Heartbreak Terrace and The Long-Haul Blues: Monday, April 16th!

Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another. -Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel laureate (16 Apr 1844-1924)

Hi Patrick! sorru for late reply! l've been in Japan and haven't checked my emails for 2 weeks. well, you are welcome to stay with me or at stefan's if you want to stay in zurich. we can cirtainly arrange something! l'll be around when you are in switzerland! we can meet you in Bern if you'd like! l'll be here if you have any question! looooove, nao Hi Nao! Lovely to hear from you. Thanks for invitation to stay. I'm hoping to arrive in Berne by the weekend of May 5th/6th so I'll be in touch, once there, or before. Right now I'm just trying to get to Europe! Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Arrivederci Penticton and Knapsack Blues!

Pat, you are always very welcome at my place!We even have a guestroom. So don‘t hesitate to stop  whenever your bike ride brings you into town! Fiona Hi Fiona! How lovely to hear from you. Thanks so much for the invitation to stay. Where do you live? Bern? Zurich? Fondestos to Mad Max and Monica Vitti! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Tummler, thanks for your call laster-eve. Sorry we could not connect to have a live chat but we could do a Skype or Google chat from your somewhere on your journey. Keep that in mind. Keep us posted. Safe travels and fond regards, 

W&CJ y Morita Dear Pat, Thanks for your call. Sorry we missed you! We are wishing you a magical adventure in Europe. We enjoyed our time there last year very much. So glad you are off on an unique journey. You are going to have a marvellous time and meet up with all sorts of lovely new friends and old. We look forward to your stories. Be safe and have a brilliant trip! See you in July! Lots of love, Morita, George and Jane xo Hello Salish Sea Folk! How lovely to hear from you. Sorry we didn't connect. Fondestos to one and all, Calamity, Morita and Whirlygig. Cheers, Patrizzio! 

Pics: Arrivederci Penticton; The Pepperoni Kid and Brewster lose to Steve and his partner from Toronto, on Saturday, in CDN Nat Doubles, over 60's; Dinner on Saturday night with Zelda, [Ragin's "friend", (I can't spell her name so this is her temporary moniker!), in middle, with Vanessa, left, and Judy Blue, from Penticton, visiting Vanessa, her daughter, in Vancouver, this weekend. Ragin' supplied a fabulous leg-of-lamb! Dinner with most of Clan Sutherland on Sunday!

Hi Derek: Just a quick note to say that the day of departure has dawned, full of delay and I'm still in Vancouver! I was scheduled to fly to Montreal at 11:30 am but have just received notification that my flight is now departing at 13:20, to arrive in Montréal Trudeau, at 21:05. My flight to Paris is scheduled to leave at 20:55, ten minutes before I land! I believe the delay has been caused by terrible weather in Eastern Canada. To make matters worse, AC's help system is so overwhelmed that I cannot get through to speak to anyone. An automated system informs callers that this is so. At any rate, I think I'll go to YVR when I originally planned as at least I might be able to talk to an agent in person. I will simply have to camp out at the airport. While not quite as comfortable as staying at Harbour Terrace I will have access to Wi-Fi as I will now have to let others down The Freeloader Chain know of these latest developments. 

Obviously, all the European connections in France and then in London will have to be changed but until I actually land in Paris I have no idea what they will/might be. At the moment, I'm assuming/imagining/hoping/prognosticating that the "best outcome" will allow me to be in London on Wednesday, April 18th, in time for some sort of replay of earlier journey to Truro, perhaps, with any luck, to arrive at a more civilized hour. However, even this may be overly optimistic, as I'm sure you can understand. What I will now attempt to do is to put an alternate plan in place which might well entail not being able to visit Cornwall, given your date constraints and my "unknown" arrival time/date. These delays have a way of spiraling further and further into chaos given the massive disruptions and backlogs that start snowballing once one part of the system has a monkey wrench added!

I'll certainly be in touch as soon as I know more. Thanks for your patience. That being said, please don't change any of your various plans as we'll just have to wait and see what happens and then what might be possible. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Yes I understand the winter has not let go of Eastern Canada yet. I well remember those days thinking that Spring had arrived in Ottawa only to have our hopes dashed with more snow/freezing rain etc! Don't worry about us. Its a long way to travel to Cornwall for just a couple of days and we do plan to be back in Vancouver for a longer stretch once poor Spuds fate has been decided so will be sure to visit Penticton then. I hope the rest of your travel plans go smoothly but keep in touch and good luck! Derek

Hello The Sisterhood/Derek: NEWS FLASH FROM FLAMIN' TRAVEL! When Flamin' came back from walking Molly Mop she suggested that I try to fly to London, directly, now that my flight has been delayed. There is a flight out at 6:30 pm today but only one seat left and I'm now on hold as have to talk to an agent to make any changes to original booking.

