Getting there

          Start: A little after 2PM, Indy time, at Indianapolis airport, Thursday 5/12/11
          End: 3:45PM Florence time, 9:45AM Indy time, at CAPA, Friday 5/13/11

I had two two-hour layovers, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Frankfurt, Germany. The overnight plane-ride from Philly to Frankfurt had great movies (lots of new releases) and a delicious in-flight dinner (chicken teriyaki!) but awful sleeping opportunities- quiet but no leg room! I wish I had a watch because I had no way to keep track of time either! I just kept estimating time remaining on my 8 hour plane ride based on the length of movie, how long I took to fall asleep, and guessing how long I actually slept. Germany’s Frankfurt airport had several smoking rooms in the airport- glass windows in a small box with about three people in each huddled around ashtrays. After having my ticket checked, I had to go outside to catch a shuttle bus for the flight to Florence, Italy, so I did get to step on German “soil” (really blacktop) and breathe the air. In Germany I also had to get my passport stamped and go through security again, big time-suck. Passport security asked about my reasons for travelling, wanted to see my return tickets, wanted to know how much money I had, and wanted to see all my credit cards... crazy. Flight from Frankfurt Florence- I was impressed by the Alps; they stretched out for so far. Random but I wanted to go make snow angels on them. Florence arrived and I had to climb down outside, shuttle again, then get my luggage but no passport stamp. I was disappointed to learn that you only get stamped going into Europe but not between the countries (I don't really understand why) so I only got and will have that one Frankfurt stamp in my passport book. L But I am in Florence now so J.