Aren't those overnight flights TO Spain exciting?? Man-o-Man!! I love them -- even though I can NEVER sleep! I'm So jazzed to be returning to my beloved Spain that I can never read the books I take, I feel I want/need to watch all the free movies they show, my thoughts are about touching down on Spanish soil.

I think some of you recall my last tales of my October 2000 trip, but if not.... I was lucky enough to have an aisle seat (my REQUIRED seat) on the side of the plane which only has 2 seats (with 5 in the middle). I rarely talk much to the person sitting next to me, but for this trip I was DELIGHTED to be sitting next to a 20-something who was on his way to Mallorca (or was it Ibiza?). He was working as a hairdresser working in Hollywood, stylishly dressed, outwardly gay, (I'm straight, by the way, if any of you weren't sure) VERY talkative & friendly, and we had a great time chatting about our favorite parts of Spain and everything else. I can't remember another time when I passed those 8 flight hours more easily and more enjoyably! We were fast friends and didn't sleep, but talked and laughed and then we said goodbye at the end of the flight. The return flight to the USA was interesting too because I was bringing the 76 year old mother of my ladyfriend. It was her FIRST time on an airplane - poor thing.. She was a bit airsick, but I tried to keep her occupied and her mind on happy things in her life, asking her about her younger years in Spain, her experiences as a girl during the civil war and how she and her family hid in the caves in the mountains in Santander, hearing the bombs in the city down below. VERY interesting.

The trip before that one when returning to the US, I sat across the aisle from a guy and a dozen or so of his teammates who were on a soccer team, playing in some tournament in Florida. He didn't speak any English and I didn't speak much spanish then, but he asked if I smoked and I said no, only cigars, and he chuckled. At lunch, he was happy to see I ordered a Cruzcampo beer with lunch and we talked about other beers of Spain.

And how 'bout that airplane food? I almost always fly on Delta (as I am this month) and, to me, the food is always suprisingly good! I love having a small bottle of red wine with my dinner. But you know, it seems they almost feed you TOO often on those flights. Seems about every 3 hours you get another full meal. Well, okay, a dinner at takeoff at about 7 or 8pm, then a kind of snack 3 hours later, then breakfast and hour before landing.

And I can't stand siting for those 8 hours! I'm often up and standing in the space between first class and coach at the emergency exit, doing deep knee bends, twisting at the waist, raising my arms over my head, rotating my head/neck, and talking to whomever is standing there with me.. Funny how few people like to talk on flights. I think it's generally different on flights going overseas (or to Mexico) as everyone's going on vacation. Occasionally you'll sit next to a Spaniards, but it seems rare. I generally don't tell anyone that I have a website about Madrid because it would appear I'm bragging or advertising.

Bathrooms on Planes: SO SMALL!! hehehee.. An hour before landing...everyone is waking up and standing in line to reapply makeup, brush teeth, wash faces, put on deoderant, comb hair, and everything else people do in the morning, all with hundreds of others and in a space the size no larger than a broom closet. And get this! SO FAR, if I'm not able to change it, my seat this month is an aisle seat in the last row of the plane... so that means I'll be RIGHT next to the bathroom door. :o I'll have to take my nose plugs with me. hehehe.. But at least I won't have to walk far if I have to go. BUT STILL! And since my seat is in the last row it won't full recline. I hate that.

And how 'bout the ARCTIC climate we always have on those overnight flight! Maybe it's because it's at night and you're thousands of feet in the air?? It never seems THAT cold during daytime return flights. I always take a sweater and there are never enough blankets for everyone who asks for them.

What other airplane stories of your trips to/from Spain do we have?? I'm sure everyone has some! Let's share!

Saludos, MadridMan

Ok...airplane stories...my first flight to Spain my seat was SMACK DAB right in the MIDDLE of the 5-seat-across section. I never realized just how claustrophobic I was until that flight! I was too excited to sleep too, I tried watching the movie, "Throw Mama From the Train", but when everyone around you is sleeping or getting airsick, it's not as happenin' as you'd like it to be!!

