Airport Impressions

If you're going to spend hours of layover time, you've got to check out the airport details and decore.

Here are my tips on what to see if you're in the Sacramento, LAX or the Madrid International Airports.

Couldn't resist getting my picture taken in front of this sign. Twenty-three or twenty-four hours of traveling will do strange things to you.

Sacramento Airport
While I drank my short latte (thanks Sara for the tip on how to get the closest thing to Spanish café con leche) I was so surprised to see airport police patrolling on bikes (sorry, no picture,) riding up and parking for a coffee and danish. That's a first!

One of my favourite decorative details at the Sacramento airport is the river-tiled flooring that weaves just like River City's Sacramento and American Rivers.

Sculptures abound in the wide open spaces of American airports.  "Leap" is a giant 56-foot-long, 15-foot diameter red rabbit made of steel and aluminum by Denver artist Lawrence Argent that hangs over the escalator leading to the baggage claim.

Samson, a two tower suitcase stack by artist Brian Goggin, in the old Terminal A waits below.

Next, flying south, Los Angeles.

For days of (sprawling) LA and city haze. Gonna hang here for a 6hr. layover
‪#‎smogalert‬ ‪#‎concretejungle‬ ‪#‎twelvelanefreeways‬ ‪#‎onebumpylanding‬
Crazy crazy life - San Diego 405 Freeway, Los Angeles On Any Afternoon

But, LAX's art and interior is amazing, beginning with the musical spindles that turn playing music from different corners of the world as they change designs to match the country.

LAX Bradley International Airport. Spent a six-hour layover alongside the Clock Tower, that was a clock only some alternating minutes of the day.

The other time it displayed other scenes, stacked suitcases (an original theme in Sacramento), Japanese village, Buzz Busby synchronised dancers on different cake layers, jelly-fish and mata rays, London's big Ben.

Finally, the best,  an underwater scene in which a young maiden clad in white linen victorian dress falls to the depths of the sea only to transform into a mermaid to whom an admirer atop a surfboard casts flowers tied to a conch shell.

Last and longest leg, LAX, Dallas, then Madrid. It was a great flight because I didn't have to think about my big suitcase at any point along the way. 

Finally home - Barajas, Madrid International 

I'm sure now that I've written this post I'll come across many more examples of Airport Art. Here's an amazing one called "Kinetic Rain" at the Singapore Airport I'll probably never see, but will live vicariously through this video.