So a quick recap here: After trying to find a connection for coaching American football in Europe I finally find one through a friend of a friend. This leads me to an interesting Skype (yup … this is before “Zoom” showed up.) with some coaches and the General Manager of the Swiss Junior National Team and an invitation to join them for some regional games in the European Championships.
Well this is where I have my first (mis)adventure in European football! Well, there are plenty more to come including once “falling” off the train in Bern!
So, for the next few months Giorgio, Christian and I spend time messaging, emailing and occasionally having a Skype call as we prepare for my engagement with the National Team.
It really becomes exciting for me as the time draws near for me to go to Switzerland. The team arranges for a flight to Milan from Detroit. Why Milan?? – wait, isn’t that Italy?
I’m confused but then I look at a map and see that Switzerland borders Italy on the southern edge.
Now, I did not realize this. Never being a great student of geology or geography ow whatever it is??
It turns out that Giorgio lives in Lugano which is on the southern part of Switzerland and the closest airport is in Milan. He will pick me up and I will stay with his family for a few days before I move around the country.
So, anyway I get to the airport on the day I leave and will fly from Detroit to Newark and than on to Milan.
But, misadventure rears its ugly head. I was sitting in the gate area talking with an English man and his wife who were on to London by connecting in Newark.
Well, somehow we miss a gate change! More people come into the gate area and sit down … we don’t think anything of it. As there boarding time approaches we see gate attendants bustling around so we just expect there was some sort of delay.
Finally, we are getting a little nervous as another ten minutes passes. We walk up to the lead at the desk and ask when we were boarding to go to Newark. Well, he has a questioning look on his face and types away on his computer.
He tells us that gate was changed a while ago…and that “ship had sailed” or more specifically, the jet had flown.
We had never heard an announcement – never watched people leaving as a group like you do with a gate change. They must have switched gates long before we got to the original spot.
Well, we were directed to a very helpful Delta manager who informed us that we were basically out of luck because the next likely flight wouldn’t be until the following day at the same time.
She reassigned us with our guaranteed seats … took care of everything and she actually felt bad – even if it was truly our fault.
She gave us some drink vouchers (better than meal passes for sure) and we went to have a few drinks. Then back home to try it over again the next day.
Poor Giorgio accepted the WhatsApp message I sent him and he informed me he would have to work on my new arrival date – but his wife would pick me up along with their friend Rick Bennedetto.
Not a big deal he said … just we start a day later.
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