A crazy day ahead! I wake up at 4:30 a.m., my alarm is set for 5am. No time to go back to sleep. I'm in the office at 5:45 to do as much as I can before I leave. I planned to finish at 11 a.m. but I leave the office at 12 p.m. Then the race home to finish it all, you know how it is. I run so much that when I sit down 1 minute before the taxi arrives, I am dizzy, like I am coming out of a merry-go-round.
It went really well at the airport. We sit in a restaurant to snack and have a drink (each a double at the pleasure of the waiter). Louis stretched his legs to find me a neck pillow for the plane because I have to sleep tonight. He even bought sleeping pills. He returns with a cushion marked “I love Canada”. I like my country, but I'm not one to shout it from the rooftops, but hey, that'll do.
The departure gate has changed so we are a little late (but not so much) and of course there is no more room for our cabin luggage. We leave them in the hallway, a little stressed that the luggage won't follow us, but all seems fine. We take off for our first stop: Newart. You can see the Statue of Liberty in the distance. Louis tells me that he is jealous that I passed by on a sailboat during my convoy to the Bahamas. I admit that it was something to be at the foot of the statue, with the view from the water's perspective. Then, we wait on the runway because there is a plane at our gate. We see 3 planes one behind the other in line in the sky to land. And three more… and three more. there is action in the skies of New Jersey.
We stop to eat in a restaurant in front of our gate. We are not looking for more, but perhaps we should have. Long wait at the entrance until I go to see employees talking together and telling me that we can sit wherever we want, order and pay online. Positive point, we can recharge cell phones at our table. So long live technology, but no longer really service for US$150. It's the beginning of the journey, it's ok.
Boarding at 8:50 p.m. (for flight at 9:40 p.m.) is delayed because they have to clean the plane. We start boarding at 9:30 p.m. Louis strongly suggests that I take a sleeping pill to be in shape tomorrow since I have had difficulty sleeping in transport for years. I take it. Then, 15 min delay because there is too much cabin baggage that must go in the hold due to lack of space. Then, 15 min delay because we are 9th in line for takeoff. Another delay because we have to go back to the door to drop off someone who has a medical problem. Oh surprise, another delay: (after 1h30 delay) to find the checked baggage of the evacuee because it is a federal law in the USA.
The pilot warns us that we can get out of the plane a little while waiting but that there are really just a few minutes left before the flight is canceled / postponed due to the number of permitted work flight hours. Nobody comes out. Finally we leave at midnight. There were only 11 minutes left before we had to stay down. Barely!
It's starting to be hard to stay awake. I'm "dazed" / "in slow motion". We have dinner, then I fall asleep for at least 3 hours and I wake up as if I had not slept long, but wide awake. These pills are fantastic (in moderation). It scared me a little at first. But I can't go back to sleep, wedged between Louis and Marie-Andrée who are sleeping (my initial seat was at the window but Louis took it from me because he said I had a neck pillow to sleep on and anyway, he would have gone mad between the two of us; I already had little room.
No film of the trip, even if we each have a screen. We sleep or relax. We had the possibility to text, but at night, on a Wednesday morning/Tuesday night, I had little chance of receiving an answer.
Breakfast of yogurt and biscotti. I adore! Louis gives me his yogurt!
We land around 11:15 in Tenerife Sure, it's hot in titi with a long-sleeved sweater, dark pants and compression stockings; great on the plane for the legs though. We go through customs and wait for our checked baggage containing our solar panels. Our ferry is an hour away, in Santa Cruz, but I really have to pee; I'm going there but running. I ask for a bus and they tell me that we won't have time; you will have to take a taxi. We board the taxi at 12:20 p.m. and leave at 1:30 p.m. Hurry up.
We arrive at the ferry in time, thanks to our great taxi driver. We put the biggest luggage in a truck that will take it back to Gran Canaria. Awesome! And free too. We hurry to embark on the Taidia Volcano, it is 1:15 p.m. We did it!
About 20euro for our dinner. I adore! Sandwich of delicious bread, egg and Iberian ham with real coffee for Louis and Marie-Andrée, with me taking a sip to stay awake.
After going out to sea, the waves are felt. So we go to the seats near the portholes. It's an adventure going to the bathroom. Then we relax each at our window. Louis managed to sleep, I try without success, but at least I rest.
We arrive in Gran Canaria and I see again this wall that I “hated” so much when we arrived from crossing from the Azores in the spring. I found it so long!
Direction towards the car rental, then the hotel of Marie-Andrée and the sailboat.
Quite an adventure to finally arrive to our Soleau!
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