It is unusual to sleep soundly in new surroundings, but sleep we did. Yesterday started at 2:30 in the morning. Checking in at the airport was complicated by a women’s soccer team also boarding after playing at the University the previous day. Needless to say, the plane was crowded. Early morning adrenaline kept us awake for much of the flight, well that and the nature of airline seating which has very little in common with the structure of the human body.

Our connection Denver was frantic. Our arrival gate was 2miles from our next departure gate. Being a senior came in handy. A shuttle driver took pity on this older and somewhat pitiable couple struggling through the crowds and gave us a ride to the escalator, which truly was two miles down the concourse. Unlike the shuttle carts in Portland which honk their horns continuously, our driver wove in and out of pedestrian traffic, gently brushing aside teens playing nerf football and fellow seniors reduced to walking. He assured us that once down the escalator it was only two minutes to the gate, but then he didn’t seem to have COPD or use a cane. Lydia carries our carry-ons, while I struggled to breathe and developed a faint, blue tinge.

Our next connection was a regional air-carrier, a euphemism for aircraft so small that the seats are designed for one cheek at a time. For an hour and a half I struggled to shift my weight from one cheek to the other. It did not help that the rows of seats were so close that my tray rested on my belly rather than folding down completely. (Some might argue that perhaps the problem was more the size of my stomach, but I refuse that argument as specious.) The only saving grace of that flight was the flight hostess who was working by herself. She was addressing all her guests by their names and had obviously taken the time to memorize them by seat assignment. Bless her heart.

Having hauled our luggage through the St. Louis airport to the taxi stand we spent a quiet 20 minutes gawking at the city. From the freeway, nearly every building we passed was brick and most looked to be turn of the century, the 20^th century that is. All tall and narrow, most seemed occupied, though closer into downtown the larger brick structures were graffiti covered and obviously abandoned. The center of the city has modern structures, but, on the whole, there is a sense of economic languor that even Cleveland did not have.

Our hotel is by Busch stadium and our first night’s stay was to include tickets to the Cardinals/Giants game in the evening. The game had been moved to an afternoon game however. It was already the sixth inning as we checked in. We were given the foam finger, both literally and figuratively I might add, and went to our room. Lydia watched football, it was Saturday after all, and I slept.

We’ve used this morning to catch our breath and re-organize for boarding the boat. In an hour or so, we meet for boarding information. Tomorrow we begin our trip down the Mississippi ala Mark Twain.

 

I’ve said it before, travel is often as much work as fun. Certainly, the inconveniences we encounter are minimal and bearable. The rewards worth the difficulty.

From the road,

Blessings.

The Road