We planned to spend a couple of days in Holland-on-Sea visiting family. We were there for a couple of days, but we had to cut the visit a bit short in order to shop for underwear, cosmetics, and shirts.
We planned to spend a few days in Manchester visiting family. We were locked in on the time because we'd already purchased the tickets for the Eurostar to Paris. But we didn't get to spend as much time with family as we planned because #1. Mark had to deal with the rental car breakdown, #2. I had to go shopping again because my bag still hadn't arrived and #3. Mark started having an upset stomach and needed to rest.
We planned to arrive in Paris on Monday evening and leave for Zurich on Wednesday morning. We planned to spend Tuesday in the Louvre and have lunch in the Eiffel Tower. Shortly after arriving in Paris and having a late night snack, I had to call the ambulance to take Mark into the hospital. He wasn't released until Friday afternoon and we were advised not to leave Paris before Sunday. No Louvre. No Eiffel Tower. We were four days late getting to Zurich.
We planned to arrive in Zurich on Wednesday and stay through until Sunday. Instead, we arrived on Sunday and stayed until Friday. It was good to be with friends who were happy to show us around Switzerland and make allowances for Mark not being 100%.
We planned to take the Bernina Express from Chur over the Alps to Turano. It's only a four hour trip, but we would have had to catch another train in Turano for Florence, which was our original plan. Mark's low blood count made it ill-advised to try to change trains and cart luggage around - even if we were one bag short. Instead, when we left Switzerland on Friday we took a train straight to Rome, with one change in Milan.
In Rome, we caught the train to Spoleto where friends were waiting for us. Once again, it was good to be with friends who were happy to make allowances for Mark still not being 100%. We were also fortunate that our friends had knowledge of the local emergency room and knew enough Italian to help us through that when Mark injured his foot. They also knew just where to go to get Mark a pair of sleek, Italian crutches.
Yet throughout all of this, I am still blessed. Our plane was not shot down, nor did it disappear into thin air. The mishaps occurred where first-class medical assistance was available. We should be in a position to try this again. Maybe next year. Maybe the year after. Probably not the same identical itinerary. If I can't make it to the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower in three visits I'm not meant to go. But I'm looking forward to a return visit to Switzerland, the Bernina Express, and Florence.
One person remarked to me, "Wow - and it was a once in a lifetime trip."
I certainly do hope so. I never want to experience another trip like this one in my lifetime.
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