Those who are long-term readers of the blog will be familiar with the magical Queendom of Pulandia. Pulandia is not restricted to a particular space in the universe. It miraculously appears in various times and places bringing with it its own set of rules associated with physics, the conservation of energy, peace, quiet, and chaos theory. So whereas Wife and I have just completed two glorious weeks of semi-retired travel life, we are now in full role change as the dowager parents of her Highness the Honorable Pu, Daughter #2.
HAVE I NOT WARNED OF THE DANGERS OF IGNORING THE MAGICAL UNICORN PONY GOD OF TRAVEL!
In my last post I alluded to the fact that the Pulandians had become caught in an evil travel vortex. t was much worst than could be anticipated. Their flight out of Hong Kong was delayed 3 hours while the plane had been pushed back and sat on the runway. This with a 21 month old who hates HATES to be cooped up. Then the trip to Paris where they just miss their connection and then have to wait 12 hours to get another fight to Venice. Then the flight from Paris is late as well. Then they find their rental car reservation was canceled because they didn't show up, can't get anything else large enough and end up taking a 200 Euro cab ride out to our boondocks location.
The next day the Pulandians were dead tired and trying to recuperate from their 35 hour ordeal. We did go to the grocery store and out to lunch with #2, 2B and 2.2 and then in the afternoon, 2.2 and 2.3 went for a long walk in the extensive woods around our rental.
Our morning today was yet another aftermath of the evils of MUPGT. The Pu's still needed to get a rental car for their voyage (going to Croatia and Slovenia as well). Since they are 3 adults and 3 children, they need a big vehicle. 2B had made another reservation online. He had I got up early and drove to the Venice Airport - about an hour a way. When we got there, they dinged 2B for all kinds of extra fees that were not quoted in the online reservation, then they said none of 2B's cards were accepted so I had to provide a card. But they would only accept that if I was the driver and 2B was added as an additional driver - yet another charge. The total bill was now over double the quote. Then we went out to the vehicle which was supposed to be a 7 seat vehicle with room for 2 large bags. But instead the 6th and 7th seats were in the luggage area so there was NO room for luggage. 2B gave up on this and just bagged the rental with that company. I must note that the person we were working with at that company was totally unhelpful whatsoever.
Fortunately there was a firm next door that had a 9 seat vehicle at a lower price with a very helpful salesperson and after an hour and half we finally had the vehicle. 2B had the vehicle, I went to get my car which we had parked at a remote lot only to find that you paid for your parking back in the terminal. So I had to schlep back to the terminal, pay for the parking and schlep back which took me another 20 minutes.
We burned up most of the morning doing this. When we got back everyone was house crazy and needed to get out. We rushed out to go to a local market. It wasn't operating this day. We had gone out so fast we didn't have any of our information for where else to go and see. So (much tired frustrated shortness of tempers here) back to the house, pick our maps and things, switch cars to the larger one to get the youngest who was now up from his nap and then we headed to the city of Padua, one of the great Renaissance cities. We had some navigating and parking adventures but we ended up having a very nice 3 hours wandering the town.
Our visit ended up with this culinary home run - a small shop that had all kinds of cured meats and cheeses and other stuff. We bought a ton of stuff that all of us expected to spend at least a hundred Euros on only to have a bill of 41 Euros! Crazy!
We're supposed to go out for an adults only dinner tonight.
Pictures to follow in a future post.\
3 comments:
I think you may have inadvertently brought the rental car fiasco upon the Pulandia crew. I quote your blog post of September 23:
"Second, I love the aspect of figuring things out. Each time Wife and I go to a new place, it is all about how do we figure out how we get around, how we find what we want, how we take the unfamiliar and make it familiar. There is a degree of stress that goes with that but there is also this great feeling of satisfaction as you meet each challenge and make things your own."
The MUPGoT saw that and laughed...
Holy cow! You're three weeks into a vacation and I'm just catching on now. Got to get caught up on where you've been and what you've been doing! Try to keep the travel gods happy, okay?
omg so well spotted RM!!!It does sound like a terrible, terrible flight for Pu though I guess it was made a lot easier with the nanny being there! 3 vs 3 makes the odds much better I bet.
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