#the power came back like 7h later

[splattacks]

i am. overwhelmed

[oceanbaby888]

Grit, Grind, and Muscle: Saturn in the Houses (Pt. 2) 🏋🏾‍♀️💪🏾🏠

NOTE: WHILE I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL ASTROLOGER I LIKE ASTROLOGY AND IT’S ASPECTS. PLEASE DO NOT STEAL OR REPOST MY WORK WITHOUT CREDIT. THANK YOU.

-HEY YALL!

-I am back with to finish up Saturn through the houses! Thank you so much for the love on the first part! Always can support through interaction or hitting that cashapp: $DellyRelly! Let’s finish what we started!

Saturn 7H:

May take a long time to date or may marry later in life. 💕👰🏾‍♀️🤵🏾

Could marry someone older (make sure it’s within good taste). Also could have older friends.

Could learn some tough karmic lessons regarding your relationships and how you work with others. 👩🏾👨🏾

Could connect with some well established people in life. These people can help you advance. Could definitely do well in business partnerships. 🖇 They may also add to your reputation! This can be good or bad so make sure you’re in good company! ✨

The people you do connect with may not be many, and tbh this placement can feel like having friendships and relationships are hard to come by. Yet, the people who do come are dependable people who may be around for a long time. 💕 These people can really help you in the long run.

Saturn 8H:

Well disciplined individuals when it comes to how they handle resources. These people are highly resourceful. 💪🏾🏋🏾‍♀️

^Given that they are resourceful, and Saturn being Saturn, they must make sure they use these resources responsibly. Or they could lose out and it may take a while to recover back.

Some karmic lessons come after a transformative period. Think of being broken down only to be built back up again stronger. You go through such a turbulent time just to gain the respect of others around you. It’s rather intriguing.

May need to be hella responsible with taxes. Saturn does not joke around 😂😂

Don’t be afraid to feel intensity and passion. Sometimes those “intense” emotions society looks down upon are the same ones that can help you advance to your power. 🔥❤️‍🔥

May make a business out of their occult practices. Also could be known/acquainted with highly respected spiritual workers.

Don’t let paranoia restrict you to only your comfort zone. Same for Saturn 4H and Saturn 12H. These houses are about the unseen, and Saturn doesn’t like that because it’s likes organization and planning (meaning knowing where things should go). Yet, when it can’t it gets stuck. Understand that planning is 50% preparation, 50% allowing things to develop and grow. You can improve along the way. 😌

Could do well in areas of investing, inheritances, taxes, or even have careers that may require to be behind the scenes yet have a good amount of control. 💰💲

Saturn 9H:

May take a longer time to complete university or may go later in life 📚

May end up going to a prestigious university 👩🏾‍🏫

Career could be tied to spirituality, law, religion, or academia. Also could be well known for those topics. Think of The Hierophant in the Tarot Deck. 🃏

Could have very STRONG convictions and moral compass (probably because Saturn force y’all too 🤣😭)

Beliefs could be very traditional and may have a hard time diverting from those traditions. Saturn is a very “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” kind of energy 😂. Also, these beliefs could have been influenced through alot of older people in their life.

May not like long distance travel or may have issues with travel. Like Saturn so aggy if you forget one thing before your trip it throws everything off kind of vibe 🤨🙃

Moving overseas may make you feel stifled or you may have some issues in that area as well if Saturn is afflicted. 🏠🌊

Saturn 10H:

Saturn loves being in this house! This is a placement of someone who is wise but it came with some struggle. Yet, as you grew older you became revered. 💥

The native is more goal-oriented. I have noticed that while they are very goal oriented, they can do things in a very cumbersome manner. Consult your local Uranian friend. 😂😂

Could feel very pressured in the public eye if they are. As if they are expected to never mess up or make mistakes. Yet, realize that yes you can make mistakes and don’t let people tell YOU who to be. ✨

May have a lot of older, more experienced people help them in their career or with life in general. 👴🏾🧓🏾

May be seen as very discipline, mature, and proper even if they are younger.

Could rise to prominence in their field and possibly quickly if the transit Mars or Mercury (the fast moving planets) are harmoniously aspecting the Saturn by the time this event occurs.

Saturn 11H:

Could feel isolated or restricted in a group. 🧍🏾‍♀️May just like to be on your own. Yet, may not feel recognized or respects unless in a group. How contradicting 😂😅

Possibly could have older friends. 👴🏾 If not older, they are very responsible, mature people.

