The flight plan

Monday March 10, 2008
British Airways Flight Number: 2026
Depart: George Bush Intercont, TX 8:30 Pm March 10, 2008
Arrive: London Gatwick, United Kingdom 10:25 Am March 11, 2008
Total Flight Time: 8 Hours 55 Minutes Non-Stop
Equipment: Boeing 777
Meal Service: Yes

Tuesday March 11, 2008
British Airways Flight Number: 2466
Class of Service:Coach Class S
Depart: London Gatwick, United Kingdom 2:10 Pm March 11, 2008
Arrive: Madrid, Spain 5:30 Pm March 11, 2008
Total Flight Time: 2 Hours 20 Minutes Non-Stop
Equipment: Boeing 737-400
Meal Service: Snack

Total Cost (in case you're curious): $734.60/Round-trip


What a great birthday present, eh?? I will be crossing the Atlantic on the very eve of my 26th birthday. My friend Matt, whose birthday is also March 10, will be at my side. We will leave NOLA on the Friday (3/7) before the flight, to drive to Houston and spend time with my parents and my bff, Lauren (whose birthday is ALSO March 10 - strange, isn't it?? It's like our own little holiday!), who will hopefully drive down from Denton.

My basic itinerary:
We will land in Madrid and spend 1 day there. I will 1) eat paella, 2) drink a Spanish mojito, and 3) see Guernica at Reina Sofia, and perhaps 4) stroll in the parque de buen retiro. Then, we will head by bus or train to Granada to get acclimated, spend 1 night there and find a place to stash my larger luggage items for a few days before hopping another bus or train south to Malaga, Ronda and then Tarifa. At Tarifa, we will camp on the beach, eat pulpo and calamares and drink sherry, then take a ferry to Tangier, Morocco, where I want to spend just a day and maybe ride a camel, but Matt wants to stay the night (I will see how I feel about this, if we can find a place outside of the tourist danger zone). I also want to do some street shopping for souvenirs, but with only a backpack to carry stuff in, it may be difficult to buy much. After returning from Morocco to Tarifa, we will head back up the southern coast, hopefully seeing some good Flamenco on the way, making our way back to Granada for Semana Santa.

After Semana Santa, I will settle in and meet my ViaLingua peeps, get ready for studies and six full months in SPAIN!!!!