Seniors in Spain 2018: 8/11/2018-Madrid-Going home, goodbye Spain 😢

Gosh. it feels like I just went to bed! Way too early for me. We get all our luggage down to the reception area where we wait for the shuttle.
Our flight tickets are with TAP Portugal-codeshares with United. Flight tickets bought through priceline.com which offered the least expensive option for last minute tickets. Cost one way tickets for the 2 of us $3313.22. I think that's highway robbery but............ I couldn't even select our seats when I booked the tickets. Assigned seats at check in. Itinerary is Madrid-Lisbon-Newark-Buffalo.
We arrive T-2 around 6:30 AM. Luggage weight is fine and we check in 2 bags. The girl says we can check in our carry on at no extra charge and without really thinking much we do that. Less we have to tote around.
We decide to get something to eat/breakfast at a small cafe. Orange juice for us both. An apple pastry for me and brioche with raisins for Richard. Cost €12.80.
I see a Global Blue kiosk for my VAT refund but she says we have to get a Customs stamp at T-4, maybe also can do it at T-1?? I think she said. I'm worried about the time. Our flight is scheduled to depart Madrid at 9:55 AM and she said if we walk it will take 30 minutes which means more like 1 hour for us. Then she says we can take care of this in Lisbon. We breathe a sigh of relief. We're supposed to arrive in Lisbon at 10:15 AM-there's a 1 hour time difference. Our flight to Newark departs 12:55 PM so she says we have time in Lisbon to do this.

Our boarding passes for Madrid-Lisbon-Newark/New York-Buffalo

Our flight is TP 1011

I spy a souvenir store of sorts. There's that Sol de Ibiza! I put it in my basket, sangria in a bull-fine, 3 bags of the Marcona almonds, and jar of olives. I see the cured meats and know family back home would love it but I don't think I can take it into the US. The girl working doesn't think so either. I've spent $42.46. Then I buy a tote that has Madrid on it to hold my purchases. Cost $10.61. I find a Spain magnet and a Spain shot glass that says Espana. Another €8.40. Can't find any Spain pins, flamenco CD. Had intended to get all this in Madrid but ........ I'm just thankful with what I did manage to get. I've managed to use up almost all my European money.

I find out later that this is salt!

Enough for 1 glass

Marcona almonds

Jar of olives

Madrid tote

Espana/Spain shot glass

Fridge magnet

As time gets to where we should be departing our flight gets delayed-first to 10:40 AM, then 11:05 AM, then 11:25 AM. In Madrid at 11:25 it's 10:25 in Lisbon. My connection time that I was going to have in Lisbon is just about gone and there will not be time to get my VAT refund. I'm really pissed. We will be lucky just to make our connecting flight to Newark! I wasn't able to get any pictures of us leaving Madrid as our seats were middle and aisle. 😞 We're given a yummy custard tart and a drink. I think I chose water. We finally arrive to Lisbon only to find a long, long line to go through Customs?Immigration, whatever. OMG. There's no way we'll make our Newark flight. I am so upset. There's a girl who was on our flight heading to Newark on the same flight as us. She talks to one of the security guys about going to the front of the line. He tells her we have to ask everyone if it's ok. She says it's not our fault, it's TAP Portugal's fault and then she ducks under the ropes to go to the front of the line and we follow her. The guy there in front says it's fine. I thank him. We quickly breeze through the Customs/Immigration, whatever it was and start running to our gate. The girl is younger and faster. She will let them know we're right behind her. What a nightmare. We finally get to our gate to find a line of passengers waiting to board. We can catch our breath and relax a bit. But I won't feel really fine until I'm on that plane!

New departure time 10:40 AM

Now it's showing 11:05 AM

That's our plane to Lisbon

OMG now we have 11:25 AM which is 1 1/2 hours later than originally scheduled time of 9:55 AM

Yummy custard tart on TP 1011

Approaching Lisbon

Our flight TP 201 to Newark is boarding as we arrive to Lisbon and skip through the Customs/Immigration line

Our plane to Newark

Finally boarded and ready to go to Newark. I am exhausted and can't wait to get home. Even though Richard is doing better I'll only feel ok once I get in touch with our own doctor. Movies I watched-Avengers, Infinity Wars, The Commuter, didn't get to see all of Ferdinand. Food service was better than I expected. Food was pretty decent but there was way too much of it. I ended up giving Richard my yogurt and other stuff. First we had dinner served. Choice of chicken or pasta. Richard got the pasta and I got the chicken. My chicken came with rice and carrots. Both meals came with rolls, salad, deli like meat-either ham or turkey? 5 hours later we get another meal but not as much food. A sandwich-think ham-and a drink. I got strawberry and Richard got orange. Not bad. So TAP Portugal not an airline I'd choose again. Mainly because of the huge delay we had in Madrid. When I was asking the person at the gate in Madrid why the plane was being delayed I don't feel I got an answer. I also didn't know we'd have to go through that line in Lisbon. Our original flight had us going from Madrid straight to Washington, D.C. and then to Buffalo. Only the 1 stop, not the 2 we ended up having.

Leaving Lisbon

However, I am glad we are now approaching Newark. Customs is easy and now we're ready for our final flight-to Buffalo. We were supposed to arrive Newark 3:50 PM but it's almost 5:00 PM by the time we arrive at our final gate for our flight home. It's raining in Newark. What a difference from the weather we had in Spain! Our flight to Buffalo is scheduled for 5:59 PM so not much connection time but Newark airport is not like LAX thank goodness. When we reach our gate we see that our flight has been delayed until 7:25 PM! Have to call Dan to let him know as he was planning on picking us up in Buffalo at 7:30-8:00 PM. Now it looks like we won't get to Buffalo until around 9:00 PM. We are so tired. I get water (around $2.00 each) for us and a small pepperoni pizza-$9.05- to share while waiting. Then we hear that the airline United has managed to get another plane and we will board now. Call Dan back to leave a message that we should arrive in Buffalo around 8:00 PM. Uneventful short flight with pretzels and a drink. We see Dan and retrieve our luggage. Dan asks how Richard is doing and my husband says he feels much better. Home around 9:30 PM. It was so nice of Dan to pick us up. Will unpack tomorrow. Right now all we can think of is going to bed as it's been quite the long day for us. These long flights are getting harder for us as we get older!