I think my favorite story on a return flight, though, came this past April. I flew Air Europa, and my friend and I were in the 2-seat section (very good, because I like the isle, she likes the window, and I don't normally talk much to people around me either). About 4 rows in front of us-in bulkhead seats-were 2 brothers, unaccompanied 6 & 8 year olds travelling from Spain to the US. As the story goes their dad lives in Holland, mom in Spain, and someone else is in the US. They were hitting the flight attendant button during the entire flight-at one point one of the maile flight attendants got 'in their face' and warned them to be good. Finally by the 6th or so hour, I guess they couldn't stand each other any more and actually started hitting each other with their backpacks!! Everyone around them was hitting the flight attendant buttons & the entire flight crew (minus pilot of course) was around their seats threatening them to behave! Of course, they had to de-plane first (and left a mound of candy/food wrappers strewn around their seats), and one of the flight attendants commented, as only Spaniards can, about how ill-mannered and rude they were! It was definitely quite the action-packed flight!

Now I've got my computer back from the PC doctor after - can't believe I did this - opening a couple, yes, not one but two, attachments from Wolf I can chip in with my favourite story.

For the first few years after coming to live in Spain Mrs Anchovy and I always went back to Ebgland for Christmas. One year we had boarded quite a large plane in Malaga for the two and a half hour trip and were waiting for take off. The captain came on and announced we were waiting for two late passengers. The minutes ticked away and finally two girls came running up the steps and through the door. We were sat right near it and watched as the drama unfolded.

The other passengers all gave ironic cheers and fastened their seat belts. The chief steward took their boarding passes, then rolled his eyes and in a very camp voice said, "Hold it, these are for the Amsterdam flight!" "Which one is that?" the girls enquired. The steward bent down and looked through the still open door and said "That one!" his pointing finger following the path of another plane taking off just at that moment.

The steward went on, "Anyway, how did you get to this aircraft in the first place?" "A man in a uniform saw we were in a hurry and pushed us through the gate and told us to run" one of the girls said. "Oh, so you'd do anything a man in a uniform asked you to do, would you dear?" he responed in a sarcastic voice. Everybody groaned as the taller of the girls, who was clearly not having a good day either, caught him with a sweet left hook to the chin and laid him out!!

Anyway, the girls departed in a hurry and a couple of minutes later the captain announced that the ground staff had given out two boarding cards too many by mistake and the requisite number of passengers was actually on board and so we would be taking off now. Great we thought, we'll still catch our connecting train in London.

Wrong!! A group of passengers then mutinied and refused to sit down until all the luggage had been taken off and identified and put back on again. I suppose it was a wise precaution, but when you were faced with the prospect of missing the last train we weren't too happy. Nonetheless, all the bags were taken off and lined up by the plane. Five rows of passengers at a time had to get off, find their bags and put them on a trolley ready to be loaded again. Anything not claimed would be left behind. It took two hours, at the end of which the doors were shut and the captain said again that we would finally be leaving and no bags were left on the tarmac. A cheer went up.... but it didn't end there. The lady in the row in front of us started pressing the attendant's button above her head frantically. "What's the matter?" asked the stewardess. "It's my husband," the lady replied. "Why, where is he?" The lady pointed out the window and said "There!" We looked out of our window and there he was, looking up at us with pleading eyes and waving his arms above his head desperately! Back came the steps and he was boarded and the plane took off.

We arrived in the centre of London eventually at two in the morning, nowhere to go, nowhere to hide as they say. We won't forget that flight ever and when we recount it to anyone it still makes us laugh when we remember the look of surprise on the face of the steward and the look of fear on the face of the locked out husband!

Two flights come to mind. The first was my very first flight to Spain. I was with my sister, who had been there about a year already as a student. It was Reyes (Jan. 6), and we were flying to Madrid. Just before we got there, the pilot made the announcement that due to thick fog in Madrid (a common occurance in December and January), we would not be able to land there, and we were going to Mallorca to wait for the fog to clear. The first reaction on everyone's faces was disbelief and panic, and then my sister started to cheer. It turned out that Mallorca was one of her very favorite places in Spain. On seeing her genuine happiness, everyone started looking much more hopeful (the plane was full of Americans), and she was very busy for the next hour or so, raving about how great Mallorca is. Unfortunately, the wait in the airport in
Mallorca was very boring, but at least she had eased some of the panic.