^Could also be seen as the mature friend of the group.

Career advancements could come through friends or associations. Definitely should use networking to your advantage with this placement.

Could take a long time to accomplish their dreams, but that’s okay! Most people tend to overlook that Saturn builds slow yet the foundation tends to stay longer. So don’t rush! ✨

May hang around the same group or community for a long time. 👯‍♂️

Could make money again through business as the 11H represent gains. Or if not business, could make gains slowly but surely from their career. Esp if their career requires a team effort.

Could be known for the people you associate with, similar to Saturn in 7H.

Saturn 12H:

Could be known as a spiritually balanced individual as they grow older. Those lessons whoop y’all into spiritual shape. 💪🏾🔥��🏾

Could feel heavily isolated. Could feel like people don’t understand them or even give them the chance to be themselves. I just want you to know you are loved, powerful, and that bitch! 🔥🤌🏾✨

May have to learn to deal with the lessons of loss and make sure that the pain of loss doesn’t lead them into isolation or self sabotage of not wanting to try new things.

^May have to learn to find stability in sacrifice and surrender. Understand when you lose something, you have room to gain more. ✨ That life is a cycle of losing and gaining.

Could be in a career that calls for altruism, spirituality, and/or seclusion. Could be underrated in their field. 👩🏾‍⚕️

^May feel that they don’t know what to do with their career path. May just want to go with the wind. 💨

May have hidden enemies that are prominent, mature, or older. I also think this is because they are projecting the pain they went through and how they wasted the time they had, while to you it could be a possible lesson of forgiveness (12H rules compassion and forgiveness) and understanding that people’s anger towards you is their own internal battle rather than an actual issue with you.

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS SERIES!! Thank you so much for the continual support and love on my content. See y’all later!

-Claude

..

[miu-miiu]

⚡ astrobservations p.2 ⚡♌

🌟 houses

*this is a new theory i came up with but we might experience the energy of the opposite of our houses. for example, as a 1h venus person you may act more like a 7h venus where you avoid confrontation and value keeping the peace. as a 7h venus, you may act more like a 1h venus where you give more appericiation to your appearance and be more aggressive and argumentative.

as a 6h sun, you may find it more difficult to accomplish tasks at hand and be productive and it may feel like a burden to you, but you may easily get in contact with the astral realm and embrace your higher self.as a 12h sun, you may easily be productive and finish tasks and chores but struggle with surrendering to the divine, diving deep into spirituality or struggle to accept your gifts.

*mercury in 7h love to debate other people and share their ideas with other people

*jupiter in 5th gives excellent stage presence and abundance of creativity, its the ultimate performer and creator placement. people with chart ruler in 5h jupiter are often destined to become a creator/performer which can even mean being a tourist guide or a youtuber

*mercury in 5th people are never boring and they are extremely pleasant people who will make everything 5x more fun than it is. school work, chores, everything is funner with them!

🌟 synastry

*be VERY careful when getting into a relationship with 8th house synastry, especially if you are the planet person because you will most likely form an extreme attachment and obsession to the house person that will last for a very long time and can go into unhealthy lenghts. because you are the planet person and this is 8th house synastry we are talking about, the house person has immense power over you and they know it. they can see right through you. as the planet person, you want to be their one and only and feel they empower you, which makes you crave to be with them more because they give you power and their presence helps you get through anything. you will never forget about them and they become embeded in your subconscious. the house person will feel disturbed and triggered by you psychologically. but they become fascinated with the planet person. this makes an extremely transformative relationship. they bring out your true personality (especially if your sun is in their 8th house) to the surface and you trigger the heck out of them.   the planet person usually finds the house person when the house person is at their rock bottom and sometimes vice versa. 

 *venus conjunct sun synastry has an effect where the venus person is widely known as the sun person’s sweetheart. the venus person becomes a magnefied and known person in the sun persons life, almost like a celebrity couple/duo while the sun person is known by the venus persons’ favorite people and inner circle mostly.

