Barcelona again, Dubai, Singapore and Home!!!

October 12, 13, 14

Very fast train from Madrid Atocha station, picked the worst possible time to try to get there as a massive military display was taking place, closing all main streets in the district! At one memorable moment we were underneath the station in tunnel, with the GPS happily announcing that we were at our destination! Grrr..
Barcelona was extremely quiet the second time around. We found a cosy little bnb near the station, and spent a few hours exploring this side of town and nervously spending our remaining euros. There is some stunning architecture here, especially a modern building looking very much like a bullring.

Flight home was not memorable: a 9 hour stopover in Dubai, where it was still 34º at midnight, catching a few hours sleep on the 'comfy chairs', only to be jolted awake at 5.30 by the muslim call to prayer.....

Short stop in Singapore, only to be told to start queuing up almost straight away, and everything had to be re-checked and scanned, very frustrating. I decided to take my sleeping pill as soon as we were back on board.... I woke up over Australia with stir fry all down my shirt. Apparently I insisted that I was awake and hungry, but didn't quite make it to dessert!

And so to Tullamarine- Bliss! Except... 'Sorry, there is some luggage which has gone missing. We suspect it is still in Dubai.' Well, there had to be a third disaster, we reasoned. As it was, after waiting around for a couple of hours, and being told to go home and they would courier the luggage to us when it turned up, it was 'discovered' in a warehouse at the airport somewhere.

So, what did we learn here?
*We have always been lucky in our travels, but it couldn't last forever.
*Don't let a setback (or two) ruin the trip.
*Speak nicely to Consular officials and Insurance assessors.
*Get off the tourist trail occasionally, for your sanity.
*Stilnox tablets work very well.
*Do not rely on GPS for everything- have a backup plan.
*Trust people- they are usually good, and helpful towards tourists in difficulties!

Segovia

October 11



Back in sunny Spain, first to Salamanca, then to Segovia. Both beautiful cities, amazing architecture and history, but to be honest we have had enough and are looking forward to coming home (not the 27 hours in an airplane part) and catch up with everyone. I shudder to think what my golf swing is going to be like....
The predominant building material here is sandstone, which is used to great effect, the lines are very clean, and there seems to be little mortar used. The Roman Aqueduct at Segovia is 2000 years old, made from huge granite slabs. An unbelievable piece of engineering, still in good order today, and dominates the town. "What did the Romans ever do for us, eh?" How about a continuous water supply from a source 18 kilometres away?
Off to Madrid in the morning to have discussions with Europcar about costs for car repairs, then on the Very Fast Train to Barcelona. We fly out the next day.

Adios, over

and (maybe) out!

Salamanca

October 9 & 10

Well, you won't believe this (we hardly believe it ourselves)- we got robbed again! This time the car's rear window was smashed and the GPS taken, right outside our Oporto apartment. Oh well..... So after police reports, etc, and new car from Europcar (who were very good) we were off on our way again to Salamanca. Rhonda was all for flying straight home there and then but we thought it through and here we are in a great apartment next to the Plaza Mayor.
Sadder but wiser, although this time it was just bad luck, we think.
Here are a few shots of Porto city, featuring some of the ceramic tiled walls that are a feature of the city, and the Douro river.