A fun trip to Lisbon to meet Sonja
A fun trip/ London to Lisbon to meet Sonja
I was supposed to leave London from Gatwick airport on December 24th a few hours after Lucas boarded his plane back to the U.S. I was going to fly to Madrid, spend two days there and then take the overnight train to Lisbon and be there on the 27th, a day before Sonja arrived. Instead the airline I had booked to Madrid, Air Madrid, went out of business the week of Christmas and I was stranded in London. To complicate matters London had been shrouded in fog beginning the 22nd and all flights in and out of London were cancelled for that day, and most were cancelled on the 23rd. So I booked a flight to Valladolid Spain on Ryan air for the 26th with the intention of catching the afternoon train to Madrid and then jumping on the overnight to Lisbon. London was a little strange for Christmas since everything closes at about 5 on Christmas eve and is closed all day Christmas. And I mean everything...buses, subways, stores, cafes etc, //so it was almost like being in a ghost town once you left the hostel. But I caught my flight the 26th and headed to Valladolid. I had two hours between landing to get to the airport and buy tickets to Madrid and then to Lisbon. I found the correct shuttle bus to the city center and even found a Brit who showed me how to walk to the train station from the city center. The I went up to the window and even though no one spoke English I was able to book a seat to Madrid and then a ticket to Lisbon on the Madrid to Lisbon "Hotel Train'. And with 1.5 hours to spare. I strolled thru town so proud of myself.The first sign of trouble was when the train was 20 minutes late arriving coming into Valladolid. I only had 35 minutes between connections in Madrid. But unless something else happen I was still OK. And we made good time and arrived in Madrid with 15 minutes to locate and board the Hotel Train. I was so tired. and the sleep is so good on the trains that I was anxious to get going. Jump on the train, get in bed, wake up in Lisbon. I was in car 38.
As I walked down the steps to my platform, number 6, I was beside car 25 so I continued to walk. 26,27,28......and I could see in the windows as people were preparing their beds. I was wondering if the guy had booked me in first class (2 beds to a room) or second class (4 beds to a room). I didn't know since we did not speak the same language and I could not really tell from looking at my ticket. 32,33,34,35.......Now I was getting close to the end of the train and close top my bed. But car 36 was not a sleeper car. It was as car of regular seats. And so was 37 and 38......3rd class...no bed...and to make matters worse I was in the middle of the car face to face with another passenger. I could not even stretch out my legs. I started laughing because I had heard of these type of arrangements, and even told people about them, and not I got to experience it first hand. Oh well...it struck me as funny. How proud I was of myself. By midnight all of the humor had dissipated and by the time we arrived in Lisbon I was sore, sleepy and a little irritated. \nBut soon I would be at my hostel, the Oasis. All I had to do was catch bus 105 outside the train terminal go 5 stops and then walk through the arch in the yellow building, cross three streets and catch trolley 28 for 6 stops, get off, cross the street, walk half a mile and I was there. \nAfter 3 hours of looking for bus 105, I was finally told that it stopped being a bus route last week. But bus 746 kinda does the same route. Well I took 746 and it did. Then I followed the direction and by noon I was there. Yipppe......Welcome to Lisbon \n\n\n",0]
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As I walked down the steps to my platform, number 6, I was beside car 25 so I continued to walk. 26,27,28......and I could see in the windows as people were preparing their beds. I was wondering if the guy had booked me in first class (2 beds to a room) or second class (4 beds to a room). I didn't know since we did not speak the same language and I could not really tell from looking at my ticket. 32,33,34,35.......Now I was getting close to the end of the train and close top my bed. But car 36 was not a sleeper car. It was as car of regular seats. And so was 37 and 38......3rd class...no bed...and to make matters worse I was in the middle of the car face to face with another passenger. I could not even stretch out my legs. I started laughing because I had heard of these type of arrangements, and even told people about them, and not I got to experience it first hand. Oh well...it struck me as funny. How proud I was of myself. By midnight all of the humor had dissipated and by the time we arrived in Lisbon I was sore, sleepy and a little irritated. But soon I would be at my hostel, the Oasis. All I had to do was catch bus 105 outside the train terminal go 5 stops and then walk through the arch in the yellow building, cross three streets and catch trolley 28 for 6 stops, get off, cross the street, walk half a mile and I was there. After 3 hours of looking for bus 105, I was finally told that it stopped being a bus route last week. But bus 746 kinda does the same route. Well I took 746 and it did. Then I followed the direction and by noon I was there. Yipppe......Welcome to Lisbon
