Travel day July 13 - 14

So today was the big day. It started out like any other day with my usual running around. Then I picked Cameron up early and we had lunch as a family. I had packed in the morning for the last time and just needed to check a few last minute details.

Dave and Carleana arrived on time and we left on time. The ride to Toronto was uneventful until we hit Kitchener when it started to pour like crazy and flashes of lightning but it was done before we hit Milton where we stopped for coffee and a snack. When we arrived at the airport it didn´t take long for us to find the Air Canada line to get our bags checked. I had been in a panic about the bag being over weight. But I made it with 10 pounds to spare.

Then the boys walked us over to security and we said our goodbyes. It was now about 6:30 and we grabbed something to eat and waited for the boarding call. They announced the flight and we boarded. Both Carleana and I noticed that it was rather warm on the airplane and that the seats were squishy (especially when the person in front of you spends the whole flight with her seat back and you have barely room to breathe). BTo top it all off I couldn´t get comfortable and that meant that I didn´t sleep-I knew that it might be an issue because I never sleep well on planes.

We finally arrived in Madrid and the signage was abysmal. It was very difficult to figure out ehere we needed to go especially when we couldn´t find a monitor with our flight information. Then we took out our tickets and realized that we needed to go to a different terminal. We managed to get directions for the bus shuttle and made our way upstairs and outside. Meanwhile I was fretting about whether or not our luggage would make it to Santiago (this was all taking place inside my head). Then we had to go through immigration and when the agent saw that my place of birth was Lima, Peru he refused to let me speak in English and I had my first crack at speaking in Spanish. Bottom line I made myself understood, and the immigration agent was actually rather nice.

Then we headed for the bus transfer and took the 15 minute ride to the Iberia terminal.  Carleana´s first experience with Spanish driving (it has no resemblance at all to how we drive).  We got to the terminal and looked around--the line ups were huge and we thought we´d better get into one or we´d never get to Santiago.  Then I noticed that there were other Iberia lineups that weren´t too bad (by that time I was starting to get tired and hungry, never a good combination for me) so we got into one and got checked in for the flight to Santiago de Compostela. 

We grabbed a bite, waited forever, played some cards and luckily heard an announcement to check for the gate your flight left from because they did not make boarding calls.  So we wandered around until we found our gate and waited.  The airplane was much roomier and more comfortable and I actually managed to catnap most of the way.  Then we land in Santiago and make our way to the baggage claim--where my worst nightmare comes true and I can´t find my luggage.  One of the airport staff asks where we came from and tells us that we need to go to the international baggage claim and then through customs.  So off we go and find our luggage (boy was I relieved!!!!!!!!!).  Then we find our driver and we are off.