Day 41: 4000 mile flight and home!

Another nice thing about flying to the west is that flight times are reasonable. Today we fly 4000 miles in 9 hours and we still have a departure time after noon. 

We get up a little early, have a quick coffee and shower, then jam all the dirty laundry into our roll-aboard suitcases. We're on the move by 8:30, reversing the walk and two Metro rides we took on our arrival. With 5 days of navigating in Madrid it all feels so much more comfortable and familiar. And subway to the airport is so civilized. 

However, we are traveling during rush hour. The trains are so packed that only as many could enter as were stepping off, which was not many. We finally got on the third train, and only then because a mom with stroller got off. Sardine city!

At Madrid airport they have two Metro stops, one for T1-2-3 and (after an intermediate stop) another for T4 (termination of the line). That was ours. The interesting thing is that we went through bag check and security at T4, then took a private airport subway back to the departure terminals. So they have an entire remote staging terminal (including decent food and the ubiquitous duty-free shopping) for international departures in addition to a normal airport setup. What a concept!

We had our second breakfast at the airport food court (fresh fruit!!) and grabbed a salad for the flight. 

Then finally to our plane. Whether for fuel economy on a great circle route or proximity to emergency landing strips, our route went north off the coast of Wales, near Iceland and Greenland, then back south over Canada. 4000 miles is a long way. But it was only 4pm in CLT when we touched down. 

Weather reports of snow and sleet, with district wide school closing (140,000 students), were a hyperventilation compared to the weather we saw upon arrival. A little snow accumulation in the shade, 1/2" at most. But cold -- the coldest of our trip. We thought Madrid would be coldest, then home to spring. Maybe in a week or two??

The low point of the trip was international arrivals in CLT. Maybe they are building something better? Can we hope? We descended into the bowels of the terminal, walking through dingy halls and low ceilings. At some point there's a large man in a T-shirt barking at everyone that we're blocking his line, keep moving. 

Worst of all our Chinese New Year cured pork medallions gift gets confiscated at customs. No meat is allowed, even cured and vacuum sealed in original wrapping. Alas!  The process involves multiple customs officers holding ten passports in a ziplock bag traipsing a confused (and not all English speaking) group of us back and forth through the basement.  I am offered the passports of a Spanish couple and briefly consider changing my identity. Then there's no public transit to downtown and Uber is all backed up due to weather. Charlotte, surely we can do better?!?

But.... The best part of the trip quickly follows, in which we get picked up and delivered to the arms of our grandchildren (and their parents, of course). Oh such sweet little people. We are very glad to be back where we belong.