Apologies To Peter, Paul, And Mary: My Bags Are Packed, I'm Ready To Go, And Here Are Some Random Thoughts

My flight from Amsterdam to San Francisco leaves today at 2:50. I am at a hotel close to a train station that will get me to the airport in 4 minutes. It will take me longer to walk to the station than it will for the train to get me to the airport.  Checkin for my flight at the airport won't be available until 11:50, so I have some time. I will leave myself plenty of time since I'd rather have time on my hands at the airport rather than rushing to get there to make my flight.

Random thoughts:

For beautiful scenery and warm hospitality, put a visit to Garmisch-Partenkirchen on your list of places to see and stay. This trip was my second visit there and it will not be my last.

German and Dutch trains are convenient, affordable, and efficient as well as smooth riding. You can get  many places by rail or bus, and if you miss one train, another will be along soon.

It is very easy for English speakers to communicate in both Germany and The Netherlands. Like many Europeans, German and Dutch people, particularly younger ones, are fluent in more than one language so if you say you speak English, they can converse with you. This is not to say we Americans should not try to become at least a bit conversant in the language of the country we are visiting. I used the Babbel App to try to learn a bit of German, and while I did not need to use my fractured German (probably much to the relief of the Germans I encountered), I was able to pick out words in German and know what they meant in English and that helped me with directions. The next time I travel on CroisiEurope, I will study French since CroisiEurope is a French line and most of the customers spoke French.

After cruising with CroisiEurope, I remain a huge fan of river cruising. When we toured the ship building center where the massive cruise ships are built and when we saw the Arvia, which will soon join the P&O Line, with its massive size and 5,500 passenger capacity and crew of 1,800-2,000, my first thought was, "Too big, too many people." When I get home, I will start looking at another river cruise. I don't know when it will happen or where it will be, but it will happen.

The bread and pastries over here have been delicious as has the food. It remains to be seen if I will return home as the incarnation of the Pillsbury Dough Boy or the Michelin Man. I will await the tale of the scale on Wednesday morning back home.

If it is in your budget, fly business class on long overseas flights. Today's flight is scheduled to be 11 hours (barring an unanticipated diversion to Iceland), and the space and creature comforts of business class make for a much more enjoyable experience. International business class is much nicer than domestic first class. The lie flat seats are not exactly posh, but make sleep a bit more of a possibility for passengers.

Regardless of whether you fly coach or business class, you won't be able to avoid jet lag.

Keep in mind the time difference between where you are and where you are from. For people in the USA I was either11, 9, 7 or 6 hours ahead of you and I apologize if you got a notification from me in the middle of your beauty sleep.

Finally, I look forward to returning home. Travel is wonderful, but so is going home.

Art











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