Self-awarded Long Service Leave
Having not had any long service leave, I thought it about time to award some to myself; so, I'm heading off for 4 1/2 months of touring Europe, combined with attending the Universal Medicine retreat in the UK.
The Plan
Departure: I leave on 21st January, on a fairly late flight out of Brisbane on a Qantas ticket (doing my bit to try to keep them afloat) with Emirates to Dubai, then Emirates to London.
Arrival: I arrive at Heathrow at about midday on 23rd January, will pick up a hire-car at the airport and drive to the Bristol/Bath area where I'll have a base with Craig & Jenny in a converted Stables; this will give me the opportunity to explore the south-eastern region, including Cornwall, where I'll catch up with an old school-friend (we haven't seen each other for nearly 30 years).
Europe: I have a booking from Bristol to Lisbon (Portugal) on easyJet (look out for me on an episode of Airline) on 30th January, where the real adventure begins. With a 3-month rail-pass, and virtually no language skills other than English and having done German at school (and Latin - not sure how useful that will be), I will take trains on a big anti-clockwise loop around the mainland continent to arrive in Paris on 1st May, where I will meet Kim; we'll then head over to the UK and to Frome for the retreat. Kim & I will then spend 10 days travelling north to Glasgow from where she will fly home, which leaves me with 8 days to make my way back down to Heathrow for the flight home leaving late on 2nd June and arriving home in the early hours of 3rd June. On the way around continental Europe the current plan is to visit:
- Portugal
- Spain
- France
- Slovenia
- Croatia
- Slovakia
- Austria
- Czech Republic
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- France