@stefano in 1996 I missed a flight from Amsterdam (I worked in NL then), to Italy for a research visit, paid by the Italian side, because the Italian consulate was too slow in issuing me a visa (which I needed for my then Soviet passport:-)).

I also recall well how, after I arrived, by train, a couple of days later than planned, my host took me to do various kinds of bureaucracy; it involved mailing some documents, and he explained to me that he needs to take a bottle of glue to the post office, as the stamps don't have enough glue on them to be put on the envelope...

@stefano

You tell a story so well! I could almost feel the turmoil. I lost a purse with passport and house keys. I think I had my wallet with an ID and money in my coat pocket. I was able to fly back from Frankfurt to W. Berlin and got a spare apartment key from someone. Got a new passport pretty quickly. Several months later my old passport arrived in the mail. Not nearly the headache you had. It's such a sick feeling, though. Mine was outright stolen on a bus ride.