The Alphabet trip : Plan for the worst and hope for the best!

[Flyfrequently]

Finally, the countdown is on for our trip that has been 4 years in the planning and rescheduled 6 times (thanks to C-19 )

And at T- 100 thought we may get derailed by Typhoon Saola!
But thanks to some reassuring posts on AFF in the past 24 hours, feel confident that we will be on our way in 72 hours.

Apart from being known as the catastrophiser by the Offspring Flyfrequentlys, think it is time to pack

MEL-HKG-AMS-LIS-OPO- AMS (Haarlem)-HKG-MEL (CX KLM QF) J CR here we come

 

[Scash]

Looking forward to your trip.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Me too @Scash!

An unplanned visit to ED at T-60 for a
pesky ear that was getting worse. Now sorted thanks to a great doc at Melbourne Eye & Ear.

 

[Flyfrequently]

All going well so far with this trip that has been 4 years in the planning - in fact 4 years ago today we booked CR J to Madrid... then along came C-19.....and have rescheduled many times and trimmed it from 6 weeks Spain and Portugal to 3 weeks Portugal.

I am a journey girl and can say so far enjoying our moment in "The House/ Aspire Lounge".
Got through passport check on the 2nd time - never quick enough to remove my glasses!
Off to TRS
First stop Q Lounge
Pros - quiet, though I do like the lemon yoghurt slice.
Cons - tired, no view, sub par offerings, soup was just ok - but you would all be familiar with that.
Now Upstairs - Pros, apron view, clean, bright, engaging staff, although minimal food offerings , delicious braised chicken and cakes.
Cons - nil.
About to board CX off to HKG on time

 

[Flyfrequently]

CX arrived 30 minutes early and now Lounging at HKIA Plaza Premium with 5 hours to pass waiting for KLM flight - good to know that the incoming flight is on time.
Overnight flight was pretty good, unobtrusive service, prompt supper with beef tenderloin (way better than one I had at a Park Hyatt Melbourne Alumni dinner last week.)

A movie, a "Cloud Nine" and a few hours sleep and don't feel too shabby at all.
Only 15 hours till AMS transit , then LIS

 

[Flyfrequently]

Yesterday : Moved over to Plaza Premium First Lounge as it was closer to our gate.
Not bad but crowded, did write a few words but internet dropped out and lost it - oh well...

My concern for this trip has always been this MCT. KL888 was due to depart on time, any delay was going to impact whether we made it to Lisbon, with MCT 50 minutes, our transit was 70.

Impressed with KLM 777-200 J, I don't mind 2-2-2 layout, would say it was more enjoyable than CX 777-300 which, although more private, a bit cramped and cabin a tad too warm for my liking.

Back to KLM 888 : Pushback was 20 minutes behind schedule, so we were in "plan for the best and expect the worse" mode.

Senior Purser was fantastic. She kept us informed and reassured us that though we would most likely miss our connection, KLM would be in contact.
And they were, SMS for Fast track Passport Control (but nothing was going to stop Miss Border Force giving me the most extensive pat down and scrutiny ever, maybe an "elderly lady" racing through Schipol raised a ?)

We landed 25 minutes late and had 15 minutes to get from F8 to C11 and go through security and Passport Control, those familiar with Schipol would know this might take a bit longer! Must say my daily 6 km walks had me in better nick than Mr Flyfrequently

Pleased to say, we just made it with 15 seconds to spare, door closed behind us and we arrived in Lisbon, whilst our bag had a Dutch sleepover.

SMS from KLM this morning, bag on first flight and being delivered to our hotel.
Airtag now has it at Lisboa airport

 

[Flyfrequently]

Not sure if this should be in Travel Mistakes Made Lately thread or my Alphabet TR but R.I.C.E. wasn't part of the plan.
Upon arriving at Lisboa Airport just shy of midnight on Wednesday after nearly 40 hours from home to holiday, I was busy looking up not down for the Uber signage and had a "mis-step" and rolled my ankle
Thought I only had to worry about the tiled and cobblestoned streets!

Anyway, gave Mr Flyfrequently the opportunity to not see the sights and listen to the Blues beat Melbourne in the footy today.

 

[Flyfrequently]

When things don't go to plan, we often discover little gems.
As it was raining the previous night and hobbling was going to be limited to 100 metres, decided wet tiles and unforgiving cobblestones were not ideal, so chose our hotel's restaurant Bistro 99.
Great find, reasonably priced, happy attentive staff and delicious food.

Most of my research and planning has gone out the window due to my mis-step upon arrival in LIS.
Sensibly I have rested the first 48 hours and yesterday felt we could tackle an outing.
I really enjoy walking but have found Uber is my best friend. €4 had us down to the waterfront and an afternoon of people watching, listening to music, enjoying the views and fresh air in sunny 24°. My kind of afternoon.
Our Uber back, had us going 20 minutes of windy, hilly one-way backstreets, parts of the city we would have missed if just walking.
As it was Mr Flyfrequently's birthday, we were pleasantly surprised to find a plate of pasteis de nata and a bottle of sparkling wine in our room upon return.

