Walking across Europe - 2013: We made it - but it was so close 😱

I am dead tired as I write this as I think I slept maybe 1-2 hours tops on the flight over…however no Plan B required…we are in Oviedo…a very interesting city…and tomorrow we start to walk! Finally!

Quickly summarizing since yesterdays blog posting.

- Flight from Toronto landed ~ 2 hours late in Madrid…no biggie had 4.5 hours margin

- Then we were herded into a long long line without knowing why…that’s what Spanish spoken at machine gun velocity does to you

- Of course it was Customs which took close to an hour…but looked like it would take all day! However I got to chat with a a Canadian couple from BC who were doing the Camino Frances for the first time…so there were many questions sent my way. It was fun…passed the time and hopefully of benefit to them. Not often that I have pearls of wisdom to share 😂

- Move on to baggage area and a beautiful thing happened my walking poles were on the conveyor belt with all other luggage…did not have to convey what I felt…”help me please…I need to find this PDQ…am tired…want my d*mn poles and go to next step…and yes if I have to will shed a tear or two to ensure you take pity on me”. All good …all by myself.

- On to arrivals area and a beautiful sight

Was so happy could have given hugs but that would have been a BIG no no!

- So now I can finally WhatsApp Paulo…well his story is incredible…plane 1 hr 20 minutes late into Lisbon. Has 2 hours for connection…must go through Customs. He gets to Custom Agent…tells his story…Agent says no way you will not make it. Paulo…his words…runs like a madman…may have elbowed someone to the ground along the way and makes it 10 minutes before plane leaves.

Without that we were scr*wed! Then he sleeps on plane. This is the story I get when I contact him with my new SIM plan!

So I say I will go to T2 arrival area…well over 1km walking…communication problem and Paulo goes to T2 exit area and sends this picture to meet.

Ok just look at this picture…this could be taken in any airport in the world! How am I going to find this under time pressure…so I make a call “let’s meet at T4 where we will take Iberia flight” All good…I board the T1-T2-T3-T4 terminal shuttle bus except the bus stops behinds another bus after 15 minutes and we have to get on the T4 bus???

Finally we meet and by this time we have 45 minutes or so before plane leaves so this now becomes a piece of cake…however I realize

that somewhere along the line I have lost my prized 12 year old North Face fleece jacket (with charge cord in pocket that I put there not to lose the cord).

Easy call I must replace these items and when we arrive in Oviedo (took taxi in …Paulo negotiated a deal) We did this very successfully an hour and a half later…and 😮‍💨 that’s a long day! A few pictures!