Day 2: A VERY Long Day

 My assessment: Portuguese Air (TAP Airlines) is okay, but nothing to write home about. They are Nazi police when it comes to getting out of your seat to use the bathroom any time the seatbelt sign is on. They charge for anything other than water on domestic flights. 

Enough complaining. I am cranky due to sitting for the last 32 hours (including flights from Minneapolis).  My legs don’t like sitting, and then I can’t sleep. One lesson learned: don’t schedule a cheap tour where they can pick your airlines and flight schedule. Pay a little more to get decent connections.

So. This was basically our elongated day:

Lots and lots of flying. Seven hours to Lisbon from JFK.
One and a half hours of standing in momentous queues in Lisbon airport,
barely making the connecting shuttle to our Amsterdam flight.
Three more hours to Amsterdam.

Finally, almost 30 hours after leaving our home in Minneapolis, 
the outskirts of Amsterdam.

We waited over an hour for our luggage to appear on the belt.

After getting Starbucks at Schiphol and changing money, we took the bus
($4) to the XO Hotel Blue Square, arriving at dusk. 
Here is Phil, racing to get out of the way of a motorcycle speeding down the sidewalk.
We could have been killed before even reaching the hotel! :-)

Bed at last. Sleep is sweet.

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