Our Amazing Race (part 6) -- The Conclusion

DAY 6

Well, we sort of took a break from “racing” yesterday. But, we started again in earnest this morning.

DEPARTURE TIME: 6:50 am (which – by the way – is 12:50 am in Richmond, VA).

This is a huge day for Ben – a grant that he is applying for is due today. This last week it has been making it’s way through various hands – as all the boxes are checked before it can be sent out today. It has been difficult to tweak things from across the Atlantic to please all of the reviewers. And now, we will be in flight from approximately 7am -5:15pm EST – unavailable by phone or internet on the day that it is due. So, he is nervously hoping that people do their job and get it sent off today. So, we started the day trying to make any last minute changes that needed to be made (via the internet) before leaving the hotel.

The first TASK for today was to take the train from Firenze SMN Station to Pisa Aeroporto Station (one hour train ride). We got to the station 5 minutes before the first train was leaving. We tried to buy the correct tickets super speedy – but the machine was not being agreeable. When it was two minutes to departure time and we still hadn’t been able to print our tickets we decided to slow down and try for the next train departing 30 minutes later. Our tickets eventually printed and we made our way to the platform and onto the train. The ride went smoothly, and we even validated our tickets this time and didn’t get fined. We had to switch trains at the Pisa Centrale Station, and after they changed the platform on us three times we made our way to the correct platform and boarded our last train. We made it to the airport at 11:25 – exactly two hours before our flight. Perfect!

TASK number two was to fly from Pisa, Italy to JFK in New York. Things went well as we were able to charge our computer and ipod as we waited to board. Then we hit a ROAD BLOCK – apparently there was a funny sound in the back of the plane. After two hours of the crew talking to Atlanta over the phone and trying to fix the problem we pulled back up to the gate and had a mechanic board the plane. Apparently a water pump was out and had to be replaced. So we sat and waited some more. Three hours after our scheduled departure time we took off for NYC.

So now we are sitting on our nine hour flight over the Atlantic wondering if we will be able to be rescheduled on a connection that will get us into Richmond tonight. I miss my kiddos so much! Oh . . . also . . . apparently in their repairs they blew out a breaker that supplied electricity to the seats on the plane. So, we don’t have any reading lights or sound for the three movies they will play during the flight – I have never been much of a lip reader. It’s going to be a long one . . . well, I guess it already has. Luckily I can sit here and look at the pictures from a fabulous vacation I will never forget!

***Update***

To make a long story short . . .

Three hour delay in Pisa, Italy

Missed connection in NYC. Booked on 8:30am flight.

Put up in a hotel in NYC.

5am call to tell us our morning flight was delayed an hour.

Got to the airport at 8am -- just as they canceled the flight.

Re-booked on 11:50am flight.

11:50am flight didn't even show up until after we were supposed to board.

Eventually boarded flight about 30 minutes late.

Finally made it home to Richmond at 1:30pm after leaving our hotel in Florence 37 hours earlier.

Home sweet home.