*12th house synastry is a BITCH i fucking hate it because it makes everything so blurry and unknown you have no idea wtf is going on but you also cant make your way out and you idealise the person a lot

6th house synastry is EXCELLENT because you’re involved in each others lives so much. more often than not, you spend majority of your time in a day together whether by hanging out or texting and the planet person usually reports the house person what are they doing during the day (like a random text of “im repairing a bike rn” or “im going to x, i’ll be back in awhile” etc) and you care about each other A LOT. the planet person can take a director role in the house persons life and they help each other a lot

mars conjunctions are wonderful synastries for sticking through thick and thin, it makes a very dynamic and sexy couple

with mercury in 7th house synastry, it’s IMPOSSIBLE for the love to remain as a secret if it’s a romance relationship. it will come out. one of you will admit it sooner or later

🌟 other

*wherever your mars is placed in, is where you’re not scared to take action or assert yourself. example: my pisces mars friends are not afraid of getting in dangerous waters likecliff diving, swimming in wild waves, going too deep in water etc. i, as a leo mars am not afraid of putting myself out there and performing

*sagittarius suns love to eat, while sagittarius moons have less appetite and desire to eat

*aries moons love themes of war, they have a warrior-like approach to most things

*aries-pisces people turn war and warriorhood into fantasy and make it dreamlike. (example: grimes’ (a pisces sun aries moon) WarNymph persona)

*i didnt observe this myself but read that mars opposite uranus people have deranges pasts with knives and it’s SO true.

*fire moons enjoy energetic and upbeat music, earth moons love chill music (like indie, lofi, can be r&b too maybe), air moons can enjoy techno music&rap, and i’m not sure about water moons cause i don’t have many water moons in my life but i’m thinking they would enjoy songs with lyrics or beats that make them feel something and songs with stories. i’ve seen that they tend to listen to music of all kinds. earth moons openly discriminate amongst genres and dgaf

*pisces placements have divine intelligence and are revolutionaries. this is rarely mentioned and pisces are often described as “airheads” which they are because of their giant imaginations and unique thought process but it’s a sign of intelligence. pisces people pick up on ANYTHING so quickly, absorb information like a sponge and analyze it themselves to form an opinion and understand it. their thoughts and opinions often dont make to other people or shock them. they will bring revolution and newness into whatever area they are working with. (example: einstein, rihanna, grimes (she’s literally trying to make the “ethereal techno” an official genre and creating avatars. revolution), billie eilish, kurt cobain (helllooo  grunge king), paul mccartney, copernicus, aamir khan, steve jobs are all either pisces suns or risings

*sagittarians are similar in the sense that they like to discover new paths. they have the star quality (walt disney, britney spears, brad pitt, nicki minaj)

*it makes sense that the world’s most famous celebrity right now is a leo (kylie jenner)

*sagittarius and gemini risings have thick and pretty hair. it’s well styled and you want to run your hand through it. they’re physically advantaged

*aries suns and moons will just create trouble if they cant find it cause they love to throw themselves in tricky and dangerous situation as they feed off of it

*cancer moons get fucking poetic and dramatic at the slightest conflict, argument or emotional moment like they fucking channel the spirit of shakespeare. shhtoppp

*air sun, moon, mercury & venus dont like sadness, depression or traumatic memories so they will often program themselves to forget about heartbreaks or traumatic events and move on like they never happened or change the story and tell people different stories about what happened to convince themselves and twist reality.

*moon-saturn often naturally restricts food intake

most socialists/communists have taurus and sagittarius placements it’s INCREDIBLE

leo ic people are inherently and naturally charming af, thats because they are usually SHOWERED with love and affection as a child, they are often the only child and the golden child which obviously feeds someone with confidence for their life later on

libra moons will judge you on the inside if you are ugly sjdljsdf they dont like to be in aesthetically unpleasent spaces

[arplis]

Arplis - News: Good value, but not much more: A review of TAP Air Portugals A321LR in business class, Porto to Newark

TPG Rating

70 100

Pros

Fresh new cabin with comfy throne seat. Tasty food and drink.

Cons

Very poor ground experience and the service could have been more polished.

10 Ground Experience

25 Cabin + Seat

10 Amenities + IFE

14 Food + Beverage

11 Service

Since joining TPG at the start of the year, Ive been fortunate to do an eclectic mix of reviews. From my first time flying Virgin Atlantic to the shortest scheduled flight in the world, Ive had unique and unforgettable experiences. On a recent trip to the States for work, I was looking for an interesting route, aircraft or airline that I could take that had never been reviewed before. TAPs A321LR was exactly that: The more modern, technologically advanced and fuel-efficient version of the A321 I flew back from Amman, Jordan, earlier in the year. It was a no-brainer, it had yet to be reviewed, and it meant my inner AvGeek would get to fly a new aircraft and airline for the first time. But did my experience live up to the self-generated hype?

