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Sexta-feira, 19 de Setembro de 2003
Going back to the Philippines

Flight Details

Routing:

Date: 19 September 2003
Dep: Madrid Barajas (MAD)
Gate: C31
Boarding Time: 1200
Dep Time: 1230
Load: 100%
Seat: Window
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Arr: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)

Date: 19 September 2003
Dep: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)
Gate: F09
Boarding Time: 1845
Dep Time: 1920
Load: 85%
Seat: 33K
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 747-400
Arr: Kuala Lumpur (KUL)

Date: 20 September 2003
Dep: Kuala Lumpur (KUL)
Load: 30%
Seat: 33k
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 747-400
Arr: Manila Ninoy Aquino International (MNL)

I have had considered Spain as my second home. I had fun. I have met some nice people and I learned a lot from my experience as a student in a foreign country. Bad moments, good moments I had. But on the other hand, I was excited to return back home to the Philippines and be with my family again. And I have a new education degree to bring home with me.

In fact, my flight back home was nothing to write about, hehehehhehe. I had some few tears when the plane took off in Madrid airport. I flew with KLM so a stop in Amsterdam was mandatory. I took a picture of the B747-400 that would bring me home to Manila but somehow the picture came out blurred. But as bonus, I was able to see the airport in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) before heading back to Manila. Nice airport but nothing special. In fact, I did not pay attention to flight details because I did not feel like it. Anyway, back in Manila to start another chapter of my life...professional life...

The first thing I did though was to call, Tommy, the Swedish guy, and say thank you for letting me use his mobile phone back in Sweden. He was surprised when I called him up because he did not expect that I would phone him simply to say thank you...but I did and will always be grateful to such people...small things like these don't go unnoticed, hehehehehe!



publicado por Sadiri Gonzales às 03:22
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Quinta-feira, 11 de Setembro de 2003
KLM B737 to Gothenburg, Sweden

Flight Details

KL1704
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Date: 11 September 2003
Dep: Madrid Barajas (MAD)
Gate: C36
Boarding Time: 1425
Dep Time: 1450
Load: 100%
Seat: 20D
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Arr: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)

Dep: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)
Gate: C10
Boarding Time: 1910
Dep Time: 1930
Load: 100%
Seat: 25C
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Arr: Gothenburg Landvetter (GOT)

-------------------------------------------

KL1158
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Date: 16 September 2003
Dep: Gothenburg Landvetter (GOT)
Gate: A16
Boarding Time: 1605
Dep Time: 1630
Load: 100%
Seat: 16A
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Arr: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)

KL1707
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Dep: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)
Gate: D71
BoardingTime: 1900
Dep Time: 1930
Load: 100%
Seat: 23F
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Arr: Madrid Barajas (MAD)



Beoing 737 in Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport in Sweden (click on the picture for the photographer's name)



“Hey, Manong... I arrived in Sweden! Cold now but still no pillows and blanket; have to get them from the lady in charged of the dormitory!”

I asked: “Nice! How was the flight?

She said: “Scandinavian Airlines canceled my flight to Copenhagen so I flew with Thai Airways to Stockholm but got upgraded to Business class!!!!!!!!!!”

Me: “Oh cool! Lucky you! You want to come over to Spain and see Madrid for a while before your classes start?

She said: “How many hours would that be?

Me: "No direct flights so you have to fly to either Frankfurt or Copenhagen and take a connecting flight to Madrid...... would mean 7 hours of travel time........"

She said: "No, thanks! I'm tired, lol!"

Me: “Afffffff! Okies, I’ll come over then!”


That’s how my phone conversation went with my younger sister few hours after she arrived in Sweden after a long flight from Asia. She was there to pursue her Master in Social Work through a scholarship awarded by the Swedish government. Anyway, I can’t imagine she declined my invitation to visit Spain but I was excited to visit Sweden again because this time around I'll be with my sister whom I did not see for about a year. And a week after I would be going back to the Philippines again, so I went anyways. But I did not tell her the dates though because I wanted to surprise her (it turned out that I was the one who was surprised when I got there, lol).

 

I rushed to buy my ticket at my favorite travel agency and after some hours of waiting (there was a problem with the ticketing software), I was heading to the airport. I called my sister that I was canceling my trip because I was reviewing for my exams and that I’d be OK to travel the week after. Of course, that was a lie, lol.

