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Saturday, March 5, 2011

Anticipating Europe

Well, one of us is and the other isn't ready but she's been writing the checks so I guess we're going.

As so often happens, some simple little trip idea has grown into a monster with a life of its own. We thought we were just taking an Olivia cruise of the Western Mediterranean, originally. But no one goes to Europe for just a week if they can help it, and we know we need to rest more now that we are older. So we're resting in Poland, Hungary, Spain and Italy.

Doesn't sound restful? Yeah, well, that sort of went by the wayside. We decided to go a couple of places we'd never been, places formerly behind the Iron Curtain, which have since come out to play. So we're flying all the way to Warsaw the first day, spending a few days, and taking a night train to Budapest, spending a few days, then flying into Barcelona a couple of days early. At the end of the cruise, we'll spend a few days in Rome. All hotels have spas in them this time, and we have built in enough down-time to use them.

My goal between now and then is to get certain parts of me in better shape, specifically my back and my gut. The back needs to be stronger since I end up schlepping most of the luggage, and the gut needs to be smaller, so I don't have to schlep that, too. And the unfinished travel details, like that train reservation, have to be firmed up. Right now I have visions of riding in the baggage car.

I'll post a few updates before we go, hand-write the blog while away, and start posting when we get back. Stay tuned!