In This Post

Booking

Another reason that this was a great product to review is the fact that a one-way in business class from London Gatwick (LGW) to Newark (EWR) via Porto (OPO) was pricing at a very reasonable $965. If youre willing to spend the night in Porto which, by the way, I highly recommend you can even find fares as low as about $780 for a one-way ticket. Considering one-way flights between London and New York routinely sell for about $8,000, the stopover is well worth it if youre looking to fly in business class without breaking the bank. Round-trip tickets booked in a similar way also save significant amounts of money compared with the nonstop flights between the two hubs.

As TAP is part of Star Alliance, there are plenty of miles and points redemptions for this flight, too. TAPs own Miles&Go program was showing the one-way OPO to EWR ticket in business class at 145,000 miles and $72. Not cheap. Luckily, though, there are programs that will allow you to book for both fewer miles and less of a cash outlay.

For example,through Uniteds MileagePlus program, if you can find business saver availability, youll pay for 70,000 miles and $45. Another great option is Air Canadas Aeroplan program, where you could use 55,000 miles for a one-way ticket. You can earn both United and Aeroplan miles very easily, as Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer at a 1:1 ratio to United, and American Express Membership Rewards transfer at the same ratio to Aeroplan.

And, right now, TPG readers can get an exclusive 150% bonus on purchasing Lifemiles, another excellent option for booking Star Alliance flights.

Ground Experience

TPG Rating

10/20

CS-TXC

Tail

17:31

Departure

7h 45m

Duration

I was scheduled to fly from Gatwick at 1 p.m, land in Porto at 3:15 p.m. and depart for Newark at 4:55 p.m. With one hour and 45 mins to transfer, what could go wrong?

I arrived nice and early, as my business-class ticket gave me access to the No1 Lounge in Gatwicks South Terminal. There was not one single person in either the premium or economy lines at check-in, which meant the process was super quick. TAPs check-in area was in Zone E, next door to Turkish Airlines, which had about a dozen people waiting in line. I had my bag checked and boarding pass in hand in no time at all. No mention of delays was made to me, either.

Related reading:Comparing British Airways and Turkish Airlines Business Class between London Heathrow and Istanbul

Walking toward the escalators up to departures, I turned around to view an eerily quiet check-in area.

I breezed through the terminals priority security, again, thanks to my business-class ticket. The terminals lounges were on the upper level of departures, on the opposite side to where I came through security.

There was a small queue of people waiting to get into the lounge. When it was my turn, the staff member scanned my boarding pass and handed me a menu. Just like Heathrows No1 Lounge in Terminal 3, the menu was la carte. As always, I did a tour of the lounge to find the seat with the best view and I quickly found this spot. I also noticed that the departures board was suspiciously showing gate displayed at 1:10 p.m., which was after my flight was due to depart. It was just the start of my troubles.

Set up and ready for some work before my flight, I headed to the bar to order something to eat. What Id forgotten is that you could only order once from the menu and had to hand it in when ordering. Breakfast options before 11 a.m were poached egg (singular) and avocado muffin, classic sausage sub and toast and preserves. I was absolutely starving and love my eggs in the morning, so it was an easy decision to make.

I actually laughed out loud at the size of the portion that was plunked down in front of me.

The saving grace was that the yolk was perfectly runny.

Two bites later, I was done and still hungry. I then received a text from the airline. Thankfully, I speak Portuguese, so could see that my flight would now depart at 2:20 p.m., which would mean I would now land in Porto only 30 minutes before my flight to New York. The plot thickens.

As I had more time to kill, I went to see what other delights were on offer.

The lounge was quite busy, so a few of the options were pretty spare and could have done with being refilled.

I dont think anyone had done a quick clean and tidy of the food service areas for a while, either.

After being rather disappointed with the cold buffet, I got back to my seat to find my neighbor had left without ordering any food, so I smugly headed straight back to the bar to order a bacon roll from the all day favourites section of the menu. It was equally as disappointingly small as my egg and avocado but tasted good nonetheless. Other all-day options were a fish-finger wrap and beans on toast. No expense spared there.

