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A long weekend in Lisbon
Good morning from Aster and Thyme here in Newcastle Airport
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7d416262c.jpeg This weekend sees me heading to Lisbon for a ‘long weekend’ which, in all honesty, is a day in Lisbon and two days getting there and back! I’m on a redemption this week and travelling all back of the bus so in flight is probably going to be dull. Because they are redemption flights you take what you can get, and what I could get was a 4 hour transit outbound and 8 hours on the return. The horror of having to spend all that time in the Concorde Room :D Sunday will be a really early start so there is every chance I’ll pop out to one of the ibis hotels for a day room snooze, we will see. Plan for the weekend? Double food tours! I couldn’t decide so I booked both :D |
The first thing that greeted me at Newcastle airport was a gust of wind so strong it blew my hat off! Nothing like a short game of catch the flat cap to start the day.
The Roadworks appear to have achieved absolutely nothing so far, I guess much tea has been drunk and many heads scratched in preparation for actually doing something :D https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...8671fefee.jpeg Check in was quiet, security equally so, and the backpack headed down the secondary lane for its standard iPad swap. Much to my surprise it was given back to me unmolested. I don’t quite know what caused that but it was literally ‘you’re good to go’. No arguments from me! Straight into Aster and Thyme where I have been kicking off this trip report whilst enjoying my PP champagne. |
So focussed was I on my glass of fizz that I almost missed the fact that Bar11 has reopened this Morning. It’s a similar layout but far less scrofulous than before, a much needed refit.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...885b6279b.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...492d9c728.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...937c77db7.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ee5acb7fc.jpeg |
And so to the lounge. A coffee and a glass of fizz to keep me going
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ad4be5d33.jpeg Double BA at the gates. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2fe81573c.jpeg The delayed 08:45 is currently at gate 3. It’ll be interesting to see if they move the other plane over once that departs, or use the other gate. |
Gate 6 today and a walk on board
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5a517d294.jpeg Seat 11C and the good news, the 11B seat block held, happy days! Mr 11A did try to wave his buddy into the seat but I dissuaded him with a little hand signal :D The bad news, Flighty is estimating an 11:40 arrival on the 9:40 departure so I’m girding my loins for the inevitable ATC restriction announcement once boarding is complete. Nothing to do now but sit back and enjoy the ride Next Stop: London Heathrow somewhere in the next two hours |
With ten minutes to departure we were boarding complete and as expected the pilots announcement with the standard ‘thanks for boarding so promptly’ platitude and then he went on to give the expected news that our earliest departure slot was to be 10:17, so a thirty minute ATC slot delay. He also said that we will be flying into the wind on the way back to London so the in flight time is expected to be around one hour.
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A few minutes after the pilots announcement, we were pushed back from the gate and taxied off out of the way to wait for our slot. This frees up both the gate and the ground crew.
Once we were parked up out of the way the captain made the offer that people were welcome to visit the flight deck and a few people have taken him up on his generosiry https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...99d4efecd.jpeg You might notice that there is no curtain after the 7 rows of business class. This is one of the newer Neo’s with the XL bins and I’ve yet to see one with a curtain. I strolled to the back to make use of the facilities and had a chat with the crew whilst waiting. Three lovely friendly young ladies who give one faith that BA will continue to have excellent crews well into the future. |
Love Lisbon, I think you’ll enjoy it better than Faro. Make sure you try a Ginjinha, local cherry based liquor usually served in shot sized glasses, if you enjoy the first one then it’s compulsory to have a second😉
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Bon voyage! Seconding the Ginja recommendation - pity you haven't got time to visit the very pretty town of Obidos where it's made (or originally made).
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Hopefully, with two food tours, Ginjinha will make an appearance but, if not, I will be sure to seek it out. Thanks to both of you for the tip
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I am completely out of sky flyer log books again so whilst we were waiting I asked the in flight lead if she had any but, alas, no. She said she had many in here overnight bag but not in her day bag :) On the bright side, a couple of the younger crew were up front at the time as they wanted photos in the captains seat on the flight deck, so they learned where to find the log books.
Whilst we waited I also snagged the obligatory data plate photo. G-TTNU today, which I have been on three times before, all of them NCL-LHR or back. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e543303f6.jpeg We were eventually on the move at 10:10 and off the ground exactly as predicted by the pilot, 10:17. A final flighty update came through suggesting it would be a two hour trip, I hope that they’ve gotten that one wrong!! https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9e4dce81d.jpeg It’s fair to say it was a pretty lumpy bumpy take off. Once we were underway the in flight snack service started. It was the usual water and biscuit offering which I passed onto my seat mate after taking a quick picture. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...032ca04ad.jpeg The rest of the flight was taken up with reading my iPad until the ten minutes to landing announcement came at 11:05… thank heavens flighty was wrong! Wheels on the ground at 11:13, and currently we are trundling around LHR and heading to our gate. The last minute of the landing was a bit rock and roll, and we definitely made positive contact with the ground, eliciting a loud “URK!” from Mr 12B which made me chuckle :) |
South security was incredibly quiet, and the first wing was nigh on deserted.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...aeed4b33f.jpeg As a counterpoint, the first lounge was very busy, I did not see a free table as I passed through. I’ve just reached the CCR and, having set my heart on a full English, the menu has just switched over to lunch. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...29674656e.jpeg Seems like a good excuse for ‘brunch’ :) The standard trio, of drinks ordered, although the third member of the trinity appears to have lost their way https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ca68095a7.jpeg |
The only starter that appealed was the scallops but I had them last time and fancied something different so I ordered the Ravioli which came as six smallish pieces, a perfect starter
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a4f579a6e.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c5134fe2f.jpeg The bacon chop with Robert sauce was a no brainer, I loved this last time around and today did not disappoint. Accompanied with a rather large ‘half glass’ of the Burgandy https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a05bfa7e5.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2abc0a39a.jpeg Both dishes were delicious! |
After the main course I took a look at the spread on the gallery table which was laid out as a picnic. I had to try the terrine with pickled carrot and I am a fan, very tasty
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...16048e7d4.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6330960c9.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...08837ea66.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b8294b1da.jpeg Desert was the cheese plate, enhanced with some further pickings from the picnic table, washed down with a couple of small glasses of port. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e05b845a7.jpeg And lastly, the sorbet and a glass of Sauternes. I did ask for a single ball of either flavour but half and half works for me. Why only one serving of Sorbet? Because experience dictates two will give me vicious brain freeze! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ad050ffcb.jpeg That was definitely a long, leisurely brunch, slightly over two hours later and it is time to relocate to the bar for coffee and brandy https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4f72abe54.jpeg Update: and a coffee and large JW Blue to close out the visit. I predict much snoring on the Lisbon flight 😴 https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d66416563.jpeg |
Missed opportunity for "To Lisbon by SkyTeam"... but I guess you wouldn't have known that would be the next big trend at the time you booked this :D
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