 

I don’t exactly remember how the flight from Madrid to Amsterdam to Gothenburg went but all I remember was the mixed feelings of excitement and worries; happy to see my sister again and worried that I’d be arriving in Gothenburg without knowing where to go (common occurrence in my case, lol).

 

The plane landed at the Gothenburg Landvetter Airport at around 10pm and right after I collected my luggage, I proceeded to the gate where the airport bus was waiting. There is a Flygbussarna bus service from Landvetter into the city which runs every 15-20 minutes, and it costs about 75 SEK one way (140 SEK return), and it reaches the city in 20-30 minutes. It stops at several locations (first stop near Liseberg; final stop: the Nils Ericson terminal).

So I took the address book out of my bag and showed it (my sister's address) to the driver hoping he knew where it was. He told me he's not going to pass by that area but assured me to drop me off the place where to catch another bus going to my sister's dormitory. I thanked him for that and settled on my seat and simply enjoyed the ride going to the city centre.

When we arrived at the city centre, the driver dropped me off and gave me some instructions on how to get to my 'destination'. I also had to ask the people on the streets where it was and luckily many people helped me out, lol. I was the centre of attraction right there in the middle of the streets! I hate that situation but what can I do?

 

For the next 4 hours I would be practically wandering around the city in search of that dormitory asking God knows how many people along the way. Luckily, many locals were helpful. And at around 2am, I finally found the place! So I went to the front door and hummm, just to discover that there was nobody at the lobby. Apparently, the dorm has no reception area and only the students could go in. What the ........... ! What should I do? How can I get in? No choice, I went back to the streets to look for a public phone or something. I was dead tired...

 

I had to phone my sister so she could give me the code to open the door. No phone booths to be found. The road maintenance guys saw me again (earlier they helped me find the address). They asked me how could they be of help again, lol. I explained to them what happened and that there was no public phone in the area and this guy, Tommy, volunteered to offer his mobile phone to call my sister. Wow, I told myself what a nice gesture from a total stranger. After talking to my sister (who was also surprised...was my purpose to surprise her after all, lol), I offered to pay for that call but he declined and told me it was a pleasure doing a favor for someone whom really needs it, hehehehehe. I thanked him and went back to the dormitory to see my sister. Whoa! happy to see her again!

 

The next day, time to conquer Gothenburg!

Gothenburg is a mid-size city but so cosmopolitan. Even more so than its rival Stockholm. I like its size and I like the atmosphere inclusing the parks and the citylife as a whole. If given the chance I'd choose to live here. As an authentic probinsiyano, I think this is the right city for me. It is a relatively big city but it retains it small city feel. And more importantly, as they say, the city is known as a friendly place and I myself can attest to that. One impression I have on Scandinavian countries is that people tend to be helpful to tourists (or maybe I look as if I really need some help, lol). But whatever the reason is, it's highly appreciated and I would do the same if someone needs my help especially if he's not from here and he'd ask about directions and all those stuff.


The centre of Gothenburg. If you want to explore the city, this is the place to begin your adventure. From here, you can go to any part of the city. Most of the city is best explored on foot because the main attractions are near each other (anonymous photographer)



Gothenburg tram....blue...same as in Zurich.......I especially loved my tram rides from the dorm of my sister to the city centre. It's a cheap way to see the city. Gothenburg has a famous network of trams that covers most of the city. With over 150km the Gothenburg tram is the largest light rail network in Scandinavia. The main tram hub is Brunnsparken ('Well Park'), where you can catch trams to all parts of the city. It is near (one tram stop to be precise, or a 2-minute walk) to the train station (anonymous photographer)


Oppps, careful........"Puede na bang tumawid?"



Feeling free at the University of Gothenburg's campus



Me and my sister in front of the UG's library. I did some of my assigned school works here because there was a free internet access even to outsiders, hehehehe.


Two days after, another surprised came.

When I was checking my air ticket, I learned that the date of departure from Gothenburg was wrong! It says there I was to be in Sweden only for a day! I had to rush to the airport and had it changed! Affffff, must be the airline system error or more probably negligence on my part for not checking it before leaving the travel agency. Everybody was in a hurry and it totally slipped my mind. Anyway, going to the airport (and back) was a treat for me because I had the opportunity to enjoy the sceneries outside the city centre. It's a forested area (I like temperate forests!) so it was a visual feast for me. Maybe a camping activity would be great or simply be there and enjoy the tranquility of that beautiful place.

