“Who lives sees, who travels sees more.” Having circled the world and calling travelling home, it usually takes more than having to get up at four in the morning and spending 24 hours in or near aeroplanes to “get me started”. When, however, the captain announces an emergency landing in Zaragoza after 30 minutes of continuous circling over Madrid, I sit up straight. What the … ? “But we have to go to Buenos Aires … ” is all I can muster at first.
While I’m busy photographing the Spanish “winter landscape”, persistent ground fog across the city of Madrid means no good ..
On the plane from Vienna to Madrid, I still work away happily at the last piece of translation before …
… the holidays are meant to start: Our scheduled plane for Buenos Aires has gone, waiting (for better times? Peace of mind? Information? Anything??) ensues.
Missing flight connections from Panama to Mexico, from Los Angeles to Chicago, four hours of queuing chaos in Madrid and on the verge of tears: What a “little bit of fog” can cause is only revealed us after sharing experiences with fellow stranded passengers.
Luckily, however, this unwanted situation has also produced a wonderful friendship with a family from Córdoba, Argentina. Mum Veronika is Austrian, therefore raising two charming Austro-Argentinian boys who are quick to invite us “en casa de Córdoba”! The good in the bad, the bad in the good: Last likely being our flight company Iberia inviting us to stay at a “four-star” airport hotel whose food certainly tasted like two stars, at most. A peculiar situation: Should we / did we indeed have the right to complain, or rather be grateful for the assistance … ?
Whatever. I am a person to prefer positive psychology. Feasting on “Ositos de pro” sweets in Spanish duty-free shops, while Markus is persuaded to buy himself “Teacher’s Whisky” (he is becoming a primary school teacher and seriously on to studying “Philosophy & Ethics” next to me on the plane … 😉 ). Whether it’s whisky or books that teach him more about life I don’t know … The main thing is we are back on a plane to Buenos Aires 😀
“Teacher’s Whisky” from Scotland: A great travel companion during a 24-hour flight delay …
We are leaving Madrid on 2 February, 2013, exactly a day later than scheduled … the light at the end of the tunnel certainly being our wonderful, new friendship with Veronika, Matteo & Luca!
Ositos De Oro: A Girl’s Best Friend on a looong trip ☺