Our last night in Spain was incredibly memorable. After siesta we began the harrowing task of packing. Tearing everything out of the suitcase and trying to figure out how to get it all back in. Laying out the next days comfy travel clothes since we have at least 14 hours of travel time in total. Checking drawers and closets twice, do we have all the cords for the electronics and don't forget the euro socket hoogie. That the moment reality, nerves and depression sets in. The anxiety and excitement of getting ready for a trip turns into angst and sadness.
We shower up for our finale dinner at Tickets, get our stuff in order and Jud hails a taxi for the last time in Barcelona.
Our experience at Tickets was amazing and will write a separate piece on our evening. It truly deserves it's own separate attention...
4 am wake up call comes early after only 3 hours of sleep. Its tempting to turn the alarm off and snuggle back into the darkness and the 6 feather pillows, down comforter and those Egyption zillion count cotton sheets. I'm now on a mission to recreate this heaven cave at home. Thank goodness for MAC caffeinated eye cream. A little dab will do ya and wahlah - eyes look somewhat normal.
Taxi arrives promptly at 5 am. Chatty fellow....and I'm seriously in no mood. He proceeds to go on and on about the high unemployment rate, cost of living, their government is crap blah blah blah. Jud does his best to be polite and I pretend to be sleeping.
Leg #1. Iberia from Barcelona to Madrid. Commuter flight is packed to the gills with business people, laptops, travel bags, cell phones, news papers, pushing, shoving and being crammed into a tin can like sardines. An instant jolt of reality. I remember this life! Juds knees are up to his nose and he's cranky about it. But there's not a whole lot you can do about it at this juncture except suck it up - it's a 1 hour flight so it's not too terribly bad.
We land in Madrid with plenty of time to spare for out next flight to Philly. Grab the bags off the belt, find the bus to change terminals and do the hokie pokie flight check in security exam thing again.
I remember the last time I flew home from Spain the USAir security person really grilled me about where I'd been, why was I in the country, why did I go to Morocco, did I meet anyone (instinctively I want to say of course I did dummy, but that would be a bad idea), do I have any firearms etc. This time our security checker inner was Juan. A little man with a heavy accent and big bulging fish eyes. He introduces himself by saying: Hello. My name is Juan and I work for US Airways security. Have your bags been in your (he comes to a complete stop) I really had a hard time understanding him. And he really got sideways when he discovered the names on my passport don't match my ticket hence his sudden halt in speaking. My passport says Eva Warwick Kehr Spangler. My ticket says Eva Warwick Alexander Kehr Spangler. Houston, evidently we have a problem. Juan begins to scurry off but suddenly like hitting the replay button he stops in his tracks and starts his schpeal all over agin. Hello. My name is Juan and I work for USAirways security.... I wanted to laugh but figured that would also not be a good idea. After multiple questions around my ZaZa Gabor names, they finally check us in and took our bags.
The flight home was going to be about 8 hours although since we cashed in our FF miles, we we were up front in Envoy class both ways and that was pretty sweet! Multiple glasses of champagne before take off, hot towels, slippers, Bose noise elimination head phones, what would you like to drink after takeoff Mrs Spangler, can I get you something more to drink, how about another pillow and blanket. We were in these personal pod things - almost cocoon like with your own TV, electronic sockets, tray table and a seat that completely reclines flat. Flying horizontal in the dark is so cool. I made sure Mr S was completely aware of my spoiling happiness and my future need to make transcontinental flights up front from now on... : ).
Big greeting from Buddy, Lola and the crew. Buddy could not believe his little eyes at first and I thought he was going to have a heart attack! Needless to say neither dog left our sides all night.
Woke up at 3 am while my body and brain believes I've actually slept in and it's 9 am. I didn't know weather or not to go back to sleep or get up for eggs and sangria.
For almost 3 weeks we've consumed food made and created by someone - a person - a face. Not processed or prepackaged. No preservatives, almost nothing green, little butter, mostly olive oil and a lot of red wine. I had a piece of roast beef lunchmeat and white loaf bread today and thought, ewwww....this stuff is gross! We've drank some amazing wine, met some interesting people and finally had a real honeymoon after 10 years of marriage. I honestly can't imagine being newly married, living with someone for the very first time and getting thrown into small spaces, being together 24/7 with no alone time and all of the bathroom issues one encounters - especially when the diet dramatically changes and the windows don't open in the room.... It's clear to me why the Europeans have bidets. Frankly, there should be 2 toilets and 2 bidets in the bathrooms cause there were occasions where 1 potty at that particular moment was not enough!
Time to start planning our next European adventure. Maybe Greece!
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