Can highly recommend Residencial Florescente (via Qantas Hotels)
The staff see me coming and they have a bag of ice ready for my ankle!

 

[Flyfrequently]

Another surprise
The Bistro 99 staff sang Happy Birthday in Portuguese and presented Mr Flyfrequently (he who hates a fuss) with dessert and Ginjinha

 

[VPS]

I couldn't believe how cheap Uber is in Lisbon. I felt so bad I was giving them a 1 or 2 euro tip in cash

 

[Flyfrequently]

We made it to Porto via Nazare and Fatima yesterday. I will add more to this trip tomorrow- I have a greater understanding of the time you all put in when doing a TR !

 

[Flyfrequently]

Our week in Lisbon went fairly quickly and pleased to report uneventfully.
Ticked off quite a few things on the list, more looking from the outside rather than going in, but my shabby ankle is what it is!

Sunday : With my ankle it was easier to only Hop On rather than hop off the bus, so having read the forecast for much needed rain, sensibly packed our rain wear.
We set off in the most brilliant sunshine with all the young folk dressed in their "boho chic" taking selfies and sitting in the uncovered part of the upper deck.
We sat near the stairs taking photos of the sights and avidly listening to the commentary.
Had to laugh, when the first drops of rain came (then it bucketed down) can only describe it as a " tsunami of Instagrammers" surging to the 2 vacant seats ar the front of the bus!
A quick throw-on of our wet weather gear, we remained dry and had a good laugh, after all it was only water!

 

[Flyfrequently]

Catching up on my TR:
Monday: A sunny morning had us up and at it early in Lisbon after brief rain the day before.
Took the Gloria funicular to the top and it was only a short, relatively flat walk to Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara. Lovely shaded areas in the park with sweeping views across to Castelo S. Jorge to the River Tagus.
Funicular back down and a bus driver took pity on me and took us the one stop from Restaurdores to Rossio Square without letting us buy a ticket - we have found the Portuguese to be extremely polite and helpful.
Headed to Santa Justa but the queues were massive as expected, so gave that a miss, folk had been lining up for 2 hours in the midday heat!
Took a photo instead from the Restroom in the shopping centre next door - though not quite the view a la Melbourne Sofitel!

Felt comfortable enough with my foot to walk home, but turned right instead of left and happily found ourselves on Rua Augusta - a stop at Manteigaria was in order, never knock back an opportunity for a pasteis de nata!
Continued on all the way to the Rua Augusta Arch enjoying the sun and street ambience.
After some refreshments across from Praca do Comercio, time to Uber back to the hotel, a very pleasant day out

 

[Flyfrequently]

Wednesday : The morning is beautifully quiet and streets are fairly empty, Lisbon is just starting to wake up with a few cafes and vendors getting ready for the day.
Forecast to be sunny and 29° we wanted to be on the move before it got too crazy.

Having been away a week at this point, I was missing my "daily fix" of being down by the water.
Off to Cais de Sodre for an early train to Cascais ( "travel mistake " - we were unable to get Seniors tickets as digital & photocopy of passport was insufficient, cost €4.60 each instead of €2.30 - lesson learned!)
Train went mostly express and was full of commuters at 8.30 am arriving at Cascais in 35 minutes, a quaint seaside town where I have read, the more affluent have holiday homes.
Wandered around, took in the sea air and just marvelled at the blue of the sky and water with many locals enjoying a swim - oh I wish we'd thought to toss in our togs!
Back on the train by 11.30 am, so glad we went early, especially when we saw the lines back at Cais de Sodre's ticket machines!

Headed off to Pink Street, took the obligatory photos and found our way to the Time Out / Ribeira Market.
Mr Flyfrequently loves a traditional market and we spent more time browsing Tradicional Mercardo than the modern food hall, though did have a pasteis de bachalau.
With weary foot, took an Uber back to the hotel where fortunately we had the luxury of a pool and a refreshing swim was in order. Another pleasant day - ending with a stroll through Rossio Square at sunset.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Not much to say about last Tuesday as we worked on rejigging our plans and enjoying an afternoon swim.

In another thread, I relayed our W.T... concept.
On our last big trip in 2019 8/52 UK & Europe decided we would just say "what the heck" or bugger the cost and just do it, often involved a roof top bar but I digress!

As we had not made our day trip to Nazare and Fatima on the bus, and yet to get to Porto by train, I came up with a plan to cancel train tickets to Porto, hire a driver and take a leisurely 6-7 hours stopping along the way at "Things I Must See".
Fortunately I had kept the contact of a chauffeur and all was the best decision we made, can recommend Jose from Portugal By Heart, Porto.

Not cheap but W.T..!