 

I enjoyed Gotherburg. If given the chance, I would live there...

 


 


sinto-me:

publicado por Sadiri Gonzales às 17:12
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Quinta-feira, 4 de Setembro de 2003
Air Europa Boeing 737 to Mallorca (Palma de Mallorca)

Flight Details

UX9005
Air Europa

Date: 04 September 2003
Dep: Madrid Barajas (MAD)
Gate: Not indicated
Boarding Time: 2145
Dep Time: 2215
Load: 100%
Seat: 21A
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Arr: Palma de Mallorca (PMI)

 

Boeing 737 of Air Europa in Palma de Mallorca (by Andre Oferta of Airliners)

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Me and my Swiss friend, Bent, have been planning to meet up again after almost two years. He was one of my traveling companions in Portugal. He’d been telling me to come over to Switzerland but when I went to Zurich we did not have the chance to meet up because my Swiss adventure was unannounced and he lived far from the city, in another canton. He planned to visit Madrid but didn’t push through. So after 2 years of planning and exchanging emails, we finally got the opportunity to see each other again: not in Madrid; not in Switzerland, but in Palma de Mallorca, a small island resort in the Mediterranean Sea north of Algeria and south of France. It is a one-hour flight from Madrid. Bent was there to go sailing around the area with his friends. And since I was itching to fly again, I decided to meet him up right there. I went to the travel agency to buy a ticket and off I went. But this time, I did not reserve a room though. I simply took the number of some hostel there and thought that I could give them a call when I get there. Then I realized that I would be arriving in Mallorca at around 22.00 PM...

Anyway, I flew with Air Europa (UX). It is a Spanish low-cost airline that flies not only to cities in Spain but also to other European cities and even to South American cities. I chose UX because it was a partner airline of the then Flying Dutchman, the frequent flyer program of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Check-in was OK and a security agent was even interested in the Philippines. I felt bad that I did not show some enthusiasm in answering his questions because I was worried I might miss my flight and I was really rushing to the gate.

The flight was OK. Flight attendants did what they had to do. And sure, you have to buy if you want to eat something during the flight. It was only a one hour flight so there was nothing to write home about.

We arrived at the Mallorca Airport at around 10pm and I took the airport bus going to the city center. And to my surprise, I got a hard time looking for room because the hostel whose telephone number I got in Madrid could not be reached! Instead of wasting my time going from one hostel to the other at those hours (around 12 mid-night), I decided to spend the night in an internet café filled with people who spoke Spanish but with Italian accent. Ahhh, Argentines! Yeah, I was right. The owner of that internet café was Argentine. We had a chat about Argentina for some minutes before my internet-filled night would start. After 2 hours, I ran out of websites to visit so I went out and spent the rest of the night alone on the beach. Good thing I still had some credits on my phone so I called up my sister in Canada and we talked for a while but did not talk for a long time either because my phone ran out of battery. Afffff! It was stupid of me to spend the night in that area. It would have been safer to simply walk on the streets with some people but at that time I wanted to take some rest after walking and walking around the area.

At around 6AM, I decided to look for a room where to leave my things and take a nap for some hours.

And then time to meet up with my friend. He phoned me asking where I was and he gave me the address. I went out of the hostel confidently thinking that the locale where they were was just around the corner. But no….. it was on the other side of the island!

I had to take a taxi and though afraid I might run out of Euros, I prepared myself to pay "some amount" to get to my destination. While on the road, the driver told me that some time ago he read an article in a magazine about the nightlife in the Philippines and that he’d like to visit the country some day. Apparently that same magazine also featured some place in Manila where sex was cheap, lol. He’s a nice and friendly driver though.

I got off near the cathedral and took another taxi to get to where my friend was. The taxi driver was a lady and I told her it’s cool to see her to that. She commented that some older people were not open to the idea but younger people were cool about it.

I was happy to see my friend again. I was even invited to go sailing with them around the area for about an hour.

In the afternoon, I had to go back to Madrid again so I did not have the time to go back to the hostel so I went straight to the airport and changed my T-shirt on the airport bus.

I was actually a chance passenger because I had an open ticket but the agent was cool enough to book me on the most convenient flight out of Mallorca.
 




