Have reached Santa Barbara, drove here along the coast. It is a beautiful little town, but not exactly young and hip. Nice not having to be on the road for a day though, I am pretty tired of being on the road. Doesn't fit me. On the other hand it doesn't really fit me to be where shopping seems to be the only thing people do except for eating. But I can only eat so much. And shopping I am not very keen on. When I see something I like I walk in and buy it, and that is it. If I am trying it on I may have a quick look to see if I see something else that I like, and buy that too, but I know what I like and I am pretty quick when it comes to shopping.
Except if it comes to books, of course... Let me into a bookshop and I can be there for hours...
I am not completely at ease with the service level in many places. I like that you are greeted when you step into a shop, and I have learned to not feel pressured to buy just because of that, like I used to - in Swedish shops you are ignored until you clearly show that you have questions, and sometimes you are ignored even then, something that doesn't impress me - we could well use a touch of American service level. A touch I said...
Walked into a bigger shop today, and noticed a pair of shoes that I liked. Asked about the material, as it wasn't clear what it was, and then about the size. And that's where it all went wrong. The person who asked asked if he should measure my feet, as I can't remember what size I am in the US. But since the sizes vary from country to country as well as from shoe model to shoe model, that feels pretty pointless. Instead we figured out what the equivalent to a European 40 is. I use 39-40, but I am not going to do what I did much as a teenager and wear too small shoes just because they are prettier - 39-40 ISN'T very big, it is pretty average, I just FEEL that it is big because my feet grew before the rest of my body. Well, well, it is all in the mind. And luckily I am passed that now. So only shoes that actually fit are bought nowadays...
Well, anyhow, as mentioned I know what I like, and normally go for it, if it fits. So when the guy comes back with five different shoe boxes I first didn't realise it was the same guy. Two boxes, one of each size would have been OK, but FIVE??? DIFFERENT ones?
I get some nylons and try the first pair, the one that I had looked at. The shoe salesman stays at my side, even wants me to sit down so that he can put the shoes on. Very nice thought but it doesn't work for a Swede like me, used to taking care of myself (and proud of it too. Sometimes too proud???). I take over, put the shoe on. The guy says "may I" and starts to squeeze my foot. "Too big, I think you should go smaller", he says. As I can feel that the shoe is cutting in in places, I don't agree. I even get a bit annoyed, and tell him that I need a shoe that I can walk in - because in Europe we don't just drive, we walk around in our shoes." OK, OK, I shouldn't have...
Anyhow I explain that it squeezes in some places, and that I need a bigger one (can always get a sole, can't I?), but he is all out. And then he picks out the other pairs he had brought with him. They don't look a least bit like the once I tried on. I feel that I should like some of what he brought, and I try hard to, but it doesn't work out at all. There is something that I clearly doesn't like with each pair - to flat, to clumsy toes, to much sandals, and so forth. Poor guy! I feel really horrible, but there was a reason why I didn't ask about any other shoe, wasn't interested in any other shoe. The poor guy is desperate by now so he is even getting other types of shoes - boots etc - but nothing helps. I just want to get out of there and try, in a very nice way, to get him to understand that no, I really aren't ready for any other shoes. Wow... Tough! And especially shoes is tricky. In other cases this whole "this would look nice" attitude may actually work, especially in my favourite shops in Sweden where they know me, but not here.
Well well. Went and bought a sunhat - although I would make a lousy film star, as I don't like to wear sunglasses inside - and some special shampoo for coloured hair instead. And an outfit in a totally different shop, of course...
Drove down here along Highway 1, along the coast, through Big Sur, the national park. Fantastic ride, and beautiful in a convertible, as you can smell the eucalyptus in the air. It is amazing. The scenery is great, very dramatic. But the ride is long, not very time efficient - but hey, I don't need time efficient, have plenty of time, perhaps even a bit much, considering I have done the same route before, even if if was 7.5 years ago... Almost precisely, actually... This time allowing more time to stop, however.
25 Aug 2008
Pampering
Starting the holiday with getting pampered is nice. Haircut, colour, manicure, pedicure, and so on. Mmmm...
The hairdresser was good but not as good as my favourites at NK in Göteborg. But I can't travel to Göteborg every time I need my hair done, have to find a place in Germany. Now it is not as urgent anymore though, I can wait for a while when I get back home.
My original idea was to go back to darker hair but the hairdresser wanted to go red again, just with some other effects, so I let him. I can go dark when I get back - love the dark read but the sun is a killer and I turn orange too quickly. And believe me, orange is not my colour, it doesn't go well with my skin.
Don't know how many hours I spent in the spa, but it was great! And if I am going to spend money, why not spend it on myself!
Had to have flip flops on when I left, that was the only disadvantage. Don't like flip flops, it is so uncomfortable with something between your toes when you walking. Plus I can't walk fast in them...
Up up and away - holiday. It can only get better
After a hectic summer it is time for some well deserved holiday. This time in California - have a wedding to go to so it seemed like a good idea to do holiday here at the same time.
