We got up at 7 am and I was pretty casual about getting ready. The shower was a little tricky to figure out, but once we solved the riddle it was comfortable to use. I took my time because I had completely missed the previous evening’s conversation about getting to the airport. Kuniko was almost out the door and I was still putting on my underwear. I got suitably motivated, and met Kuniko in the lobby soon after. We hurried our suitcases out the door and found the Pullman Hotel down the street. Across from there were some airport shuttlebuses parked, and we were able to just catch the 8 am shuttle on time. It was an easy ride to the airport, and we could check in our luggage right away. We had a last glass of champagne in a lounge near the gate (What time was it? Who cares?), and then we went to the gate. The plane was on time, and we had a nice easy flight to Shanghai.
In Shanghai we had to pick up our suitcases, which meant going through customs and immigration in China only to go right back into the security and immigration stations. It was a strange system, but luckily we were not alone – a lot of other people shared in the confusion.
In the end we made our flight with plenty of time to spare, so we ordered a couple of beers at the bar. We asked for the big Hoeegarden glasses, but belatedly realized they were really big! I did most of the heavy lifting, since Kuniko was going to be driving once we got back to Japan.
We caught our plane on time, and it went quickly. A two hour flight goes by in the blink of an eye after you finish an 11 hour flight. Arriving in Kansai airport we were able to get through customs without anybody inspecting our foie gras (we may be August’s biggest importer of foie gras), and then we caught a bus to the ferry terminal. The ferry took us across to Kobe airport where our car was parked, and we drove home without incident. Our house was in great shape, and the typhoon that came through the previous week apparently hadn’t damaged anything at our place. Unfortunately some of the neighbor’s trees were blown over. We unpacked all our stuff, organized things and started laundry, and then finally opened up our traditional bottle of post-trip sparkling wine. Home safe and sound!
I know I probably say this after every trip we take, but it was really one of our best trips ever. Looking back it was hard to believe that on the same trip we were at Big Ben, Stonehenge, the Eiffel Tower, tasting ports in Porto, eating cassoulet in Toulouse and drinking cognac in Cognac, and meeting my family in Paris. We really packed in a lot of fun and activities, and it felt like just the right amount for us. Both of us are feeling refreshed after our trip, and we’re already wondering when the next trip will be. First we’ve got to sort out a few things with our careers.
Another great trip in Europe – we always have fun there and it is becoming clear that the lifestyle suits us very well. Something to think about for the future…
