Last week, I wrote about our European misadventures, and how I realized my husband might be “the one.” But the story of our travel history would not be complete without the travel debacle that was our honeymoon.
I admit we made complicated travel arrangements because we had kind of a complicated itinerary. So in the end, we were kind of our own worst enemy. We wanted to have a layover in London on our way to Italy because we were visiting friends there on the way back. We also wanted to fly on a specific airline that we had been accumulating miles on. As a result we had a convoluted travel plan that looked like this: Baltimore to Chicago to London to Florence.
I know, what the heck were we thinking, right?
I’ll spare you the sordid details, but in the end, we missed our connector in Chicago due to weather – and after we had circled O’Hare Airport so many times that we had to make an emergency stop in Indianapolis to refuel. Of course, that was the last flight from Chicago to London and all the flights the next few days were completely booked.
Which is when I played the honeymoon card (and maybe cried a bit).
The agent said we could fly standby on a super early flight to Raleigh-Durham, NC, where there was a London-bound flight the next morning with availability. Because the Chicago-> Raleigh flight was technically full, the agent strongly suggested we not leave the airport in order to check in at the gate as soon as possible to increase our chances of getting in on standby.
And that’s how I spent the first night of my honeymoon sleeping on the floor at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
Romantic, eh?
Thankfully, we made the Raleigh flight and we realized when we landed we had about four hours until we left for London. So we found a nearby motel where we could shower, change and grab a quick nap (followed by a fabulous breakfast at a nearby Waffle House).
We made it to London but, of course, our Alitalia flight to Florence got screwed up in all the craziness and we ended up on a British Airways flight to Pisa, instead of Florence.
So just to clarify, this is what our travel looked like at this point: Baltimore->Indianapolis->Chicago->Raleigh->London->Pisa.
Oh, and by this time we were pretty sure our luggage (marked and tagged for our original travel plans) was MIA.
Unfortunately, we were right. We landed in Pisa, unsure about how we were even going to get to Florence (where we had already missed one night at our hotel), and we didn’t have any luggage. The agent there, due to the language issues, showed us pictures of four nondescript suitcases and told us to pick the style/color that most closely resembled our missing luggage. Then we gave them our hotel info and found a train leaving for Florence.
Ahhh, but before we left, we received two fabulous Gee, sorry your luggage is lost packs of “toiletries.” I use air quotes because all it contained was a minuscule toothpaste, a teeny toothbrush, a comb, a ginormous British Airways T-shirt and – the best – a huge and oh-so-sexy pair of white, airline-issued Granny panties. Dr. G. got a similar pair of briefs.
Nothing screams honeymoon like XL cotton Granny panties and briefs.
Adding to my crankiness was the fact that I was travelling in my glasses (which I never wear) because my eyes get really dry on airplanes, so my trusty contacts were tucked away … in my missing luggage. Trust me when I say that was a travel mistake I never made again.
When we got to Florence, our first stop was not sightseeing, but shopping. We knew we’d get some sort of reimbursement from the airline (don’t get me started on that) and we had no idea how long we’d be without our clothes and toiletries, so we hit the stores.
Let me tell you, shopping when you have to (not to mention exhausted, jet-lagged and, yes, disgusting) is not much fun. We actually got tailed by a security officer at an Italian department store because we looked so sketchy and disheveled by that point. We ended up in a Benetton, bought some random stuff and went back to the hotel, where I spent the next bit trying to hem Dr. G.’s pants (which were crazy long, a la European sizing) using our tiny hotel sewing kit.
Okay, I know firsthand that travel snafus happen, but what makes me sad is that fact that it completely impacted what I thought of Florence, even though I tried hard not to let it. It’s a total shame, since Florence is a gorgeous city, rich in culture and history and amazing food. People have asked, “Ohhh, didn’t you just love Florence?”, but sadly, I don’t really remember what I saw there.
We ended up in Florence for three days … and our luggage never arrived. Feeling completely dejected, we left the information for the next leg of our journey (rural Tuscany) with the hotel concierge, and took off, empty-handed.
