Leaving NYC was as hectic as leaving Ohio.
Trying to get my cholesterol prescription filled, at CVS,they wanted $300+ dollars for nine months because I didn´t have my Medicare card with me. (I´d had it filled in Nelsonville but couldn´t find it while madly packing. My sister Amy is working on a cheaper alternative.) But I was so rattled I left my rolling suitcase, a loan from my NYC hosts, in the store! (I ran back for it of course.)
At the Russian visa office, they thought I´d have to take a taxi to make my flight, but the E train to Queens worked out just fine. Layover in Dublin - I don´t think my June 4 included any night time! It never got dark that I could see.
My Couchsurfing host met me at the airport. A handsome 42 year old but retired Portuguese Air Force man with a mania for Abercrombie and Fitch, 100 shirts at least with my name on them. Perhaps why he chose me as his first Couchsurfer. His much younger wife Isa (as in Isabelle) is 3 months pregnant, also in the Air Force, a dog trainer, and their two big German shepherds share the small apartment.
They gave me their bed, took me to the old town center for dinner, drove me to the Westernmost point in Europe and picturesque Sintra, cork products and tiles are the thing. Both "naturists", they doff their bottoms at home, and pointed out the nude beach.The Atlantic ws very cold. They had professional duties with their Independence day so took me to another nudist friend, Jorge Jesus, who kept his pants on at home, and has hosted 80 couchsurfers over 4 years but is tired of the French and Germans.
Another friend took me sightseeing, I started taking pictures I don´t know how to post,and I visited Europe´s largest aquarium at an Expo site and the oldest tram through Lisbon´s hills and old city on my own. We´ll meet again in March on my way home.
Now I am in a hostel in Porto and have couchsurfing hosts lined up for Madrid, France, Copenhagen, Odense, Norway, Stockholm and Moscow. It took lots of courage to start this trip but I´m so glad I did. I would never meet or see´s n such things in sleepy Nelsonville.
Couchsurfing is the way to go in contrast to costly lonely hotels!
The world comes to visit. I can host in the future but I doubt even Athens is on anyone´s must-see itinerary. I owe the Athens Time Exchange for introducing me to this wonderful world wide phenomenon.
This has been the first weekly report of Alexa´s travels. Let me know if you´d like to be spared from further installments!
ALexa
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