headed for the garage where the bikes were stored
and start down
the hill from Cortona.
After finishing our descent the terrain was very flat for quite at time. The group we were with managed to take a few wrong turns that added 8 or 9 miles of excess distance to our trip. On the way we stopped at Lucignano and Asciano. Both quaint little towns that we did some exploration and refueling in then went on our way. The last 10 or so miles of the day were hilly with a nice descent in Arbia were we found our next home.
At the hotel we showered and went to a wine and cheese get together outside the pool patio. We rested in our rooms then headed off for dinner. Dinner was at the hotel and was good. We sat with the Orrs and Stevens and Dave and Patty. We had nice conversation and I stopped back in the lobby to check email then I was off to bed.
We got up for breakfast and then off to the Riders meeting. Many riders were either tired or not feeling well so a hand full decided not to ride. We joined the club but decided to take the bus into Siena.On the ride in we missed our bus stop and ended up
a few km out
of town. We walked back into town taking in the neighborhoods on the
way. Just
before entering the old city walls we stopped for pizza then started to
explore
old Siena. Our first stop was to the bike shop in town. At 1:30 it was
closed
so we continue into town to check out some shops and a few of the
sights around
town.
On the way we found the piazza Campo and the tower there. We also saw a few churches. We stumbled upon a photo shop that had a replacement battery for my camera. After additional exploration we made it back to the bike shop. We went inside to find an old shop with not allot of merchandise. We were looking for a water bottle for Kathie and a souvenir for Mike Krause. Mike is a long time Bianchi owner and this shop was rumored to be the oldest Bianchi dealership in Italy and probably the world. We got to the bike store just as it was opening. A middle-aged man took care of us and seemed to be the only worker in the shop until there came a doorbell ringing in the back of the shop. The keeper went back and opened the door and in walked an old lady. I wondered what she was doing at the store but soon I found that she was helping run the store.
We found a water bottle for Kathie and a Bianchi bottle for Mike. We also found some jerseys for the two of us that were Siena specific. While trying on the jerseys some Americans came into the store and we had some conversations with them. They were on a Vermont Bicycle Tour and the couple in the trio was from Alexandria.
Soon we went to catch the bus and were on our way back to Arbia. On the bus we caught the ear of a woman sitting next to us. She started a conversation with us and found that she was an American who had been living in Siena for 10 years. We asked her what made her stay and she said that she had fallen in love with an Italian. She added that she had a circle of American girlfriends all of whom had married Italians. This gave Kathie more fuel to her worries about Rachel doing the same thing if she took a trip to Italy.
Once back in Arbia, we rested, went to the wine party near the pool then onto dinner. We had dinner with the O’Calahans, Orrs, Harpers and Ina. We had a competition where some riders told a story explaining the empty farm houses in the valleys that we rode pass. The evening concluded after dinner when we retired to our rooms.
We rose this morning and had breakfast with the Orrs. Today was planned off day with everyone taking a bus into Siena for a day of touring. Kathie and I had a head start from the day before but joined in for the tour also. We once again used the public city bus to get into town. Upon arriving our group made a be-line for the bike store. We got there and the place was packed with people from our group. We all got our turn to go into the shop and this time I got to go into the back room. When I got there the old lady from the day before was there and on one wall was a bike frame and pictures of a cyclist named Rossi who was a Provincial biking champion in the 50’s. The woman told us in Italian that Mr. Rossi was her husband. Then I realized that this old lady was the wife of a bicycling legend and the frame on the wall was one of the frames from his hay-day.
We moved onto shopping and grabbing pizza for lunch then on to the piazza Campos. Here we looked around until it was time to go to St. Dominics Church for the start of a walking tour. The tour guide gave us interesting history about Siena, its churches, and its customs. We ended up at the Duomo which was incredible.
