Travel Document Rush

So looks like we are going to Scotland next week to visit my sister Chantal and my nephew Zack! He is 4 months younger than Emmeline and I have never met him before!

We were planning to go over there together, Xavi, Emmeline and I but Xavi’s job is very unpredictable.  We don’t know when a job is going to be accepted, and when it is accepted, he works Monday – Saturday which means there is no time for a holiday! So we have waited and waited for a free few days, but with no joy. We were going to go together in March, but in February another n=job got accepted and so March went out the window. Then the boat that they are working on now had to go to a different marina which means that xavi has to go and work down the coast for a week to 10 days. And so I decided to use this time to go to Scotland with Emmeline and visit them!

Then it hit me that if I was planning on travelling with Emmeline I would need to get her an identity document, her DNI! Freak out!

So it started by waking up at 7am to get ready and leaving home at 8:15 – Emmeline in the Baby Bjorn and my bag filled with milk, water, toys etc fully prepared for a long day! By 08:40am I was in the queue at the ‘Registro Civil’ (Civil Registry) to get Emmeline’s birth certificate. I was kind of hoping that having a baby strapped to my chest would give me some kind of advantage but I was too shy to try. Although the Brazilian man who was behind me was convinced that I should try and see if they would let me in first due to the fact that I had a baby. I meekly went to the front of the queue and asked the security guard if I had to wait in the queue just to get a birth certificate. That was my way of asking if there was any chance that I could jump the queue. The answer was that I did indeed have to wait in the whole queue, therefore No; I could not jump the queue!!

So we got her birth certificate and jumped into a taxi up to the ‘Comiseria’ (Police station) to get her DNI done. But first we had to get her photos done. This involved waking a very tired Emmeline – not a good idea! Eventually got the photos done and off we went, but as I got the comiseria, I realised that I had no money to pay for it, so back out to draw some cash. Back in we went but the lady at the front desk informed me that the ‘Padron’ (document stating where you live) that I have for Emmeline was out of date and that I would need a current one in order to get her DNI.

CRAP!!!!

So back in a taxi, down to the pardon office got a new pardon for Emmeline, back in a taxi and back to the comiseria. Phew!

Then came the 2 – 2.5hr wait. So much fun!!

Eventually we got called up and 10 minutes and 10euros later, Emmeline had her identity card!!

Yaay, we can go to Scotland!!