 

[Flyfrequently]

Our W.T....** day to Nazare, Fatima and Porto. It was the best decision to combine our day trip with our transfer.
Out the window went the plans for FLiXBUS and CP train and we settled on Mercedes E class with Jose for a very pleasant 7 hour day.
He is located in Porto (Portugal by Heart) and drove down to Lisbon early that morning to pick us us. We set off at 9.30 am, Jose full of engaging conversation and local history.
As we headed towards Nazare we could see the sea fog roll in, quite surreal.
Living on the Mornington Peninsula, we know these fogs lift fairly quickly and within an hour the village was bathed in brilliant sunshine.
Too early for the big waves this time of year, our first stop was Nazare, the "Veado" sculpture and the Surf Museum which is located in the old fort. Lots of photos and videos for the surfers in the family!
After a quick lunch in the town square and the purchase of an overpriced bag of pistachios for Mr Flyfrequently from the lady in her "7 skirts" , Fatima was next.

Memories of the story of Fatima the Nuns told over and over came back, took quite a few photos for my school mates, many who have made the sacred pilgrimage.
It was a hot windless 30° and time to head to Porto.

Jose politely asked, if we had time, could he make an unplanned stop? Of course - and it turned out to be the highlight.
He took us to Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar not far from Jardim do Morro, and we had the most spectacular view over Porto. As his hometown, he pointed out the many bridges, buildings, cathedrals and their history.
And then he said " We must have a toast to you and Portugal " and out from his little basket came the wine glasses and a lovely light white port, a fitting end to a great day !
** for those who haven't read why I use W.T.... it stands for
"What The.... "- bugger the expense, just do it & we don't tell the kids what it cost!

 

[VPS]

Our W.T....** day to Nazare, Fatima and Porto. It was the best decision to combine our day trip with our transfer.
Out the window went the plans for FLiXBUS and CP train and we settled on Mercedes E class with Jose for a very pleasant 7 hour day.
He is located in Porto (Portugal by Heart) and drove down to Lisbon early that morning to pick us us. We set off at 9.30 am, Jose full of engaging conversation and local history.
As we headed towards Nazare we could see the sea fog roll in, quite surreal.
Living on the Mornington Peninsula, we know these fogs lift fairly quickly and within an hour the village was bathed in brilliant sunshine.
Too early for the big waves this time of year, our first stop was Nazare, the "Veado" sculpture and the Surf Museum which is located in the old fort. Lots of photos and videos for the surfers in the family!
After a quick lunch in the town square and the purchase of an overpriced bag of pistachios for Mr Flyfrequently from the lady in her "7 skirts" , Fatima was next.

Memories of the story of Fatima the Nuns told over and over came back, took quite a few photos for my school mates, many who have made the sacred pilgrimage.
It was a hot windless 30° and time to head to Porto.

Jose politely asked, if we had time, could he make an unplanned stop? Of course - and it turned out to be the highlight.
He took us to Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar not far from Jardim do Morro, and we had the most spectacular view over Porto. As his hometown, he pointed out the many bridges, buildings, cathedrals and their history.
And then he said " We must have a toast to you and Portugal " and out from his little basket came the wine glasses and a lovely light white port, a fitting end to a great day !
** for those who haven't read why I use W.T.... it stands for
"What The.... "- bugger the expense, just do it & we don't tell the kids what it cost!

some of those WTF times are just priceless. Glad you enjoyed it - if we promise not to tell your kids can you tell us what it cost please? If your kids are reading this then don't worry

 

[Flyfrequently]

some of those WTF times are just priceless. Glad you enjoyed it - if we promise not to tell your kids can you tell us what it cost please? If your kids are reading this then don't worry

Am sure my secret is safe with AFF's @VPS!
€580 for 7 hours, it is more on distance than time.
For amounts over €500, I paid €100 deposit via PayPal, and he accepted my Qantas Money card for the remainder at journey's end.

I shared this with my closest friend ( I don't like to say oldest) and she 'fessed up a few years ago, they paid $900 for a driver to take them from Cornwall to somewhere I've forgotten, rather than 3 trains with luggage!
Both agreed, worth every cent

 

[VPS]

Am sure my secret is safe with AFF's @VPS!
€580 for 7 hours, it is more on distance than time.
For amounts over €500, I paid €100 deposit via PayPal, and he accepted my Qantas Money card for the remainder at journey's end.

I shared this with my closest friend ( I don't like to say oldest) and she 'fessed up a few years ago, they paid $900 for a driver to take them from Cornwall to somewhere I've forgotten, rather than 3 trains with luggage!
Both agreed, worth every cent

Great value and I promise not to tell the kids

 

[Flyfrequently]

Porto : The first 2 days in Porto, we played tourist on the Hop on Hop off bus. Even though the stop was only 500 metres away, it was uphill so took an an Uber from our digs on Rua das Flores (ankle still shabby - GP appointment booked for when I get home.)

The first route took us through parts of the city then out to Matosinhos Beach, I never tire of a water view!

Back into the town and the final stop was Sao Bento station. We marvelled at the tiles along with a cast of thousands!
Often it is featured on travel shows described as the most beautiful station in the world.
What captured Mr Flyfrequently was the acoustics, a band had set up and was doing their sound check for a performance scheduled for early evening.
Just amazing to hear, we stayed for quite awhile and of course, Mr Flyfrequently made a friend and they shot the breeze about music and guitars - @Denali will understand !