Getting back home... the adventure continuess

We would be home right now.  But in reality...

Originally I had booked us leaving Dresden by train to the Berlin Airport and then flying home via three flights, all in one day. Three flights is a lot, I know.  It was what was available as I recall, but I really don't remember.  Next time I make air travel plans I will engage Steve to look at our options with me.

As our trip date approached, we got nervous about doing the train ride in the morning before our first flight.  It seemed risky.

So we cut our stay in Dresden to one night and booked the train to a hotel right at the Berlin Airport.

When we were in Dresden, Steve was regretting our decision for only one night in Dresden.  There was so much to see in that town.

It was a town that was really, really bombed in a short period of time at the end of WWII.  I watched a video about it on Youtube.  Do not watch it if you are not emotionally strong right now.  War is hell.  The horrors of the allied bombing seem supernatural.

We shortened our ride by taking the train part way.  Our motel had provided us with a free voucher to take our bikes on a train and get about 15 miles closer to Dresden.

I took some pictures through the train window.

It was cool and windy and at one point we hid under a bridge while a quick shower passed.

Our route took us right through the grounds of a challet or castle.

And across the river on a ferry.

There was a Bierhaus on the shore by the ferry.  But we were too chilled to want cold beer.  We wondered what heated beer would be like.

Our route to Hotel Martha in Dresden took us right through a museum district.  Many of these buildings were hurt or ruined during the bombing in 1945. We wouldn't know it by looking at them.

We biked over old cobblestone streets and across an old stone bridge that is now for pedestrians, bicycles and trolleys only.

After settling to our hotel, we took a trolley and walked to a military history museum.  

They didn't have an audio tour but they had a lot of signs written in English. 

I wanted to learn how the allies helped reprogram the Germans to not want to kill all persons of Jewish ancestry.  What happened after the war?

I learned the we made posters and put them up in public places showing the horrors of piles of dead and starving bodies from the concentration camps.  "Who did this? You did this!" The message was to make them face guilt.  Also, the trials of the war criminals were made public.

I learned that we also orchestrated book burnings!  We worked to get rid of the books of propaganda about the superior Aryan race.

During the Soviet occupation after the war,  the allies dropped these guns.  Costing $1.72 each, they were dropped with comic style instructions on how to use them and 10 round of ammunition. 

In the morning we had time to slowly walk our luggage to the train station.

Guess what the building below was built for.

It was built to manufacture cigarettes!  

The building below was called the orange building.  When it was originally built is was surrounded by gardens.  

Domino's had a fleet of delivery vehicles.

In the train station we got coffee.   Then we went up to the designated deck and waited for our train.    

Someone dropped their rubber ducky.

A train came going to Berlin.  We got on.  I was surprised when it took off right away.  Our train wasn't supposed to leave the station for 15 more minutes.

We were on the wrong train!  The good news is it was going to Berlin.  The bad news was it wasn't going to the airport.

The ticket puncher person on the train told us to get off at the next station.  Fortunately it had a connecting trolley or train to the airport.  Whew!

We both used our phones to try to check in and get our boarding passes for our flights.  

It wasn't working.  The first leg of our trip was on British Airways.  The second leg of our trip was on American Airlines.

When I booked the motel at the airport I was hopeful we could just walk to it.  

Yes!  It was right next to the airport within the complex.

After we checked into Intercity Hotel, we walked back over to the airport to get help printing our boarding passes.

The line to British Airways was long.  There was no American Airways at the Berlin Airport.

We went to an empty desk at the start of a line for a different airline.  We worked and fumbled trying to get checked in for our flight.  No success.  I kind of noticed a woman in uniform hanging around us.  

"Is this your desk?" We asked.

She nodded.  We tried to get her to help us, but we weren't with her airline, she pointed to the British Airway desk.

We went there.  Fortunately, we were the last ones in line because it took the clerks a looooong time to get us checked in.  And they only could check us in for the British Airway portion of our trip.  They tried several times to check us in to American.  It wouldn't go.  We thanked them for their perserverance.  

They said to check in with American once we get to London.

We arrived in London OK.  Have you been to Heathrow?  It is unlike....  we took a bus to get from one terminal to another passing industrial buildings and lots of walls with barbed wire on top.  

We finally found an American Agent.  They told us we have tickets but we didn't have seats.  Ummm, what does that mean?  "You have been dropped."  The flight is full, he told us.  You are on stand by.

Now we were in a rush to get to the gate to stand with about eight or a dozen other people waiting to get a seat.  We run, get to our gate.  We are directed to wait outside a door and they will come and call names.  

Would we be willing to split up on different flights?  

No.  

We weren't called.

We now are told we have to go to the connection desk.  Find our way there.  It wasn't easy. 

"No flights today," she tells us.

"Tomorrow?" I ask.

She books us on flight 733 for the next day.  "Will you provide lodging?" I ask.

"Do you want lodging for the night?"  She asks.

"Yes, please."

She gives us some ticket and writes on it E05, Hotel Hoppa.  Without a single suggestion of a smile, she gives us quick directions like we are supposed to know the airport as well as she does.  Go that way to desk E05 and they will give you a coupon for a bus to take you to the hotel.  At least that is what I thought ahe said, after asking her to repeat it twice.

I thought the name of our Hotel was Hoppa.  But after walking through a maze of rooms and hallways... after asking several guards and policemen where to find E05 desk for a coupon to Hotel Hoppa, we were finally outside.  Steve joked that the door was going to lock behind us and that was their strategy to get rid of us.  

We continued following signs to Hotel Hoppa which is actually the name of the bus system that takes people like us... stranded folks and travelers, to hotels near the airport.

I looked closer at the coupon the airline agent gave us.  It had Ramada Blu written on it.  That must be our hotel.

While we were waiting for the bus, We chatted with a woman who had lived here and now lived in New Zealand.   She had been traveling over 40 hours to come to London to visit family and friends.  She helped us figure out what bus to get on.

At the hotel, we were far from London Central.  So much for taking advantage and going to see some sites.

Our hotel was very nice.

We were given coupons for a free dinner and breakfast.

We went for a long walk in the hood behind the Hotel.

Next day we get on the hotel hoppa and work our way into the departure area.

The electronic kiosk said our flight was canceled.  

We search for an American Airline desk.  I had been unable to use my internet and phone.  I turned my cell phone off and back on.  I was able to check my email.  There were several emails from American saying our flight was delayed.  Then telling us to go to a British Airways desk to get our flight rescheduled.

The British Airways clerk looked puzzled.  Clicked a bunch of keys on his computer and frowned some more.  Then stood up to consult with an American Airline clerk.

He assigned us a flight.  First flight we were flying into Miami.  Second time we were flying into Charlotte. This time we are flying into Philadelphia.  But our flight boards in an hour and our gate number has yet to show up on the electronic kiosk.

Steve says they really need a scream room in airports.  A place you can go scream, or punch a punching bag.  I think that is a decent idea.  I don't think the prayer room would help at this point, lol.

As I write this we are sitting next to some Muslims?  White bowl hats, humming some prayers.  Maybe they are praying for us.