We got in late last night after an unexpected 10 hr. layover in Athens that was due to a cancelled flight to Samos that had been complicated by an unexpected air traffic controller strike in Athens. Travel itineraries are a complex house of cards, and a breakdown in the smallest component, anywhere in the system, can sink you. Kathy had the moxie to find a special phone chip in the Athens Airport that allowed her to call her friend Giannis, who operates a car rental agency on Samos that had already closed for the evening. Giannis arranged for another car rental employee, who spoke no English, to meet us, people he’d never seen before, at a busy airport, with keys for a car a little low on gas, at a time when the gas stations were already closed for the night.
We drove to the village, and dragged our bags up the hill to find the front door to the house standing wide open, with every light in the house on, and two workmen who were busy transforming Kathy’s little dream home into a construction site with a coat of fine white dust covering everything. The workmen seemed astonished at our "early" arrival. Had no one told us? We were not supposed to be there until the following Monday! They were a little behind, sure, but if we could book emergency lodging for a few days, or at least until they got things cleaned up a little, it should be no problem, right? The excuses set off murderous train whistles in my head, but Kathy, ever the savvy traveler and polished diplomat, scheduled a meeting with them for the next day, and sent them packing for the night. She opened a bottle of wine, cleaned the house, made the bed, took a shower, and fell into bed. We slept well.
No comments:
Post a Comment