Away Days – The Check In

Cork to Paris, Paris to Geneva to face the might of Bourgoin in a new destination for the MRSC to travel and explore the likes of the cathedral, lakes and deep culture of cosmopolitan Switzerland.

We arrived into Cork Airport and the lovely check in lady said “We have a renewed strategic alignment with Air France so we can check your bags all the way to Geneva”

Great the first four of us say, happy days, no dragging luggage across the airport, but not the fifth member of the group – “No way lads I am collecting my bag in Paris and placing it back on the next flight to Geneva, I have heard horror stories of this straight option”.

A large scale row kicks off with the willing four seeking to alter the outliers mind with images of us leaving him behind as we navigate the endless corridors and inter-connectors of Charles De Gaulle

We all make the connecting flight from Paris to Geneva even with the non-oiled wheels of our buddy’s weekend bag making a racket as we wait while he queues to place his bag on the next flight.

The flight full of Munster red stepped off the plane and headed to the carousel to pick up the bags and yes you are right to think, that as the waiting throng of people dwindled as their luggage arrived and as out came our safety first friends weekend bag, that we did wonder if we were cursed as our bags did not appear to the unmerciful howls of our bag friend who had tears running down his face in hysterical laughter.

Off to the lost luggage gang to be informed our bags were in CDG, we passed on our hotel details and we were told they would arrive at the latest the following morning.

Day 1:

Hotel, check in, drop the one bag and hit the meeting point for one or two and then sightseeing in Geneva.

Well that was the plan and all worked out until the bit about sightseeing,  we did have another two days so we said we would be grand lets have another one or two in the comfort of the hundreds of Red Army supporters in Mr Pickwick’s in the centre of Geneva.

Day 2:

Didn’t feel great at breakfast  while at least the bags would arrive so we could change the jersey and clothes in preparation for the match, our bag friend at this stage was willing to let us share his deodorant for a small fee and moved from table to table over breakfast spreading the gospel on not booking the bag fully to the end destination using us as exhibit A with finger pointing and laughter.

Out to reception seeking the bags to be informed no delivery as of yet. We contacted Aer Lingus to be informed they were still in Paris and would be with us in the morning, our friends fee for sharing of toiletries went up as in all supply and demand models, we hopped to the chemist purchased some tooth paste, brush etc.. it was cheaper than our shylock peer..

As we moved to the ground via the fancy tram on a 30 minute journey I will always remember the faces of the locals who could not understand why each tram car that passed was full to the brim of folks in red who were happy and loud, most of the locals did not move and allowed the tram to go on.

At the match a man who did find time to sight-see had purchased a cow bell which he decided to take to the game with him and ring with vigour every time Munster made a positive move up the field. Such a noise was not aligned with the late night pub and day after vibe and it was with great applause and cheering when another supporter went back and took the cow bell and placed it under his seat.

Now you would have thought the bell ringer would have sought back his prize possession but the chief silencer was none other than “The Claw” himself so sense prevailed and the cow bell stayed with the new owner.

After the successful match result we needed to attend the post match review with the panel of hundreds in Mr Pickwick’s bar, at least we had one more half day to sight-see!!

Day 3:

Up for breakfast past the receptionist who again gave us the latest update on the bag crisis which was “no news”. I was now wearing a Bourgoin training top that I had purchased at the ground and in an effort to mend the dividing classes of have and have not’s our distant acquaintance had opened up his toiletries bag for a brief period.

One of the gang indicated that he had left his glasses in Mr Pickwick’s the night before so we hopped on the tram to the bar to be met by the owner of the bar who wanted to thank us for all the custom from the Red Army over the weekend so we had one or two as diplomats.

Arrived back to the hotel to depart for the airport and our bags followed us in the door.

As we all checked our bags back into the Paris to Cork flight ….

I will say the Cathedral and Lake of Geneva look amazing from 10,000 ft.