Sorry it’s taken me so long for my first post. I had to get computer access. But I have arrived safe and sound in Israel. With all my luggage! My flight over was actually very good. I was packed and ready on time – a minor miracle and a good omen for the trip. My friends Judy and Terry picked me up and took me to the airport. That made my life much easier and it was good to see them one last time since they will be gone when I get back…moved to the land of no heat.
I checked in and dumped the bags no problem (a feat I wasn’t sure of since they were so heavy I thought they might charge me for an extra seat or just refuse to take them on the plane). I even bought an adorable little purse I had seen when I had gone to the airport to hang with Kendall last week. It’s pink and matches all my trip clothes. On my flight I got a bulkhead seat WITH NO ONE SITTING NEXT TO ME. That was basically a miracle. I had plenty of leg room and room to stretch out and access to all of my stuff. It was glorious.
I was flying Alitalia and they obviously have a different way of doing things. Seconds after the plane leveled off, they served us dinner and that was basically the last we saw of the flight attendants! They had a cart in the back with a bottle of coke and a bottle of water and some glasses. If you wanted something to drink you walked back and helped yourself! And when the flight attendant came by to pick up the dinner trays, he said mine was too messy to take! I mean, it did have trash and stuff piled on it but it was all from the dinner. It wasn’t like I cleaned out my purse onto it! He just looked at me with a supercilious face and said, “It is too messy.” (Said with a superior Italian accent) I stared at him for a moment and asked him what I should do with it (I mean it wasn’t like there was a place to bus your own trays.) He finally handed it to another attendant and said to take it to the galley. I felt that I had been momentarily transported to a New York restaurant with wanna-be-actors waiting on me!
I made the transfer in Milan (with bags, yeah!) and flew the rest of the way to Israel no problem. Deb had told me that customer service is not a priority in Israel and I saw that right away. As I got ready to go through immigration, Mom had warned me that the table with the immigration forms (that they usually give you on the plane) had no sign, but Mom told me where it was located. Sure enough, I saw a small table with clump of people where she had said and walked over. Everyone was just standing around. Then I realized that they were out of forms. Not one to stand around after over 12 hours of flying with a hot shower and bed so close at hand, I tracked down a worker bee. I asked him about the forms and he said I didn’t need one. I said, “Really?” He said, “Well, sometime you do but sometime you don’t. Just get in line and if you need one, they’ll tell you at the counter.” So I followed his instructions and shared the info with several other befuddled travelers in line (it’s important to pool resources when traveling!) And sure enough, no need for forms. (Deb told me later that when she flew in they handed out the forms on the plane. Only she didn’t get one. When she asked the stewardess for one, they said they were out of them. When she asked what to do about it, she was told not to worry she didn’t need one!)
I got my bags (they arrived, yeah! Can you tell I was a little paranoid after last summer?) I immediately caught a taxi with a very nice taxi driver whose sister lives in Hollywood, Florida! What are the chaes of that? I’m visiting my sister in Tel Aviv and he is visiting his sister in Hollywood in December. We had nice conversation on the way in. That is always a nice introduction to a new country.
He dropped my at my sisters place with is the Isrotel Towers. A very swanky hotel right on the Mediterranean. (And just across the street from the embassy…Deb has a 5-minute commute...How lucky is that) and the concierge rang Deb and she came down for me. You have to have a special card to make the elevator stop on her floor. I feel very Mrs. Emma Peel. She has a gorgeous apartment. Two-bedroom, two bath with laundry room and office. Open plan kitchen, living room and dining room and balcony (she on the 16th floor) over looking the Mediterranean Sea. Every window looks out on the beach and the ocean. Marble tile floors, big bathrooms, furnished with nice on-the-elegant-side furniture. A little phone by the front door with TV monitor for the front desk to buzz up any visors and you can check them out on the monitor screen and see who they are, adding to the Mrs. Emma Peel feel. Very swanky digs. Perhaps John Steed will ring me up on the monitor screen and tell me I m needed!
(I'm adding pictures of Deb's hotel and two shots from her balcony)
I settled in and unpacked and showered. There is nothing like a hot shower after a long, 24-hour day of traveling. And then we went around the corner and had Thai for dinner. Nice and yummy. And talked quite a bit. The next day I was still suffering from Jet lag and Deb, who is afflicted with wicked case of bronchitis, couldn’t go into work. Both of us slept on and off throughout the day and didn’t leave the apartment or get out of our jammies! After an early night, we were ready for our next adventure, off to the Sea of Galilee!
Tune in for the next exciting installment, Andrea & Deb at a kibbutz.
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