Failing making this flight there are ten or so seats available for same flight tomorrow. Would prefer to leave today, of course. Funnily enough, this change, if I can book a seat to London, is actually to my advantage as connection to Truro will be earlier in day and I won't have to make trek from Paris to London. I assume I can obtain a refund for the ticket I have from Paris to London and can apply it to my ticket from London to Paris/Valence/Chabeuil when I return with Andre at the end of the month.

I'll certainly be in touch as soon as I know more. At the moment I'm on speaker waiting for an agent. Will just have to wait and see what happens and then what might be possible. Stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed for me! Cheers, Dad/Patrizzio! sorry to hear about your delay but maybe you are London bound.
Driving Chloe to get tires changed. Hope you get a good flight, Love you, Lady Dar Did you get off on a flight? C Hello again, Burns Street! Trust you had the tires changed. Be glad we don't live in eastern Canada as you would need them until end of July at this rate. Anyway, We finally made it through to Air Canada but agent would not re-route me through London, based on their protocol of initial booking to Paris, so she changed my flights, (same as today's), but leaving tomorrow to arrive in Paris. Orbitz, with whom I booked, originally, said they could get me to London for another $1,000, which I declined, in righteous, "You can go to Hell" Ukranian fashion! I should have listened to Sarge who wanted me to go to YVR, as planned and talk to an agent in person , before Flamin' raised my hopes to be able to change to Heathrow.

Anyway, once they both left for work, I started thinking that since I had the time I should go to the airport and just see what I could negotiate. I called Ragin' Bull as he had left his oven thermometer here and I wanted to get it back to him before it disappeared into the Black Hole of the Sutherland Cave. H e very kindly came to collect me around 11:00 am and took me to Olympic Village where I took the Sky Train. he even gave me his Compass card so I was Freeloading in style al the way to YVR. Once there I asked an Air Canada employee where I should go with my "problem" and was directed to a ticket counter with a line of about an hour or more longer. Still, I had the time so I accepted my fate. As soon as I took my place I thought I recognized the woman in front of me and asked her if she was Gloria Macarenko! The woman laughed and said she did work for CBC but she was Kathryn Gretzinger. As soon as she mentioned her name I realized my mistake. She was extremely friendly and I said she wouldn't know me but I knew her, not only from CBC, but also from VWF.  In fact she will be interviewing Tima Kurdi, a week, next Wednesday, at Incite, discussing The Boy on the Beach. Kathryn mentioned that Tima, herself, was in line, somewhere, trying to sort out her ticket for wherever she was next headed!
 

Kathryn had been trying to fly to Fredericton since Sunday morning, to teach a journalism course, [She teaches, part-time, at UBC's School of Journalism.], but she was unable to obtain any flight that would get her there in time. I quite enjoyed my time chatting with her, learning a bit about her family and other matters.  She was extremely thoughtful and considerate, helping others in line, all the while remaining cool in the face of the weather induced mess. When she left the line-up I said I hoped I'd see her at some VWF event and she said she had asked Leslie to keep her busy. 

Lady in front of me was from Paris and had been visiting her son, here in Vancouver, for last ten days. She was on same set of flights as me but she opted to fly to Montreal, later, where Air Canada would put her up in a hotel for the night until she could continue on to Paris tomorrow. I didn't want to exercise that option as I'm still not sure if flights will be on time, weather being what it is out East. Anyway, when my turn came I outlined my situation and Milisa was very helpful. After I explained what I preferred to do, [head to London], she booked me on a direct flight to Heathrow tomorrow, leaving at 6:30 pm, arriving at 11:50 am on Wednesday, April 18th. I'm hoping I can catch the 14:03 or 15:03 or 16:03 train, from Paddington, to put me in Cornwall at 18:47 or 19:58 or 20:46 respectively, much better than near midnight if coming from Paris!
 