The second memory happened a few years later. I was flying Madrid - JFK with my 3-month-old son. He was (and still is) a dream of a child, never cried, and slept all the way, or cooed gently. I had been given a seat in one of those 5 across sections, even though they knew I had a baby with me. So a very nice young flight attendant gave me his seat, and my son was in an airplane crib on the floor. This flight was full of Spaniards who knew each other, and they were partying big time. The flight attendant was working harder than ever before. Finally he came to me and asked if I would do him a huge favour and let him watch the baby while I went back to my assigned seat. He spent the next 20 minutes oblivious to the partying, leaning over the crib, watching the baby sleep peacefully. He never took his eyes off of him. No one disturbed him, and when he was rested up, he was in much better shape. And my son has never had such a dedicated babysitter! (That flight was also memorable in that it marked the achievement of a life-long goal of mine - travel across the Atlantic without any checked-in luggage! One baby, one diaper bag, and one overnight bag - I did it! I was not quite as successful on the return trip to Madrid. I brought a playpen in a huge box with lots of extra stuffing...)

Back when before my wife retired from the School District, we would normally take our Spring trip to Spain when the schools were out (Semana Santa, usually). Unfortunately that's when lots of student group trips are also scheduled. So we would coincide with hundreds of school kids (not University or College, high school kids). Flights would soon take on an identity as the Mother of all slumber parties: 15-year old girls in groups of 3-or more going up and down the aisles to the restroom all night.
We did that for about 3-years. It was ugly!

This is a very interesting thread! Anchovy Front (I love that name!), your story was classic!

I went to Spain the first time in Sept. On the way there and back, I had the pleasure of sitting next to two older, well-mannered, well-traveled gentleman who were great conversationalists. (Old enough to be my dad.) We talked about everything under the sun, but there was also quiet time. One was a widower from Madrid on his way to Peru. He had lost his wife a year ago and was traveling alone. The other was from Monterey, Mexico on his way to meet his family who were vacationing in Madrid. This flight buddy had a great love story to tell -- he married his german wife against the will of both families. And now, years later, he doesn't regret it. I remember him specifically saying, "grandchildren are the greatest joy in my life and hopefully you will experience this joy too."

The most interesting part of this flight was actually the arrival. My madrilena friend has set me up on a "blind date" with one of her best friends, a gallego who lives in Cobena. Well this blind date started as soon as I arrived, since he was picking me up at the airport. We had only been emailing each other for about three months. Was I nervous ... naah!!! What was there to be nervous about? I only just flown thousands of miles for a date!!! No pressure whatsoever, really!!!

First thing we did ... had churros and cafe con leche in Barajas!!!

On the way back from Madrid, less than two weeks after 9/11, I had an unusually nice flight attendant. He kept coming by my seat regularly to see if I needed anything ("It is a long flight, another little bottle of cava? Some chocolate?"). I don't know why he was so attentive to me ... after a while I checked to see if he was going to everyone else's seat, but he wasn't. Whatever the reason, it was very comforting, one of those little blessings, since I was a nervous about flying that day. (And no, I didn't spend the whole flight drinking cava!!!)

I think people can be chatty sometimes because they're nervous about flying. But I think it's one of the more interesting aspects of the experience, being able to talk to someone you would otherwise never meet.

MM -- love the phrase "nose plug section"

Churrito

[ 12-03-2001: Message edited by: churrocaliente ]

There was one interesting trip we made from Chicago to Madrid. Upon boarding the plane, we found that Iberia had accidentally booked us in the same seats as someone else.

The stewardess apologized, and asked the two people who were traveling seperately in what may have been our two seats if they would mind surrendering them, so we could sit there together.

"I will not!" One spat. "I paid for this seat and I'm sitting in it!" The look on her face, and her eyes told the stewardess it wasn't going to be possible to deal with her.

The second woman, buoyed by the attitude of the first just shook her head; "No!" She wasn't moving either.

"I guess we'll have to get a later plane?" My wife asked the Stewardess, who just smiled.

"No. I have two seats together. Follow me." She said, as she led us up to First Class, where we enjoyed the trip in luxury...

If that wasn't good enough, when we boarded our plane for the return trip, we had the same Stewardess we'd met on our trip over to Spain. She recognized us immediately, and directed us to two First Class seats for the trip home. Enroute, she came up to us and smiled. "Guess who's on the same plane going home? I told them I moved you into First Class both ways so they wouldn't lose their seats. You should have seen their mouths drop open."

My Wife and I just laughed, and had another glass of champagne, and waited patiently for the fantastic shrimp that would follow within a few minutes.

