Day 00

So I made it to the airport 3 hours before my flight. I can everyone chiming in with “why do early?” Not to worry, I asked myself the same question.

As it turns out being early turned out to be helpful. I’m flying Iberia Airlines (a Spanish carrier) and although I checked in at Terminal 3 I was directed to gate B26, then asked to go sit a wait for the bus. Apparently Iberia doesn’t fly out of Terminal 3 at all.

It is necessary to take a bus from Terminal 3 to the “infield Terminal”. This terminal is on the complete opposite side of the airport by the cargo warehouses.

In its favour there are hundreds or thousands of charging ports so everyone can have access. That’s about the end of any advantage you will find flying out of here. The terminal isn’t very crowded at this time of the day as it turns out.

OK, two advantages then.

I’m going to spare you the horrible details of flight except to say I was very fortunate to have a bulkhead seat with plenty of leg room from Toronto to Madrid. The food was OK but not great. I tend to blame Toronto for that. Iberia doesn’t bring foot for their return trip to Madrid….at least I pretty sure they don’t.

At which point I was able to enjoy one of the most beautiful and poorly designed airports in the world. Does anyone remember Toronto’s Terminal 2?

In 2019 I spent a night in this terminal….you can look for that story, but since then this terminal has become a colossus. I don’t think I have ever been in a vast a space dedicated to air travel. Today Terminal 4 is terrifyingly large. Because I had so much time to spend waiting for my next flight I decided to walk end to end. It took me over twenty minutes.

Terminal 4 is likely more than a kilometre long and I needed to spend 6 hours between flights on the hardest chair I’ve ever had to put my plush butt on. Not comfortable in any way.

Add the fact I didn’t sleep on the first leg of the trip is just added to the most cramped seat between Madrid and Santiago (the second leg) I have ever been forced to endure. Thank you Iberia.

Enough of all that negativity. Once in the Santiago airport I hopped on the Bus to the city. The 20 minute ride is 1 Euro. Are you listening Toronto. One Euro.

I arrived at my hostel only to discover check-in starts at 3:00 so I dropped in next door to a Michelin restaurant for a glass of sparkling water, a simple salad, and one of the most delicious red Rioja wines, correction, one of the most delicious wines I have ever had. Simply astounding.

The name of the restaurant? Don Quixote. They’ve got Michelin badges for more years than most restaurants have been in business.

So, now I’ve checked into my room overlooking the Cathedral and I think I’m going to just stay low tonight. I have had exactly 45 minutes of sleep, according to my watch, and they they say it’s going to rain tonight.

i was surprised I slept that much.