 

 

 

 

 

 

UX9016
Air Europa

Date: 05 September 2003
Dep: Palma de Mallorca (PMI)
Gate: A09
Boarding Time: 2050
Dep Time: 2110
Load: 100%
Seat: 28A
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Arr: Madrid Barajas (MAD)
 

 

Flight back home to Madrid was OK. Many passengers were children and I sat next to an elderly man who did not know how to fasten his seat belt. I helped him out because I found him nice. The flight was uneventful and nothing to write home about.

I was happy to see my friend again. After all he was the reason why I went to that Mediterranean island for a day; it was just to meet up with him. Flying to Mallorca in the midst of my exams and spend a day on the island to meet him up and his friends was a gesture of gratitude for what he had done to me when we were in Portugal. Yes, I would do such things for a nice and helpful person and much more for a friend.

And many would agree that staying in Mallorca for a day is not bad at all, and flying Air Europa too! 



publicado por Sadiri Gonzales às 17:11
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Sexta-feira, 14 de Março de 2003
KLM Boeing 737 to Copenhagen, Denmark

Flight Details:

KL1700
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Date: 14 March 2003
Dep: Madrid Barajas (MAD)
Gate: C31
Boarding Time: 0950
Dep Time: 1015
Load: 100%
Seat: 8A
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Arr: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)

KL1131
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Date: 14 March 2003
Dep: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)
Gate: C04
Boarding Time: 1335
Dep Time: 1410
Load: 100%
Seat: 15A
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Arr: Copenhagen Kastrup (CPH)
-------------------------------------

KL1126
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Date: 17 March 2003

Dep: Copenhagen Kastrup (CPH)
Gate: Not indicated
Boarding Time: 0920
Dep Time: 1000
Load: 100%
Seat: 18A
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Arr: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)

Dep: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)
Gate: 081
Boarding Time: 1840
Dep Time: 1920
Load: 100%
Seat: 114D
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Arr: Madrid Barajas (MAD)


*Copenhagen-Malmo-Lund-Malmo-Copenhagen: Swedish/Danish Railways


I've always wanted to go to Denmark so when our professor informed us about some 5-day holiday, I checked my savings and thought I could manage to have some escapade in Scandinavia so I went to buy my ticket from the travel agency near the university. I chose to fly KLM to be able to visit the Netherlands too when I get back from Denmark. I requested the travel agent not to follow the flight itinerary that the reservation system would suggest because I needed some time to walk around for a while in Amsterdam. He agreed. It was also my first to fly KLM so I was kinda excited too. I have been attracted by its colour scheme and I have always wanted to know how's it to fly with the Dutch airline.

I went to the internet cafe to do some quick research about Copenhagen because I still had to go to the immigration office to renew my permit to return to Spain. As for lodging, I knew it's an expensive city so as usual I chose to stay in a youth hostel as I still had my hostelling international card valid. I emailed the hostel to confirm the days of stay and type of room I wanted (sure it was the dormitory type where 8 people stay in one room.........the cheapest!)

Anyway, it was a lovely flight and it was a sunny but chilly day in Madrid though gloomy in Amsterdam when we got there. Some of my fellow passengers from Madrid also flew with me on to Copenhagen. When we arrived at the airport, I bought a train ticket to the city centre which is only some kilometres away from the airport. I was on the line when a lady tried to go to the counter first though she knew I was already standing there waiting for some minutes before she came. The gentleman at the ticket counter told her to wait because I came first so I should be attended first. Hummm, what a nice first impression of the Danes!

I took the train and several minutes after, I began to wonder why I haven't seen a sign that the place was indeed the city centre. I asked the ticket inspector what's going on and he informed me I was going the wrong way. I took the wrong train so he told me to go back to th airport train station and go to the other side of the platform, lol. Anyway, it's cool I was able to see the some of the countryside though. Spring was about to come but still the Danish countryside was still in its winter look. I was told that come spring or autumn, the Danish countryside is the place to see. That's why I love to travel during these seasons. Snow is good but not everyday.

When I arrived at the central train station, I checked out the youth hostel's address and tried to memorise it. I got a free map from one of the desks there. Affffff, it turned out that the hostel was located in Amager, an island off the coast of Copenhagen. I did not check the location back when I was still preparing for my trip because I simply had no time to do it. I took the phone number and email and got the confirmation from the hotel and that's it. That pretty much summed up my travel planning skills during that time, hehehehehe.

So when I arrived at the city centre, I called up the hostel to ask how to get there. Nobody was answering the phone.