Getting here was interesting. And long... Left Düsseldorf at 7:10 CET (was at the airport 6:10 aprox...) on Friday the 22:nd and arrived in San Francisco at closer to 22 local time. 15 hours plus the 9 in time difference... So 24 hours trip. Good thing I sleep pretty well on planes, that saved me from the worst jet lag.
Could have done it quicker if it wouldn't have been for me booking late. I was not going to pay twice as much to take a more direct connection, only to save a few hours. So I had to fly Düsseldorf - London - Chicago - San Francisco. And since terminal 5 in London has been known for being, well, somewhat troublesome (although that turned out to be better now, I instead had problems on Terminal 3...) I decided that it was a good idea to allow some extra time in London. Turned out to be a good idea. The queues were long, and after I had something to eat (didn't have that much breakfast in the morning, I can never eat that early), it was time to walk towards the gate. US flights are especially tiresome to get to, they start boarding so early. That was by the way the first time I lost my book, forgot it in the restaurant, but I managed to get it back, as I realised it before boarding had started, and could walk back. Well, well, had some reading material for the flight.
Also in Chicago I allowed some additional time. Since that was the first port of entry I knew that I'd have to do the border control there, as well as go through customs, and I wasn't going to allow just the one hour that the first suggestion was. Had I done that I had for sure missed my flight, it took time to get through, as the lines were rather long - as always in Chicago. Turned out that I missed my connection anyhow, but necessarily for that reason... When I got through immigration I had to wait forever for my luggage. Nothing that was indicating where I could pick up my bag was showing on the screens, so I walked around, asked several people. No one knew. After a few laps around the baggage area I found it, though. Standing together with a few other bags, on a random spot on the floor... Turned out that they had thrown the bag on the belt well before most of us had even gotten through immigration (except for the American citizens I guess, their line is normally shorter), and then also taken the bags of and removed any signs far to early. No clue where the bag was in between though, because it wasn't in the spot where I found it before. Must have been circulating on a belt that wasn't labelled...
Well well... Once I had found the bag I took it through customs clearance and then rechecked it. That whole process was fast enough. But! Little did that help...
When I got out from the baggage area etc I had to switch terminals, as expected. Took the train over. First thing I did when I got over to the right terminal was obviously to check the connection. My AA flight (yes, American Airlines. Will not fly them again if I can avoid it, they are cutting down too much, like some other American airline companies, but that is a different discussion all together) was going to take of 18:35. So I checked the AA flight to San Francisco at 18:35, found out which gate we were going to fly from, and then went to get something to eat. Had of course slept almost all the way from London to Chicago, so I had missed the second time they served food, I only managed to stay awake over the first meal. I was pretty hungry. Didn't have that much time, though, so I didn't have a big meal. Couldn't read though, as I had planned to, as I again had forgotten my book, this time on the plane. Very annoying, especially since I hadn't gotten to the end. Need to find a new copy of it so that I can figure out what happens next...
I didn't allow much time for food, didn't want to risk missing my flight. Even asked for the check when the meal came in, to be able to run off when needed. Went towards the gate walking rather fast, only stopped to get a newspaper on the way. And when I got to the gate the message said that we were going to be delayed, annoying... Chatted with some random people, so it wasn't too bad. Reading I couldn't do, at least not my book from the morning...
Well, when we finally started boarding we were delayed, even if it wasn't too much. When it was finally my turn to board I went up, my ticket was scanned - and the machine said "Invalid document". OUCH! A touch of panic... And then I was told that it was the wrong flight!!! I was shown to one the other staff. Turned out that... I WAS really on the wrong flight! I wouldn't have made it anyhow, as I was late from the baggage area, but it is one thing to KNOW that you have missed your flight and a totally different thing when you don't realise it before you are about to board...
HOW did this happen??? I fly so often, I shouldn't just miss flights like that! Well, turned out that I had mixed up the flight number and the time. I looked at the board, saw the flight that was going to leave 6:35 PM. Saw that my flight was going to leave at 18:35 - i e 6.35 PM. Just that the flight leaving 6:35 PM has a different flight number, the flight I was supposed to leave on was leaving about 1 hour and 15 minutes earlier, but the flight was AA1835. The 18:35 (time) flight was called something else... OH so annoying. Guess there is little risk that I do that mistake again!
Luckily the staff was very helpful and just re booked me onto the flight that was just about to leave. Even if I had to sit crammed in between people that were, well, above average size, especially the person on my left, I didn't care. I would have stayed in the bathroom if only I could be let on board...
Realised that my bag wasn't going to make it, considering that I was re booked so late. But hey, if one knows about it it is OK, one can always do some shopping, right :-) But here came the really big surprise! My bag had been on the previous flight, so when I went over to the counter in San Francisco to report missing bag, they magically brought it out from behind the counter! The 50 or so people that had been on the flight they were originally booked on from Chicago to San Francisco who DIDN'T get their luggage weren't too impressed though!
