Catching Airplane Flights early morning.

It's 5:30 am. I have a car picking us up for the plane at 6:00 am. The plane leaves at 8:45 am. The gate closes at 8:10 am. The coffeeshop at this hotel opens at 6:30 am. Laura woke at 3:30 am. She said she couldn't sleep so might as well get ready. The wake up call she'd put in the night before was for 4:30 am. That went off, ringing at 4:30 am. I wasn't sleeping too well from 3:30 anyway anyway.
We'd gone to bed at 10 pm after having ravioli I'd brought up to the room. We watched a husband and wife with two baby twins detective show on Italian Television. I want it in Canada with subtitles. Worrying we'd not wake for the flight and worrying that the front desk wouldn't call and worrying that the bags are too heavy and worrying that the car wouldn't arrive made for a restless sleep. We'd had an Underground transit strike leaving London. 5 hours to get to the plane with only 10 minutes before gates closing when we arrived.
So I'd like to say that being an international traveller I'd normally have slept fitfully till say 5:30, having packed my bags the night before, jumped in for a quick shower and dressed to be down as the car arrived. Laura is new to this thing so I could blame this all on her. Of course, Laura takes more time to get ready. I don't even shave my face. Society places more expectations on women in this regard. Laura likes the time in the bathroom alone. Alot of women who have had kids report 'bathroom time' as 'time of solitude'. A mother's 'room of my own', sometimes.
The fact is I've not been nearly as nonchalant on this trip about planes and travel as I've been when I was younger. Security, traffic, and decreased airport flexibility makes me less casual than when I was younger.

So here we are. Waiting. Alot of travel is waiting. Especially planes and buses. The more third world the more waiting. Time is relative. A girl is sleeping in the lobby. Her bags are beside her. My suspicion is that she came down at 3:30 am and hopes the driver will wake her. Someone coming to pick her up for the airport must know her. A stranger knows to get a doctor from the International Society of Addiction Medicine conference here at 6 am.

Next time I'll ask if they can bring coffee. Where's an A&W drive through take out when you need it. I love Italy. Milan has been terrific. The conference was superb. Laura has had a ball. We're going on to Rome. I'm looking forward to the churches and history. Our taxi driver bringing us home from the Opera Singer Pianist Concert at the Auditorium de Milan put on by the ISAM organizers, when we told him we were going on to Rome, said. "Rome is a museum in a city!" I like that. We've had too little time to wander through museums so I'm looking forward to wandering through this city.

In 1971-2 bicycling across Europe early snow in the passes between Germany and Italy diverted us to Spain and eventually northern Africa. All these years I've wanted to go to Italy and here I am. I've really wanted to go to Rome since my pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Laura says she's looking forward to being blessed with the holy water in the Vatican. Given her penchant for bathing I'll keep a close eye on her so she doesn't wade right in.


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