After a lovely layover in the Newark airport where Joe and I lounged in the newly renovated United Club (well I lounged while Joe had to shuttle back and forth from concourse to concourse to get his boarding pass) Joe and I met in Concourse B for out Air Portugal flight just after midnight. see photo

I had never been in concourse B and I am not sure I want to ever be there again. B is for Bad. The place was teeming with humanity trying to board crowded flights to places you may never want to go. There were three times the passengers for the number of seats in the waiting area. With bodies sprawled all over the floor, we were able to wrench two unguarded chairs from unsuspecting people. We were boarded about 15 minutes later than planned. The flight was full and the seats were the smallest I have seen since I saw a flight on an Indonesian airline. I did not sleep a wink on the 6 1/2 hour flight.

Customs was uneventful but uninspired as you would expect. Joe was asked how long he planned to stay in Portugal. He told the agent”as long as it takes the driver to get us to Vigo” mercifully, our bags were delivered on the carousel and as we departed the baggage area, we were warmly greeted by Angel, our driver for the two hour drive to Vigo.

The hotel is very nice and the people are nicer still. Vigo was a small fishing town when Jean, Amanda, and I visited it beaded upon the recommendation of one of my professors in 1980. It now is a town of 400,000 where about half are employed by the Citroen/Pugeot plant where 1000 cars a month are sent out for export. It is also the place of a multi million Euro Muscles industry where they produce most of the muscles consumed in the European Union

After a shower and a quick nap, we went out to explore Vigo and search for food. Fortunately, that is the easiest task in Spain as we came across about 9 restaurants in the first 3 blocks and we ate in 3 of them. two quick tapas while we waited for the kitchens to open up and one meal of pulpo (octopus). The prices are amazingly low. At two tapas places we each had a glass of wine and a snack for less than 7 Euros. I think I’d like to live here. See pictures