T-3 Days - Getting There

Long time friends Trish & Rick were there in lamas class 28 years ago in Pelham NY where we met both Trisch and Monica pregnant with Gabe and Henry. The boys were born 7 days apart and been friends for life. This year the 2 Striano boys, Henry and Alex both married, a jackpot for the parents! Alex is marrying a woman from Spain and the wedding is in Madrid and logical kick off date for a run across Spain. Checking into Delta I handed the big red 40 pound gear bag to the attendant and tell her, “this is the bag I need to get to Spain, please don’t lose it.” Arriving the next morning it was not there. Filing a missing bag report was easy with the promise they will deliver the bag the next day with certainty it would be on the next flight. The next morning nothing and a call to Delta where a woman who sounded tranquillized took more info from me asking me to just be patient. Forty-eight hours later I called slightly agitated that they don’t seem to know where my bag is in Atlanta. I explain they need to find the bag within two days or I will need to buy thousands of dollars of gear. Persistent calling, shaming, sarcasm, disbelief, raised voice hopefully triggered some response that they should send someone out to find the bag rather than deal with a lunatic. An hour before the last possible fight, they found it and put it on the flight that would get it to me today, the last possible day; the Camino gods smiled on me!

Hanging out in Madrid with Tina - Monica’s sister and our crew chief, Marcai - Monica’s sister in law and Sofia our niece having a blast. Beautiful weather, great vibe in the city and way too much eating and drinking before the wedding tonight and then the whirlwind getting to the start of the Camino de Santiago.

Cheers,

David.