We’re off!
As has been the case with each trip this year, leaving Cleveland has been a hassle-free experience overall. Our friend Vince was there to pick us up at 8:45 AM on the dot and we proceeded through the Cleveland Hopkins check-in without a hitch. As this trip is only a week in length, we skipped checking large suitcases and went with carry-on luggage instead. Surprisingly, there were no TSA issues.
After a traveler’s breakfast of coffee and a bagel (from a place called EuroCafe. How prophetic), we were onboard and aloft on the first leg of this journey.
Our gateway to Europe this time is through NY’s JFK. It’s a pleasure arriving in a big, busy international airport terminal in the early afternoon. Since most flights across the pond are scheduled to depart in the evening to achieve that crack-of-dawn arrival time on the other side (Wouldn’t it be nice if airlines and hotels could coordinate their arrival and check-in times for trans-Atlantic passengers?), the concourse at JFK was relatively empty. So, too, were the bars and eateries we passed en route to our gate.
With four+ hours to fill, we recon’d the entire length of the concourse to the end, Gate 55, for potential food joints with available power outlets, eventually circling back to the bar & restaurant adjacent to our gate’s seating area. My Apple Watch clocked the distance at 1.03 miles.
Ah, New York. Oy, New York prices. We ordered two draft beers and a pair of appetizers to tide us over until we are served dinner on the plane. The beers were $16 a piece pre-tax ‘n’ tip. Rob’s face says it all.
And if that frosts your pint glass, you shoulda seen the total bill! But our devices were able to get a pre-flight charge up.
As I write this (final) paragraph today, we are less than an hour from boarding and less than two from taking-off. And the terminal is getting busier by the minute. When we first ventured down the concourse, the Delta Sky Lounge, from all appearances, could have been deserted. Now, there is a large sign out front stating it is “…filled to capacity.” And there were two lines of people waiting for a concierge to allow them entry. Shades of Studio 54.
So, MDR, I’ll see you on the other side.
Adéu.
Barcelona 