random bullets of travel...

I am just returned and still in a jet lag fogged haze from a week and a half in Europe for a conference and a little vacay. Since travel tends to bring up some of the oddest things, I present random bullets of travel (with hubby):

• Hubby looks around and says to me: "Madrid is a going concern." ... Really? I think it probably has been for centuries now.
  
• To airlines (especially StupidJet... I mean EasyJet): Either have a system or don't. Preferably have one. "Free seating" is not a "feature".
  
• It is possible to survive for 12 days on only 45min of internet (that cost 7.50 Euros)... but you don't blog, and don't get much work done.
  
• "Platos Combinatos" was the new theme for travel in Spain this year (last year was "sacacorchos"... it's a good story).
  
• Unlike most restaurant meals in Spain, you can get a "Platos Combinatos" before 9pm, and it more resembles a meal than Tapas.
  
• Finishing dinner at 11:30pm and getting up for talks that start at 9am does not help with jet lag.
  
• I actually kind of like calamari.
  
• If you have a conference posse (of people you like), you could rent an apartment for the week and have a grand old time. Of course we thought of this after we arrived.
  
• When transferring from plane to train in Lyons, you will likely need to take a long bus ride into the main station... even though there is a train station in the airport and it is closer to where you are going... really, you can go ask the guy at the desk there, he'll tell you where to catch the bus and possibly that you are much older than he thought (a compliment, I think).
  
• Glaciers are tricky things to get to (more on that later).
  
• Stay to the inside of the trail when hiking.
  
• 2200m altitude will kick your arse even if you think you are in shape.
  
• European hotels do not provide wash clothes.
  
• Has anyone ever followed those signs in hotels asking you to hang the towels if you wish to use them again and returned to find that the same towels are actually there? Every time I hang them up neatly and I come back to fresh towels.
  
• "ensoleillement" is a word which means "chance of sun"... it is predicted daily in Chamonix, but appears to have no actual correlation with the amount of sun appearing on a given day.
  
• Do not say "hey, why don't we take a different route back" after hiking for 4-5 hours already when you are not sure where you are going and it will get dark soon.
  

To Disgruntled Julie: I will post the meme soon... unfortunately I have work rather than knitting to do today. ;)