Friday, August 11, 2006

Edinburgh

Home is good.

Edinburgh was good too.

We (my husband and me) arrived at Edinburgh last Sunday. While at the airport I had this very real deja vu where I stand by the belt waiting for the luggage, the belt keeps going and going and one by one all the luggage is taken off the belt until the belt stops and... still no luggage. This happened to me in Reykjavik this summer. I flew out on Sunday and got my luggage Wednesday night with a tag "RUSH" on it. So now that this happened to us in Edinburgh was not a huge surprise. And exactly the same way we receiveded our luggage Wednesday night with a tag "RUSH".

Actually it was quite handy; since we were leaving Thursday morning we did not need to pack at all, well ... we had to put all the new stuff that had been bought along the week into the suitcases but that was not bad. Every morning we did some shopping for new clothing... But I shop quickly as Laurie knows so not too much time was wasted doing it. Other than shopping and sightseeing on a double-decker and visiting Edinburgh castle we attended several shows. While there there was (and is still) the Edinburgh Fringe which is a very big festival for performing arts. We went to theatre several times and saw quite a few entertaining plays.

Flying home Thursday was bad.

We got at the Edinburgh airport early to find out that there were huge queues and that all the planes were delayed if they were running at all. If you have seen the news you know already that travelers were not allowed to have any carry on luggage, only passport, money and traveling documents in a plastic bag. And the safety measures were time consuming and very thorough. There were people who still tried to bring cellulars or water bottles or candy ... It makes me wonder if they were just ignoring the measures or if they were so scared and scattered that they really did not understand the orders... ?! But the officials who must have been under a great pressure were extremely patient and kind. And we missed the flight. Got rebooked to go to Stockholm. Missed the flight again in Stockholm since the planes were leaving late... Got rebooked to Helsinki. Missed the flight to Rovaniemi. Got rebooked again... But home safe and sound now.

What was surprising was the fact that all the people appeared very calm - although there were queues and frustrations, there was not yelling or bad behavior. To be honest I was a bit worried. Luckily I was not alone. My husband is very talkative (to put it mildly) but for once he had thought he would sleep onboard, but I told him that if ever this was the time to keep talking... And I was ever so grateful for all the stories he told me on the way and got me distracted from the fact that I was in a plane. When we arrieved at out own small airport I was so ... if I say relieved, that is an understatement.

Except for the fact that again there was the belt that kept going and going ... and going and me looking at it in disbelief. I wonder if it is a sign never to leave the house again.
And then, I just might consider it because flying has become so stressful. Everything about it has. From the very moment you start booking...

In Edinburgh there was a department store called Jenners where on the fifth floor was yarn. They had Rowan yarns there and Sirdar and maybe some Jaeger as well. I spent there some time fingering all the yarns and bought sample skeins to remember what my favorites are to be able to know them if I would mail order for them some day. (The white one is wool cotton.)

The children start school Tuesday. The summer is coming to an end. It is hard to believe, the temperature is still 25 C and has been for a long while now. But for sure the good wool weather is just around the corner now.

28 comments:

  1. Anonymous16:57

    Oh, glad you made it home safe and sound, if a little late! Buying the sample skeins is a good idea... there are always one-skein projects to be made, and it would make online buying much easier!

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  2. Anonymous17:16

    I'm glad you made it home eventually. Now, whenever you knit with that yarn, you'll have all kinds of memories - the shows, the lost luggage, shopping in Edinburgh, delays in the airports ...

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  3. Anonymous17:19

    I was happy to see this morning that you were writing again - missed your thoughtful postings while you were away. I am relieved to hear that you found your way home safely through the air travel chaos. Flying is quite stressful these days, unfortunately...

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  4. Anonymous17:26

    What a nightmare. At least you had a great week in Edinburgh and you managed to be there at a very special time. I believe The Fringe is the largest festival of its kind worldwide.

    I am glad you are back and posting again. :)

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  5. Anonymous17:30

    I can't beleive your were flying yesterday! And out of the UK! Thank goodness you made it okay. Although, maybe you should think about not packing for future trips . . .just plan to buy new clothes when you get there. It would save you the time at baggage claim!

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  6. Anonymous17:41

    well it's good to have you back safe and sound—i missed you!
    you look adorable in that picture. i know it's not important to know what people look like, but i get curious after a while when i get to know someone!

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  7. Glad you made it home safely--what a nightmare!

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  8. What an eventful trip! I'm so glad to hear you made it safely. I love the single skeins of yarn you brought home.

    It's starting to feel like fall here in Canada, too. It's not too cool yet, but there is something that just says cold weather is on it's way. And it's only August!

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  9. Yikes! Glad you're back, and that the security and other passengers were all on their best behavior for the situation. Scary!
    I don't think the luggage thing is a sign not to leave, it's just a sign that you need more international clothing in your wardrobe, and should just bring empty suitcases when you travel next. That way you can bring back new clothes and foreign yarns full of memories!

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  10. Oh, my goodness--what a hectic time at the airport! Glad to hear you got home okay even after all the delays.