Since that was one of the first trips that Iberia was making from Chicago non-stop, we'd only had to pay $250 per ticket, and the First Class accomodations were selling at $2,400 each, during the peak season. Not to bad of an "Upgrade" if you ask me.

Wolf (Who loves those deep discounts... )

I know the story I'm about to tell you sounds made up, but it's absolutely true! It was another overnight flight to Madrid when I was awakened by a stunningly beautiful Spanish flight attendant. She said she needed some help back in the galley and gave me a crooked, evil smile along with a crooked finger beckoning me to "come hither"... I got up from my seat and noticed the entire plane was asleep so I knew we wouldn't be bothered. The NEXT thing I knew she had

[ 12-03-2001: Message edited by: InterNet Gods]

Sweet dreams, MM!

Tia, do you really mean "dream on, dude?"

tee hee! let's guess ... she took MM to the nose plug section!

Hey, Churrocaliente:
You mention that your blind date took you for Churros in Barajas. Was that Toribio's on the Square in Barajas pueblo? For us it's kind of a sacred ritual signaling that we've arrived safely and that all is well: Paloma & Carlos pick us up at the airport, and it is understood that we are going to Toribio's for churros y chocolate.
Next time, try the chocolate caliente - it's so thick & rich you think you can stand a fork in it.

what a great thread!ah, flight memories. I won't bore you with all the BAD ones (24 hour delays from Iberia, a plane sick 3 year old with only one change of clothes!, etc). Here's a good one, though. Once we are on the usual Iberia flight to Spain, and my husband gets to chatting with a guy in his row, also a gallego.... turns out to be a RELATIVE he never met, living in New York City! Hankerchief world (if you don't understand this, you don't speak Spanish!)

Two years ago I returned to JFK on Delta from Madrid. While waiting to board my puddle jumper from JFK to Washington, DC. I heard a group of Spanish men behind me. Minding my own business I began looking though my backpack for something. I stood up and turned around. I immeadatly lost my breath, who was directly behind my but His Highness Don Fillipe! I did not say anything to him. He was escorted on the plane before me. On the way down the stairs to the tarmac I began hyperventilating. The flight attendant had no idea who he was. So, not knowing proper protocol for royalty, I approached where he sat reading a magazine. This was a very small plane, holding about twenty people. I said, in Spanish, "Your Majesty" (I should have called him Your Highness). He and the three bodyguards turned around. "It is a pleasure to fly with you." I didn't know what to say! He said "gracias". Upon exiting the aircraft he looked at me and said "buenas tardes". Que guapo! He was met at the gate by the Ambassador. Then my friends and I followed them as far as the baggage claim, where I had to stop to get my luggage. If I could do it over again I would have asked to buy him a drink!

I guess everyone has lots of flight time memories. They are so fun to read.

I don't think I could tell about all of the fun I had. I've met so many nice people on my trips to Spain. The best would have to be when I met a fellow student who was actually traveling to go to same school as I. We shared a taxi there.

Oh yes, and then there's also the awful time when our flight got delayed, so on the next crowded British Airways flight, my fiance got pneumonia from the lady next to us. But, we did get to see a Spanish hospital on that trip. Nice doctors, but not a fun experience.

Churrito, what I REALLY mean? Only the InterNet God knows and I guess he doesn´t want us to get engrossed in that subject.

I have some airplane stories to tell - doublebooking (not as luxorious as yours Wolf but anyway) and lost property - but I need my beauty sleep at first (seriously).

Tia,

The incident that happened to us was because Iberia had just inaugerated their Chicago to Madrid non-stop flight. We were on the third or fourth plane heading to Madrid in their new schedule. They had just assumed new share partners, and with Iberia and their share partners both selling tickets at $250 for coach round trip, the tickets were selling so fast that they overbooked some of the coach seats. In fact, on our return trip, there were six people moved up to first class because of the doubled seat bookings. Needless to say, it will never happen again...

I'm certainly glad my wife and I didn't feel like "arm wrestling" those two grumpy ladies for the seats. Someone else would have reaped the rewards. I certainly wouldn't have thought about spending money for first class... That's more than we spend on an entire trip....

