It has been a long day but I wanted to write about some of my observations while they are fresh in my mind. After my five hour wait in the British Airways lounge at Dulles I boarded on time and settled into the BA business class pod. It was comparable in comfort to most other airlines business class. Frankly I don't think any of them are terribly comfy. The prizes for best go to Emirates and Singapore Air first class, especially if you can get a deal on them. I mentioned earlier that the BA lounge doesn't hold a candle to the United Polaris one at Dulles. BA had a very limited buffet and I don't remember seeing anyone drinking a mixed drink; I only saw wine. United on the other hand has a sit down dinner menu that's pretty tasty.
My fears about having to pick up my bags at Heathrow and recheck them didn't materialize. It was a super-easy process that went very speedily. I then got to spend a few hours in the business lounge there. I didn't even look at the food buffet but I did see a few people walk by and they appeared to have mainly Indian food. It was an okay place to wait - more comfortable than sitting at a gate. I did strike up a nice conversation with a British couple who live in Wimbledon and were on their way to visit a son and his family in San Francisco. The time passed quickly. Heathrow is one of those airports where you sometimes have to bus out to the plane and climb up the portable steps. This afternoon it was very blustery and spitting rain, not a pleasant combination to march up steps, especially when you're very tired. There was a nice couple from Oklahoma also on my flight, about my age, and just as tired who also evidently get wheelchair assistance in airports. (I've said before I'm not too proud or ashamed to request that service. In some places I've been I felt like I was walking to my destination instead of flying because I've had to walk so far.)
Anyway, BA put the three of us on one of those trucks they use to load the galley food and drink, and they drove and elevated us to the plane so we skipped the steps. BA serves a meal even though it was only a two and a half hour flight. I tried it and it was a strange assortment of things not particularly tasty. Our problems came up when we arrived at the Lisbon airport. Most flights there don't pull up to a jetway so there were stairs and for the three of us they brought the lift thing. That took a long time and then we transferred to a special bus that parked us outside a terminal door to wait for wheelchairs to take us on through immigration and baggage claim. The Oklahoma people had booked a driver to pick them up as had I. To make a long story short, it took so long that the drivers left and we wound up taking taxis to our destinations. I didn't leave the terminal until nearly 2 hours after touchdown. Despite the fact that I had been texting with my driver, I was considered a no-show so I was billed anyway. The moral of this story is if you fly into Lisbon, require any kind of assistance, and book a private transfer, make it for a lot later than you would anyplace else. Once I get on the ship and settled I may try to dispute it since I was texting with the driver, but I'm not optimistic it will do any good. Lesson learned.
My hotel is nice and in a great location close to the Alfama district and with lots of restaurants and things around. The room is not as nice as the last hotel I stayed at but in a better location. It's the One Palacio da Anunciada, a converted convent. I was so bushed by the time I finally got here that I showered, brushed my teeth and went to bed. I'm up early enough today to write this before my tour. I'm glad I made it and so did my luggage! Tchau for now! (That's portuguese for "ciao.")
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