This was the best trip, filled with good food, plays in London, flamenco in Granada, fado in Lisbon, exploring Porto with my older son and his family. The best trip, walking through the Alhambra with the sound of water everywhere, seen and unseen, orange trees hung with fruit. The best trip, until it wasn’t, precipitated by a British Airways gate person in Lisbon this morning who decided we couldn’t bring our carry-on cases onto the plane because “there wouldn’t be room with a full flight”. Her younger colleague demurred–the cases are small, light, and we’ve brought them as carry-on many times. But no. The woman insisted, even though the flight wasn’t full and there were empty overhead bins. So on the cases went to Vancouver, if indeed they made the connecting flight. Because we didn’t. Instead, we have been booked into a Heathrow-adjacent hotel with courtesy t-shirts from British Airways to wear to bed, dinner vouchers, and a new flight to Vancouver tomorrow, via Calgary. It could be worse. But it could also be better. Last night we went to hear fado in a tiny Alfama tasca and it was wonderful. Our hosts, Luis and Bela, brought course after course to our table — dishes of roasted peppers, olives, chorizo, followed by soup, baccalau, veal stew with fresh coriander rice. Endless wine. Chocolate cake and a caramel mousse, all of this presented with courtesy and kindness, so the rude attendant’s actions seemed unnecessarily cruel in contrast. Luis and Bela sent us out into the night with warm handshakes and farewells. Luis insisted on taking our photograph.
The other morning I finally found my way through the garden at the Carmen de la Victoria without getting lost. Tonight, in my British Airways t-shirt and no fresh clothes to wear tomorrow for the long flights home, I wonder why we just didn’t stay in Granada or Lisbon or Porto forever.
...Theresa Kishkan 
Stay forever? I remember that temptation.
Maybe the universe had a plan.
I was stuck at home in a dirty tee shirt.
Ha
The contrast is something to remember… This morning, preparing for a day of uncertainty, I wouldn’t mind being lost in that garden still, birds everywhere, the sound of water.
Oh, Theresa, what an unfortunate encounter with the airline. I hope you will follow up on it. I see travel viuchers in your future! Your food descriptions, alone, had me right there beside you. Marvellous!!! A xo
Many vouchers! Including some for meals at the Calgary airport because it turned out our flight to Vancouver is cancelled and they’ve put us on a (much) later one! And yes, I intend to file a complaint with British Airways. Probably futile, though?
PHOOEY! What a vile woman, to ruin the end of your holiday with her pettiness. Once you’re safely home and your cases too, I hope you’ll only remember the glories of this trip. But you won’t forget her either.
Not long after 9/11, my kids were flying to a family event in the Okanagan. At the airport, they refused to let Sam, who was 16, board without a passport. But, I said, he’s not leaving Canada! He’s 16, going to visit family!
But he had no other ID, and they refused. Anna had brought hers as ID, so she flew; Sam and I had to rush back to the house, grab the passport, drive like crazy back and wait for a flight. He missed connections and part of the family event. I’ve never been so livid. Petty bureaucrats, out to wreck your life.
Sorry to hear of your airline hassles. Air travel gets worse and worse. I now never expect it to go smoothly. If airlines didn’t charge so much for a second bag, more people would check them, then there would be enough locker space for carry-ons.
I think it will get worse too. I’m waiting at YVR now for my case to appear, fingers crossed….but it was truly a memorable trip in every way but this!
Calgary airport after the wonders of Spain and Portugal…
As for staying in Granada or Lisbon or Porto forever, that’s exactly what I plan to do. Next year I retire, leave France and move to Spain. Can’t wait.
What a lovely prospect — retirement in Spain. We loved Granada (John had been year ago but It was entirely new to me) and I look forward to returning for a longer stay if luck transpires.
Try to avoid going to Spain in July and August…unbearably hot and many tourists. Because it’s inland, Granada can be quite cold in the winter but with blue skies and sunshine.
Yes, we’d never go in summer. But had wonderful weather this past week.
On one trip back from Bilbao, via Dublin, Aer Lingus cancelled my flight, causing me to miss my Toronto connection, put me on a flight the next day, and they NEVER even offered accommodation or a meal or transportation to/from the airport. I arranged it all myself, then once home, yes I complained and wrote them. And wrote again. And finally, about nine months later, I got some paltry compensation that didn’t even cover my expenses. But airlines are the worst part of travel, and Bilbao and San Sabastien and Asturias were all fantastic.
These stories are too common, aren’t they? My husband was up in the night, figuring out how to file for compensation. And you’re absolutely right that the airlines are the worst and the places are the best. I am sorting out thoughts this morning and feel so lucky to have had this time.
There needs to be a German word like Freudenfreude but for the specific instance of people with whom you’ve shared a pandemic life online and how wonderful it is to see them get to be out and about in the world again! xo
This is from Kerry C.
For some reason, names don’t always show up on comments, Kerry. WordPress glitch, I think, and I can’t seem to fix it. But yes, maybe Freudenfreude! My initial feeling, heading off to London, was slight apprehension but that quickly vanished as we got off the tube at Russell Square and walked along Marchmont Street to our little flat, shadowed by Virginia Woolf: “Passing, glimpsing, everything seems accidental but miraculously sprinkled with beauty.”