Goodbyes and hello

***No real pics for this blog, so I threw in some fun ones!
A happiest countries report popped into my feed today and listed Israel as number 4 up from number 9 from a 2020-2022 survey (Canada was 12 and USA 14). I actually found the most dissatisfaction amongst Israelis and many Arabs this trip. Our hotel was peppered with miserable looking staff and many places we stopped had workers looking like they’d rather be somewhere else with the exception of Achlla and our last felafel feast. The continued and escalated Jewish/Arab unrest as well as shifting political goal, not to mention the skyrocketing cost of goods is my best guess for the energy shift. It certainly isn’t the scenery or my family that remained the top highlights of this spectacular trip . Adios Israel, bring on the cheap eats of Portugal!!

Happy family pics make travel seem so exotic and romantic. Here is a less than glamorous story: I booked through kiwi.com (first time) and declined the optional transit coverage assuming 3 hours was more than enough time to get through Milan onto our plane to Lisbon to reunite with Nina and Duncan. We’ll 2.5 hour delay in Tel Aviv and a subsequent 45 mins delay on our second flight left us in a tight crunch that wasn’t impossible to make. The major grey area was the checked baggage. Family meeting on the plane, we decided Joe and the kids would race ahead, check in and I would try my best to make it with our large suitcase. Or spend the night in the hotel and catch the 6am flight. With 45 mins until the flight was scheduled to depart, I raced through the airport to an empty check in desk, large suitcase in tow. Joe had also received a no at the check-in desk but continued through security with  boarding passes emailed to us from Kiwi (with no seat numbers) and headed to the gate instead. Eventually, Joe called me on messenger and told me to get to the gate; they’ll let us on if I get there, but not him alone with the kids. Apparently his lack of persisting and perhaps our cute kids, made the check-in gals agree to let them on!

Security refused my large baggage and I had to decide to leave it behind or miss my slim chance.

Suitcase dumped open, stuffing our favorite items into two flimsy plastic bags and my bag pack, I raced thru security sweating in places that aren’t very ladylike. I’d love to say I sprinted like a gazelle through to gate A09, but my bags wore me down and I called Joe for a life line. He rescued me mid slog and we rushed together to the gate. Miss T sobbing with relief and the boys cheering, we rushed to board as the very last people on the plane. I can honestly say, my children won’t forget tonight’s events  anytime soon .