By the time I was home, around 3:00 pm, I had a bite of lunch and then took a nap until 5:15 pm. Once up I made a salad and then we sat down to another fabulous dinner of pork chops, home-fries and a delish cherry tomatoe & asparagus concoction thanks to Flamin'. After dinner Sarge had a strata council meeting and Flamin' is watching TV while I digitate. Must away as I want to keep working on my re-packing. With this delay I might end up with only my panniers! Love and Cheers, Dad/Patrizzio! Pics: Birds of Paradise; re-painted sideboard and new bench to go with new table; last night's dinner gang!

For the first time in a while I socially read all of that. Sorry for your delays! Hope you make the connection to Paris! Corey Hi Kid Chelene! Pleased you persevered and thanks for good wishes BUT if you had truly paid attention you would see that I'm making for London. Enjoying sipping Single Malt with your Dad as I scribe. Cheers, Patrizzio! And if you were paying attention you would see that I was talking about your connection to Paris! Safe travels! Hello again, Confused Kid Chelene! Well, you are not rid of me yet! Can't you get it into your Stubborn Sutherland head that I'm on today's AC flight to London! Thanks for best wishes. Cheers, Patrizzio!!
 

Hi Patrick, Happy travels, bon voyage, buen viaje. Hope all goes well, you have great weather and you stay healthy. Cheers, Peter Hi Jugos, et al! Thanks for all the good wishes. Much appreciated! Sitting here, drinking malt with Sarge as right now I'm just trying to get to Europe! Fondestos to Lynn. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Doritos Goil! Trust you are both well.  Fondestos to you both. Cheers, Your Very Favourite Patrizzio! Papa, pat hat sich angekündigt.Ich hab ihm geschrieben, er kann gerne bei mir vorbeikommen und eveline und heinz planen evt was. Wenn ihr mögt, könnt ihr zusammen schauen. Eveline meldet sich vilicht bei dir. Lieber gruss! Fiona Dad, pat has announced. I've written to him, he can come to me and eveline and heinz plan evt what. If you like, you can look together. Eveline will not call you. Warm wishes! Fiona Liebe Fiona Merci für Nachricht! Möchte Pat gerne sehen, er könnte auch zu uns kommen. Am letzten Wochenende im April gehe ich (vielleicht) das letzte Mal auf eine Skitour. Am 4.5.2018 packen wir und fahren dann nach Cadaques für 2 Wochen. Liebe Gruess, Papa Max Dear Fiona Merci for message! Pat wants to see, he could come to us too. On the last weekend of April I go (maybe) for the last time on a ski tour. On 4/4/2018 we pack and drive to Cadaques for 2 weeks. Dear Gruess, Dad
 

Hello Famiglia Krebs/Leu! Thank you for forwarding my message, Fiona! I do apologize, but I somehow misplaced, or never had, your parents' email addresses. At any rate, as I mentioned in my earlier missive, I'm hoping to arrive in Bern by the weekend of May 5th/6th +/-, to stay, initially, with Eveline and Heinz. Of course I would be more than delighted, it simply goes without saying, to see you all, if that is possible, given everyone's busy schedules. This being the case, I will certainly be in touch, probably from London, or Chabeuil, where my bike is patiently waiting for me to liberate it, my next stop after London, and then to the Land of Toblerone and Swatches, where the trains always run on time and Swiss Francs litter the streets, there for the taking! Fondestos to one and all! Cheers, Patrizzio! In case your English isn't as good as my excellent Swiss German I have spent days working on the translation, as only the very best of Host Fathers would do!
 

Hallo Famiglia Krebs / Leu! Danke für das Weiterleiten meiner Nachricht, Fiona! Ich entschuldige mich, aber irgendwie habe ich die E-Mail-Adressen Ihrer Eltern verlegt oder nie gehabt. Jedenfalls hoffe ich, wie ich in meinem früheren Schreiben erwähnt habe, am Wochenende des 5./6. Mai in Bern anzukommen, um zunächst bei Eveline und Heinz zu bleiben. Natürlich wäre ich mehr als erfreut, es ist selbstverständlich, Sie alle zu sehen, wenn das möglich ist, angesichts der vollen Terminkalender. In diesem Fall werde ich sicherlich in Kontakt sein, wahrscheinlich aus London oder Chabeuil, wo mein Fahrrad geduldig darauf wartet, dass ich es freistelle, mein nächster Halt nach London und dann in das Land Toblerone und Swatches, wo die Züge fahren immer pünktlich und Schweizer Franken streunen die Straßen, dort für die Einnahme! Fondestos zu allen! Prost, Patrizzio!