Going to the Spa...

...at the Sofitel Hotel yesterday, was a fun experience for my mother!


As my mother's return flight to the States left at 7 AM this morning and as there was no connecting flight from Corfu that would allow her to make the flight without spending the night in the airport, we decided to take advantage of the Sofitel Hotel just across from the Arrivals hall.

We flew to Athens yesterday morning and spent the day enjoying the Hotel (it's the same price if you check in at 11 AM or 11 PM! to spend the night.).. and the spa facilities therein.

I'd called from Corfu, and made appointments for her to have her hair done, and a manicure and pedicure. That way she'd be comfortable and rested for her return flight - in spite of the fact we had to wake up at 4 AM and be at the check in desk at 5 AM!

For myself, I'd packed my bathing suit and took advantage of the heated pool and sauna. It was very Very nice. More so because I was the only one swimming and later using the sauna! There were a couple of people who came to have a massage, but I just ignored them.

The Sofitel provided a wheelchair for her to transition to from the Airport service wheelchair, and of course the GoldAir service (through Aegean Airlines) took excellent care of her before and after the flight.

We had a very nice and light supper in the piano bar, and had a very early night (with a 4 AM hotel wake up call to back up my alarm clock!) The hotel wasn't cheap, but by the same token the room was designed for a handicapped person and worked out quite well. (there are "deals" to be had so don't write it off as 'over the top expensive', without checking things out should you need the service!)

The GoldAir representative arrived promptly with the wheelchair in the hotel lobby at 10 minutes before 5 AM to pick her up at the hotel and take her to her gate as well! I was most impressed. (and really, REALLY relieved!) The hotel provided us with a baggage cart to take over to the Departures hall. I got her checked in and said good bye and went to my gate to sleep and eventually (8 AM!) fly back to Corfu where T was waiting to sweep me off to the house to have a very nice catch up and breakfast together.

The only drawback to all this gallivanting is that I seem to have caught -- ANOTHER AIRPLANE COLD! Bleh.

Brussels weather is NOT Corfu weather

Brrrrr! For some reason, it feels much colder here than it does in Corfu! (possibly because it was 6C/43F degrees last night...) Autumn has arrived here.

Looking out the windows to the back yard of my cousin's home in Alsemberg, it's obvious that it's fall.

In Corfu we can still pretend we're having a bit of Indian summer weather, but in Belgium winter is just around the corner and waiting to pounce.

My cousin will finish with work early this afternoon to swoop us off to have some lunch in Beersel (near the castle!) Then we'll go and visit with my aunt.

Meanwhile: a little FYI update on flying to Brussels...

The trip was mostly uneventful, once ON the airplane, but the "new" Olympic Air is not all that much different from the "old" Olympic Airlines.

The handicapped riser (to get a wheelchair-bound person onto the airplane, didn't work in Corfu, so my poor arthritic mother had to climb the stairs into the airplane. (They offered - to her embarrassment, to carry her!)

On arrival in Athens the lift/riser DID work so she got out of the plane without having to negotiate the stairs (thankfully). And yay!, the wheelchair was there and available for her for our six hour wait between flights.

[We opted for the slightly more upscale, but MUCH nicer option of leaving the airport proper and crossed the street to the Athens Sofitel Hotel, where we had a delicious lunch in comfortable chairs - served by helpful waiters- in the bar with suitable beverages, and complimentary newspapers. Yes it was more expensive than McDonalds, but it was EVER so much more civilized...]

The next leg- to Brussels was again on Olympic Air. (or as T now refers to them, Olympic Air"heads") We left late- it "wasn't their fault!". (Just like old times!)

Also, sadly, the food was still mediocre (cleverly I chose NOT to take a tray of "pastistio or moussaka" - the crew wasn't sure either...). Frustratingly the trays remained in front of everyone for almost half of the 4 hour trip.

When we arrive in Brussels- and whether it was the fault of Olympic Air, or the Brussels handicapped services- we were again "let down", as my mother -now less flexible after a full day of travel- had to haul herself the length of the gantry to the motorized car that would supposedly take her to the baggage area. (After she reached the car the young man explained she could have taken the wheelchair, only he clearly had told her to walk to the car at the end of the gantry, while he loaded the two other ladies onto the wheelchairs.)

This young man, who was 'in charge' of the wheelchairs/automatic cart, was apparently just a poor communicator still, we noted on top of that slight problem, he managed to be singularly officious as well. (as was the Olympic Air staff at the gate).

After the Olympic Staff woman in charge at the gate came to "inform" me that I was wrong in my expectations of handicapped services for my mother, the word helpful, never again came to mind in conjunction with Olympic Air. It died a solid death with her firm words as it came right exactly at the end of our journey. Sadly, it will remain as the last "taste" in my mouth of their "new" persona.

The new Olympic Air motto expressed to me as I heard it from her, now appears to be "No Apologies. We're never wrong, you are."

Fortunately we'll be returning via Aegean Airlines. Perhaps we'll have better stories to tell...