Category Archives: Travel

A long flight, a scam and a shower!

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Days like today just confirm how far Australia is from Europe!

Two long flights and we are only in Dubai!

We arrived mid afternoon and headed straight for the hotel. and a shower. The shower was fantastic, but the taxi was my first “whoops”moment of the trip. Got scammed by one of the limmo drivers who approached us just as we were walking out of the terminal. His fee was more than double the two other taxi fares we had during the afternoon.

Not sure why I fell for it – I’m putting it down to sleep deprivation.

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Long Night Ahead

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Our daughter suggested it would be nice to go out for breakfast today and suggested Chianti. Great idea. Lovely breakfast and then onto a day of organising before the late afternoon flight.

A trip to Rundle Mall to buy some last minute stuff. The trip isn’t complete without a couple of songs from our famous flute player.

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After a quick gym session, its home for a last check to see we have packed everything. I wonder what we’ve forgotten? Then off to the airport after a few laughs about organising the keys and car park passes for the children. It’s late afternoon so the lounge was busy but relaxing although for some reason the wifi wasn’t working.

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A quick flight in one of Qantas’s new 767s and we arrived in Melbourne. Through Customs which took a while. We were so early the flight wasn’t on the system! Once we were through Customs we were ready for a 6 hour wait for the flight to Dubai. at least we have access to the Emirates Lounge.

When we arrived at the Lounge it was pretty full however by 9.30 it was empty ie we are the only ones here!

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The great news is that I can with the Tour on my ipad while Kathy reads her book. Not all bad!

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Ready to Go

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We leave tomorrow!

The last 2 days have been full on getting work sorted and clearing my Inbox. I achieved that tonight. I can’t remember the last time I was in that position!

I spent some time today sorting out my mobile phone. In the past I have had massive bills for 4 and 6 weeks away and really want to avoid it this time. I bought a data pack so I can use the phone network, but even for 120megs the cost was not insignificant, but a lot less than the ad hoc roaming rate of $15 per meg!

I am not sure it’s best travel practice to work until the day before you leave. All the guides suggest packing a couple of days before so you have plenty of time to get the last minute items that are inevitably almost forgotten. That said we are packed!

As we are overnighting in Dubai we need to make sure our carry on includes a change of clothes that can cope with the 40C plus in Dubai before the milder summer weather in Munich.

Tomorrow, breakfast with our youngest daughter, a meeting with a student I am mentoring, perhaps the gym and then the airport.

Less than Two Weeks to go

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With less than two weeks until we get on the plane, I finally have some time to think about what we’ll do while we are away.

With my last assignment for this semester completed and my article for The Adelaide Review submitted its only a week or so more in the office and then on the plane.

I am slightly nervous about how the flight will go – a 2.10am flight out of Melbourne will make for a long night. Actually it will make that a very long night! Still we used frequent flyer points and booked late, so it’s not that surprising that our flight time isn’t the most convenient.

Our itinerary

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Holiday Planning

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I love planning travel it extends the enjoyment so much more.

With a relatively short time away, just over three weeks in July, we have settled on a highlights tour! We are landing in Munich via Dubai, and then onto Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Edinburgh, London and Paris before returning home.

Having settled the itinerary it was a matter of sifting through the hotel sites and recommendations to identify places to stay.

Using a combination of

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