In terms of beverages, there was a soft drink, water and juice refill station.

And a coffee machine. I say coffee because it was so bad I almost spat it back into my cup.

The lounge was fairly busy and has a nice variety of different seating areas.

Thats including a cozy TV area sectioned off from the noise of the main lounge area.

I headed to my gate, where boarding was supposed to start at 2 p.m.

The gate area was cramped, and the scene resembled something akin to boarding a Ryanair flight at Stansted (STN). I didnt see any power sockets, and there definitely wasnt enough seating. It didnt help that a Norwegian Dreamliner bound for LAX was boarding at the gate next door. TAPs lounge and boarding experience were distinctly average and certainly not what I would call premium.

Once we were on board, the pilot announced a slot delay due to weather in Porto, which meant we would land at around 5 p.m. Seconds later, I received another text from TAP advising me that I had been rebooked on the flight the following day. On arrival at Porto, there was a huge queue for TAP customer services, so I figured there had been many flight issues that day. I headed straight to the front to find out if I were in the right queue, and a member of the TAP team said she had been waiting for me and that transport and accommodation had already been arranged for myself and the other two business-class passengers from my flight who were also due to fly to Newark. This finally felt like the service that a business-class passenger should receive, as it meant that I didnt have to wait in the queue with over 100 irate Brazilians who had had their flight home canceled.

After an impromptu and fun-filled evening in Porto, a car picked me up from the hotel at 2 p.m. the next day, and I headed back to the airport with the hope that my ground experience would be distinctly better than the day before. Once again, there was nobody waiting in the check-in area for premium passengers.

After a slight technical issue with tagging my bag, I was on quickly on my way toward security, where there were two Fast Track lanes for premium passengers.

Unlike at Lisbon Airpot (LIS), there was no TAP Premium Lounge at Porto. Instead, there was a business-class lounge shared by seemingly every airline with business cabins that used the airport, as well as Priority Pass, Dragon Pass and Diners Club International cardholders. My expectations were low.

Entertainment-wise, there was a sparsely filled magazine and newspaper stand by the entrance.

There was also this phone charging stand, which at first I thought was a great addition, but maybe more so in the 2000s, when portable battery packs werent a thing. Still, it would be a lifesaver if you forgot your charger.

Aside from the main room, which was pretty clinical to start with, it reminded me of a dentists waiting room.

It was a bit nicer and brighter out on the terrace.

But the view was mainly only of the terminal with a bit of the runway in the distance.

The buffet area in the middle of the main room was on the small side.

Though they were cold, I liked the variety of Portuguese and Brazilian snacks and street food. Coxinha are my favourite!

I was less impressed by the tray of sad-looking sandwiches.

And the bowls of stale pastries.

On the plus side, drinks were aplenty.

Including a Nespresso coffee machine. A slight shame, though, as Portuguese coffee is some of the best Ive ever tasted!

There was a variety of local wines.

Some middle of the the road spirits, and other assorted drinks.

After stuffing my face with coxinha, I checked the departures board before 3:30 p.m. when I saw head to gate displayed next to my flight. I thought it was quite early but did what I was told and headed to the gate. As often is the case with European airports, there was a second security area to clear before passing through into the gates area. This process took around 20 minutes.

Once I got to the gate, there was yetanother security screening to clear before I could get on the plane. It was a rather slow and arduous process where I had to take everything out of my bag, remove my shoes and have a full pat-down by a rather stale-breathed guard. Good job I left the lounge on time.

The boarding area was really full.

There were a few charging points around the space. Most were poorly located, meaning passengers sat on the floor to charge their devices.

There was no premium seating area, merely a sign pointing right for premium boarding and left for everyone else.

A day later than scheduled and after a very subpar ground experience first at Gatwick then in Porto, I finally boarded the 2-month-old CS-TXC around 4:30 p.m.

An hour later, we departed slightly later than scheduled at 5:30 p.m.

Cabin and Seat

TPG Rating

25/30

22.3

Width

80in

Bed Length

1

Lavs

I had high expectations for what I would find inside the cabin, and for the most part these were met. The throne seat was in a class of its own. No neighbor, space galore and two greatly positioned windows all to myself.

The small, 16-seat business-class cabin comprised five rows. Odd rows were in a 2-2 configuration, and even rows were in the coveted 1-1 formation arguably one of the best in the sky.

