Spring Trip 2019 – PHL to MAD to BIO – Part 1

OK. So, yesterday (which still feels like today, because we flew overnight and didn’t really sleep on the plane), we flew from PHL to MAD. We had a 3 hour layover in Madrid, and boy was it not what we expected.

For one, we had to figure out that we had to take a train to our terminal(s) that were only labelled as HJK. I hadn’t done research on the Madrid Airport so I had no idea what that meant. In retrospect, it turns out, I think, to mean Terminal 4. Presumably, Terminal 1 would be ABC, 2 would be DEF, 3 would be GHI. Maybe I’ll find out on my way to LHR from MAD.

So, we got on a train after deplaning – the train indicating that it went to HJK among other stops – and found out there was only one stop. A nice man let us know that. After that, we basically had to get to what turned out to be a security checkpoint even though we hadn’t gone outside the security boundaries of the airport! And, there was chaos because people were cutting in line, and nobody seemed to know what was going on, including us! I was briefly detained because I had 2 bottles of water in my backpack, which I got back. Don’t understand that one. Later on I saw a sign that indicated that the security personnel were on strike and there may be delays in security screenings in the system. That may have led to the mayhem.

But as for the Madrid Airport itself. For one, there are no flight announcements at all. But, there are announcements telling you that there are no flight announcements!
So, you have to go to an electronic board, not unlike the old Amtrak flippy boards, to see which terminal/ gate your flight is leaving from. And the onus is on you to get to the correct terminal at the correct time before your plane leaves.

< I could put in an aside about how some countries ‘trust’ people to be smart enough to take care of themselves and not miss flights, while others don’t, but I won’t do that >

For us having a 3 hour layover, the wait felt interminable, especially because we were waiting after an overnight flight. We wandered the airport looking for coffee, food, and toilets. There was a dearth of each. We found a coffee place and ordered 1 con leche and 1 sin leche and yet they both had leche! Oh well. It tasted great! But anyway, we got on our plane to Bilbao, and made it in. Our luggage arrived safely and there were no issues with Customs. Yay us!

So, after collapsing in our room for a while, we decided to go see some of Bilbao! We decided to go see the funicular. I wrote directions down, and also had a map which showed it; however, I forgot both. But, I thought I remembered how to get there!

Unfortunately I did not remember correctly, but fortunately, we did many steps (6 miles worth) and ultimately, found it! And we got back, and almost collapsed again, but we went down to the bar where our bartender Ju Dio (?) was manning the hotel bar, making many delicious drinks both for us and for others.

Here are some photos!

First shot of Madrid as I was debarking