Right there on the sidewalk, I "examined" the map again and tried to solve my "dilemma". No, I couldn't. Well, that's it. I thought I had to do again what I usually do when I get to a new place: ask the locals! Actually no, I did not have to ask. A lady came up to me and asked: "Can I help you?" I said sure and before I knew a bunch of people came to my rescue, lol. They explained to me that the hostel was far from city centre and that I needed to take the subway train to get there. And later on after I got the bus, I asked again and the person I was asking was not familiar with the place so a lady when she saw us suddenly said: "Can I help?" She even went to her house and gave me a map of Copenhagen, lol. So, there. Another good impression I had of the Danes.

I walked and walked and walked (the good thing about these situations is that I do get to explore the city without really trying to). But then it was dark and I was still trying to figure out where I would stay. I thought of sleeping at the city centre for that night and go to the hostel the following night. I knew it was expensive but I tried anyways. I asked the locals on the streets what was the cheapest option for me to spend the night in the city centre. Two ladies suggested I'd try Cab Inn. So I went. I asked about the price per night. They told me 80 euros (in Danish Kroner I can't remember). Well, it's a nice hotel and not bad for some independent well off travellers with some extra money to spare. But for me, no. I had no choice but leave the place as fast as I could. That was the the first time it happened to me and I was a bit embarrassed. But hell, nobody cared actually. It's normal. And it was the best thing for me to do since I only had 150 euros to spend for that 4-day stay in Copenhagen.

So I continued my "adventure" and got back to the train station where I already planned to sleep. But anyway, I asked again and a lady helped me out: from buying the correct ticket to choosing the correct platform, lol. At 12 midnight, I arrived at the hostel. The receptionist was cool though and he honored my reservation. I liked the hostel and I had some nice room mates.

It was a long day. But I enjoyed my first day in Copenhagen. Lots of sightseeing and walking, hehehhhehe. I discovered later that I did not have to go to the city centre to get to the hostel because it was only a few Metro stations away from the airport (on the other direction). Afffffff! Anyway, somehow I like it this way since I do get to see more of the city (although a tiring one to do it, lol) and get some sort of interaction with the locals and other travellers too.



The famous symbol of Copenhagen, the Little Mermaid! One of the most photographed statues in the world! (I thought it was bigger though).


Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark and also the largest city in all of Scandinavia. It is one of the most livable cities and one of the richest cities in the world. Well, when I was there, I did not feel that because as usual, I prefer to rough it on my travels. I stayed in a youth hostel on the island of Amager on the outskirts of the city and I ate in cheap fast food chains.

Copenhagen is a flat city, and a beautiful one. It is actually one of my favourite cities so far. I went there with only the Little Mermaid statue in mind but the city came as a delightful surprise to me. Although expensive, it's a nice place to live. It is also near the major Scandinavian major cities such as Oslo (Norway); Goteborg and Stockholm (Sweden) and there are direct fights to Reykjavik (Iceland). It is indeed the hub of Scandinavia.

I'd live in Copenhagen if given the chance.





With the Royal Guard. This was taken at the Amalienborg Palace, the official residence of the Danish Royal Family. Unlike the Evzons in Athens, the Danish Royal Guards can move or smile



The DanHostel in Amager Island where I stayed (anonymous photographer)

Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark and also the largest city in all of Scandinavia. It is one of the most livable cities and one of the richest cities in the world. Well, when I was there, I did not feel that because as usual, I prefer to rough it on my travels. I stayed in a youth hostel on the island of Amager on the outskirts of the city and I ate in cheap fast food chains.

Copenhagen is a flat city, and a beautiful one. It is actually one of my favourite cities so far. I went there with only the Little Mermaid statue in mind but the city came as a delightful surprise to me. Although expensive, it's a nice place to live. It is also near the major Scandinavian major cities such as Oslo (Norway); Goteborg and Stockholm (Sweden) and there are direct fights to Reykjavik (Iceland). It is indeed the hub of Scandinavia.

I'd live in Copenhagen if given the chance.

 

The Copenhagen Airport CPH

Copenhagen Kastrup International Airport, as my favourite airport, deserves a post only for itself. The airport's location, architecture, and flight connections clearly show that it is the leading airport all over Scandinavia. It has been voted several times as the best airport in the world. And my experience with it proves it right.

