Change of Plans…  First stop: Pisa

After an unexpected turn of events, Pisa became our first stop in Italy proving that even the best laid plans go astray. 

As I recap this scenario of planes, trains and automobiles, keep in my mind that we left LA at 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 21.  Twenty-six hours later after a 10.5 hour plane ride on Air France’s massive A380, a transfer from Charles De Gaulle to Orly Airport, a connection from Orly to Pisa, and a bus ride from Pisa to Florence, we ultimately arrived by taxi to our final destination in Florence at 2 a.m. local time on Saturday, June 23. 

Our travels were going relatively smoothly until our flight from Orly to Florence was increasingly delayed.  Information as to what was causing the delay was hard to come by, but we met an adorable French couple who translated the airline’s reports for us.  The couple told us that workers at the Florence Airport had gone on strike and no flights would be able to land in Florence today—and worst of all there was no telling when the strike would be resolved.  Seeing the look of uncertainty on our faces, our new Parisian friends told us that we could either: request a standby ticket to Rome and then take a 4-hour train ride from Rome to Florence; take a 7-hour train from Paris to Florence; or stay in Paris and wait out the strike. 
Luckily, Vueling Airlines came up with the best back-up plan for us considering the circumstances.  Vueling arranged for our flight to land in the nearby Pisa airport and then a chartered bus took us the 1 hour distance from Pisa to Florence.   

What started off as the longest flight I’d ever taken, quickly became the longest, most exhausting travel day we have ever endured—and hopefully ever will.  

There are two things I’m looking forward to remedy this situation—a good night’s rest in our lovely hotel in Florence and the promise of gelato for 12-straight days to come!