The view from my window

The view from my window
The view from my window

Monday 28 January 2019

It's all go!

Honestly, I feel like I've booked so many "planes, trains and automobiles" this January that I should open a travel agent's! Or maybe not, as it happens! Many years ago I thought that I would enjoy that as a job but now? Nah, not so much! I think I get so paranoid I will miss something that I couldn't imagine taking on the responsibility for someone else's travels! Oddly enough, my daughter-in-law loves organizing and booking all their tailor-made trips - she says that is the best part! Not me, I guess old dogs/new tricks and what not!

I have already booked my flight back to the UK for this Sunday. I will be flying to Bournemouth to stay with my sister and her husband and then we will drive up to Wales for the funeral on Friday. My oldest son and his wife can't make the funeral but since they were good enough to fly out and see my brother while he was still alive nobody has any problem with them not being able to make it! Nobody would have any problem in any case because that's just the way it is sometimes isn't it. My youngest son, on the other hand, has said that he really wants to go as both he and his fiancée have been able to get the Thursday and Friday off. But trying to figure out the best way to get us all to meet up was tricky. Flying in to Liverpool was a non-starter for them so we looked at Manchester and managed to get half-decent priced flights. When I asked my son how he felt about my renting a car at the airport and him driving (on the left) to get to Wales he said he didn't feel too bad about that part but he was worried about changing gears with his left hand so could he maybe get an automatic! And then, bless him, he wanted to know what paperwork he would have to show at the border! Which border? He meant the England/Wales border! Ah, that's sweet! It never occurred to me that he wouldn't know that there is no physical border between the two countries, no customs, no border crossing and so on. But then, he's never been to Wales and has only ever been to family in England so why should he think it would be any different from here where we cross the Swiss/French border constantly!

Anyway, in the end we decided that they would get the train to Wales and I would rent a car in Wales that we would use to run around and I would fly back out with them from Manchester, dropping the rental car off at the airport. Phew, that's one thing sorted! Also, since only my brother's oldest son and gf will be staying at his house, the kids and I can stay there too (my credit card is saying "thank you, thank you, thank you", as I have paid for the kids' flights too and my credit card is groaning at the moment!). Either way, we could have stayed in Llandudno in a hotel and driven the 10 minutes to Conwy or stayed in Conwy at my brother's where it is just a 10 minute walk into town, so it's a good solution for all of us. Then my friend will pick the three of us up from the airport in Geneva so that cuts out worrying about expensive taxis!

As I am slowly getting the hang of this retirement business, I realize I have to make an effort to actually get things done now, whereas before I constantly had my diary in front of me at work and it felt easier to just knock out things on my "to do" list. Today's project was to get my train tickets sorted for my trip to Sri Lanka. I will be flying Zurich/Colombo so decided to take the train to Zurich rather than fly but every time I tried to book it it has always been "too early". In the meantime, the timings of both my outgoing and incoming flights have changed (slightly) but at least I was able to get the return train tickets booked and printed today. When I arrive back it will be around 8 p.m. in Zurich and as I don't want to run the risk of missing the last flight to Geneva and I don't want to be making a three-hour train journey and arriving in Geneva around midnight I decided I will spend the night at Zurich airport, so more expense (and more groans from my credit card). Oh well, it was all planned for!

Also, a friend and I decided that this year we would definitely make the trip to Cinque Terre in Italy. My friend phoned up today and the places are booking up fast! In fact, the single rooms have all gone so we dashed down there and booked a double room with twin beds - just hope she can cope with my snoring as I could honestly snore for Britain! Anyway, that's done, (the trip is in April) and while we were at it we paid for our next day trip (in May) to the market in Turin! So all done. These are bus trips (I reckon six hours to Cinque Terre) so not as expensive as you might imagine but needing to be booked sooner rather than later.

Cinque Terre
Actually they have quite a few nice looking trips that we will consider later in the year. I know, I know, we're becoming little old ladies with our bus trips, but while I don't mind driving, I guess, like most people, I'm not too keen on driving round major European cities looking for parking spaces/hotels!

And finally, I have been very good about exercising recently and managed seven for seven last week. Then on Sunday we got very heavy rain/snow so I took a break, but am hoping to get back on the bandwagon again soon. We'll see how that works won't we! It seems like I already have so many things planned (weekly as well as one-off) I think I might need to hire a PA - oh that's right, I was one! So onwards and upwards then!

