No need to really get up early today – but of course we do.  And since we have plenty of time on our hands – we don’t need to leave for the airport until about 10, we get up, head to Dunkin’ Donuts for coffee and splurge on an apple pastry in the food court – because it looked yummy and because we want to sit at their tables! 

Afterward, we walk down the riverfront promenade all the way to the iron bridge, then back to the hotel to shower and finalize our packing. 

We’re done and checked out and in a Bolt cab before 10, easily at the airport with time to spare.  Checked in, bags dropped, we find the little Priority lounge – landside – not through security which is weird – and hang out there for half an hour or so, drinking cappuccino and snacking on breakfast type treats. Ok, well I did – banana and croissant. Ed had cheese and meats for his morning meal.  Then we hoof it down to passport control where the immigration guy is perplexed that we have been in the EU but have no stamp saying we arrived here.  We thought that was odd too – when we arrived in Crete, our first EU stop, there was no immigration there, and then disembarking in Piraeus, again, no immigration.  At the time we were thinking that was wrong, but what can you do?  We just motored on our way.  And since we flew out of Athens domestically and then onto Frankfurt, which was all EU, we never had to go through Immigration.  Our guy today thinks it is terribly odd, but still stamps us out of Germany and sends us on our way.  Wonder what happened to all those folks disembarking Quest and flying out of Athens? 

At any rate, we head from there to security, no issues, and arrive at the gate to stand in line for only really 15 minutes or so before boarding began. 

It takes no time for us to be safely ensconced in our Premium Economy seats and ready to fly!  Bye bye Europe.

The flight goes smoothly, time spent reading, watching movies (Ed) and blogging (me).  Hey, I’m up to date on this blog and a happy camper for it!!!  The only minor complaint I’ll offer is that my chicken meal was the pits.  Ed’s didn’t seem as bad, but my chicken was dried out and hammered and stringy and well – ick.  I didn’t bother finishing it or even eating more than a couple bites.  The salad on the other hand was excellent, so at least I got my greens!

And 8 hours later it’s hello Chicago!  We’re here and ready for our overnight stay before making the last leg of our journey home!

Disembarking, we head down the empty (what???) corridors – seriously – miles of empty corridors – where are all the people???

…To passport control where we find all the people! Thank you Global Entry! Look at the camera, take the picture, walk on through…. to the absolutely jam packed total craziness of baggage claim. I mean to tell you – there must a thousand people here – and the line to get through customs? OMG! It wraps around the conveyor belts – it is 500 people deep. Our baggage claim is toward the end of the line where we spy a special Global Entry line. Oh thank you again! So worth whatever the fee is – and even then we don’t pay it because we get a credit on our credit card statement.

Well, no matter, because by the time our luggage comes out – almost last! – there isn’t a line anymore. Okay. Don’t know what that was all about. We walk through customs and call the Best Western for their shuttle pick up. The guy says a wine colored Toyota will be there in 20 minutes. Ok. 20 minutes. 30 minutes. We call again. Oh, he’ll be there soon. Meanwhile, the traffic guard is calling out all these hotel shuttle and finally asks us which hotel so she’ll look for it. Sweet. Thank you. Another 20 minutes and the traffic guard calls out the Best Western. We’re looking for the red van – um, no. I obviously mis-heard the guy’s accent – it’s a WHITE van – and oh lord. Talk about junker. It is priceless. The seats don’t work. It’s dented and dinged. The driver is an old hippy type dude who is the sweetest thing on this planet. We get into a long conversation and just when we think we are heading to the hotel, no, they call him and tell him to go to another terminal. Ugh.

Well, we finally do make it, check in and strike out along the main road for a refreshing 10 minute walk down to the grocery store. There is an Hispanic store and a mainstream store. We hit the Hispanic one first thinking we can find some good take home Mexican for dinner, but their offerings were pretty picked over and no wine. Hmmmm….so off to the mainstream store we go where we hit the jackpot! Fresh fried chicken, almost ready. And good wine and beer! We’re set for the evening. And because the chicken takes a while, we get to talking to the deli guy who then gives us extra pieces for being so patient. How nice! We’re loving this overnight change in our itinerary. Good planning!

So back to the hotel we go with our supplies for a lovely easy dinner and a great relaxing overnight.

Only 1 leg to go……