Travel is not what it once was. Travel is not pretty, no sir.
We departed East Lansing at 6:30 AM on Saturday the 14th of August taking the Michigan Flyer to Detroit. In what was the fourth unilateral itinerary changes before our departure by Air Canada we had been shifted to a flight from Detroit to O’Hare Airport as the commencement of our journey. (Our original tickets were Detroit->Toronto -> Lisboa). The aircraft we were to fly to O’Hare on kept getting smaller and smaller. By the time the day was over there would be six unilateral changes to our itinerary.
Getting to the airport, the United desk had everyone but me in the computer. Took a bit to find/create a profile for me. (Maybe it was my old Red File gumming up the works). Eventually I was found and we were sent on to TSA. Crowded but not too crowded. TSA was no problem for me. Others in my party had opted to travel in sandals. God help who ever followed them into the hands up spinners.
O’Hare was a circus. I got my daily steps in just getting from our arrival terminal to our departure terminal. Some people learned they should not eat “Chicago Style Dogs” with that phosphorescent green relish before embarking on a puddle jumper from the windy city to Hogtown as Toronto was once known. Some of us made the wiser choice of eating a cheese and fruit plate.
It is important to note that the whole reason we were going Detroit to Chicago to Toronto to Lisboa was because the folks at Air Canada had changed the departure time for our flight going Toronto to Lisbon and the connection would have been too tight timewise. Thus, it was just special to get a text, which arrived while we were flying to O’Hare, saying the Chicago to Toronto flight was being delayed two hours making the connection to Lisbon just as tight. We made the connection but not without the grinding of teeth and the use of very many words not heard in the bible, mostly under my breath.
And then….
And then the immigration kafuffle at the Lisbon Airport. Apparently, the SEF (Portuguese immigration service) is being disbanded because of the death of a foreign national in their custody. The reallocation of the current SEF officers to other governmental branches and the creation of the new immigration agency is a process that is midway through the works. As a result, the staff at immigration at the major airports are doing rolling strikes. We spent 4+ hot, sticky, cramped hours clearing customs. It was ugly. It was physically and emotionally wrecking. But eventually we made it through and after 24 hours of travelling, something that should have taken us 12-13 we arrived at our hotel.
Trying to beat jet lag we stayed up and went in search of food, no fancy foods but something on a side street that was tasty and unique. On Rua something or another we found Sr. Lisbon a kind of tapas place. With ice cold water and cold mediocre beer (and I swear it was some of the best beer ever) we washed down a great egg dish, an octopus in some wonderful simmer sauces and some cod croquettes that for all the world reminded me of Maryland crab cakes. With that meal and with that Superbock beer all was made right with the world. Day two awaits us as I write this at 7 AM Lisboa time.
