May 18, Saturday – Arrival Day

Finally arrived in Luxembourg at 8:30 am, Luxembourg time. We did stop in Iceland for 30 minutes. The airport a real tourist trap all though the prices in the tax free shop looked good, did not buy anything. I had set it up with the Volkswagen dealer in Luxembourg to meet us at the plane and take us to the Holiday Inn and then pick up the camper. Since we were many hours late in arriving no one showed up to pick us up? Everyone was very tired-including me! Jet lag affected all of us. The lady at the auto agency booth was into a big argument with a French woman returning a car when we found the agency. We were supposed to check with her about the person from Volkswagen. I did after she and the French woman finished hollering at each other. She told me that the man from Auto, Martin Loesch was expecting us yesterday. She called someone and then I talked to him, he indicated that he would pick us up at the Holiday Inn at 11 am. So we took a taxi to the Holiday Inn. Registered at a typical Holiday Inn, the pool was not functioning. Everyone upset about no pool! Everyone very tired and went to sleep. I showered and shaved and waited for the man from the Volkswagen agency. He arrived at 11 am as promised. He was very nice and helpful. We went to the agency and I picked up the camper. The delivery was uneventful but no international registration papers, which we were supposed to have with us. We made arrangements to have them sent to us in Amsterdam.

What a long day! The first time we ever experienced no night, 24 hours without darkness, a disturbing experience-nobody wanted to sleep, but they did!

I drove back to the Holiday Inn about 2 pm, finally got everyone awake and then we had a lousy lunch at the motel. We then piled into the camper and headed down town to find a camping store to pick up needed equipment. The car man recommended a camping store “Stenbergs”. Couldn’t find it but stumbled onto one after driving around, parking and walking. Purchased cooking equipment and a one-burner stove for extra use until can get ours in the camper hooked up. The sales lady at the store insisted that we get saucers with the cups. Every once in a while she would mention, “having to buy saucers”. Marsha liked the butter dish.  We walked back to the camper and discovered a street carnival. We all had sauerkraut and bratwurst for dinner. Found “Stenbergs”, but it was closed. Then we discovered that we were only parked three blocks away! We turned the wrong way when we left the parking lot.

We returned to the motel, a tired bunch. Palmer and Esther unbelievably overtired and could not get to sleep but they finally did. Paul and Theresa slept well as did everyone else when we finally got to sleep – what a long day!

Good night.