Big dog

My dog and I both have size issues. People these days seem to want dogs and people to be purse size. We are definitely not purse size, although I do have a weakness for purses. Now that we are travelling our sizes has become an issue. People are very welcoming to small dogs. They look cute and you can put them in your purse and carry them everywhere. Big dogs require a bit more room and a bit more imagination. To have a big dog in your life you have to commit to opening yourself up to their needs. Small dogs can be fit to your life. You can tote them in and out of stores unnoticed, and a five-minute walk can keep them happy. Big dogs can’t be snuck into very many places. Although, I will admit to sneaking her into a few motels, but a great deal of subterfuge was needed. Since Kootenay became part of my life I have had to face the world differently. We no longer go unnoticed by people. When we walk down the street people stop. They say hi; they want to pet her; they want to connect. I never expected this. So here we are travelling and trying to find space for ourselves in another language. We can be persuasive in English, but now we have to get by on our looks and personality.

Today we hit Portugal and had to use all our looks and personality to find a bed for ourselves. Like most people my age we have come to rely on the internet. So in preparation for Lisbon we got on the internet and researched hotels. Who allows pets? What is their policy? All good things to know before you leave. After a great deal of reading we found a place and had our travel agent book it for us and include information about the dog. The motel concept is not strong here, so I wanted to be sure upfront that we would be welcome. They took our deposit along with the pet info yeah!

Imagine my surprise when we get there and they do not accept dogs. Now we are in Lisbon with no place to stay.

Back to the internet. Fatima, the hotel consierge manned the phone and I trolled the internet for places that might take us in. We phoned every place we could find and things looked bleak. I was almost glad for the giant cage the German ground crew forces on us, as I could picture Kootenay and I comfortably sleeping in it. It is almost as big as my apartment back home. Then I pulled out the Rick Steeves guide to Portugal. We would read the guide for hotels that seemed to have personality and then contact would ensue. I would look on the internet for the hotel pet policy and Fatima would phone them. Finally we found a bed. Thank you Residencial Florescente. People on Expeida and Travelocity may complain about the carpets or the smell, but we are happy to put our heads down here. And we actually appreciate the 1800’s character of the building. Our Juliet balcony makes us both very happy