Back to Italy - Stuck in Detroit

After our full day of travel, little sleep, revised plans, and good food, we collapse into bed for a good night’s rest, comforted by the fact that we can sleep in tomorrow morning, when my cell phone rings.

You know, I’m always confused when the phone rings in the middle of the night. But it is worse when I’m in a foreign country, in a foreign room and my internal clock thinks it should be up and running around after the cats in the house. Thoughts run through my head - “Where am I? Where’s the bathroom? Is it time to get up? What day is it? Who’s on the phone? What?”

Dawn was calling me. I think “Oh, they’ve arrived in Paris! Oh, no, did we oversleep? Where am I? What?” Then she informs me that they are still in Detroit. Oh. Not Good. More thoughts flash through my quickly awaking mind – “Wait – What day is it? What time is it? You mean I’ve only been asleep for 30 minutes?”

I’m inserting this picture that Dave took of Dawn while they were waiting in the Detroit airport. I think her expression says it all.

Dawn informs me there’s another new plan – their flight to Paris is still delayed and they won’t make the connection to Bologna. But they can make a connection into Florence. We don’t have the rental car yet (note – DO NOT book Thrifty / Dollar Rental Car in Europe – I made another reservation for Hertz. Thank goodness for Internet at the hotel) and feel a little uncomfortable trying to make our way 60 km south to Florence and then trying to drive up to the Sestola area.

Dawn think she can ask Cousin Giovanni to pick them up, they’ll have to try to reach Giovanni and his daughter Barbara.

I’m sure I mumble something incoherent to Dawn, because we hang up and she texts me later – they are finally on the plane and due into Florence at 12:10. I text her back about making sure they route their luggage properly and then try to shut my brain down to go back to sleep.