Lost In Traveling

I hope you forgive me having been absent from the blog.  I´d have managed earlier, but we were delayed in travel. It seems inevitable that when taking three flights in a row, one of them international, at least one flight will be late enough to moot all your other reservations.

In this case, I found myself stranded in Madrid for twelve hours.

Someone on Facebook informed me that Madrid is a beautiful city and I should have gone to the prado.  I appreciate the tip, except that I was restricted to the airport, tied down by luggage and other such considerations, not the least being that I was afraid the city would prove as infuriating as the airport.

The experience was sort of similar to landing in Chicago at two in the morning  –we were pointed in a general direction, given no instructions, could find neither personnel nor a screen with information and wandered long corridors in an experience reminiscent of rats seeking cheese.

Airports are always at best a miserable experience, designed for so many people coming from so many locations that itºs not comfortable for anyone.  In this case we had maximum inconvenience complicated by language barriers.  (I understand Spanish, but Spaniards seemed to understand neither Portuguese nor English.)

Yes, I know I sound like a spoiled American.  Iºll cop to the charge.  I think the patience with which people endure poor service and insane behavior on the part of those in any form of authority (and of course airport employees have authority of a sort over jet-lagged, dislocated travelers) breeds more insane behavior, erratic service and capricious rudeness.

I could be wrong, but I know that if any airport in the states were that bad, people would be avoiding it in droves.

At any rate we survived, though sleepless and comfortless.  I am just about recovered now, and hope to resume daily blogging.  Hopefully on more interesting subjects than airport complaints next time.

And fortunately on the way back my connections will be Lisbon and Philly, where I at least speak both languages and — by and large — the natives understand me.