It’s hard to believe that I leave for Porto a week tomorrow. Well, I have my safety pins – they’ll have to do for a safety net as well, because I don’t have one of those. However, I have my euros. I’m just taking 200, which is about $300.00 Canadian. I will have 2 credit cards and there are ATMs.
Of course getting both safety pins and euros, although they are not related, was still in the “really, how come this is happening folder.” I knew where I was going for the pins. I checked online, they hadn’t moved, they had 600 in stock, so unless there is some sort of duck tape/Velcro shortage, I should be OK.
Except I wasn’t. The store had moved. They hadn’t updated their info online and there I was in the Netherlands of Suburbia in need of a safe haven. Well the Camino provided. I remembered that there was another fabric store nearby, I was just not exactly sure where. I let the car decide. We turned at the lights, drove along for a bit and there is was.
I got safety pins, several sturdy clips to attach my hat – pictures to come – to my backpack and a chat with a nice cashier.
The euros were a different story. I went to the bank to order them. They said that they had them on the premises, but couldn’t open the vault. Come back at noon, when presumably the “vault opener” would be there. I returned. OK the problem wasn’t the vault opener – it never is – It was the vault itself – of course, blame an inanimate object. “Maybe I could just go to a few other branches and see if they had any euros to spare,” they said.
Maybe we should all just start stuffing our money into our mattresses because one day none of these vaults are going to open and the world will be screwed.
Well, if that should ever happen, at least my house will be clean, because I have scoured my fridge, including the freezer, I have scrubbed the shower stall – always a chore, I have sorted and tossed books from my bookcase – only to add more, since I’m on my 28th Camino book. Now, I have just the woodwork and floors to do – OK the cupboards and maybe the windows – I’ll think about the windows. There are services for them aren’t there.
That’s it for now. We’re doing Easter dinner on Good Friday a.k.a. Lucky Friday – it’s a long story, but everyone plus a family friend is available that day, so we will celebrate and then I will have 5 days to put everything in order.
Buen Camino!!