Yesterday I got an injection in my knee that promised to reduce the pain and I was thrilled to get relieve in the near future. Last night was the worst night ever since I tore my Meniscus. And what followed was a day with pure pain until our friend, a retired ER nurse recommended a nurse cocktail: 5 painkillers with a glass of red wine. This was at 6.30am, so I did what was recommended – except the red wine part. It helped! I was able to leave the house, Ted dropped me and the luggage off at the airport, returned after dropping off the rental car and we checked in. Palma de Mallorca airport, busy like hell! 16 million visitors arrive here every year and 16 million visitors depart from here. It feels like a bees nest, a chaotic huzz and buzz!

So the woman at the check in counter asked if we need wheel chair assistance and I said yes. “They’ll be here in 5 minutes to pick you up“ she said and indeed, 5 minutes later I sat in a wheelchair and was pushed through a security area that is designed for wheelchairs only. Everything worked out, very professional, very helpful! They put us in one of those golf carts, brought us to our gate and left us there. 30minutes until boarding.

5 minutes before boarding I got an email about a gate change and Ted and I jumped up and ran to the new gate. Kind of. Ted jumped up ran, I did something similar in slow motion, with a little bit of hissing and cussing. We arrived in time and we were the first one inside the plane, they offered the guy who was sitting with us in our row a window seat a few rows in front of us so Ted and I have more space. Everything perfect. Very impressive!

Very different here in the airport in Milano, Italy. We were picked up by a wheelchair service person and we tried to tell him that we have a connection flight. And he drove us to the luggage area, customs, exit. And I was afraid that he just leaves us at the side on a curb… but he got us back inside through a security area for employees, very unattractive and basic, where trays of window wash and cleaning supplies goes through the X-ray machine, along with my crutches and laptop. Then they parked us in a waiting room for wheelchairs. So here we are, 5 hours until our connection flight, where we can watch TV and learn how to build a drywall and how much rainfall there will be in northern Italy. We sneak out to a little adventure, promise the woman at the counter to be back on time.

Elevated to the real airport level, lunch, Ted driving the wheelchair around and collecting embarrassing situations: pushing me through the DYSON booth where I feel I need to buy the latest hairdryer now, collecting skin lotion samples from a cosmetic sales person who offers to do something miraculous with my skin, parking me in a bookstore between Italian fiction novels, etc

Finally we are back in the wheelchair parking room, ready for pickup

And then they came, drove us with a little van to the airplane, where we are the first passengers again. A coke, apricot juice and almonds as a welcome snack, everybody is really nice and helpful!

The flight to Naples was good, exiting the plane was very professional again and in no time we were at the luggage are because we came in through the shortest, most direct route. Kind of like what a suitcase does. And here they come, first few suitcases: OURS! A miracle! We were not even at the luggage belt and they came out! Faster than we could make it. 🧐

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Taxi drive to our hotel felt like we are in a video game. Narrow streets, very narrow streets with mopeds and people left and right and the driver drives like a maniac. He wanted to break the speed record! In a few minutes, the Italian soccer league would start a very important game and Napoli is one of the teams playing. Later, after checking in, we ate a delicious dinner right outside the hotel. We walk around the neighborhood to see TV screens everywhere with excited people gatherings: 1:1 so far. It’s all good! We are in Napoli now!