There's a reason I'm kissing my suitcase.

Ok...

We didn't mind not getting on a plane that had technical difficulties and waiting for a substitute plane to arrive from Lugano.

We didn't mind missing our connection...there was a 19h flight to Malta.

Only...

Alitalia wouldn't put us on it.

OKaaaaaaayyyy...

They would put us up overnight at the Marriott Courtyard and feed us.

Okaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy....

We asked for our luggage to be returned.

"I'll send a telex and go to carousel 16. It'll take about 20 minutes. If it doesn't show up, go to Lost and Found."

Telex? They still exist?

At carousel 16 forty minutes later we headed for Lost and Found.

Over the course of the next four hours we talked to four different people. All promised to send telexes and we should wait.

We told them to tell the people that one suitcase was a distinctive red and the other had teddy bears. No one did.

A supervisor wasn't available, but a man for whom the word swarmy must have been coined, came out. His smile, designed to work on little old ladies, did little.

He told us our luggage was missing but not to worry it would be on the next flight. J and I had alternated handling these different stories but if it were missing how could they put it on a flight and how did he know which flight?

He didn't answer.

Not okay.

We gave up...had a lovely night in two lovely rooms at the hotel, a great dinner.

In Malta when our suitcases appeared, we figured it was just one more reason to celebrate...this time with a kiss.