14 comments:

  1. It sounds like a jet setting retirement for you! I would love to visit Cinque Terre, it looks amazing. We visited Portofino once and it was stunning too and the ice cream and the foccacia were to die for!! I always remember trips by the food! Wishing you safe travels. x

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  2. Booking your own stuff saves money but if I was well off I would use a travel agent to save me the logistical hassles.
    I'm pretty disabled these days and I like the idea of driving myself places so I don't have to deal with public transport ut of course foreign cities are a whole nother ball game....I'll do that when I'm rich, too and use taxis all the way!

    I hope the funeral is good and you enjoy the extra time with family. It's sad of course but it can also help forge extra bonds

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    1. If I were rich (which I'm obviously not) it would be business class and taxis everywhere. A taxi from Geneva airport to home would be about $125 one way and it's only a 30 minute trip so you can see why I'm so grateful my friend is picking us up. And Cinque Terre and Turin are on the bus of course - that's why I'm learning to pack lighter! It will be nice to see my family again with my other son but I will be glad when the funeral is over to be honest. We all will I guess. Our memories with my brother are already made!

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  3. Just back from my holiday, my condolences with your brother's passing. So fortunate he didn't suffer for very long. I used to be a travel agent, managed a Thomas Cook location here in Canada for several years but the industry changed so much I got out as what we made when I started and what we made when I left ended up being about a quarter - long crappy hours for minimum wage in the end. I still enjoy booking my own travel arrangements though - and I book all of hubby's business, can't imagine all the time I would be spending communicating with someone else to do that. It takes a very detailed person and checking and re checking and still airlines and hotels let people down. We almost missed our connection home this past trip, and our flight was only 7 minutes late but in the end we made it. The airline from Mexico to Calgary ran out of fresh food and due to running between connections we had no real meal from 12 noon to 2 am when we got home - crackers and wine don't cut it! Next time I am bringing sandwiches both ways. I plan on almost everything but didn't plan on that.

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  4. Glad you made it back ok. We once flew from Pittsburgh to London and had to RUN with two little kids to make it for our ongoing flight to Geneva. That's when you realize you packed too much, even in your hand luggage isn't it. Nope I couldn't be a travel agent - I don't even enjoy doing it for myself to be honest but as I said Lily loves it - she has charts all over their wall when she is planning their trips! And thank you for your kind words about my brother - I'm just so glad he didn't suffer too!

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  5. I am so sorry for the loss of your brother. It does sound like he knows he was loved. You sure are staying busy!

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    1. Thank you. The "good" thing is that we all got to tell him that we loved him - he definitely knew it. And yep I'm busy and that's pretty much how I like it. I do have to be careful not to "overbook" because if you have something planned every day there's no room for spontaneity is there. But so far so good!

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  6. You do indeed live in a very beautiful country, we have only lived in Suffolk 20months so still finding new places, like you.
    I read back about your brother how sad for you all, but you had that chance of seeing him and him you.. loved it when you told him he was your favourite brother, LOL

    Hope the funeral will be a happy celebration of his life and you all are able to remember the very best of times. Take care

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    1. Thank you so much Chris. Actually I have very vague memories of Suffolk when I was a kid as my brother Phil lived in Troston (sp?) just outside Thetford and also in Bury St. Edmonds - their apartment led down into the catacombs outside the abbey. I have a story I could write about him locking me down the monks' escape tunnels under his apartment as a kid (rotten bugger - frightened the life out of me). We're a very close family so I know we will celebrate his life rather than mourn his death - which is as he would want! Thank you for stopping by my blog!

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  7. Even if we can't afford much travel now with college tuition coming, it doesn't mean I can't plan and live vicariously through others. I like reading about your plans. It makes me think about where we want to go and how to organize. I'm sorry about your brother. My son didn't get to either Grandpa's funerals, but was able to get to both the days before and when they passed.

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    1. Hi Sandy, well the trips to Wales hadn't been planned obviously but it was good to visit again and I plan to take my younger son back to Betws too to see where his nan grew up. As for Italy, as I say, I'm only 45 minutes from the Italian border so it is easy to get to and the trip to Cinque Terre is a bus trip (the villages are pedestrian only I believe) and Turin market is just a day trip. It is one of the blessings of living in central Europe of course. But you know, wherever you live, there are beautiful spots to be discovered. We tended to stop "exploring" as work and family life took over but now I want to get back to it as there is still so, so much to see isn't there. I think I'm 7-8 years older than you, hence the retirement plans. But you'll get there especially when you no longer have college tuition and you can both retire!

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  8. https://perhapslivingthegoodlife.blogspot.com/2019/01/getting-through-dark-days-of-winter.html
    Thank you for all 4 comments LOL This is my other blog sometimes more interesting!
    Good journey to Wales my birth place!

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    1. Ha, sorry about the multiple postings. I will try to delete them. Where are you from in Wales?

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