Wroclaw, a Mishap and Portugal

What all can unfold in the span of a two weeks. It so happened that the work trip to meet my external colleagues was right before my planned trip to Portugal.

So that is where we start.

A short flight with one of my local colleagues on a Thursday in September. We get picked up by our account manager Pawel, he is a young confident man with impeccable manners. At the office other clients arrived bit by bit and we got a catered lunch before heading on a sightseeing trip through the city. This was my second time visiting and I was again amazed at how efficient and friendly everyone was. During the sightseeing trip we met the girls from Hamburg and the guys from Switzerland and it was easy conversations. We had local beer and enjoyed being driven around the city in these electric golf-cart thingys. I think the guide gave up telling us all the historic intricacies about half way through, as we had such a good time just talking among ourselves.

The day ended with a perfect dinner at a fancy restaurant. Despite the staff refilling my wine glass constantly I felt great the next morning. A night in a hotel, without the responsibility for Rags makes one feel so free.

Side Tangent:

Rags was enjoying his vacation too, his sitter living near a forest and him being the absolute center of attention. She also was watching small kids with sticky fingers just in reach for him to lick up some yummy residues. And lots of long walks, which he loves.

So reason to feeling guilty about leaving him behind needed.

Back to the trip:

The next day our external colleagues arrived and it was great to be in the same room and to just have time to talk. We work well as a team despite being physically in different locations, but meeting in person adds to the rapport and it gives time to get to know the other person even more.

The activity of the day was bowling. I admit bowling can be fun, but in this case I much rather would have spend more time in an activity that allowed for conversation.

But afterwards we went onto a boat, that just went up and down the river, allowing us to see the city from a different angle. We enjoyed a hearty BBQ and lots of alcohol watching the sunset and hanging out with each other. We had a wonderful evening and I think I was just a bit too tipsy for my own good. Despite a few too many drinks, I safely made it back to the hotel, leaving the younger ones to party on.

We had plenty of time the next day to catch our plane home, and I had planned to workout. Well I must have had too much the night before, as I had quite a time to nurse a hangover. Much to my chagrin I simply did not feel good. But some food and a little bit of tea and another nap helped a lot. Then it was time to go to the airport. A nice but quiet Uber driver got us there, we got out with plenty of time to walk around the airport. I started looking forward to meeting my mum later. She was visiting my uncle and we had arranged to have dinner together as Rags was going to stay at his vacation spot. I was gonna travel the very next day to Portugal.

And that is when I realized I did not have my phone!

This was a disaster, the phone holds all my important things. And to top it off in the protective case was my credit card too.

My colleague kept calm and we tried calling my phone, hoping the driver would notice. But it was on silent and must have been out of sight. I kept hoping he would find it and show up at the airport, but it did not happen that way.

Let me tell you these apps are perfect for the phone and unusable if you do not have your phone to get the code to authenticate your login with. So I had no way of contacting the driver through the app either. And for that matter to contact anyone else either. I do not memorize phone numbers and could not reach anyone in my network. Not that they could have helped in that moment either.

In my head I kept going through all the things on the phone and the fact that I never back up anything. The loss felt so big I had a hard time keeping it together. Not to mention that the next day I was going to be on the plane again for a week long vacation.

Well, there was nothing in that moment I could do but get on the plane home. My co-worker kindly lend me the money for the bus/train ride home. Yes my monthly ticket is also on my phone, what can I say.

So there I was, having caught the bus, waiting for the train. Feeling anxious, hot and still having an upset stomach. In my head I had started a plan how to get out of this misery, but time was essential, it was Saturday afterall.

No train in sight, unbeknownst to me there was some widespread technical defect that day, delaying all trains in the region.

I finally took all my courage and asked a cab driver if he accepts card payment. And once he confirmed I promised to pay him once we got to my apartment. I thankfully had a spare card there. He agreed and I felt so relieved walking into my living room.

Now I could spring into action.

First things first. I messaged my kiddo on FB to call my mum and let her know I am not coming. Then I drove to a store to buy a phone.

When the sales girl asked what color I would like, I almost shouted at her something along the lines of "I do not give a f...", but I stopped myself in time, it was not her fault that I had lost my phone.

My anxiety was quite high, as a type A, not having control is so unbelievable stressful.

My plan was to buy another Sim card and to call customer service to switch my number onto it, that would have given me some access back.

I do not however have a landline, so I got my mum to hop onto a video chat with me. She was to call the hotline for me. My mom does not do well in situations like this, so in the end I spoke to the person on the phone via video chat and loud speaker of my mum's phone. It would have been really funny, if it was not so stressful.

Sadly my plan was not going to work, he informed me that I need to be send a specific replacement card and there was nothing he could do that evening.

So onto the next plan, register this card to at least be reachable. This requires some process to verify your ID. Let me tell you, if you have not tried to, going through this procedure is just no fun at all. They kept telling me the pictures of my passport where not clear enough and I should use my phone. It took all my willpower to not scream out loud. To use the phone I was not having, or better the one I tried to get operational by registering the Sim card which required me to prove my ID, which is what I was calling them for. Would you believe how I felt like banging my head against the wall.

Frustrated is an understatement. And these young men where so rude too, one told me

"To Shut up,, as his head hurts from people always talking so much". I had to bite my tongue as I needed him to help me. I hope I will never have to do this ever again.