Storage was significantly less in the 2-2 rows.

The cabin was cozy but doesnt feel cramped, considering it was only a narrow-body aircraft.

I did a quick inspection of the seat area and noticed a few sloppy cleaning oversights that could easily have been rectified with a bit of care and attention.

The footwell was actually quite dirty.

The seat controls were easily accessible. The seating positions were fixed, and there was no way of altering them to your own preference.

The footwell was spacious and didnt go too narrow at the end. Perfectly comfortable for me, but not sure it would be as good for those around 6 feet or taller.

There was a shoulder-level reading light and a hook for stowing headphones once in flight.

Then there was what Id call a cupboard rather than a storage compartment.

As well as a headphone hook, there was also a water bottle holder, great for when turbulence hit.

The safety cards and inflight magazines were stored in a small pouch on the other side of the seat next to the window.

Then there was final additional storage gadget in the form of a mesh on springs. Not really sure what it was for, but it was there if you needed it.

Nope, it was not a door. It was the meal tray. It slid out from next to the storage cupboard then flipped down at a 90-degree angle then rotated another 90 degrees into the right position for eating.

The tray table itself was definitely big enough.

There was a 90-degree swivel, but I think this was just part of the stowage process, as it didnt really make leaving the seat any easier.

My 13-inch laptop fit comfortably on the table with enough space for a drink. Or two.

But there was plenty of surface space either side of the side if you wanted to continue working in an office in the sky while dining.

The seat lowered nice and easy into a fully flat bed. The blanket was basic, but I liked the thickness and quality of the pillows. So much so that I asked for a second, which was brought to me with no problem.

There was nothing premium about the single lavatory in the business-class cabin. It was rather small.

And it didnt even have any special amenities.

Due to the narrowness of the plane, the bathroom was almost cut in half diagonally by the wall of the fuselage. It was definitely not the most comfortable of spaces.

Amenities and IFE

TPG Rating

10/15

101

Movies

No

Tailcam

Yes

Headphones

About 10 minutes before takeoff, I received the TAP-branded amenity kit by Portos very own Castelbel. From what I could gather, there were two or three different designs that were handed out at random to passengers.

Inside, there were all of the usual suspects: eye mask, lip balm, earplugs, pen, comb, toothbrush and toothpaste, some body lotion and a pair of socks. Admittedly, the eye mask felt pretty cheap, but I liked the colorful on-brand design of the flight socks.

I was pretty impressed with the size of the inflight-entertainment screen. The picture was crystal-clear, and the tough screen very responsive.

I rarely pay attention during the safety video (naughty, I know) as there are usually far more interesting views to be had out of the window. But not with TAP. I was completely engaged by the airlines fresh, unique and emotive use of expats who have moved to Portugal and learned Portuguese to explain the safety briefing.

In total, there were 101 films, plenty by anyones standards. I liked that there was a selection of Brazilian and Portuguese films, too.

The earphones did not appear to be noise-canceling at all, despite being advertised so.

There was also a wine experience included in the entertainment section, which I thought was pretty cool. But when I asked the crew member serving me if all of the displayed wines were available, she didnt seem to know what I was talking about it. She then explained that there was only the selection of two red and two white wines that she had on the trolley.

The Wi-Fi was the biggest letdown. There were prices ranging from free for messaging to Total Wi-Fi for 24.99 euros, which would mean being connected for the entire flight or so I thought.

Once I had connected, it was immediately clear that it would only be for 200 MB of data. Needless to say, it was less than 30 minutes before I had run out.

Food and Beverage

TPG Rating

14/20

2

Meals

Yes

Champagne

No

Dine on Demand

The focus of this review the Porto-to Newark segment of this trip, but I had such a great food experience on the short flight from Gatwick to Porto that I thought it deserved a mention.

Drinks on that first flight were served pretty much as soon as the seat belt signs went off.

A full meal was served with sizable starter, delicious main course and dessert. The main course was a thick, juicy and perfectly cooked veal tenderloin. I would go as far as to say that it was the best intra-European business-class meal I have ever eaten.

Back to the main event, Porto to Newark. For some reason there was no preflight drink offered before takeoff. About 45 minutes after takeoff, the first drinks were served note the Coke Zero and gin and tonic theme. I rate airlines that serve full fat Coke, Diet Coke and Coke Zero. I wasnt a massive fan of the Sunbites, though.

