Out of the Blue being closed in Dingle is trivial compared to some of the total travel fails I've experienced over the years. My travel companion this last year, Maggie, and I, seem to encounter them more than most travel duos. It doesn't matter who is with us, they have no hope in preventing the inevitable. For my own memory and ability to retrospectively laugh, here are some of the latest mishaps.

One mega fail were the attempts to go strawberry picking in Germany. Strawberry season is solid end of May to mid-July. Multiple people informed us that you can go to a strawberry farm with a basket and eat and pick as many as you like, weigh them, and take them home. We thought this was pretty much the bees knees, so we Googled a strawberry farm about 45 minutes by bike and off we went. Upon arrival at the strawberry farm, there was a HUGE strawberry 3-D statue and a bear clothed in a strawberry pattern. We knew had come to the right place, but oh how wrong were we? First, we walked into a shop and realized it was just a strawberry store. We then saw a sign for the Büro, or office, so we went there. It didn't have the most welcoming facade, and when we asked where we could pick strawberries, she responded we could not do it alone. We said ok that's fine, so who comes with us? She meant we could not pick them at all... FAIL FACTOR: 100%.

After returning from Ireland, we decided we needed to make a last ditch attempt at again going strawberry picking since the season was ending. This time, we headed out to Koffler in Durmersheim, where we knew it was possible to pick some juicy red strawberries. Time was limited, so we decided to leave the bikes at home and hop in the car. Upon arrival, I used my broken German to again find out how to pick the strawberries. She regretfully informed us that since it is the end of the season, there are not so many to pick anymore so it is first come first serve early in the mornings. All the strawberries for the day had been picked. I don't think we were even surprised, because of course we failed yet again. However, this time we each bought a 500g bucket of strawberries and grabbed a seat around the strawberry round table. When setting up the camera for a self-timer shot, Maggie exclaimed "Oh my God!" I wasn't sure if it was a bad or good one, until she followed "This is the BEST strawberry I've ever had!" And truly, they were. I can't even describe how sweet and juicy they were, so I will just tell you that we each ate 500g (that's over a pound) of strawberries in one sitting. FAIL FACTOR: 40%.



Then on Sunday, there was the lake incident. The weather here has been SO warm and on Saturday night, we decided heading to the lake on Sunday afternoon was just the trick. However, mid-45 minute ride to the lake, it begins to pour and we are in a field with NOTHING around us. So, we continue biking that way hoping it will pass. Upon arrival at the lake (Weingarten Baggersee if anyone cares), there is literal traffic because there are so many people leaving. Fortunately, our friends who traveled by car stayed and waited for us and we sat under a tree waiting out the storm. Then, a huge bolt of lightening struck nearby (it seriously NEVER lightenings in German, just our luck...) and we decided to hit the restaurant for some Radler and food. The plus side was, we got to enjoy a lovely view of the lake with no one around. Negatives, we never got to go swimming or beaching. FAIL FACTOR: 65%.



I cannot blame it all on Maggie, though. Things happen when she's not there, too.

For instance, this Monday night when my cousin was coming to stay a couple nights in Karlsruhe. It was very last minute as he'd been trying to fly standby out of Paris, but realized it was impossible so a second ditch effort would be made out of Frankfurt. On Monday, he informed me that his direct train from Paris would be arriving in Karlsruhe at 18:35. I arrived at the train station and waited on the platform for Chris. The train arrived and departed and Chris was nowhere to be seen. So, I began my 30 minute sweep of the train station looking for phoneless Chris. After deciding that he would have certainly found the Coffee Fellows or McDonald's WiFi by then, I sent him an email with how to use the tram and told him to inform me when he was at the station and I would meet him at my home tram stop.

Over two hours later, I get an email saying he had been forced to take a detour and the long way from Strasbourg, but he was now at the station and would be on the tram in 5 minutes. I headed out to the tram stop, it pulls up, and alas, Chris does not get off the tram. Then, I see it pull of with him headphones in and reading. I could not believe my eyes. I'd informed him it was only 4 or 5 stops, so I just hoped and prayed he'd figure it out and deboard and hop on the next tram in the opposite direction. I went back into my apartment and 40 minutes later headed back down to wait for the tram yet again. As it pulled off, I just had this feeling that there was no way he could be on it with the way things were going, but fortunately he actually was and I could finally send my nervous aunt some good news! Fail Factor: 70%.

What are some of your latest travel mishaps?