Packing part 2
First, I've managed to consolidate everything I am bringing with into a medium sized duffle bag and a backpack. I'm quite proud of that. It might be the lightest I've ever packed. If I have time before I leave, I'll make a short video about the final packing. End-goal is to keep things light. It makes the hills easier when you're riding a 50+ pound velomobile.
Now on to what I really want to talk about in this post: Garmin. I own an Edge 530. Two years ago when I went to Italy I downloaded maps from Garmin and forked over the $20 fee. I went to reload them to my phone last night and kept getting an error message. I contacted Garmin support this morning and was told the maps have expired. They are only good for one year. Garmin fails to mention this when you purchase the maps. Thankfully BBBike extract is working again and I am able to download maps of the needed region for free. If they work well, naturally I'll send a donation to help keep the service running. So, if you own a Garmin Edge 530 or similar, know that those maps purchases are only good for a year. The newer 540 apparently includes the maps for free. Planned obsolescence perhaps? Certainly very disappointing.
The second technical issue was my phone. I upgraded to a newer phone model. These things are so smart now, you just set them next to each other and follow a few prompts to transfer everything over. Problem is, it transferred my SIM card electronically and disabled the one in the old phone. Handy, except when you are leaving the old phone home to receive texts and calls while you are gone. My phone service carrier was unable to fix it via computer or phone call. I had to make a very rushed trip to the local phone store to have it fixed. Fortunately there were no other customers and the guy there was able to get the old phone working quickly. Unfortunately, that used up the time I was going to invest in mowing my lawn. Sorry, neighbors.
Checkin at the airport was quick and easy. I’m now standing around with a whole lot of other people waiting to board the flight. Apparently this is the busiest travel day so far this year. My flight is scheduled to leave at 6:20. It is 6pm and no one has boarded yet. Fortunately there is a 2 hour layover in München. I may need it. Just to be clear, I am in no hurry to get on the plane. The waiting area is a lot more comfortable and spacious.
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