Around half an hour after that, dinner was served. There was only one starter: codfish carpaccio with Algarve salad topped with a random sprinkle of olive shavings. The soup was not cream of pumpkin and beetroot mousse, as advertised on the menu, but it was delicious, nonetheless. I think this was the first time Id ever had my soup served from a Thermos, too. I was also asked at this point if Id like another drink.

The bread was really poor. If Id fed it to the ducks, it would have probably knocked one unconscious.

The main course, just as was the case on the Gatwick-to-Porto flight, was my favorite part. The heartier and more comforting the food, the bigger the thumbs up it usually gets, and this was definitely up there with one of my favorites. It was roast lamb in a crispy dough with pumpkin pure. As much as Ive pretty much cut out red meat from my diet, I couldnt resist the sound of this, and Im so glad I chose it.

Shortly after mains had been cleared, a selection of chocolate was offer to cleanse the palate before dessert.

I was given the choice of ice cream, cheese plate or fresh fruit. Naturally, I went for the cheese, which I was told was a strong local cheese, perfectly accompanied by a glass of Portos finest port.

The cheese was indeed strong.Very strong. That still didnt stop me from scraping every single bit out of the rind.

About 90 minutes before landing, I was offered the second meal service. This was no better or worse than the usual half a meal that is served on transatlantic flights before landing. It was a nice snack, but I was certainly still hungry afterward. And the bread? Probably another concussed duck. The presentation was nice, and the food itself was fresh and tasted good. It just wasnt enough to be called a meal.

Service

TPG Rating

11/15

No

Extra Pillows

No

Turndown Service

The service wasnt bad by any means, but it wasnt a particularly memorable experience. The one standout moment for me was that the ground staff at Porto were expecting me and had already arranged ground transportation and a hotel for my unexpected night in Porto. That did feel like business-class service. I thought it strange that there was no preflight drink served after boarding the A321LR to New York.

The crew made sure I had enough to drink and responded in under 30 seconds when I tested the call button, which is certainly commendable. The whole thing just lacked a certain personality not once was I called by my name, and neither did any of the crew try to establish any kind of rapport when I attempted jokes or small talk. That could simply be because Im not funny, but it definitely wasnt a language thing, as falo portugus.

Overall impression

This was by far and away the least premium-feeling premium flight experience I have had so far. But I would much rather have a long-haul flight in the comfort of a lie-flat, throne seat than in a cramped, upright economy. That being said, you really do get what you pay for. If you really want to fly business rather than economy to New York and back, then I would seriously consider this as an option. It can save almost 2,000 on the cost of a direct return flight from London to New York. The bed is flat, and the food is good, and these are probably two of the main differences between economy and business class. What TAP lacks is a real business-class ground experience and a little extra something from its staff. Fix those two things and this lesser-known route might a have a better chance against the competition.

All photos by the author.

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/good-value-but-not-much-more-a-review-of-tap-air-portugals-a321lr-in-business-class-porto-to-newark

[ecotone99]

[RF] 1980s NYC - A collection of rude short stories

So I write mean and humerous short stories set in certain time periods about my friends and post them in our group chat. I partially removed the last names for anonymity sake. I wouldn't know what to call these but they're akin to limericks or gothics.

Picture it, the War Years: New York City - 1980s

Anthony B. meant buisness, he would awake each morning in his upper east side penthouse, don an expensive suit, drive an expensive car twelve city blocks to his job that provided a not-so-modest salary that afforded the luxuries any affluent buisnessman desired. However, due to an unfortunate incident with a 1987 Buick Grand National, a gram of cocaine, a blood alcohol level far above the legal limit, and one particularly unamused New York State Trooper on the Long Island Expressway, he's currently fist fighting a raccoon in a Harlem alley way over the remaining 2 ounces of expired canned tuna.

Picture it, The War Years: New York City - 1980s

Robert B. runs a small prostitution ring on Pike St. And he's recently discovered the joys of hand gripper strengthening exercises, because above all else, and it is neither a suggestion nor an option, you MUST keep your pimp hand strong.

Picture it, The War Years: New York City - 1980s

Thomas W., a Paramedic for the NYC-HHC has just gone on shift following a seminar speaking about the retirement benefits available to him. Now, none of this matters because he figures, like his near death overdose patient in the back of his ambulance, he too will not last long in this world, because he too is currently overdosing on heroin.