Finally I managed to get the approval I needed and I was at least able to make phone calls. Next I installed the Uber app and somehow got access to my account again. Such a big win. Now I could report having lost my phone in the car. And the big relief when the driver confirmed he had found it. In my head I argued he must be honest or else he would not have admitted to finding it. Now how to get it back, but more of that a bit later.

I unpacked, repacked, tried not to worry and get some sleep, feeling exhausted from the unfolding of the day and the tension about how to resolve this situation.

The next morning still no trains so another cab ride later I am at the airport again. Meeting my friend and catching her up, starting to look forward to sunshine and time with my two friends, exploring a new city. But still feeling anxiety about the phone, not completely being able to let it go.

Deep breaths and willing my mind to push all thoughts aside, we arrived at Lisbon, to be joined by the third girl on this trip.

That night I was able to communicate with the driver directly and asking him to drop the phone off at the local office. And asking Pawel to send it to my house. I felt a great relieve about the driver being an honest man and having this option that people I know would handle the sending to another country.

I could now start enjoying my vacation. And having only 2 contacts on my phone and almost no apps, it meant a bit of a tech detox too.

Side Tangent Two:

At the time I am writing all this down, I have my phone back and can feel quite calm about it all. Aside from some stress no bigger harm has resulted out of this episode.

My phone had no lock before, having always guarded it well, I had never felt the need for it. And sitting in planes having nothing to do but to remember all the things on the phone connected to my bank account and personal information, I am more than grateful for the goodness of people and the goodwill of the universe.

Needless to say the phone now is locked and I am backing up my pictures, and important data. Still grateful for my notes and thoughts and the pictures of the two days in Wroclaw being in my posession again.

Back to my vacation:

Lisbon, the city of hills and houses with tile facades. The first night the three of us, after settling into our AirBnb, headed out into the warm night. Grabbing dinner and then ending at a bar with great jazz music. I enjoyed watching the band setting up and getting into the groove for the night. I felt not tired at all. We started catching up on each others news and planning the upcoming days.

It quickly unfolded that for both of my friends scheduling the day around meals was important and also that neither was an early riser. But I felt content sleeping in a bit more than usual and letting them be in the driving seat. I had wanted to relax and rest and not to be go, go go. And so it worked out perfectly.

We wandered the streets of Lisbon, soaked up the perfect weather. It was just the right amount of sun and heat and always a breeze. I saw albino peacocks, a wonderful old fortress, beautiful houses with tiles along the facade. This city offers wonderful views in so many places. And on each corner something to admire. I loved the cobble stone walk ways, despite having to watch ones step on the step streets.

We walked a lot, talked a bit too. We listened to Faro music, this haunting  melancholic style that was born in this city. Listening to a language you do not understand, but hearing the emotions and allowing to be swept along with it.

One day we were searching for these little chocolate cups with cherry liqueur. We got directed by one person to a side street. My friend seemed skeptical and as we got there we did not see what we were looking for. So again we asked the person there. After two more times we ended up in front of the door of this little old lady. You could tell it was her house, I could see the living room and kitchen through the opened door. She sat there with a little tray and sold homemade cherry liqueur. I was hesitant at first, but in the end peer pressure won. It was delicious and I would have bought a bottle, but when you travel with carry-on only, liquids are a bit difficult to take home.

Food was excellent the whole stay, we mostly ate fish and seafood, as it was so fresh. The city felt very young and alive to me. But one could also tell it has seen better days overall. There were many corners that needed repair and it saddened me to think that one day the tile facades will disappear and make room for modern accommodations.

I was glad my friend drove us around when needed, as those tiny cobblestone streets at steep angles are not for a novice driver or the faint of heart.

There were a lot more impressions, but the days also whizzed by quite fast. We did make a trip to the town Sintra and its famous garden as well as the Pena Palace. Both are in the National Forest and were on my wishlist. Despite both places being beautiful I felt overwhelmed by the tourist and their attempts to take the best Instagram pictures. Those same pictures that lured me there turned me off the places too. Or better the people taking them. But the truth is, there are not sights like this left on the planet without people visiting and taking pictures. So I just need to get over that.

On our last day together we drove up the coast and had the perfect lunch on a beachy restaurant and spend a few hours on the beach. Then my friend dropped me off to spend my last 2 nights on my own.

And it was such a respite, after all that happened and the busy city. Life was calm and slow. I swam in the pool, quite cold water, but the sun warmed me quickly afterwards. Being on the atlantic ocean the sea was just too cold to for me.

I read the book I bought in the oldest operating book store in the world, at least that is what the store in Lisbon claimed.

I had dinner, listening to the chatter all around me. At night sipping wine sitting right outside my small apartment enjoying the warm evening air.

I got up really early on my last day and took the train to Cascais, waited for a coffee shop to open and enjoyed hot sweet milk coffee and then wandered along the coast back to my place. No rushing, just enjoying the weather, the coast and all the people and dogs I passed by.

My last night was perfect sitting by the water, delicious shrimp tacos, a mojito and a sunset.

And one last hiccup, to round it out, I had 34 Euros cash left, and this being the only place not taking card payments, I had to pay 36 Euro. So I left the money I had with the promise to return. Three Atm visits, 2 being dysunct, and 30 minutes later I returned to pay the remainder of my bill. They had forgotten me. But I insisted and paid what I owed and headed back to spend the last night winding down quietly with a bit of wine.