I was supposed to leave London from Gatwick airport on December 24th a few hours after Lucas boarded his plane back to the U.S. I was going to fly to Madrid, spend two days there and then take the overnight train to Lisbon and be there on the 27th, a day before Sonja arrived. Instead the airline I had booked to Madrid, Air Madrid, went out of business the week of Christmas and I was stranded in London. To complicate matters London had been shrouded in fog beginning the 22nd and all flights in and out of London were cancelled for that day, and most were cancelled on the 23rd. So I booked a flight to Valladolid Spain on Ryan air for the 26th with the intention of catching the afternoon train to Madrid and then jumping on the overnight to Lisbon. London was a little strange for Christmas since everything closes at about 5 on Christmas eve and is closed all day Christmas. And I mean everything...buses, subways, stores, cafes etc, //so it was almost like being in a ghost town once you left the hostel. But I caught my flight the 26th and headed to Valladolid. I had two hours between landing to get to the airport and buy tickets to Madrid and then to Lisbon. I found the correct shuttle bus to the city center and even found a Brit who showed me how to walk to the train station from the city center. The I went up to the window and even though no one spoke English I was able to book a seat to Madrid and then a ticket to Lisbon on the Madrid to Lisbon "Hotel Train'. And with 1.5 hours to spare. I strolled thru town so proud of myself.The first sign of trouble was when the train was 20 minutes late arriving coming into Valladolid. I only had 35 minutes between connections in Madrid. But unless something else happen I was still OK. And we made good time and arrived in Madrid with 15 minutes to locate and board the Hotel Train. I was so tired. and the sleep is so good on the trains that I was anxious to get going. Jump on the train, get in bed, wake up in Lisbon. I was in car 38.
As I walked down the steps to my platform, number 6, I was beside car 25 so I continued to walk. 26,27,28......and I could see in the windows as people were preparing their beds. I was wondering if the guy had booked me in first class (2 beds to a room) or second class (4 beds to a room). I didn't know since we did not speak the same language and I could not really tell from looking at my ticket. 32,33,34,35.......Now I was getting close to the end of the train and close top my bed. But car 36 was not a sleeper car. It was as car of regular seats. And so was 37 and 38......3rd class...no bed...and to make matters worse I was in the middle of the car face to face with another passenger. I could not even stretch out my legs. I started laughing because I had heard of these type of arrangements, and even told people about them, and not I got to experience it first hand. Oh well...it struck me as funny. How proud I was of myself. By midnight all of the humor had dissipated and by the time we arrived in Lisbon I was sore, sleepy and a little irritated. \nBut soon I would be at my hostel, the Oasis. All I had to do was catch bus 105 outside the train terminal go 5 stops and then walk through the arch in the yellow building, cross three streets and catch trolley 28 for 6 stops, get off, cross the street, walk half a mile and I was there. \nAfter 3 hours of looking for bus 105, I was finally told that it stopped being a bus route last week. But bus 746 kinda does the same route. Well I took 746 and it did. Then I followed the direction and by noon I was there. Yipppe......Welcome to Lisbon \n\n\n",0]
);
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As I walked down the steps to my platform, number 6, I was beside car 25 so I continued to walk. 26,27,28......and I could see in the windows as people were preparing their beds. I was wondering if the guy had booked me in first class (2 beds to a room) or second class (4 beds to a room). I didn't know since we did not speak the same language and I could not really tell from looking at my ticket. 32,33,34,35.......Now I was getting close to the end of the train and close top my bed. But car 36 was not a sleeper car. It was as car of regular seats. And so was 37 and 38......3rd class...no bed...and to make matters worse I was in the middle of the car face to face with another passenger. I could not even stretch out my legs. I started laughing because I had heard of these type of arrangements, and even told people about them, and not I got to experience it first hand. Oh well...it struck me as funny. How proud I was of myself. By midnight all of the humor had dissipated and by the time we arrived in Lisbon I was sore, sleepy and a little irritated. But soon I would be at my hostel, the Oasis. All I had to do was catch bus 105 outside the train terminal go 5 stops and then walk through the arch in the yellow building, cross three streets and catch trolley 28 for 6 stops, get off, cross the street, walk half a mile and I was there. After 3 hours of looking for bus 105, I was finally told that it stopped being a bus route last week. But bus 746 kinda does the same route. Well I took 746 and it did. Then I followed the direction and by noon I was there. Yipppe......Welcome to Lisbon
posted by Bryan at 3:48 PM
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