We start this adventure with a terrifying experience in a parking garage at the OKC airport. I told Dave to Uber, but Dave, being Dave, wanted to drive. Over my dead body were we taking the Mercedes, so we ended up in the F-250. As we pulled into the parking garage, we cleared the first height-restriction sign and then nailed the second. Dave decided to keep going. Let me just say we maybe had 2 inches, at most, of headroom over the top of the truck, and there were a lot of cussing and freaked-out moments till we found a parking spot.

Atlanta here we come.

Our first stop was Atlanta, where we had a 3-hour layover. Normally those suck, but we have Priority Pass with our Chase Reserve card, so we spent the next two and a half hours in the lounge. There is nothing better than “free” booze and food to get the trip off to a good start.

Does vodka taste better when it is free? I think it does!

Dave and I didn’t have seats next to each other from Atlanta to Paris because I had booked him the last bulkhead seat for his giant legs. We got so lucky, though. Someone was willing to trade, and we ended up together. I was so glad. 8 hours without my favorite human pillow sounded horrible.

Smiling is only reserved for before an 8-hour flight.

We made it to Paris without incident, but we only had a 1-hour layover. We were so worried about this layover, and rightfully so. Delta failed us big time here. By the time we made it through security and customs, we pretty much had to run for the gate.

Dave and I were pretty sure our luggage would not make it. As we stood at the baggage carousel, a woman came up to us and said, “Are you, Hollis?” This is never a good sign. Sadly, our luggage did not make it and will be on the next flight. In true rookie fashion, we had packed ALL the winter outerwear in one bag. Did I mention it was 21 degrees outside today!

We left the airport feeling a little sad. The only thing that lifted Dave’s spirits was the brand-new Land Rover we got from Sixt, our favorite car rental company.

We made it to the heart of Vienna and to our room, and we were not disappointed. We have a great view of the city center.

Fleming Select. It takes a lot of work to get a king bed. We have a free mini bar, and Dave was super excited.

View by day

View by night

Since we had no coats and it was freezing, we stayed close to the hotel today. For lunch, we had a döner and a Turkish pizza. I don’t know why they don’t have these at home. It is like a gyro that is 100 times better.

Döner and pizza – first meal

We spent the afternoon drinking wine at the hotel bar and then took a great nap. By 6 PM, our luggage was still not here, so we decided to forgo the Christmas markets for today and eat at the Italian restaurant next door. This turned out to be a great idea. It is owned by a little Sicilian man, and it was so good!!!

Antipasto platter. It was amazing! Olives, prosciutto, cheese, amazing stewed vegetables, tuna salad, sardine salad, braised onions in balsamic vinegar, and deep-fried vegetables.

Pasta Genovese

Spaghetti Vongole

When we returned to the hotel, our luggage was still not there. We were sad but decided to go to the sauna and make the best of it. Just as I sat down to write this, our luggage arrived!!!!

Was today perfect, no, did we roll with it, yes. This is really important when you travel. There will be so many things that are confusing, different, or could derail your trip. If you focus on it, you can ruin your experience. If you just make the best of it, you end up with an amazing Italian dinner.

Tomorrow we start sightseeing. There are so many beautiful buildings and a library I can’t wait to visit, and of course Christmas Markets!!!! We can’t wait to see what Vienna has in store for us!