Such recklessness!... — Melbourne, Australia

  Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Saturday, January 19, 2013

Taureans are home bodies and I typify the breed, happy to spend days in my little patch of Bush. When travels do arise, it is with much excitement, but careful consideration and planning. I do not like the unease of uncertainty, especially where lodgings are concerned.

So when Gisela rings to ask if I want to fill a cancellation and join a group of our friends on a cruise down the Rhine in May, I am very interested. When she says the travel agent needs a firm booking by the end of the week, I am quietly agitated.

But today was the funeral for one of the ladies in my glass class who died unexpectedly.
My friend Laura then tells me as we shop that she is administering the estate for a 63 year old lady who had had Alzheimer's for TEN years

. It all confirms again that life is short. Armed with my health and a Visa card, I send the deposit off to the cruise company and book flights to Frankfurt.

So spontaneous and seemingly undisciplined...

And having now tasted the pleasures of premium economy, I know I don't want to be a sardine any more. Certainly around eight hours to Asia is acceptable, but not 26 hours to Europe. I am happy then to find that Cathay Pacific's premium fares for my dates are still as reasonably priced as last year's "specials" - and half the cost of Qantas's. No-one else can deliver the combination of premium, price and direct flights so I happily pay for a comfy seat that I have already road tested!

What's more, checking seat allocations shows that at this early stage, there are single window seats available in the coveted front row on all four legs... WINNER!

From here on is also very familiar. I easily find the train connections from Frankfurt airport to Amsterdam for a mere €49 (direct MEL-AMS flights with premium don't exist) then head to booking.com to find my first bed in Amsterdam

.

It's all starting to seem as routine as online banking or grocery shopping with Safeway!

In celebration of our adventure, we organise a 'Bon Voyage' party with the inevitable excesses of delicious German cakes! One week on, Rohan and l are still working through the corn chips and hummus and as usual, there are so many little jobs to complete.

Especially pressing this time is the need for presentable clothes for a fortnight's worth of respectable touring and dining... I am unlikely to get away with just 13kg, a feat l was mighty proud of last time. This boat apparently expects standards above jeans and t-shirts at dinner. What's more, old t-shirts for nightwear when sharing sleeping quarters will just not do!