Day 20 - Barcelona to Chipiona

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We had breakfast, then checked out and left even earlier than necessary. Before 10am we were at the Barcelona El Prat Airport, Terminal 2, for our flight to Sevilla. Check in didn't start until 2 hours before our 13:20 flight, so we chilled. By the time we got to the checkin counter, there were at least 12 or so folks in front of us. We watched as it seemed every other passenger had to reorganize their luggage to meet the 10 or 20 kilos limit. We also found out another reason why some people in front of us didn't finish their checkin. When we finally got to the counter, the rep told us we had to go to another window and present our boarding pass and passport to get a stamp! I still don't understand why this was necessary, as we didn't have to do that for Ryanair in Venice. Oh well, at leat we weren't the only ones. several people that had been behind us in the original line, got their passes stamped, and then were allowed to jump the line we were back in, to check in ahead of us, but when we and another lady tried that they told her she (and us) would have to wait in the line like everyone else. Consistency would be nice! Anyways, we finally completed our check in and baggage drop, all of us being well under the 20 kilo limit I had paid extra for, but all over the 10 kilo if you don't pay extra! We went to our gate, having no problems with security, and in no time were on board and then on our way, although about 10 minutes later than the scheduled time, something Ryanair supposedly tries to avoid. We'd bought water and soda from a machine before boarding, knowing that Ryanair does not provide anything for free. It turns out, for future reference and maybe someone else's benefit, that we could have bought the drinks and food on board for even less than we'd paid in the airport. Soda was like 1,80 Euros, sandwiches were 3 or 4 Euros and even a pasta dish was only 5.50 Euros. Next time, we'll buy stuff on the plane!

We arrived at the Sevilla airport (Seville, Spain for Americans) less than two hours later and met my wife's brother Rafael, loaded up his car and away we went on our way to Chipiona, my wife's hometown. Unfortunately, we picked a bad time or something, as we almost immediately get into a real traffic jam. Either an accident or just folks leaving early because of summer hours. It was close to 100 degrees in Sevilla! After we got off the autopista (expressway/interstate), we decided to stop for late lunch, since we hadn't had anything to eat all day. At a nice little roadside restaurant Rafael and Manoli ordered oxtail, Alexis had a ham and cheese sandwich, and I ordered roast beef and fries. Everything was pretty good, but I have no idea what it cost. Afterwards, we completed our trip to Chipiona, arriving at my brother-in-law's house where Antonio, his wife Consuelo, and my neice Salome were waiting. All around greetings, with hugs and Spanish kissing on the cheeks, were followed by a long chat, and gift-giving. Since we'd already had something to eat, we all headed out for a stroll and to see who we would encounter along the way. We stopped to visit Tita Isabel in her house and although she has gotten a bit senile, she instantly recognized me, exclaiming "JC, JC" and wanting kisses. We also ran into one of our cousins in the pharmacy where she worked and Maribel's brother in his photography studio. Of course, we had to end the walk with a nice long stroll along the main beach here, which was pretty quiet for summertime since it was late evening. During the days, it is jam packed with people, mostly from Sevilla and other towns. Chipiona goes from a sleepy small town the rest of the year to a bustling, packed resort town during the summer months, with all the folks from inland cities and towns trying to beat the heat with some beach time.

Well, Manoli and I headed over to friend Sara's house where we'll be staying, leaving Alexis to share a room with my neice Salome. I may not make that many entries now that we are technically not traveling/vactioning, but will still try to share any interesting moments over the next few days until I leave for home. I'll be returning July 3rd, while Manoli and Alexis are staying until the 13th of July.

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Comments

[Monica]

Not a vacation???
I know it may not seem like a vacation while you are in Chipiona, but the rest of us are envious and would like pics. Love ya dad.

[Zpet]

Photos
Ok, I'll try to get your mother to take some and put them up, but there won't be much writeup to go with them, as every day is pretty similar: wake up, eat breakfast, visit relatives, eat lunch, take nap, go to the beach, eat dinner, go to sleep.