Our next stop was the Chianti region in Tuscany. If I can offer any advice from my trip to Italy (besides NOT packing your contacts in your checked luggage), it’s this: go to Tuscany and stay at what they call an agriturismo (which, translated, means agricultural tourism.) It’s like staying at a bed-and-breakfast that’s located on a farm.
We stayed in an apartment at Agriturismo Monterotondo, where we had our own kitchen but were treated to an incredible breakfast every morning prepared by the mother of one of the owners, who Dr. G. and I loved, even though we couldn’t really communicate with her. The farm is really not a farm as much as it is a vineyard, which was right up our alley, and the wine was incredible. They sell it in unlabeled bottles to some larger producer; Dr. G. and I are still trying to figure out who.
The best part of this arrangement was the fact that we could visit one of the local markets in town, stock up on some beautiful produce, incredible cheese and freshly baked bread, and prepare it in our own kitchen. We also had our own terrace (and wine glasses), so we could sit and sip all that amazing wine and take in the gorgeous countryside.
It was also economical, because you didn’t have to eat out at every meal. We spent far less during our week there than we would if we’d stayed in a hotel.
But back to our story …
My thoughtful friends had contacted the owners of the farm before we left and, as a bridal shower gift to me, made arrangements for a “Welcome to Tuscany” celebratory meal our first night there. So we arrived from Florence, got settled into our apartment, dressed up in our finest new Benneton frocks and had what was – quite literally – the most amazing dinner I have ever had. It was course after course of such simple yet exquisite dishes (all vegetarian), made from ingredients you just knew were fresh from the farm and cheese maker down the road. And the olive oil! I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything quite like it.
The meal, of course, was followed by bottles of wine and champagne and a dessert that was so rich that I could barely finish it.
And then – as if things couldn’t get better – as we’re sipping the last of our wine, we see the headlights of a car driving up the path to the farmhouse. It’s from the Pisa airport. Our luggage had been found. They had tracked us down from Florence to Chianti.
It was a honeymoon miracle.
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In the end, I think we both learned some important travel lessons:
- Pack everything in your carry-on that you will need for a few days. You know, like a change of clothes, underwear, makeup, toiletries. Oh, and your contact lenses.
- Screw the airline miles. Nothing is worth more than an easy and painless travel itinerary.
- Think outside-the-box when it comes to accommodations. I had stumbled across the whole agriturismo industry when doing some research, and while it seemed a little sketchy (at that time you couldn’t book online, and much of this has to be done over the phone), it was soooooo worth it.
- If you’re staying at a bed-and-breakfast, ask the owners for dining reservations. We did that at Monterotondo and the owner sent us to his friend’s restaurant, where we were not only treated like royalty, but also enjoyed our second-best meal in Italy. And the wine! (Plus, we almost hit a boar crossing the road on our way back. That’s not something that happens every day here in Massachusetts).
Anyone else experience a honeymoon (mis)adventure?
mel says
Oh I love this post! It is great that even with the misadventures you guys had the best time!! Wine tasting in Tuscany sounds amazing!!!
Chelley / AisForAdelaide says
Your honeymoon looks amazing!! I am NEVER traveling with you, BTW 😉
I did lose my luggage going to Florida via a delayed connection flight. They said I would get it the next day. My sister decided to take me out drinking. The next morning I was SO GROSS (sweaty, hung over, etc.) that we had to go shopping because I couldn’t wait until the afternoon! You are such troopers- thank you for sharing your tips 🙂 !
Sheri says
What a dream…with maybe a little hiccup, but AMAZING!!!!
Sharon - MomGenerations.com says
Wow… all the most beautiful cities along with your misadventures made me think of my exotic honeymoon – camping at 2nd Beach in Middletown, where my Mom-in-law and Nana-in-law showed up one day from East Providence “just to visit”! Ha! There’s nothing like memories of wild unexpected adventures to lock a beautiful time in our hearts. I love your series and thank you for sharing in your magnificent writing style…
candice says
There is really nothing like a good honeymoon story! Thanks for sharing yours!