Wolf (Whose interested in getting "bumped" anytime from here on in... )

Well, Ill give my personal flight hell/heaven experience

Okay here goes. i was on a university trip, last summer. I had an extremely heavy bag (they put a tag on it said "get help to lift"). But that is another story. My intended flight was to be from Memphis to Atlanta to Amsterdam then return From Rome, to Detriot, to Memphis. None of these flights went without problems. Our Memphis to atlanta flight was cancelled so we flew Delta. From Atlanta to AMS went well, except that I never slept and sat in the Window next to a huge fat guy who slept the entire time. Well, that was all well and good. I woke up in Amsterdam only to find that my luggage was lost. I didn't recieve untill three days later! But, I was lucky enough to have the airline buy me clothes. I went to this little room in the Schipol airport where they dealt with these things. It was one of those places where you never think you'll ever be in that room or see those people for the rest of your life. How wrong I was. Well, I bought some nice clothes to stick it to the airline! Anyway on the way back my flight from Rome to Detriot on Northwest had some problem. This is where I began to get extremely lucky. I got to fly KLM which is better than Northwest IMO. I was set up flying KLM from Rome to AMS and then to Memphis. Well, I missed my plane in Amsterdam, so I went back to the same room in the Airport to collect my mealticket. They put me in a five star hotel that costed about 400 euros a night. I was fed extremely well and it was a GREAT way to end a trip that had been bargain basement up to that point. Then I flew home on KLM on the next day. I sat in the bulkhead in First class with nobody next to me. So I guess they felt sorry for me!

Don't know if they still do this but when I flew Iberia in the 1980's the pilots used to switch on the intercom and announce "Despegue Inmediato" just before the plane roared down the runway. It all added to the excitement of the journey..! Do they still do this?

Bri,

They didn't do it when they left Chicago or Madrid...

Wolf (Who has enough on his mind keeping his wife calm, when they fly. She'd rather have her teeth pulled without any pain killers than climb on a plane... )

Eddie,

Yes, that's it, Toribio in the plaza of Barajas pueblo! This time around I will try chocolate caliente. It'll be cold enough to have a hot beverage other than cafe con leche in the morning.

Churrito

Okay! So I've returned from my FAST Christmas/New Years trip to Madrid and am ready to share my flight story. Some of you read part of this account in another thread -- I can just SEE you rolling your eyes now -- but please.. bare with me. Just the facts, ma'am. (who thought up the spelling for the word "ma'ma" anyway?? What's that mean??)

Flew an uneventful flight from Columbus (CMH), Ohio (USA) to Atlanta (ATL), Georgia on a sunny afternoon. Had a 3 hour layover in ATL so I was just people watching at my departure gate and reading my printouts of the English language version (.pdf format) of El País .

Time passed and then a tall-ish guy, early 30s, with an "odd" smile on his face was approaching me. He stops at my side and says, "Excuse me. But aren't you that MadridMan guy? The guy with the website?" I said, "Ummm.. Yes!", half-expecting him to pull out a 6-inch blade with intentions of "doing me in" for putting him on the message board's BAN LIST. hehehe..

So he told me he'd visited MadridMan.com when planning his trip to Madrid and saw me on my live cam . Turns out he married a madrileña ( SOME guys get ALL the luck!! ) and he was meeting her in Alcalá de Henares where she has family. We chatted for awhile and turns out he's a dentist living in Michigan with his madrileña wife and baby.

While chatting with this nice, ever-smiling guy, I noticed a woman sitting across the way in at the same gate, her reddish face in her hands, not looking at all well. The "guy" and I boarded the plane, still chatting, and that's where we split, going down different aisles. I found my seat... and WHO do you think was sitting there in one of the two seats against the side of the plane? The sick, red-faced woman!! "OH NO!", I thought.

I offered my "hello" and she replied with the same.Her name was Judi. I asked, "Are you feeling okay? I noticed you weren't looking too well at the gate." Well, Judi WAS sick, true, but in good spirits with her trip to Madrid where she'd meet her sister and some other friends.

We chatted for a few minutes after I got "comfortable" in my seat directly next to the lavatory. Then, without expression, she asked, "Aren't you that guy with the Madrid website?"

WHAT?!!?!?! I couldn't believe it! (I know. I know.. THIS is where you all start to roll your eyes, thinking "MadridMan's ego must be exploding right about now!") Seems she too was looking for information on Spain and found my webcam like the other guy did.

Well, THAT was the MOST exciting part of that entire flight.. She was nice. In fact(!), she attended the "Party With MadridMan: Version 3.0" at El Brillante! See Judi on the far left HERE and her sister Janice next to her at El Brillante.

