Day 25: Back to the United States

Back in the US...Back in the US...

No I didn´t repeat myself. Trying to quote the Beatles song.

Today, Friday, was supposed to be the day I fly home. Well, I packed my bike a bit differently - took of the pedals, turned the handlebars sideways, and packed it in a thick, clear plastic bag. It is a technique I heard works just fine and takes less time than the cardboard box I saved. Icelandair said it was fine.

Well, I get to Terminal 2 at the airport waiting to check in and I find out my flight has been cancelled! They rebook me on Lufthansa. But Lufthansa´s check in is back in Terminal 1 - up and down three different elevators. Yes I used a baggage cart, but my bike, luggage, and the cart don´t fit in the elevators all at once. Talk about a nightmare.

Then I find out that Lufthansa doesn´t allow bikes to be transported in bags. This was about the end of my rope. I told them I need a flight for tomorrow because I need to return to my hotel and rebox my bike. They did so, I got back to my hotel, relaxed a bit and repacked my bike. Two hours later... DONE! (Yes, Icelandair is on my sh*t list).

So, I wandered down to the hotel restaurant and had dinner and my last German beer: A Radler. ¨Radler¨ means bicyclist in German. It is a shandy - beer mixed with lemonade (and has an interesting backstory). An appropriate beer to end my journey.

Tommorrow I leave dear Deutschland and return home.

Goodnight everyone! Sleep well and sweet dreams!