We were once again, sad when it was time to say 'goodbye' to the Viotti family. Silvio and Dominique drove us to a motel near the Geneva airport . The motel was actually in France yet only a few kilometers from the airport. These dear people are more living evidence that Father is at work in his world transforming and changing his children, enabling us to live in growing intimacy and friendship with him. And that with no training wheels or human support structures to keep us going apart from Jesus himself!
Before they drove away we hugged and felt that we had known each other for many years in stead of six days! Silvio put it this way in an email: “It is true that we didn't know who was coming, but on the other hand, you didn't know where you were going too, what was the expectations of the people you were going to meet. And I'm - we are - so happy to have you in our home. We love you so much, Isn't it great that I feel so much like if you are some remote cousins that all of a sudden came back from Australia to visit us ! You are family ! (Well, I have to say that you are NOT Italian, but you still are a nice bloke, however you spell it) Really we enjoyed your stay...”
We stayed at the motel because our plane left very early n the morning and as with all the security stuff these days we needed to be at the airport about 4.30 am and as the Viotti's live over an hour's drive away it seemed a good idea to us and them!
The motel was a noisy and busy place. There were tradesmen still working upstairs from where we tried to sleep. If that was't enough, the weather had taken a turn upward and the room, built for cold winters was hot, humid and stuffy. That was enough for the night to be a sleepless event. But that's not all! When we have an early call Val wakes every hour or so to check we haven't slept in! We did sleep a little.
Our flight to Frankfurt was quick, comfortable and efficient. The bus transport from the aircraft to the terminal was anything but. We were herded into the coach and then had to wait and wait locked in and with no information about what was happening. We felt a bit like animals but I think we care for animals better than that. In fairness we should say that Frankfurt airport is undergoing massive changes and development and that may explain our two rather negative experiences.
We found our way around this gigantic place to counter number 295 which deals with lost items and a lovely lady came and we retreaved the phone lost on our last adventure in Germany a week before. It was good to see the problem resolved.
The trip to Chennai was uneventful. If you can say that sitting in an old Boeing 747 with more than 300 people, mainly lovely Indians and quite a number with small children and all with lots of carry-on luggage for nearly 9 hour uneventful. But we knew that ahead of us was the moment of truth. Would Val's visa be acceptable in the wrong passport?
With all that build up we made our way through the shining newness of Chennai International airport. We qued at immigaration and made our way wonderingly to the officer. We handed hime the passports and explained the slight problem... he grunted and hit Val's pasport with the stamp of approval and it was over! Val was in! Immigration Officers had changed since Kevin's last visit in November. Gone were the police like uniforms and now in matching civilian attire they did not seem as severe as they had before. Then a brother here told us that he had heard of Australian arriving without a visa being given a 7 day visa at te airport! (Perhaps we should have done that and saved the $140 charged and the two trips to Melbourne... oh well!)
At around 2.00 am we dropped into bed at the dear old Hotel Blue Diamond where we ave often stayed while in Chennai.
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