...subway in Brussels breaks down, I miss my train to Paris (can actually see it leaving on the platform), catch the next one at great expense and arrive in Paris late.....I hop on the next train to Charles de Gaulle airport (delayed), which is filled to bursting with angry commuters, a fight virtually breaks out on the platform, because not everyone can get on...I arrive at checkin five minutes after closing but the nice lady whizzes me through, turning a blind ...

...a bomb blows up under my window at work, airport gets shut down and I, battling shock, anger and disbelief, I try to figure out how to salvage our suddenly crumbling Italian vacation...I figure out another flight - from Paris - and even a way to get there - by bus - and where to sleep - at my cousin's...they let us out of the building and I rush to the bus station half on foot half by city bike, because the whole city is gridlocked and public transportatio...

So I...1. Prepared my breakfast packs for the treks I'm going to do. Seeing as I'm changing planes in Atlanta, the guys from DEA will be delighted to see this (see photo).2. Will have you know that this year Santa is coming to Argentina from the Netherlands!!! So maybe I should be called Zwarte Piet? :) (Black Peter - a character which in Holland is more readily associated with Xmas gifts than Santa).