Proof of Onward Travel

We might as well be Mexicans. The Swiss apparently don't want us to melt their Alps because we need to provide "proof of onward travel" in order to fly into their country....

[Jesse commandeers blog as Paige heads to la toilette pre-SAN-IAD...]

Yes, Americans are the Mexicans of more countries than they might guess. Once you've seen the gleam of Switzerland (or many other countries for that matter), it becomes really hard to continue in the belief that the US is unquestionably, universally, unarguably the most desirable acreage on the planet, even if you subscribe to the ever-so-questionable, non-universal, arguable proposition that richer, cleaner, and more shiny equals better...

OK, rant over. Now back to listening to folks complain about how their lives are ending because they can't view Stage 9 on versus.com...I'll give you back to Paige...

We're going to miss our flight to Washington Dulles if we don't stop blogging...

au revior. love P and J.
and happy bastille day (in france) july 14th

My dad found this. We might just have to try it: http://www.flixxy.com/how-to-open-wine-bottle-with-shoe.htm

July 15th, 2010: made it to Geneva, Switzerland @ 7:30 am here (10;30 pm home) .. 9 hour time difference!

Back to the proof of onward travel story. We thought we were allowing enough time to go to the airport, and make a last minute stop at both REI and Fry's. BUT with Paige and Jesse, there is never enough time. We tried to check in on-line before leaving Aptos, but that's when we received the error message, "You cannot check in until you provide proof of onward travel." We called United. They first said we need Visas. Jesse asked if our stamp on the passport was good enough for a travel Visa..then he mumbled something about putting too much faith in our American passports. Great, a debacle before even leaving for the airport!!! Anyway, we went to Fry's, utilized their "free" internet, bought train tickets online to Germany (cheapest, can cancel for a free refund), met up with Grace at the Menlo Park VA who printed out our purchased tickets, and were off for SFO. The irony of the whole situation was when we got to SFO, the man working the check-in counter only asked Jesse, "How long are you going to be there?". He said, "a few days before heading to Germany." We didn't even need to go through all the trouble of buying/printing/and now refunding tickets (!!) We could have had lunch @ Pluto's on University Ave in Palo Alto. That's okay, Grace penciled us in for a lunch-date at Pluto's for 6 months in the future. :)

Safe in Geneva. Got our luggage. Off for Annecy, France.

P and J