OKAY! The RETURN FLIGHT!! I was scheduled to leave Madrid to Columbus, Ohio via Altanta and THAT was the day the south had that HUGE snowstorm which closed many airports INCLUDING Atlanta. SO, my flight was cancelled and thank GOD for that!!

I waited in lines for a couple of hours and the fine people sent me over to the Iberia couter to get a ticket on their next flight to Columbus via Chicago. I was standing at the counter, waiting for my ticket, and the last thing the attendant said was my seat number and "BUSINESS CLASS"(!!! ). I wasn't sure I heard correctly so I kept my mouth SHUT!

More in a bit... DARN! This is taking too long to write.. I really should do some work today... be sure to come back later for "The Spanish Royal Treatment" on Iberia Airlines! Aaaaahhh....

[ 01-22-2002: Message edited by: MadridMan ]

Hey, MM, it's "madam" as a contraction, with the apostrophe where the "d" goes (Ask a Southerner, you get your answer, sir!).

I have a couple of flight stories...the first one that comes to mind is my first Spanish trip, in the summer of 1990, on the way to Salamanca to study Spanish. I left from Orlando, then JFK or Newark (can't recall), then Madrid. I left my folks in Orlando, then boarded with another University of Florida student headed to Spain. This was THE FLIGHT THAT STARTED IT ALL--I have a terrible fear of flying, and this flight was why. We bumped our way up the Eastern seaboard, with people being sick and a pilot who came on when the turbulence started saying, "Get in your seats and fasten your seatbelts NOW." None of that, "We're coming into a patch of rough air, so you might want to buckle up." No, this was loud and direct and terrifying. Katie (the UF girl) and I held hands, staring at our uneaten meals (this was back when they used to feed you on domestic flights!) and watching our drinks tip over.

Once we were in NY, I was pretty ready to call the whole thing off...but managed to get on the Madrid flight and it was fine--a bit of typical North Atlantic turbulence, but that was it. I watched us cross into Spain around Galicia, and cried and cried. It felt like coming home (and every trip since has been the same).

The next time I went was with my ex-husband, and I don't remember anything about the trip! I do remember the flight, though, because we missed our Madrid flight out of Atlanta due to delays out of Miami. When we arrived in Atlanta, we RAN to try to catch the Madrid flight, and got to the counter as the tail went past the window. My ex made an ass of himself, yelling at the desk attendant (we had called ahead from our Miami arrival desk to get them to hold the flight, but they didn't). I sent him away (this should have been a sign!) and smiled at the lady, who got us on a flight to Nice and a connection to Madrid. We arrived about 6 hours late, but that was it. Nice has a pretty airport.

I went once in 1995 with my sister, and that was fine--and then last March with my husband. We flew to Atlanta with our daughter, who was 3, and met my parents at the airport (they had kindly driven up from Florida). We handed Lauren off during our 1-hour layover, then boarded the flight to Madrid. As we were getting ready to take off, I noticed that the light and radio didn't work at my seat. I NEVER sleep on planes (you never know when they might need a lawyer/child psychologist to fly the plane!), so NEED to have a light so that I can read stupid magazines and knit (can't concentrate on a "real" book--too scared). I asked the flight attendant to move us, but the plane was full and she was a real witch about it. I ended up crying and pretty sure she was going to have me arrested for interfering with her duties. It was awful. I couldn't hear the movie, couldn't knit (Doug's lights and audio didn't work either), and had to sit there, in the dark, thinking about BEING ON A PLANE. Then of course there were bumps (which I can ignore if reading Cosmopolitan or something equally intellectual), and I was a basket case.

By the time we arrived in Madrid, I was exhausted--but so happy to be "home" again. I don't remember our flight back to the US, but it ended with us landing in Atlanta and being met by my dad and daughter (he had flown up with her to Atlanta that morning). She was so cute--after 10 days away from us, she was worried that she wouldn't recognize us.

Now she's pushing us to go back so that she can go to Florida and get spoiled rotten again.

