SPAIN 2022: Departure and Arrival, April 17 and 18

Had a nice little narrative going about adventures so far, like everything humming along just fine until having the world's absolute tiniest knife ever confiscated (I thought they were after my grapefruit), and almost not making it through the "health" check despite proof of two vaccines and two boosters (they wanted originals, yes, originals, of all forms).  However, my deciding at the last minute to, OK, use VeriFLY, an app suggested by AA, but that seemed utterly redundant, saved the day.  

So we will pick up the story at TOD (time of departure.  Everyone in line, plane on time and ready to board:

Then: "All passengers, flight 94 to Madrid, gate change.  This flight is now departing from Gate 8." Immediately, like a herd of cattle, the crowd stampeded from Gate 34 all the way across the terminal only to be faced with a delay of over an hour while catering loaded the food.  My worries:  Would Rojita be transferred, too?

  YES, SHE WAS!

Would I miss my train to Malaga?  

 YES, I DID!  By a hair!  However, I was lucky to get a seat on a train two hours later.  And not only that, they did not even charge a penalty.  

Hotel a bit dreary, definitely overrated, reception could use some people skills, but from my room there is great view of the Teatro Romano:

The downside is that the large plaza, which also takes in this view, is a series of bars, thus, very noisy.  And, as is common knowledge, Spaniards are not an early to bed early to rise sort of folk.  Is it not for situations such as this that one has noise cancelling headphones?

   

 Spent the first afternoon hunting and gathering.  Discovered that peanut butter is more available than I had thought, but instant latte is not.  Salad dressing is definitely not a "thing" here.  

Tomorrow, serious sightseeing will commence!  Cannot wait for the Picasso Museum!

 

Like a herd of cattle, the crowd stampeded from gate 34 all the way across the terminal only to be faced with a delay of over an hour as catering did its job.  My worries:  
Will Rojita  
 be transferred from the plane at Gate 34 ?  Will I miss my train to Malaga?  Yes and Yes!
Luckily, I was able to get a ticket for the next train two hours later.