Vive la France!

I'm running off to Dutch lessons so today I'll post only a little intro to our Barcelona trip. More to come tomorrow...

Friday, 26 February
6am: wake, get ready to leave
6:30: get onto tram headed for train station. thanks to ueber producer planning, I purchased our tickets the day before.
6:45: arrive at train station, go to track number 11 and wait for train. we paid extra to use the express train. this one is just half an hour compared to the hour long slow train.
7:20: our 7:30 train is delayed
7:45: train arrives, sit on train and wait for departure
8:00: things are said in Dutch on loudspeaker, after a while more things are said including a suggestion to take the other slow train. people leave and go to another track, we follow
8:05: we watch our original train leave the track from our new track
8:11: new slower train arrives, we get on. it will take an hour to get to the airport which is tight but we are not checking luggage. we could wait for next fast train but if that train is delayed and we need to get on a slow train, we won't make it. train departs.
8:12: more things are said in Dutch on loudspeaker, I ask fellow passengers what is being said. Due to track problem the train is skipping the Schiphol Airport stop and going straight to Amsterdam. R already knows we won't make it. I pray for a flight delay and convince myself we'll make it.
9:15: we arrive in Amsterdam and get on another train headed for Schiphol airport. Our flight departs in half an hour. R thinks we should just stay in Amsterdam seen as the next flight isn't for another 12 hours.
9:45: we arrive at Schiphol airport at the exact time our flight is due to depart. we go straight to departures listings and see our flight is delayed! we run to ticket counter and are turned away by Dutch ticketing girl who says gate has closed anyway. We go to Veuling customer services counter and beg to be let on, stressing we have nothing to check. Guy says he can do nothing and it is up to ticketing girl from earlier, I tell R to run back to her and beg. I stay and bat my eyes at guy, refusing to believe he can do nothing. Guy makes a phone call. Dutch mumblings, guy hangs up and lets me know they will let us on. haha, I knew it! Run back to ticketing girl where R has also been batting his eyes.
9:55: ticketing girl prints our boarding passes and gives us lecture about making sure to arrive early next time. (We had planned so that we would get to the Rotterdam train station with two other trains to catch as backup and get to the airport 2 hours ahead of departure without checked bags....how much earlier are we supposed to plan for?!) I in return want to lecture her fellow countrymen about German train efficiency....the neighbors to the East really aren't so far away as not be taken an example of. She says the only reason we were able to make it was because the French air traffic controllers were striking. R "Oh, I love the French". ticketing girl "well we HATE the French". with a shrug we grab our tickets and run off to our gate. Vive la France!
10:50: board plane. once everyone is seated captain announces over intercom that take-off is delayed by an hour and a half. I'm glad we were given a such a hard time about being late! Become punching bag for toddlers sitting behind and in front of me but somehow manage to sleep a little anyway.