...and they spoke to me in Dutch!

Hello folks,

Another blog... yup, I´m doing it again. Mostly for selfish reasons as it makes remembering things when I scrapbook a trip MUCH easier afterwards. But, I also hope you enjoy reading it too!
I´ll apologize in advance if the blog is a little less amusing than usual as I don´t have Brad by my side interjecting his witty little comments as I write. I hope you´re not too disappointed and still find some enjoyment in the adventures of Debra solo.

So, yes, I am traveling on my own this time! Here´s the basic itinerary:
Leave November 9th, back on Dec 2nd.
In Barcelona from Nov 10-14, in Poland from Nov 14-17 and then in The Netherlands for 2 weeks.
But I´m really on my own very little on this trip. I´m visiting my step-sister, Luiza, and step-nephew, Bartek, in Plock, Poland and I´m with family the entire time in Holland. Including my Dad and Wanda who arrive a day before I get there. I just have to say how awesome to be able to be in Holland with my dad - in his birth country. What an amazing opportunity!

I´m here in Barcelona right now using the cheap internet in my hostel. It´s siesta time on Wednesday and my feet are sore so a break is in order!
But first, here´s what´s happened the last couple of days...
Brad and I spent the weekend in Lethbridge with my family to celebrate my Dad´s 65th birthday. It was a huge success and a lot of fun!
Got up early Monday morning and Brad drove me to the Calgary airport. Originally I was supposed to have a direct flight from Calgary to Amsterdam which I was so looking forward to. But the travel company I booked through called just a few days before to change my flight...grrr... so instead I had to leave 5 hours earlier and transfer through Minneapolis, thankfully arriving at the same time in Amsterdam as my original flight. I had the emergency exit row seat to Minneapolis and the flight was half empty. (Must mention - I flew Northwest Airlines and they gave out THREE treats on the short flight - mini-pretzels, peanuts and a biscotti - listen up WestJet! Trip was off to a good start! haha) The 8 hour flight to Amsterdam was a different story. You know how you sit down and you watch people coming down the aisle and watch their eyes to see if they´re looking for your row and sometimes you can´t help but think ¨Please don´t sit next to me¨... nuff said. Warbly Wallace made the flight interesting... he may go down in history with the likes of Shambly Joe.
The flight arrived at Schiphol Airport 30 min early which meant I had 7 1/2 hours to kill instead of just 7! Oh well, I really don´t mind hanging around airports except they aren´t the easiest to find a comfortable place to sleep. I had been up for almost 24 hours by this time - didn´t sleep at all on the overnight flight (thanks to the combined efforts of Warbly Wallace, Seat-pusher Suzy and Boom Boy George). I was able to have a little nap in the oddest position on one of those couches that don´t let you lay down, watched people in their various stages of alertness, explored the airport - which is one of the largest in the world.... The first time I was in this aiport was 1993 when I was 13 and I think it might have been THE largest back then.
And caught my Barcelona flight, arriving there around 9 pm. SOOOO tired and feeling like quite the greasy monkey but SOOOO exited to be back in Barca! Caught the bus to Plaça Catalunya and walked two blocks to my hostel. It was all so shockingly easy (Even my luggage which I was super-stressed about getting lost was one of the first bags out). My room is pretty good here (private room - I´m refusing to do the dorm thing on this trip!) and internet is cheap.
I can´t believe I´m back in Barcelona again. It´s been too long and I can´t wait to reacquaint myself with this awesome city.
TIME TO CRASH (yawn)

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Part of trip: Europe Nov 2009

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