April 4, Barcelona – Bloomington


The last day. I have had a fantastic trip, and part of me hates to see it end. Another part of me is looking forward to being back in my own home, sleeping in my own bed, with my two cats to keep me company, and a bit of time to spend being lazy.

Long travel day. Barcelona to Frankfurt was delayed an hour because of high winds in Frankfurt. Frankfurt to Chicago was delayed because of high winds in Frankfurt. Chicago to Bloomington was delayed over 3 hours because of high winds in Chicago. Was it windy everywhere? I finally got in after 1 AM, and if you can believe it, my luggage arrived with me!

So now I’m home, and my cats are very happy to see me. Haven’t finished unpacking, but I can report that all the fragile eggs that I bought (about a dozen) made it back safely. As did everything else. I have a lot of practice packing breakables in luggage! :-)

Some final thoughts on the trip. I loved my Insight Guide travel books – they provide a lot of historical background that helps to understand new places, and lots of wonderful photographs, to go along with the usual descriptions of what to see and do. They are by far my favorite travel guides.

Vienna is an amazing city. So much to see and do, and so easy to get around. I was fortunate to have three weeks there, to get really well acquainted. Bratislava is coming into its own, and Prague has already pretty much arrived. And then I really enjoyed Barcelona – it was nice to spend a few days in southern Europe, where they don’t take life quite so seriously. Heathrow Airport must surely be the most unpleasant airport in the world, and I will do anything possible to avoid going there (for a London trip, I’d try Gatwick).

Have I gotten tired of traveling? Not at all. I’m ready to stay home for a while (and so is my pocketbook, no doubt) but I’m sure my feet will start itching again before long. There are still so many places to go, so many things to see! If anything, these two months of traveling just make me want to see more!

I hope you’ve enjoyed my ramblings over the past two months. I always keep a travel journal for myself, and many of you seemed to enjoy sharing it, so this way I could do both. Signing off now, until the next trip!

Love to all,

Carlyn

Last updated 12/07. Copyright 2007 by Richard C. Morenus. Questions? Send email to richard.c@morenus.org