Tuesday (Zagreb to San Francisco)…

T

he morning skies were fittingly grey…par for the course for this trip. We had a nice breakfast in the hotel, with made-to-order eggs and a wide variety of fruits and pastries. A final coffee and cappuccino perked us up nicely.

Took a brisk walk to the cathedral to see some of the nooks and corners we couldn’t see last night while the service was in progress. Quite a beautiful cathedral, with beautiful altars and side chapels. Behind the main altar, a dramatic raised sarcophagus to Alojzije Stepinac. Gold stars in the blue ceiling above. Towering stained glass windows…far more impressive last night when there was sunlight! Still, the low light of a cloudy morning created a still, meditative atmosphere.

We checked out and took a taxi to the airport. Intermittent rain accompanied us on the quick, traffic-free ride. Jarring American and British pop music blared from the radio. Our check-in with Lufthansa was surprisingly confusing. Once again, having our Star Alliance Gold cards was critical to making it through the process. Lufthansa and United just don’t share information that well! And a confusing bag screening process where some bags checked immediately and some bags needed additional screening ten feet away. But we made it without incident to our waiting area, onto a shuttle to our mid-field plane, and on board. The rain even stopped for boarding.

Goodbye to Croatia. We would very much like to visit again…preferably with some warmer temps.

In our approach to Frankfurt, we could see the flood-swollen Rhine twisting through the countryside. It’s muddy-brown waters encircled groves of trees and low-lying buildings. Once we touched down, we began the maze-like walk that you ALWAYS take through Frankfurt. We have been through here more than a dozen times now, and each time we seem to take a different route, through different screenings. And of course, leave it to the US to make a process even more confusing. With very little direction, we were shuffled off to another gate to answer security questions, then to stand in a line to have our passports scanned (again), then back to our gate where our boarding passes and passports were checked yet again. And oddly we were asked if we bought anything at the airport…”no” was the answer…”who would have time”. Very, very time consuming and just downright odd.

Ah, but now from 34,000 feet over the North Atlantic we can sip wine and laugh. We are in the upper cabin of the 747 for the first time…and enjoying it. It is quiet and isolated and somehow relaxing. The upper level doesn’t have a middle row of seats, which makes the cabin seem more cozy. Bring on more wine please.

We passed Iceland and Greenland, arched over Hudson Bay and the Canadian heartland, and finally re-entered the US across Montana. We reminisced about all the things we would return and do again in a heartbeat. A fantastic trip, full of amazing sights, yummy meals, and (the best part) warm people.

We went to bed early and sunk into our bed. The one thing we certainly missed was our soft mattress…but I’m pretty sure we would forgo that comfort for one more drink on the rocks outside the walls of Dubrovnik, or one more moonlit stroll through the quiet streets of Venice, or even a few more raindrops on our faces as we strolled romantic Ljubljana. Ah, fond memories for sure.