We're in Germany!!!!

To be specific, we're in Spangdahlem and still at the "airport". Jeremy left us to go get our rental car (took a cab, since it is a few miles away and raining), so I'm taking the opportunity to catch up on communicating with everyone at home.

We were very lucky and got out on the 1st flight with available seats out of Dover AFB. I'm not sure how we pulled it off, as there were A LOT of people waiting. They have a very detailed system of how available seats are assigned, so I guess we just got lucky that the system worked for us. We originally drove (like lunatics) to Dover thinking we could get a 1:30 AM flight on Tuesday morning, however when we got there the flight had (from what we can gather) been filled with cargo instead of passengers.

So, here I feel obligated to say that the US Air Force is AWESOME!!! If only commercial lines were operated as well (and as courteously). It amazed me as we sat waiting for our flight, how polite EVERYONE in the building was. Passengers were gracious (of course, they were flying for "free") and the staff was patient, kind and helpful. Really, I can't say one bad thing about the experience! On top of that, the terminal facility was really quite nice (not fancy, but well maintained and clean) and there was an AWESOME USO there. (By the way, the USO does an amazing job taking care of soldiers & their families when their traveling.) They had TV's, Wii's, computers with internet, a pool table and plenty of soft cushy chairs to rest in.

We left late on Tuesday afternoon, which put us here around 8 AM local time. We flew on a military aircraft -- a C17. It was like a big cargo plain, with seats along the outside wall. The plane was almost completely full of cargo, so there were only seats for about 20 passengers. The passengers were split in two and set on both sides of plane, closest to the front. In between us was what looked like a small trailer/storage shed -- like those little portable classrooms that schools use. It was definitely a different way to fly!!!

They don't provide meals, but we could buy a boxed lunch before boarding, so we were well taken care of. The flight crew was amazing -- they were friendly, helpful and, best of all, really laid back. We were allowed to spread out on the floor to sleep and were given pillows & blankets. Jeremy & Hannah ended up crashing on the floor, while I spread out on our three seats. (Thanks to the ambien Jeremy & I took, we slept pretty well, though Hannah doesn't look quiet as well rested.) One guy on the plane even rigged up a hammock. I must say, I think it was a ton of fun getting to travel this way! Here is a shot of our side of sleepers (see the hammock on the left):

It was REALLY noisy in the plane. We had to wear earplugs, so visiting was out (which wasn't bad, since we really did need to get some sleep). There really weren't windows, so I didn't see anything coming in -- if I have a complaint, that would be it. But, hey, it was free, so who am I to complain?

Here is a shot of Jeremy & Hannah in their seats before take-off: So, now we are off to the Champagne region of France. Hopefully my next update will be tonight from Epernay (near Reims).

Disclaimer: I can't get the photos off my good camera until I get home, so the shots I'm posting now are from Hannah's little point & shoot. I'll have better stuff later...