UK to Nazaré
01/08/07 17:30 Filed in: Portugal
A long day spent travelling.
Got up reasonably early to leave Tranquility Base in Gloucestershire and catch a coach from Cheltenham to Heathrow at 09:10. No problems and arrived on time just after 11:00.
It was only a short walk to Terminal 2 from the bus station. At checkin TAP slugged me for a baggage overweight charge of £45 almost half the fare. Ah well, such is the cost of lower fares. Cheap upfront cost and work the small print to enhance margins.
The flight was on time and after a longish wait for baggage in Lisbon I got a taxi to the bus station. My driver was quite the entrepreneur. He was convinced that it would be far better if he drove me to Nazaré. He even phoned the bus station to enquire about departure times. There was only one more coach today he told me and it left at 19:00.
Cost of his proposed taxi ride to Nazaré €130. Cost of coach fare €8.30. Hmm, other than arriving about 90 minutes earlier the benefit to me was not apparent. Once at the bus station and miffed at my refusal of his generous offer my driver insisted I pay him an extra Euro to cover the cost of his unsolicited mobile phone call. Things are different in Portugal.
I caught the bus which arrived in Nazaré on time and I was back on board at around 21:40. Mike, the harbour master, was still around and mentioned that there was a problem with my "A" frame. Apparently not a lot had happened. we shall see tomorrow.
Got up reasonably early to leave Tranquility Base in Gloucestershire and catch a coach from Cheltenham to Heathrow at 09:10. No problems and arrived on time just after 11:00.
It was only a short walk to Terminal 2 from the bus station. At checkin TAP slugged me for a baggage overweight charge of £45 almost half the fare. Ah well, such is the cost of lower fares. Cheap upfront cost and work the small print to enhance margins.
The flight was on time and after a longish wait for baggage in Lisbon I got a taxi to the bus station. My driver was quite the entrepreneur. He was convinced that it would be far better if he drove me to Nazaré. He even phoned the bus station to enquire about departure times. There was only one more coach today he told me and it left at 19:00.
Cost of his proposed taxi ride to Nazaré €130. Cost of coach fare €8.30. Hmm, other than arriving about 90 minutes earlier the benefit to me was not apparent. Once at the bus station and miffed at my refusal of his generous offer my driver insisted I pay him an extra Euro to cover the cost of his unsolicited mobile phone call. Things are different in Portugal.
I caught the bus which arrived in Nazaré on time and I was back on board at around 21:40. Mike, the harbour master, was still around and mentioned that there was a problem with my "A" frame. Apparently not a lot had happened. we shall see tomorrow.