We were let go from the tour at the Duomo and looked around on our own then left to souvenir shop. We ran into the Orrs and Jim wanted to stop at McDonalds for dinner so we stopped and watched him eat. The two couples then moved onto the Piazza Campos were we found a restaurant to have dinner. Kathie had soup and I had pasta while we watched the tourist go by in the piazza. While our meal was being prepared she told me that she saw our neighbors from home go by. I ran out to find them, not knowing who I was looking for, then Kathie came out to help. We caught up with them and I then figured out that Kathie was talking about Dave and Loraine Huner. Their son played baseball with Michael and that son and his twin sister graduated with Michael.
After quickly saying hello we went back to dinner then after dinner went to the bus stop for our ride to the hotel. At the hotel Kathie and I relaxed then started getting ready for our last day of riding.
Italy Day 15
San Leonino | Map |
Back
Today we got up
in Arbia for the last biking leg of our
trip. We had breakfast as usual and had our last morning riders
meeting, where
the instructions included where to disassemble the tandems and where to
deposit
our luggage.
There were about 6 couples who decided to take a short cut that took about ten miles off the ride today and the Brumbaughs and Orrs were in that set. We were concerned that the rains might arrive before we could get the bikes packed. The ride was not too hard and we stopped a few miles short of San Leonino for some sandwiches for lunch then got to the hotel shortly after that. It was surprising to find that the hills we descended 2 weeks ago looked so much smaller now.
Before we knew it we were back at the Belvedere at San Leonino and taking our bike apart. The threat of rain loomed and we wasted little time getting things packed up. Once we finished the tandem packing Kathie and I got our showers then it was time to relax with a drink and to reminisce about the last two weeks. Soon the rain started and we huddled under the sun umbrellas with other's from our group and continue our conversations.
Dave and Julie opted
for the longer ride and were not in
when the rain started. Not too much longer they pulled in and Julie was
very
proud that they spent the last day taking in every mile and stopping
for to see
every sight and also for latte and snacks and lunch. The price to them
was
they had to pack their tandem in the rain.
I took some time before dinner to try to check in early for our return flights. I went to the United site, which was unable get me checked in. This caused some concern and we called the travel agent. After 3 calls and much time on hold I was told I needed to check in through Lufthansa. At that point I decided to get it done at the airport.
Soon we were at dinner and talking and taking pictures of our new and old friends. Ina’s Birthday was on this day so we bought her a small present and sang happy birthday to her. Before we knew it dinner was over and we were off to bed to get ready for our return home.
Italy Day 16
Back
In the morning we got dressed and finished packing then went to breakfast. We then got our luggage into the bus and before we knew it we were on our way back to Florence. When the bus arrive at the airport we said mass goodbyes to those with other travel arrangements, picked up our bikes from the van, said more goodbyes then moved into the airport.
At the airport we arrive just short of 10 o’clock and tried to check in. We tried to check our bags but were told to wait until 11:20 before we could do so. While we were waiting we tried to do an auto check-in to get into a shorter line when it was time to check our bags. We had Jim and Sonya, Dave and Julie, Rob and Christine, and Dave and Patti. We all tried to check in but couldn’t get the check in to work. Christine went to several desks and tried several approaches unit one of the Lufthansa servicers got her boarding pass for her. We all lined up and got our boarding passes. Sonya, Kathie and I only got the boarding passes for the first leg of the trip. We were told that they could not produce the boarding passes at this time.
We worked our way to the gate and stopped outside the gate for a bite to eat. Kathie and I had pizza, which was typical airport fast food fair. I told Kathie that this was a way to wean us off of real Italian food. Soon we loaded on the jet for Frankfort. This flight was on a full size jet that was larger than the flight from Munich. We flew back over the Alps and soon we were landing in Frankfort.
We landed in Frankfort at about 15:00 and had 2 hours to get to our gate. We found the United check-in to get our boarding pass. I was not given a seat but a boarding pass. We were not promised seats together but were told to proceed to the gate and let them know we wanted seats together. We started toward the gate and met a long slow line through customs, then a long slow line through security. By time we got to the gate it was time to board and we went straight to the see if we could get seats and missed saying goodbye the people going to California. We loaded onto the flight and were on our way home.
The trip was long but we were eventually out of the airport and back home. The Orrs stayed at our place for the night before they returned to Pittsburgh early the next morning.