mjs

Wish I was still young but alas close to retirement. It really wasn't that bad with a good partner and access to information via internet. It would have been really difficult if something like this had happened during my University days backpacking around with a Let's go Europe book with no credit card and very limited funds on travelers checks. Our last trip which included Bangkok, the Maldives and Singapore in contrast went off smoothly except that I missed that the Grand Prix was in Singapore during our visit and hotel rooms were scarce and expensive. Our last European trip on the other hand was complicated by a flash flood that blocked trains from Tirano to Milan after coming through Switzerland on the Bernina Express. Spent three hours waiting for buses to take us to another train station that had service to Milan. To top that our United flight from CDG to SFO was turned back after a fire alarm in the galley. Turned out to be a false alarm but unsettling to see lots of firetrucks lining the runway on landing. Spent several hours on the ground being cleared for take off when it was announced that our crew had reached their time limit and we needed a fresh crew. When we got a fresh crew we were told that we did not have enough fuel to fly to SFO so we would fly to Chicago and refuel and than fly to SFO. Arrived in Chicago to find that immigration had no idea we were coming which set off another delay which resulted in our crew timing out. Finally after getting another crew we set off for SFO. A 24 hour "nonstop" flight from Paris to San Francisco. Things don't always go smoothly while traveling and some things we can plan for and somethings we cannot. I do find that the process of planning a trip helps making adjustments later easier when things go awry.
I was supposed to attend a meeting in Kyoto in September but the meeting went virtual instead in June. We decided we would go anyway on holiday but Japan now looks unlikely. I therefore fare locked for two weeks 3 tickets from SFO to MXP in September. Tickets were only $800 each and much cheaper than going elsewhere in Europe with most fares being around $1300-1400. Am looking at staying in Italy vs heading to Provence or perhaps back to Switzerland for some hiking. Will be watching COVID delta progress through Europe. May not be able to go but since we don't lose money by cancelling the air tickets there is little downside. Would prefer to do this in November but my daughter goes back to University towards the end of September.