I found myself stumbling and tripping while desperately filling a glass with water to quench an incredible thirst. I felt woozy, dizzy, and disoriented, as if beset by a horrible hangover after an all- night binge. Which I guess was rather to be expected since I just spent the past three weeks inebriating myself on bella Italia and was now paying the price with a bad case of jetlag.
I arrived in New York yesterday afternoon ragged and bedraggled. Airline travel saps my energy and luster like nobody's business and leaves me blotchy-faced and wiped out. I heaved my suitcase off the carousel to find it resting in a pool of blood, evidence of red wine hemorrhage seeping from its pores. Despite my very careful packing and many previous experiences of wine-hauling, the baggage handlers at JFK managed to find a way to create carnage in my bag. I discovered my hand-carved stone timbro di pane from Matera was busted as well. The newspapers and expensive magazines I had packed served as gauze to soak up the bleeding, ruining them all.
I awoke at 3:00 a.m. with the hangover symptoms, despite not having drank anything, and tossed around in bed trying to reclaim some snippets of sleep, mostly unsuccessfully. An afternoon's nap will hopefully get me through to this evening as I attempt to put my body clock back onto the Eastern US time zone.
Internet access was rather sporadic throughout my trip but I haven't forgotten about the birthday present. The Baci gifts I brought home are safe and dry and tomorrow I will have Bryan pick a winner out of a hat. Now excuse me while I prop my eyes open long enough to extract red wine from my clothes...
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15 comments:
OMG Valerie...........home already???? Just in time to sleep thru the blizzard. So sorry to hear about your wine and magazines. I'm sure you're so disappointed. When are you guys going back? We're looking forward to seeing your new casa in the coming year........
Welcome back, it's good to know there's someone as bad as me with the jet lag already. I don't get it going to Italy, only coming back and in spades. So that's why we're not coming back next time. Well, not the only reason. Let us know how your casa purchase went, when you recover.
oh, my worst nightmare along with olive oil in suitcase...can't imagine, red wine... hit the sack, Valerie, have a margarita instead and dream it all off!!! Close your eyes and go back to your Italian palazzo!! And hum some Italian tunes, that's all I 'got' to offer you. Welcome home!!
Valerie, I am so sorry the gorillas jumped on your suitcase. I would cry! Allura, these are all signs saying...you should still be in Italia! Alas, you have the memory of your trip close to your heart. I am looking forward to hearing about your trip.
Sorry to hear about the wine and your horrible jet lag.
Look forward to reading about your trip.
I'm so sorry about the wine and all your stuff! That stinks!
Bad Luck, not a great finish to your trip.
Welcome back! My husband always packs red wine and assures me nothing will happen-so sorry to hear about the destruction-and the bread too! Looking forward to hearing about the better aspects of your time in Iatly.
Welcome back to the snow, ice, wind and cold!
That's terrible about the wine. Is everything else in that bag ruined or can it be saved? How awful. well guess you just have to go back to get more. :)
Carol - I know, it flew by! Il tempo vola. Can't wait for you to come visit. When do you leave?
Diana - It's worse for me coming this direction than going to Italy, too. Glad I'm not the only one!
Evey - Oy, olive oil breakage would be *bad*! I have had Italian phrases and tunes running through my head all night!
Valentino - Gorillas, indeed. Turns out I fared better than Maria, whose bag was rifled through and everything broken. Cermamics - crushed. Taralli - in crumbs all through the suitcase. Bastardi!
Thanks for commiserating. I'll post notes soon.
Welcome home! It always takes me a week to get adjusted after a trip to Europe - jet lag hits me hard.
Oh I'm so sorry about your wine and Matera souvenir! That is just horrible. It is funny you relate it to a hangover-I usually feel more "hungover" than tired, too!
Pauline - Thanks. It always seems to hit me harder coming this direction than going over to Europe. About a week is par for me, as well. Lots of caffeine to stay awake until bedtime!
Cherrye - It was sad, but Maria experienced much worse with her beautiful ceramics reduced to rubble. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who feels hung-over without imbibing! ;)
Welcome home. Bummer about the wine and statue.
Can't wait to hear all about your travels and setting up your new home.
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