The final days…

My last post was arriving in Lisbon a few days ago and here I am on my last day. First off, there was some drama and anxiety on getting a flight home. The first flight I booked was with Delta to Asheville and included the first leg with KLM airlines to Amsterdam. Well, the next evening I had picked up a $3 bottle of wine (good wine too!) and some cheese and was sharing it with Mark, who I have mentioned in a previous post I think. I get an email from KLM saying the flight is cancelled due to reduction in flights and travel restrictions. Good thing the wine tempered my reaction since if worst comes to worst I thought, I’ll just stay here. Anyhow, I went online and booked another flight that was direct to the US since all flights are cancellable if needed. Getting in touch with Delta on chat was an exercise in patience, but they did confirm the flight was cancelled after telling me it wasn’t. Lots of confusion. This flight with United seems to be a good one, since I got an email this morning saying get on the plane only if you are a US citizen.

On Tuesday I was mission focused to find a box for my bike and the first few attempts did not look good. None to be found. Finally, the box gods smiled upon me and I found one within walking distance. I grabbed it (with lots of bubble wrap included!) and dragged it to the hotel I would be moving to the next day. It was smaller than the one I used coming over, but by God the bike would go in if I had to reduce it to parts!

I had the rest of the day to explore some so I got on the subway thinking it would emerge from underground and I could see some of the city. It didn’t. So I rode the rails for a while underground then ended up on the waterfront a little ways from the main square. Walking back it was another bright sunny day with people out soaking it up. Restaurants were still open so a couple of margueritas on the square were in order. Then back to the hotel for a quiet night.

Yesterday morning I packed up and rode to the hotel knowing it would be the last time on two wheels here in Europe for a while. Bittersweet. I retrieved the box from storage to my room, got 4 big heavy duty trash bags from the hotel to put my panniers in for my checked bag and bought a roll of tape from the papelaria to pull it all together. All supplies were in place for packing… time to enjoy the day. I met Mark on the square where we sat for over an hour talking and having a couple of beers. Good beers. The first non lager national beers I’ve had, an IPA and a Dunkel. Then, we got on the ferry and crossed the river to Barreiro, which looked like a residential/industrial town. I saw a park by the water that was on the trolley route that looked interesting. The park looked out over green beds of algae as it was low tide. There was a little cafe/bar listed on Google a short walk away, so we made a beeline for it.

We both knew that today the President was going to make a speech on the pandemic and possibly declare a state of emergency. So, in a twist of strange coincidence, we ended up at the “End of the World Cafe” having a beer watching the parliament discuss the state of emergency and vote on whether to enact it or not. The owner brought us a dish of boiled salted Lima beans which were a totally delicious bar snack.

Next we headed back to catch the trolley, had to find a bathroom (which they call a “casa de bano” or “house of bathroom”) so we went into a little bar across the street called “casa de bebidas” or “house of drinks”. Just keeping the theme going here. For $3 we got a beer and a triple shot of Portuguese whiskey and of course missed the train. Started walking back, got on a bus and then crossed the river.

Back in Lisbon proper we found a very different place than we had left earlier. Due to the state of emergency the restaurants were covering their windows with brown paper, outdoor seating chairs were being stacked up and all the eBikes were being rounded up and put on trucks. McDonalds was still open with a queue of people waiting to go in and order. As we sat on a bench eating our burgers and fries, it truly felt like wartime and the enemy was at the city limits soon to arrive. Would McDonalds be my last meal?

Mark and I said goodbye and I walked back thru some really tight alleys, getting lost a couple of times. Lisbon seems to be a really safe city, but I wondered. Back in the room, bike disassembly was the first order of business and I was exhilarated that it went smoothly and everything fit fine. Today I pack my stuff in the garbage bags, tape the crap out of it and use my strapping tape to make a nice little handle. It is cloudy, but would like to walk up to the castle on the hill later.

I’ve been watching CNN for the first time and Wow! This shit is scary. We can only hope that something good comes out of all of this in the form of this country finally getting health care for all, realization that small business and working people are what makes the country great and that we are responsible to take care of each other. Internationally, that we are all interconnected and need to also take care of each other, not turn inward towards nationalism and exclusion. Finally, that we realize Mother Nature is a much more powerful force than we are and respect her. This applies to global warming, which makes coronavirus look like a pebble in the road.

So, hoping that I get to the airport, get on the plane, don’t have to mortgage the house in baggage fees, pass the health screenings, am allowed into my country and sleep in my own bed tomorrow night. I’ve been thinking about all the stuff I can get done at home during my 2 week self quarantine. Exciting, or at least predictable and familiar. Look forward to seeing everyone on the street or the trail… at the proper social distance of course. Farewell for now.