Picture it, The War Years: New York City - 1980s

A NYC public school. Maps still had the USSR, Ronald Regan is the president, lead is in the water supply, and the likeness of Christopher Q., who is currently serving 2 to 10 in Riker's, is on the oak tag board of the DARE officers seminar under the category of "Sexual Predator" which, unbeknownst to the children, will be explained during the 'Stranger Danger' portion of the assembly. Street smarts!

Picture it, The War Years: New York City - 1980s

Joey M. is a cool cat, with a cool plan to do some cool stuff with cool computers and go to a cool college with lots of cool computer courses. But he's currently face first against a brick wall with his hands over his head getting frisked and his wallet stolen by the police. This isn't cool.

Picture it, The War Years: New York City - 1980s

Michael S. is a Jewish Slum Lord who just threw the Christmas dinner of one his tennant's out the seventh floor window of apartment 7H, which somewhere in a ledger, is labelled simply with "One week back rent".

Picture it, The War Years: New York City - 1980s

"Whoa guy, what the fuck do we got here?" Asks Lieutenant Zachary K. of the New York City Police Department, as he plants a bag of crack cocaine into the back pocket of the crack cocaine dealer he bought the crack cocaine from. It is unclear as to why he is out here, or why he's searching seemingly random vagrants but unless you want to end up transferred to the Bronx, it's best not to ask questions.

Picture it, The War Years: New York City - 1980s

Sati A. was hoping for a better life overseas in the beautiful United States, in the great city of New York, rife with opportunity, but now she's day five in the cargo container she came in with 45 other young Eastern European women.

Picture it, The War Years: New York City - 1980s

Vincent M. doesn't tell his parents everything about his life. Such as that he scratched his used 85' Pontiac, that he failed his college physics course, or that he hangs out in the village on Saturdays wearing leather with all the other leather garbed bearers of similar secrets. However tonight, it's no secret that he's face down in the East River, presenting with post-mortem punctures by the particularly peculiar problematic pansexual pal with a perplexing perpentity for piquerism. Lovers quarrels sure are killer.

Picture it, The War Years: New York City - 1980s

Joseph P. is the picture of an American man, he works hard and plays harder. Now this wouldn't be a problem for most people but the escort he just purchased sure had an issue with it so much so that they're now airing their grievances with the rest of the cadaver's underneath the Central Park overpass. "The West Side Strangler strikes again", the NY Post headline reads the following morning, he never did like that name.

Picture it, the War Years: New York City - 1980s

There he is, John G., a firefighter for the FDNY, an American hero, and he likes things hot: Hot Rods, hot women, hot booze and hot jobs. And although his job supplies him with ample heat to sasiate his appetites, he was relatively unprepared for the heat provided by the police as they cut open the cheap cotton wool stuffed bed in his dilapidated Queens public works firehouse filled with 60 kilos worth of premium Colombian cocaine. How else you gonna do this job? Whaddya talkin' bout guy, that ain't mine.

Picture it, the War Years: New York City - 1980s

Although Colin F. was used to the smell of the copious amounts of garbage that inbue the back of his DSNY garbage collection vehicle, he was certainly unprepared for the ever lasting smell of the putrefaction of his now dearly departed wife who mysteriously disappeared three weeks ago under unknown circumstances and he'll have you know he has no idea where she went after the neighbors called in that alarmingly loud noise complaint. Gotta say though, this job is easier when the garbage isn't your formerly betrothed but you know what they say, relationship's tend to end because the spouse is married to their work.

Picture it, the War Years: New York City - 1980s

Smell that air and try to dicpher what it is that fills the atmosphere of this Brighton Beach street corner. Of course, through the host of garbage piles, the powerful exhaust of a 78' Chevy Impala poking holes in the ozone, and ol' one-eyed Stinky Steve the neighborhood alcoholic, you can tell that above all else, the air is inundated with the smell of freshly cooked Polska Kielbasa from Lukas D. genuine Polish food cart. However, as much as you would like to try Lukas' tasty sausage, he can't serve you as he is currently occupied beating the absolute shit out of his wife, who's 26 years his younger, in the middle of the street, further staining his aptly named wife-beater shirt. You'll come back later as he's busy. Remember, you can get some Grade A Polish meat at 11am on Sundays and Grade F Polish meat at 11pm on Sundays.

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