EVEN though my indecision for this route finally settled into its current iteration, outside forces sometimes come to the fore. 

No sooner had I booked all my accommodations and advised the airlines of my intent to bring a bicycle that Air Canada changed their spring startup date to Madrid which was later than my planned departure. This meant a stopover in Lisbon of 70 minutes. I only wish passport control was this fast. I understand that things change, so I was not upset,  but I felt I had to contact the airline to make an adjustment to the stopover.

Easier said than done. I spent an hour or two every day for a week before I completed my muzak-filled on-hold purgatory sentence. Today... success. Now I have a stopover of almost four hours. Still possibly tight but there is one more afternoon flight that day in case I miss mine. At least I'll still get to Madrid with enough time to wander about and explore before bed. After 8 years... I want to wander about and enjoy the city.