August 6-20, 2017: Bill’s trip to Spain to see Laurie, visit Porto and Galicia
Embarking on my second solo trip to Spain to see Laurie and take a break. I went in August of 2016 and had a great time visiting Segovia for the first time (Laurie had moved there some months before), then venturing to Asturias. This trip we wanted to see Galicia and I’d originally wanted to return to San Sebastian, but Laurie felt it would be too expensive (and she’d just been there with her Philadelphia friends for the film festival). So we happened upon the idea of Porto, and the more we looked into it the more excited we became.
Barb and I drove from home to Dulles. To try to make the drive more interesting for her, we planned lunch at Mon Ami Gabi in Reston Town Centre. Thought Barb would get Steak Frites, but she had a steak sandwich instead. She’s always full of surprises, but it was at least in part due to anxiety over my leaving and making the plane on time. I had a burger au poivre that was actually decent. But service was poor and frites less than good. Our last time at a Mon Ami Gabi for a long time, I suspect. Much appreciation to Barb for driving me to Dulles, agreeing to pick me up on the other end, and generally for letting me go on this two-week journey. Hoping that nothing happens to the homestead while I’m gone, but pretty sure something will.
Checked in at Dulles with no problem. My bag weighed 49.5 lbs (limit was 50lb), being full of stuff for Laurie (Swiffers wet and dry, Calcium pills, tomato paste, toothpaste, chocolate chips, books for Sam and Nico (Chinese!), shirts for boys, and more). I had weighed it at home and had to transfer some things into my backpack, and was relieved to see it came in under 50. Headed toward gate and was in line downstairs for a while before realizing TSA pre-check was not there…was glad at that point that I was traveling alone, otherwise would have gotten an earful. I had to come back upstairs for pre-check which was indeed very quick and easy.
Flight to Madrid was uneventful. United terminal at Dulles is still embarrassingly cramped, but the wait was not too long and I got early boarding — about the only perk left from my United credit card. I had a window seat among a group of Spanish high school students returning from trip to USA. They were mostly polite but a group of them were talking almost the whole flight over, including the red-eye time when everyone else was trying to sleep. Tried to watch Veep but it was two episodes I’d seen, watched Silicon Valley instead. Dinner meal was a nondescript chicken. Had picked up “The Sun Also Rises” from library as a recommended travel book (you know, Spain and all), but only read a few pages on the plane — my light seemed too bright during the red-eye time…despite the student discussions nearby. Later listened to iPhone music, including new Randy Newman Dark Matter album I had just figured out how to download, and dozed.