It was an interesting journey!
Getting here was interesting. And long... Left Düsseldorf at 7:10 CET (was at the airport 6:10 aprox...) on Friday the 22:nd and arrived in San Francisco at closer to 22 local time. 15 hours plus the 9 in time difference... So 24 hours trip. Good thing I sleep pretty well on planes, that saved me from the worst jet lag.
Could have done it quicker if it wouldn't have been for me booking late. I was not going to pay twice as much to take a more direct connection, only to save a few hours. So I had to fly Düsseldorf - London - Chicago - San Francisco. And since terminal 5 in London has been known for being, well, somewhat troublesome (although that turned out to be better now, I instead had problems on Terminal 3...) I decided that it was a good idea to allow some extra time in London. Turned out to be a good idea. The queues were long, and after I had something to eat (didn't have that much breakfast in the morning, I can never eat that early), it was time to walk towards the gate. US flights are especially tiresome to get to, they start boarding so early. That was by the way the first time I lost my book, forgot it in the restaurant, but I managed to get it back, as I realised it before boarding had started, and could walk back. Well, well, had some reading material for the flight.
Also in Chicago I allowed some additional time. Since that was the first port of entry I knew that I'd have to do the border control there, as well as go through customs, and I wasn't going to allow just the one hour that the first suggestion was. Had I done that I had for sure missed my flight, it took time to get through, as the lines were rather long - as always in Chicago. Turned out that I missed my connection anyhow, but necessarily for that reason... When I got through immigration I had to wait forever for my luggage. Nothing that was indicating where I could pick up my bag was showing on the screens, so I walked around, asked several people. No one knew. After a few laps around the baggage area I found it, though. Standing together with a few other bags, on a random spot on the floor... Turned out that they had thrown the bag on the belt well before most of us had even gotten through immigration (except for the American citizens I guess, their line is normally shorter), and then also taken the bags of and removed any signs far to early. No clue where the bag was in between though, because it wasn't in the spot where I found it before. Must have been circulating on a belt that wasn't labelled...
Well well... Once I had found the bag I took it through customs clearance and then rechecked it. That whole process was fast enough. But! Little did that help...
When I got out from the baggage area etc I had to switch terminals, as expected. Took the train over. First thing I did when I got over to the right terminal was obviously to check the connection. My AA flight (yes, American Airlines. Will not fly them again if I can avoid it, they are cutting down too much, like some other American airline companies, but that is a different discussion all together) was going to take of 18:35. So I checked the AA flight to San Francisco at 18:35, found out which gate we were going to fly from, and then went to get something to eat. Had of course slept almost all the way from London to Chicago, so I had missed the second time they served food, I only managed to stay awake over the first meal. I was pretty hungry. Didn't have that much time, though, so I didn't have a big meal. Couldn't read though, as I had planned to, as I again had forgotten my book, this time on the plane. Very annoying, especially since I hadn't gotten to the end. Need to find a new copy of it so that I can figure out what happens next...
I didn't allow much time for food, didn't want to risk missing my flight. Even asked for the check when the meal came in, to be able to run off when needed. Went towards the gate walking rather fast, only stopped to get a newspaper on the way. And when I got to the gate the message said that we were going to be delayed, annoying... Chatted with some random people, so it wasn't too bad. Reading I couldn't do, at least not my book from the morning...
Well, when we finally started boarding we were delayed, even if it wasn't too much. When it was finally my turn to board I went up, my ticket was scanned - and the machine said "Invalid document". OUCH! A touch of panic... And then I was told that it was the wrong flight!!! I was shown to one the other staff. Turned out that... I WAS really on the wrong flight! I wouldn't have made it anyhow, as I was late from the baggage area, but it is one thing to KNOW that you have missed your flight and a totally different thing when you don't realise it before you are about to board...
HOW did this happen??? I fly so often, I shouldn't just miss flights like that! Well, turned out that I had mixed up the flight number and the time. I looked at the board, saw the flight that was going to leave 6:35 PM. Saw that my flight was going to leave at 18:35 - i e 6.35 PM. Just that the flight leaving 6:35 PM has a different flight number, the flight I was supposed to leave on was leaving about 1 hour and 15 minutes earlier, but the flight was AA1835. The 18:35 (time) flight was called something else... OH so annoying. Guess there is little risk that I do that mistake again!
Luckily the staff was very helpful and just re booked me onto the flight that was just about to leave. Even if I had to sit crammed in between people that were, well, above average size, especially the person on my left, I didn't care. I would have stayed in the bathroom if only I could be let on board...
Realised that my bag wasn't going to make it, considering that I was re booked so late. But hey, if one knows about it it is OK, one can always do some shopping, right :-) But here came the really big surprise! My bag had been on the previous flight, so when I went over to the counter in San Francisco to report missing bag, they magically brought it out from behind the counter! The 50 or so people that had been on the flight they were originally booked on from Chicago to San Francisco who DIDN'T get their luggage weren't too impressed though!
It was an interesting journey!
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