Oh, the story about Felipe above reminded me of another travel yarn...this one in Portugal, but it's so priceless I have to share it! My sister and I were in the Lisbon train station, waiting for the train that would take us back to Spain after a couple of days in Lisbon and Sintra. We were in the waiting area, and across from us were three young women in traditional African dress (very colorful!), a young man in traditional African dress (all white), and a little boy in white as well. The little boy was about 5, and kept coming over and kicking our luggage gently, giggling, then running back to his group. Trish and I laughed at him and egged him on a bit, as he was really cute--and we offered him some candy. He took it and we started talking with the older boy (he was in his late teens or early 20s). He told us the boy was a prince of Benin, Africa. We laughed (what nonsense, right?) and asked where the king was. The young man said, "right over there" and we looked up to see the most regal person you could ever imagine, in flowing white robes, gliding across the station toward us. Trish and I were in shock! Ultimately, though, we met the king (really more like a chieftain), his wife, his mother, and the rest of the family. The three young women and the young man were "lesser" princes and princesses, and the little boy (who even spoke some English)seemed to be next in line to be chief. We took photos with all of them, and the chief (he spoke English beautifully) gave us his business cards (embossed in gold!). The young women were fascinated to watch Trish and me as we put on lipstick and flipped through junky fashion magazines. It was amazing!! Coincidentally, a traveler near us was from Nigeria, and he was in awe.

It goes to show you, you have to keep your eyes open as you travel. You never know who or what you might see.

Tara

[ 01-22-2002: Message edited by: taravb ]

MM,

Maybe all of these people have seen your face at the post office, and not the website.

My worst ?
Well its a bit embarrasing.
Maria is the organised one, she was a secretary for EU in Brussels and it always annoys me how she goes into details. She plans for weeks or months ahead, me I just plan as things happen.
Last January after having visited Madrid for Xmas (my first time) we duly arrived at Barajas in time for our flight with EasyJet.
Apparently there was some problem with snow in Luton and the flight was cancelled due to them not being able to clear the runway. Ok these things happen. Everyone it seemed was being offered alternative flights but they were full for the next few days as a result, we were not in a hurry, we joined the long queue of people trying to arrange to get back home. After what seemed like hours it was our turn, at the desk the girl checked her computer and could not find our booking, we said there must be some mistake in the way people do when they are cold and tired and fed up with waiting . I'll check again said the girl, we smiled thankyou.

Oh yes I have you down here Mr and Ms .......... Great we thought.

Yes said the girl "YOUR FLIGHT WENT YESTERDAY as scheduled"

OOPS no refund no nothing.

we still use Easyjet............

[ 01-24-2002: Message edited by: desmo ]

How easy I get sidetracked, this site is full of interest and the main reason I was here was to post this link
Opodo
I found what I think might be Mad - LON bargains on major airlines. Worth putting in yer travel toolkit, it only started up this week so who knows.

Excellent picture of Janice and I. THANKS
Now I have two pictures from our wonderful trip to Spain.

My airplane story is more an airport story. Sometime between when Madridman spotted me looking like death warmed over in Atlanta and when our plane departed, I went for a stroll through the airport.

Well, who was strolling beside me but none other than Mr. Rod Stewart. He said hello FIRST! Of course I was gawking. I said hello
He said where are you going. I said Spain to see my sister and asked him the same. He said home for holidays (remember he's a Brit) so it's holidays not vacation. He asked if my sister lived in Spain and I said no she lives in Senegal at which point he looked at me funny like WHAT?

He said Merry Christmas and slipped into the men's room. And THAT was my conversation with Rod. (We're on first name basis now) Expecting Christmas card next year!

My hell flight home from Barcelona to Detroit. It was better only because I was no longer sick. Some very nice SPanish pharmacist fixed me up good!

SO here's the plan. Barcelona - Madrid - JFK - Detroit NO SWEAT

SO here's the reality. Barcelona - Madrid, no sweat. Madrid to JFK - leaving late and loaded up with all those people who were supposed to go to Atlanta but got snowed out the day before (your flight madridman?)

Get into JFK late....Have to boogie to get connection to Detroit....run to monitor DELTA FLIGHT TO DETROIT IS CANCELLED.... No need to hurry now. Go to ticket counter and very nice woman tells me Oh we have you on a Northwest flight to Detroit. It leaves in an hour. FROM LAGUARDIA. &%#*(&$(*#&$(#

Get free limo over to Laguardia, can't get ahold of parents that I will be late....etc etc etc

Get on Flight from LGA to DTW ... pilot has hot date we're in an hour early and I get through the gate and there in the mass of people is my 6ft 4inch tall FATHER. YEAH. It took 19 hours to get to Detroit but boy was the trip worth it.

And it could have been worse....I'll tell you our friend Christian's story next.