You go out of the aircraft and what welcomes you is the Scandinavian art, design, and architecture all showcased in one place in this impressive airport. It is clean and relaxed; qualities that help to give passengers that sense of well-being that makes for an enjoyable start to a journey.

Another thing why I like Copenhagen Airport is that it is close to some major urban areas in Scandinavia. If you want to go to Malmo, which is in Sweden, just follow the road to the Oreson Bridge and you're in Malmo. This is also possible when you take the train and even up to Gothenburg you'll go. And Copenhagen receives flights not only from this part of Europe but also as far as Iceland and Greenland and some parts of Asia which all involve direct flights.

And yeah, Copenhagen Airport is a silent airport. That means no boarding announcements are made. Up to the minute traffic information is displayed on TV monitors and signboards located conveniently throughout the airport. Shhhhh!



publicado por Sadiri Gonzales às 17:09
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Sábado, 25 de Janeiro de 2003
Olympic Airways (Airlines) Boeing 737 to Athens, Greece

Flight Information

OA2480
Olympic Airways

Date: 25 January 2003
Dep: Madrid Barajas (MAD)
Gate: C
Boarding Time: 1305
Dep Time: 1320
Load: 95%
Seat: 8F
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Arr: Athens Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH)

------------------------------

OA0253
Olympic Airways

Date: 29 January 2008
Dep: Athens Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH)
Gate: B05
Boarding Time: 0835
Dep Time: 0855
Load: 100%
Seat: 19F
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Arr: Barcelona (BCN)

Dep: Barcelona (BCN
Load: 77%
Seat: 19F
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Arr: Madrid Barajas (MAD)


Right after I arrived in Madrid from Canada, went home and took a shower and off to the university. I attended my classes for a week and after that we had a vacation again...for 5 days!

My mind was set to go to Greece so I went to TIVE (a travel agency for students...really cheap tickets! But you have to have an ISIC student card to be able to avail of the discounts. This is located in Moncloa, the university district of Madrid).

I flew with Olympic Airways (now it's Olympic Airlines). I was excited to see Athens! The plane which took me to Greece was a Boeing 737 of Olympic Airways. The flight was not that full. I was seated next to a Greek guy but he was asked to transfer to another empty row right after take off so we could have both rows only for us. The legroom was OK and the food was OK too. I liked the on-board entertainment because there was a selection of nice Greek songs. Landing was rough and the plane was hit by a turbulence minutes before we landed at Eleftherios Venizelos Airport. A modern airport and with a beautiful architecture. Especially at dawn, Spata (where the airport is located) looks beautiful!


The Tsoliades (anonymous photographer)


The Evzons at Syndagma Square. I would usually visit this place during my stay here in Athens and one time without knowing I went beyond the permitted area and the guards suddenly signalled me (to stay away from that area) by moving their rifles back and forth (the evzons can't really talk nor move while on duty!). I said sorry and the guards (who were not on duty) were laughing.



The Acropolis (anonymous photographer)



Aerial view of Athens (Greek National Tourism Organisation)



I took this picture when the Evzons were going back to their headquarters at the back of the Presidential Palace



Aerial view of Barcelona Airport (by anonymous photographer)



Olympic Airways B737 in Madrid (by Ander Aguirre of airliners.net)



Return flight was also on Olympic Airways B737 but this time it was flying first to Barcelona before heading back to Madrid. Nice! I had not been to Barcelona so at least I'd be able to see the city on air and well, see the airport too, lol. No inflight entertainment whatsoever. The headset was not working. Food OK though. Turbulent flight. And was Greek seating next to me was freaking out, lol. Approach to Barcelona airport was bumpy and afterwards during take off (to Madrid) the plane suddenly dropped for several meters. Arrival in Madrid at 13 hours. I went to my flat and took a shower and went straight to school.

Here are some of the pictures I took during my flight from Madrid to Athens and back (with disposable cameras!)


Madrid airport looking through the window as the B737 of Olympic Airways was taxiing closer to the airbridge fresh from Athens



Olympic Airlines already connected to the terminal though an aerobridge



Seconds after we took off from Madrid airport


Above France


Above Italy


On the return flight, I took this picture before gonig to the departure area of Athens Eleftherios Venizelos airport


Departure area of Eleftherios Venizelos airport



Some minutes after we took off with an aerial view of Athens


Outside Athens


Mountains of Peloponessos



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



publicado por Sadiri Gonzales às 17:08
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