Well, did we make it?
Arrived at the airport where the international buses ply their trade with over an hour to spare. We get directions to where the buses stop from the Information Desk and managed a leisurely coffee.
Fifteen minutes to go and with plenty of time, we make our way to a very quiet parking area with an empty bus standing at the ready. I speak to the driver who tells us confidently that we need to be in another parking area on the other side of the airport buildings and points to some buses that are specks on the horizon.
We still have ten minutes so make our way towards them varying between fast walk and uncomfortable jog, the 10kg rucksack with all our worldly goods bouncing on our back. If we don’t board this then the next bus to Seville is tomorrow and we’ll miss the flight to Bilbao.
We arrive at the buses and I show the nearest unoccupied driver our tickets and ask him which one is to Spain. His reply and pointing gesture are not what we want to hear or see as he explains we need to go back to the park from whence we came.
Off we go at a pace befitting someone on a mission but with the impediment of a rucksack and arrive where we’d come from with a couple of minutes to spare but no bus.
I refer back to the ticket and spot the Spanish for ‘in front of’ but don’t recognise the next word. The Pilgrim sees someone in a high viz top and jogs to her pointing at the phrase and gets the reply ‘Arrivals’ which is about two-thirds of the way back to the specks that become buses when you get closer. Nice teamwork but is it too late?
It’s 10:50 now and our bus leaves or, if on time, left at 10:45 so we head towards two buses that become one as we watch the closer of the two depart.
The driver of the other bus has closed the luggage doors when he spots a pair of pilgrims looking somewhat sweaty heading towards him and waits then nods reassuringly as I offer him the self-printed ticket and say one word, “Seville”.
He reopens the luggage bins and we’re off to Spain!
So, it was a bit tight but we’re on our way…G..x