October 2nd- Mon Camino n'est pas fini! Only a Maritimer could...

get stuck in Montreal NOT one night but TWO nights!

J'étais censée être arrivée le 30 septembre à minuit. Me voilà à la barrière 19 ce matin, en attente pour mon vol de 8H00, deux jours plus tard. Comme dit Maman, "L'homme propose et Dieu dispose!"

I knew a fierce storm was hitting NB, but I was hopeful the worse would be over by Wednesday evening. Our flight from Bruxelles landed at noon. I stayed with Nancy until 4:00, when she caught her flight to Toronto, then onwards to Sarnia, and pickup by hubby Eric.

I had time to chat with my mother and a friend, bracing myself for a further five hour wait, when I received the notice on my Smartphone from Air Canada, of the cancellation of the last leg of my return. With a few words of encouragement from family and friends, I took the CAMINO way again, put one foot forward and kept on going. With a great tip from frérot Pierre, I got to the service desk ahead of a possible crowd of FIFOs, (fly in, fly out workers from Alberta) and received a voucher for ONE night and a voucher for one meal for $10.00.

Thank goodness for travel cancellation insurance with my credit card!!! I scooted all over the airport, picking up my backpack and walking stick, and then buying a pair of pants and a T-shirt. Most people have their dirty laundry in a bag in their luggage. W-e-l-l, I had my clean clothes in there; a pair of underwear. That was it. I bought supper to go, grabbed a cart, hopped the shuttle and was ensconced in my hotel room by 7:30 and lights out by 8:30. I had had one hour of sleep in the last thirty-six. I was punch drunk.

Yesterday morning I got up, and was blessed with a CAMINO moment again, when upon exiting my room, a toddler ran right to me at my door, from the front desk, and gave me a knee hug! What a wonderful way to start a day that turned into my running around the airport again, hoping against hope to get out standby on the noon flight. No such luck: all three flights were oversold, overbooked and no one got out standby at noon, so I didn't even try for the 10:00 pm flight. Nor did I try to get to Moncton either. There were no guarantees that AC would pay for a taxi to Bathurst once I was there. I wasn't going to fight at the AC counter there. Not that I had to fight here. I must say I was treated by all AC staff with nothing but kind, courteous and even sympathetic service. They felt sorry for me I think!

I downloaded my boarding pass for today, booked a decent hotel, had lunch, hopped the shuttle and was settled in for another day in Montreal, grateful again for a bed for the night.

I caught up on phone calls, online business, watched the news, had room service and went to bed early, to be up at 4:45 this morning.

As I post this, we are supposed to start boarding. I am keeping my fingers CROSSED. It is a beautiful sunny day. I get to pick up my pooch in Campbellton this afternoon. Then to my Mom's, which will be home until I find a place to live for Vimy and I. My 44 day odyssey ends today, I hope!

However, I hope that new adventures await me!