Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Left Edmonton at 8:00 PM on the nose.  Flight was a rather full Boeing 767.  The flight itself was uneventful and rather smooth most of the way.  Received two meals, which was quite the throw back to days gone by.  Watched the movie "Taken 3" and on it's completion attempted to sleep.  I am not a very good "sleeper" on airplanes and this trip proved to be the same.  How does one sleep sitting up? It would have been a little easier if I were in the front of the plane as this one was the first that I had been on that had the lay flat beds in business class.  Would have loved to have been bumped up on this one - but it was not to be.  I was already booked in the cattle car.

Hethrow is huge.  I took a bus to get from terminal 2 to Terminal 5, then it seemed like I walked forever before getting to someone that I could ask about where I needed to go next.  They sent me through a lineup and then back through security.  What?  Sigh.  Had to throw out the water I bought in Edmonton.  Once through security and having my bags screened again I wandered into the main part of the terminal and gazed up at the huge boards of flights.  I found mine, or so I thougth.  I miss read it which had me take an internal train to the "C" gates.  As I wandered around there looking for gate C-53, I couldn't find my flight on the board there.  After asking a few people I discovered what went wrong.  Hethrow has so many flights leaving that they don't assign the gate until less than an hour before the flight. So, I had to walk back to the "A" gates (where the main boards are), and wait for my gate to be assigned.  Oh well, a few more steps on the fitbit to compete with the kids!  Sat down for a bite of lunch and will wait for the gate assignment.

The gate was not where I was waiting, so thankful that I went back the the main gate.  Jumped on the plane for a short two hour flight to Porto.  This is the first time I have ever experienced an aborted landing.  It seems as though the winds had shifted as we were coming down and the pilot decided that he didn't want to land like that.  The next thing you can feel is them gunning the engines and you are climbing again.  A few moments later the co-pilot comes on and in a very calm voice explains the situation.  There is something about that Britain accent that just makes everything OK.  So, we came around again and put her down this time.  

Bag arrived!  Big relief.  Without my stuff I basically couldn't go on.  Pulled it off the carousel and headed for the Metro.  Turns out I needed a card from the first floor the the airport.  Back I trudge and get this card which cost me only a few Euros, then back to the train.  A half an hour ride and I was at my stop where Brenda a Jim were waiting for me.  "Fancy meeting you guys here".  We walk to the guest house in the rain and had the customary Port greeting.  Very nice people.  And the room is fantastic.  Then we went out for dinner to a little place just like you would see in the movies.  Sitting in a narrow cobblestone roadway with only a few tables.  Food was great.

Off to bed as tomorrow we take the car ride (4 hours) to Leon.

A great travel day - although I am looking forward to some sleep.

Curt