Being the final part of our trip to Lisbon and Porto. I must have dictated this because it's a right mess, I'll try and work it out.
I have details that start before these notes start though, we went to a huge mall in the Porto area, because the weather was bad. We tried to go bowling, and the bowling alley was above a huge shopping centre. Got a taxi there, and shopped a bit and got some lunch. Wife got new clothes to travel home in, I bought a belt. When we got to the bowling alley it was all booked up, and we couldn't bowl. We played some table football and some pool though, then headed back to the hotel. The others in yet another taxi, me walking. The walk was not very easy. I feel like I described the walk in one of my exercise stats posts already. Still all fine. One last go in the spa pool and a finish up of all the freebies in our hotel suite, then one last trip out. We went to Sandeman terrace for cocktails, but they were nothing to write home about (even though I am actually writing about them) and served in plastic cups. Then to dinner.
After our final dinner in the market - buffet again for me and wine, but not port - we watched one episode of Loki on TV again. Up at half five, taxi coming at half six to take us to the airport, and then home.
The hotel made us breakfast boxes which is nice, but actually most of it went in the bin. The did do some special vegan stuff, and we got water and juice at least.
I've been so used to Europe being an hour ahead that I never realised I was in the same time zone all this time.
At airport now, checking in one bag on the way back because they still have the liquid rules here. On the way out we didn't have the liquid rules, so you could leave liquids in the bags and then scan them, but here it's the old one of only having 100ml, and keeping them in separate bags. Check in area not open yet. Ours is the only BA flight up there (ain't going on no plane fool) so can't tell where our check in area will be. Our good work of getting to the airport early (because immigration for Brits is shit) is being undone.
Update by email at 4am:
Please be advised that your flight may be delayed today because of Air Traffic Control restrictions caused by adverse weather conditions. Please arrive at the airport for the original departure time.
Oh and another since we've been at the airport:
We're sorry your flight BA2667 to London Gatwick is running late. Your new estimated departure time is 10:37 local time. Please arrive at the airport for the original departure time, as we are working hard to minimise the delay to your service.
And now another. They're drip-feeding this delay.
We're sorry your flight BA2667 to London Gatwick is running late. Your new estimated departure time is 10:37 local time. Please arrive at the airport for the original departure time, as we are working hard to minimise the delay to your service. For the boarding updates please monitor screens at the airport.
The arrival was already listed as an hour and twenty late. We had plans to go to Sandgate and get a curry later but we might not be in time for that. Still got to get from Gatwick to st pancras and then home.
Some Australians next to us have another update that it's delayed more, and our flight and the Manchester one before it have now disappeared from the board...
Ha Australian guy here is telling a story how a guy on an earlier flight got removed because his cordless trimmers he had packed had turned themselves on! Was joking with chums earlier about taking cordless hedge trimmer on a plane (Dave just bought a new one, it's what people my age talk about now). This was aBeard trimmer, not hedge trimmer, but still.
We checked in four bags in the end, and we had to hang around for ages. Plane was delayed and then moved to another gate, and then delayed again by the bad weather. At least we got going eventually, probably about an hour and twenty delay in the end. Then another delay waiting for the cases, I'm not having it that wife says this never happens. It's a terrible idea checking in bags. It did mean I could take home a bottle of booze to take to the pub, but if we hadn't planned to do this I could have bought a bottle at the airport. Paid a bit more, but been allowed to take it as hand luggage. I bought some chocolages at the airport for work.
So there is is then, the holiday is over. It was good, but is now being rapidly forgotten. I may come back here and update with more photos and details.
⬅️ It felt a bit sad in Folkestone today :: Exercise stats 2/9/26 ➡️
Paulʼs blog - I live in A sleepy town in Kent. Wed + dad to 2, I am a full-stack web engineer, and I do js / node, some ruby, python, php ect ect. My hobbies are pubbing, parkrun, eating, home automation and other diy jiggery-pokery, history, tree stuff, TV, squirrels, pirates, lego, and TIME TRAVEL.
Yep, deliberately unstyled.