Well I’m not quite sure how I’m feeling right now. I’ve been in that ‘travel bubble’ for something like 48 hours. I flew Qatar Airways this time and I was pleasantly surprised. Lots of leg room and the food was great. The flight attendants glided their way up and down the aisle regularly checking on everyone and they even offered potato crisps and chocolate every now and again. By the time I reached Spain, I was so full….like I’d just had a visit to grandma’s place! Unlike my last overseas flight where the guy sitting beside me snored and farted his way across the globe, I had a very pleasant young German girl who kept to herself, smelled faintly of lovely perfume and slept a lot.
Airports are great places to people watch, so I did a lot of that, particularly at the end whilst waiting for my bags to come off the plane. It’s such a test of patience after flying for about 24 hours! Something possesses people as they swarm around the belt like angry bees, stinging people with their glares and pushing and shoving as they finally see their bags in the distance and suddenly panicking that they might float by and never come back. Then, there was the loud and angry woman dressed in floral attire. She coughed,sneezed and sniffed the whole time (without covering her mouth). It was funny to watch the crowd part like in the bible story, leaving a clear path for her and her floral virus filled germs as she floated over, violently grabbing her bags and flashing her victorious face. Was she clever or just used to getting her way? Whatever, it worked for her!
Anyway, I’m now lying in a cosy bed in a ‘penthouse’ in Barcelona, staying with Linda and Michael, who I met whilst walking on the Via de la Plata. It amazes me that so many people walk a Camino and go home, pack up and move to Spain. So gutsy! Linda had cooked me a beautiful meal and it was so nice to have someone at the other end of my flight to greet me, take over carrying my bags, feed me and nurture me. That glass of delicious vino tinto (red wine) put straight into my hand was the best ever. (2 euros a litre!) I’m sure there will be many more of those to come over the next few weeks.
Photo of my backpack. Sorry about my little Rusty cocking his leg in the background…
Margaret Caffyn 