30th May - To Rowayton

The experts confidently get on the train at Friedrichstrabe -  straight to the lift - where is the train? - there it is! - the  S9 to the airport due in 12 minutes!


60 minutes later we are through check-in and in the Templehof lounge - we look around - it is a definitely a step up on the Maharba lounge in Singapore! 

We sit and watch - I look at the young guy in a wheelchair - his physical appearance normal save for legs that never developed - I know such people hate being described as inspirational but this guy really was so - agile - confident - handsome! 

We look at our boarding card - departure 13:20 - boarding 12:05 - we head back to C1 - we approach passport control - it is orderly in the german way!


The plane starts to board an hour before scheduled departure - Bernie hopes for more than one champagne before departure - she gets none - this is Turkish airlines and orange juice has to suffice.

Business class perhaps a quarter full. 

We think about our time in Berlin - probably our new favorite city - we loved its architecture - we loved its neatness - we loved it's transportation system - we found its people helpful and considerate - we loved our velo tour and we loved our cruise on the Spree!

Off to NYC through Istanbul - one step backwards - six steps forward!

The trip to Istanbul is uneventful and would rank as being OK - nothing special - just OK 

We arrive in Istanbul - a long taxi to a hard stand park - into a bus to the terminal and into transit.

We arrive at Gate F - our flight to NYC leaves from Gate A - my guess is two kilometers - what idiot designed this monstrosity! 

We arrive at the gate - a major flight on a major airline at its home airport and it boards by bus!! - come on!!!

We settle into the plane - all looks same - everything is relaxed and calm until after takeoff - then chaos! - the flight attendants prepare the seats to become overnight beds! - what idiot designed this system? - surely it could have been done before boarding!

People rise to use the loos - "sorry the crew are using them"! - "we will call you when they are ready!" - slowly the loo queue is satisfied - the entire situation only rescued by a polite set of attendants. 

Surely the chaos is over!

And it is! 

We try to avoid the food being presented to us - we are partially successful - there are appetizers and main courses and sweets and drinks - the appetizers and mains served in receptacle after receptacle - so many receptacles! - we ask ourselves - "why are they making things so difficult for themselves"

We do the usual - a movie and sleep - the sleep for me? - 5 hours!

We arrive at JFK - the airplane landing process screams busy - busy - busy. The unloading process smooth enough - the queueing for passport control extensive - a study in poor human behavior! - we enter the ribboned queue for customs - there is space in front of us - some of the crowd simply push past us making physical contact as they do! - "let it go Mike" is Bernie's sage advice.

We move through row after row of the ribboned queue - we seem to be making little progress - we are redirected by a female queue custodian - soon we are with the customs official - he is polite - why are you here? - to see our son - have a nice stay. 

We have arranged a car to take us to Rowayton - "there is construction work - text me when you get to pickup point C" - says Mustafa - we arrive - there is chaos - cars wanting to pick up passengers everywhere - the three lanes full of vehicles - we cannot see Mustafa - we ring him - "wait I will get out of the car and wave" - soon we are loaded and Mustafa begins the process of finding a way out of the pickup zone - slowly- slowly - then we are out and on our way - an hour to Rowayton - we arrive at 01:15 - big day!!!





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