#doris cahill travel advisory

[doriscahill]

Tawdry Pool Girl

. 

My flight in was smooth for the most part, with the exception of the tight switch in Istanbul. The new airport is large, long, really big  and terminal gate AD1  conservatively measures  1,5 mile from my arrival gate.  A fast pace walk, a needed toilet break, and a 10 minutes allowance to hop into the queue and board the 7:25 to Barcelona. Women, no heels required. 

The shuttle to the hotel was simple enough, the yellow-shirt greeters whisk you to a waiting area for your bus to the City Center. The driver, speaks little English, some maybe, apparently none, ugh who knows and most passengers are dropped a full City block from their hotels. Onset confusion, the American retirees grumble, reluctantly accept their over-sized luggage and wobble away. It’s the cheap ride and packing light comes in handy at these times, thus not an issue for me. 

No matter, I am checked in quickly and the room is lovely, sparse; small, but clean and has most of what I need. Its a green contemporary set up. So low lighting, no fridge and you're expected to reuse towels. Security good, an attended desk and all access points require a plastic fob.

The sign next to my room encourages visitors to walk the stairs, after 30 hours of no sleep, let’s try that tomorrow. I tap my card for the elevator and make my way to the roof top deck. 

Welcoming indeed; panoramic views of the City and azure Mediterranean. Chic stools await me, I belly up to the counter. I eye the local draft, "yes, a pint please". I begin to tell my short tale of my trip to the charming barman; Brit accent, perfect and his name is Barry. Barry the barman.n 

Talking to bar staff is ritual of travel;  a pit stop,  share my tale, then move on. 

Rubenesque, scantly clad, deeply bronzed, brown haired tossed atop her head loosely tied saunters from the pool. Loquacious she blurts tales of London and Britain cheaply inserts  “my dear"... disruptively. She and the barman  share like-kind UK tales, she orders a hard drink and he mentions she had not ordered at all the proceeding day. She makes little sense, just loud flirtatious banter. I notice again how bronze here skin is and her hips so extra curvy and her top of strings, spilling blossoming chest. She bounces back to the pool. 

We resume our benign tale of my travel. The bus, the retirees, instanbul, but our bawdy lady comes for another pop. She's asked to pay, her credit card declines. She suggests just place it on the room. "And your number is? , your name?" Squinting our barman reads the name, she corrects him and mentions the room switched..." he satisfied she orders another and a few after that.”

I had my fill of tapas and beer, head to my room, only to wake 10 hours later.

After my morning activities I return to the deck for wine and snacks. Now my good friend, Barry  is flustering;  he recalls me being present yesterday.

Apparently, our buxom raucous Brit skipped the bill; 36 euros, anothers  room, if ever her room  and credit card shut down, aka bad. A small chase ensues, staff misses her out the door, apparently piggybacking all the security fobs.

Thieves come in curves. 

Thanks for listening!

[doriscahill]

Hi this is Doris! Alert: Travel Advisory and it's not a snow storm. I travel a lot and think it's important to observe change. Some changes are not good and worry me, just like all this snow. Imagine you get so very snowed in you can't dig out for days. That same feeling took me over when I was traveling overseas last week. The Airline I was traveling only accepted Credit Cards to pay for on board food. This is not all that new, maybe been in place this past year, but it suddenly hit me, that cash is NO good. The passenger next to me only had cash to buy a sandwich and he seemed hungry to me. Is cash not legal tender? Is Visa legal tender? Can't be good...is this a policy set under the guise of security? Or is it some type of built in profit thing for the credit card Company? If security is the issue case, I am all for security, that keeps things moving along and doesn't crush the average person, this poor guy was hungry and it pretty inhuman not to take real money. Shame on the airlines, shame on us of not piping up. Thanks for listening!