Travelling

Nuka has travelled fairly a lot for a youg canine. We've made a long drive to Spain in the fall with ferries and all. Nuka has always been very calm traveller in a car. Mostly she has been sleeping in her own safety belt. Anyway, when it came time to go back to Finland, I was a bit restless.

I was ment to travel with Nuka on a plane. Even getting a flight for me and my dog was testing. When spring began in Finland, it seemed that everybody travelling from Spain to Finland had a dog to be transported. I called every air lines flying to Finland from Murcia and Alicante, but no. Every one had their dog quota full, or they only had places in the hold. For some reason I didn't want to put my small, hairless and warm loving dog to hold. Well, finally my persistence paid of and I got a ticket for me and Nuka to a plane going to Helsinki. Nuka was allowed to cabin with me in her bag. A small minus was that the flight was leaving from Barcelona airport, where we had to drive around 500 kilometres.

Anyway, we purchased necessary notes to Nuka's passport from a spanish vet. We had only minor disagreements with the vet about what we tought was needed for going to Finland. Finally we got everyting sorted and it took only two visits, which is a little in that country if you are doing any arrangements.

The travelling day was going to be long: first over a 5 hour drive to Barcelona, then 4 hour flight to finland and then a drive home to Central-Finland (around 4 hours). Plus all the waitings... When we arrived to airport I walked with Nuka and hoped she would make her needs before the flight. Well, it didn't quite worked out and we had to go to the terminal.

People were more than interested about my hairless doggy, and gave some astonished looks. The check-in clerk was really competent and we got all the papers needed surprisingly fast. I also paid Nuka's ticket in the airport: 5 kilos of dog costed us 25 euros. After check-in we started walking towards security check. In the middle of busy terminal hall Nuka's mind turned onto something she left unfinished outside and she made a huge poo in the middle of the floor. Maybe I wasn't the only one with butterflies in stomach. Luckily I was quick and equipped with plasticbag, so I collected the stuff swiftly away from peoples eyes.

Nuka's mild nervosity didn't relieve in security check. Guards were friendly and obviously in love for the little dog, Nuka just didn't think the same. She wanted to escape, when the guards took her two meters away from me. Guards were smiling and they had to ask is the dog all right as she is bald and all. I said yeah, yeah, and the trip went on.

Waiting in a busy lobby was not Nuka's thing. Luckily we had her own snug bag with us, Nuka could go there every time things got too exciting. Maybe after all the fuss in terminal quiet and cramped place under the plane's seat felt relieving from Nuka. As soon as I got her there, she fell asleep. There the trip went on as we both snoozed. Nuka still slept in the last driving part to home. I didn't have patience. But you should all have seen the joy when Nuka realised she was in a familiar place with familiar people!
-Marianna 12.6.2006

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