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  11. So nice to have you back, Lene. Travelling is getting more stressful. I presume that is you with your DH sitting on the stair with a bag of new clothes!
    Funny but at my LYS yesterday there was one ball of Rowan cotton/wool in the $2.00 basket - it is now in my stash.
    I am loving the Leigh Radford book "Oneskein" and have started some gifts already!
    Did you go to live theatre? We have such terrific live theatre here in our small town and we saw "Kiss Me Kate" on Wed. evening and tomorrow night it is "The Taming of the Shrew". It always makes me wonder why they were so 'wordy' in Shakespeare's time and yet the percentage of illiteracy was extremely high! You would think they would use less words!
    Anyway, glad your back and you have tales to tell!

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  12. Anonymous21:16

    Good to have you back, although as I live in the UK that doesn't quite make sense, except in a blog sense. Love the idea of Winter being good wool weather. I can't knit at all during the summer months, because my hands pour. But it's Ok I read instead and look forward to long winter evenings knitting.

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  13. Lene you are such a gentle and patient spirit! What an ordeal and you remained so calm and even without being able to knit on the plane! I have been to airports during high security alerts and the people were not always so patient and kind.
    I am so glad you had such a wonderful time despite such troubles. I still can't wait for my trip to Edinburgh next year and now from your experience I know to pack very light and buy what I need when I get there. I am so glad you and your husband are home safe.

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  14. Welcome back! The travel part sounded very stressful. Thankfully,I rarely fly. I like my little town. But you saw nice things, spent some time with your husband sans children (important) and eventually got your luggage back.
    Were you allowed to knit or crochet on the plane rides? It would be so hard to sit and have nothing to do with your hands.

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  16. wow, that is a heavy ordeal. I am scheduled to travel at the end of August and I think I will have to rethink it. sound like you had a good time despite it all! that's great.
    I have been knitting a to with the Rowan wool/cotton and it is lovely.

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  17. I also always lose my luggage so thought I had solved teh problem by never checking anything. I guess that plan will have to be adjusted too. Of all the days to travel - unbelievable that you were among the multitudes on Thursday! Great picture of the castle.

    DD#2 flies off to college NEXT Friday so I hope everything has calmed down by then.

    I bought laceweight at the Stitches Midwest market last night. I'm so excited! I also hope to check in with Beth Reinsel about her twined knitting mittens -

    Welcome back

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  18. Anonymous00:29

    What an ordeal! I am flying out on Friday and hope that everything will have calmed down by then... I had the same thought as you about flying! I have decided that I am not flying anywhere next year. It is too much stress and it is not what holidays are about. Every year now something happens and it takes the joy of travelling away...

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  19. I'm glad you are safely home with your loved ones again. Going away to see some shows sounds like a wonderful get-away! And what lovely sights too. Clothes make great souvenirs. Did you get to wear the dress you made?

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  20. Anonymous04:12

    I'm so glad you got home safely. It just feels like this world is becoming more dangerous all the time. My husband and I were talking about this today. He thinks airplane washrooms should now have the doors removed. I personally just do not want to fly right now. You must feel relieved to be home safe and sound.

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  21. Yay you're back! I'm glad to hear you are home safe. I was thinking about you and wondering if you were caught in the mess.

    Mmm Scotland. I want to go someday. :)

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  22. It's so good to know you're safely home. What a long exhausting day you had, and so many missed flights, and wayward luggage! It's so much easier to bear these kind of stressful, uncertain situtions with a loved one sharing the load. You're blessed that your husband was able to tell stories to occupy yourselves.

    Did you wear your plaid dress in Scotland?

    Even in Oregon I catch a hint of Autumn on the breeze and in the trees.

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  23. What a drama! How terrifying. Travel is not what it used to be!! Glad you made it home ok.

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  24. So glad you made it home safe and sound. The grace that people showed us all on Thursday by being able to adapt to an emergency situation is a terrific statement of character. I can only imagine the stress.

    It sounds like you have far more happy memories of your trip, and certainly the tactile memories of your yarn purchase, to outweigh the bad.

    The picture with the steps is beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

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  25. Like everyone else, I'm glad you were (finally) able to get home. I am beginning to think that vacations are going to involve driving ourselves or maybe taking a train (which isn't that easy in the US). Air travel is just getting to be too stressful and not the fun it used to be.

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  26. i add my thanks that you arrived home safely
    the yarn looks like it had a lovely journey
    i love scotland
    i attended the fringe years ago and still remember the late night beauty of the castle
    i enjoy your blog
    many thanks for sharing

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  27. Oh goodness, I'm so sorry you were caught up in the airport drama! Just seeing it on the news was frightening enough. But you handled the situation with extraordinary grace and composure, I think.

    And don't you agree that no matter how lovely it is to see faraway places, there's no place quite like home? :-)

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  28. Anonymous13:33

    Jeez how unlucky you have been - I can hardly believe it! I'm very sorry for Icelandair's part in your troubles ;-)

    If your husband is so talkative, can it be that he is from Savu?

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