| We arrived early for our 8:20 PM flight from Tallahassee. Sat at a restaurant for a beer and fries with a view of the gate. Jo noted that the 5:59 flight was significantly delayed so she inquired and got us on the "early" flight. I rushed to pay the bill so we could board the flight and, once boarded, we sat on the tarmac for awhile. Finally the plane taxied to the runway....and sat.....and sat....and sat. The plane was so delayed that the window for arrival in Atlanta was pushed way back. The plane taxied back to the gate to let off passengers who wanted to spend the night in Tally rather than Atlanta. Jo desperately tried to get accurate information as to our connecting flight from Delta. Just as the doors were closed down and the plane taxied to take-off, she heard that we would likely miss our flight to Amsterdam. The plane touched down 27 minutes before our scheduled take-off. And then it sat as there was a bit of a back-up at the gates. When we finally de-boarded we ran from the extreme end of the terminal to the airport train to get to the international terminal on the extreme end of the line. We ran/power-walked to our gate (we really need to get some more cardio training), saw the plane, but the doors were locked and no one was there to help us. We - and about 20 others - watched in disbelief as the plane pulled away from the gate at the exact scheduled departure time. We stood in line at the Delta help-desk without moving and watching the line grow longer and longer. Jo went hunting for another person to help us schedule a new flight plan for the next day: from Atlanta to Madrid and then to Lisbon instead of the originally scheduled Atlanta>Amsterdam>Lisbon and a voucher for a stay at the Airport Hilton. When we arrived the next day at the airport we went back to the Delta help desk armed with the information that there was a direct flight to Lisbon scheduled at the same time as the Madrid flight. After waiting for permission from someone on the phone we were booked on a flight that, due to all the weather affecting other flights, wasn't full. Of course, during this time we attempted to contact our AirBnB host to inform him of our ever changing arrival times. We arrived at the apartment in the very convenient tourist-popular Alfama neighborhood at 9:00 AM and he wasn't there - responding that check-in was noon. So we cooled our heels in a local sitting area for older residents. When we finally got in to the apartment we took a nap and then walked about - seeing the ever present parade of Tuk Tuks with their tourists going up and down the hilly cobblestoned streets. The streets are narrow, the sidewalks even more so. Paul had his elbow brushed by the side view mirror of a passing car. The next day we strolled through an immense flea market to the river port and up through a large field full |
of futbol fans waiting for the upcoming broadcast of the World Cup game between Portugal and Uruguay. Later, at the apartment, we heard our downstairs neighbors explode with excitement. A quick internet search showed us that Portugal had just tied the game. Happily for our sleep that night, Portugal lost so the neighborhood quieted down at a reasonable hour for a Saturday night.
On Sunday we strolled some more before our train trip south to Funcheira. The tiled buildings are gorgeous. At the highest point of the city we spied a suspension bridge that looks remarkably like the Golden Gate Bridge. The hills and walkability of the neighborhood made the guide book comparisons to San Francisco make sense. The train trip was relatively easy though we carefully counted stops to make sure we didn't miss our exit. Our hosts from Buinho Creative Hub picked us up for the half hour drive to Messejana and the beginning of our residency.
On Sunday we strolled some more before our train trip south to Funcheira. The tiled buildings are gorgeous. At the highest point of the city we spied a suspension bridge that looks remarkably like the Golden Gate Bridge. The hills and walkability of the neighborhood made the guide book comparisons to San Francisco make sense. The train trip was relatively easy though we carefully counted stops to make sure we didn't miss our exit. Our hosts from Buinho Creative Hub picked us up for the half hour drive to Messejana and the beginning of our residency.