The Vacuum Bag Saga Part II

Greetings,

I did not really expect to write about our vacuum bag issues on a blog, but the issues continue, so I have to continue the story.

"Austria. Next to Germany. Home of Siemens products, including our vacuum. Perfect," I think. Ha. I carefully write down our specific type of vacuum. After Christmas day in Seefeld, Austria, our home for two weeks, I meander into a small appliance type shop which sells expensive clocks, espresso makers, hair dryers, and vacuums, among other things. I buy two alarm clocks - radio-controlled which are not, in turns out, radio-controllable in Saudi Arabia (though we can manually set them) - and a travel hair dryer. I ask about vacuum bags. "Oh yes, I have Siemens bags," replied the saleswoman. "What type of vacuum do you have?" I slowly take out my notebook and show her what I have written down. It's the wrong information. "There is a small number on the bottom of your vacuum. I need that to know which kind of bag. Do you have your vacuum?"

Right. I always carry my *@*# vacuum when I travel. "No, I didn't bring the vacuum with me. I live in the Middle East."

"Oh, too bad," she says, looking truly sad. I ask her if she might be able to make a call to check for me on which bags are needed. She hesitates but comes around eventually and tells me that she will call when Siemens re-opens on January 5. We leave on January 6. No time to order.

We go to Innsbruck. I take my notebook with my list, just in case. We buy some court shoes for us and Hayden and inline skates for Logan, have a great lunch, and leave the restaurant just as all shops close for New Years Eve at 2:00 p.m. Fair enough. It's a holiday. We enjoy Innsbruck's incredible beauty, festive lights and trees, and forget vacuum bags.

Our final day, we leave Seefeld early to catch a train to Munich, hoping to have two hours to quickly find and buy a few items we need but have a hard time finding in Jeddah. We get up early, take a lovely train to Innsbruck, get on the ICE train to Munich and sit back with a beautiful breakfast in the dining car. The boys are truly impressed. Hot chocolate. Eggs. Bread. On a stunning train going 155 km/hour. Wow. We get to Munich with few winter clothes on, mostly packed, knowing we are heading soon to Jeddah. It is FREEZING. Seriously cold. And all shops - I mean ALL shops - are closed for Three Kings Day. I had no idea that Bavaria celebrated a day in honor of the three kings who were at Jesus's birth. The church bells are going crazy, and we slip into a huge cathedral to enjoy the choir, the warmth, a sermon given in German with a welcome to the congregation in English, Spanish, and Italian. The music is phenomenal and the cathedral is breathtaking. After some time we head back outside. It's even colder. We head back to the train station, passing by a large beautiful store with MY vacuum in the window. Closed. The train to the Munich airport goes right past a stop named for Siemens products. Sigh. I am just not destined to get these bags. I guess it's time to empty the bag again - or buy a broom.

Thanks for reading. Jennifer