Made it to O’Hare

I am not really sure how the airlines allow people to buy a ticket with a 50 minute connection between our arrival into Madrid from Málaga and our flight out of Madrid to Chicago. Get off the plane, get to the train to get out to the international terminal, get off the train, go through Immigration, get to your gate. It was a bit much. I am definitely going to pay attention to my connection times more in the future, especially now that I sit here in O’Hare with a four hour layover!

I think part of the problem with my bad connections is the reduced flight schedule, though things are definitely picking up. O’Hare is mobbed, seems like it is back to normal. But the Iberia flight was only about 20% full, I would guess.

At several points along the way today, we were asked to show our covid test results or sign an affirmation that we had been vaccinated and/or had taken a covid test. Because the numbers of international travelers are so low, there wasn’t much of a wait at O’Hare — in fact, it was the quickest trip through immigration I can remember. They have removed all of the many touch screen automated immigration machines, though, maybe because of covid. So if numbers pick up, the waits could get much longer.

So ends our trip to Spain. If you are vaccinated and want to go to Spain, my advice is to GO if you are vaccinated. No hassles getting in, just fill out a form with your vaccination data. Coming back home, you need a covid test, but there are many places to do it and it is quite easily arranged, There were a few things closed because of covid, but the absence of the group tour buses really makes being a tourist much more fun.

I’m glad to be going home, but I have to admit I am starting to dream about the next trip!Read more