Three go round-the-world

Friday we were set to catch the train to Munich, so all packed up after breakfast, we headed off to the train station.  The 10.30am departure could probably have been earlier (I was concerned about how tired X would be after the loss of sleep during the long flight but he didn’t really miss much – had around 7 hours in the end, even if it was delayed in onset by the continuously illuminated seatbelt sign and late departure).  Unsurprisingly, the platform was full of tourists heading to Oktoberfest in Munich.  We fortunately had left ourselves plenty of time to track down some food for consumption en route (although my circuitous route back to the main shopping concourse led me around the outside of the station on this very windy day) so were suitably equipped to manage the lengthy (not really – 4 hours) trip.  Found our seats in presciently reserved first class section – around $50 more for the three of us and managed to take up 60% of the allocated luggage storage ...

Checked out on Tuesday for our long day of travel – final destination Vienna.  Our hotel-supplied car to the airport was great; X babbled the whole way with a classic line, indicting Linton: “I don’t ever stop talking, do I? You told me that, didn’t you, Dad”!!  Certainly, Linton was right but it was funny to hear him understand and verbalise it!  Enjoyed the indoor-outdoor terminal feel at the airport before boarding via the quaint little bus-train thing they have going on and taking off on-time at midday. Koh Samui airport Smooth flight, again with brilliant meal service for the short trip, and landed after a very long descent at Bangkok, where X proceeded to have the biggest meltdown ever, about not being able to have his teddy to suck on while we traversed the airport in the transfer bus to the terminal.  After everyone on the bus thinking he was a spoiled brat, we finally got to disembark, collect our bags, find a taxi and head off for the cheap hotel we...

We were ditching Bangkok for Koh Samui on Wednesday.  Our car for the airport arrived promptly at 10am and we seemed to avoid some of the interminable traffic that sometimes afflicts the city’s “expressways”! Arriving well and truly ahead of schedule, we enjoyed the Bangkok Airways lounge, which uniquely, is open to all passengers.  The food and drink offerings were simple but X burned some energy in the kids room, sharing it for a time with a couple of pretty destructive children, much older than Xavier, but considerably less aware of basic tenets of courtesy and good behaviour. We boarded the plane via a bus from the terminal and took off pretty much on time at 12.30pm.  Bangkok Airways calls itself “Asia’s boutique airline”.  In line with this, it served a hot lunch on this 50 minute flight (barely long enough to reach cruising altitude before starting to descend again). The massaman curry was tasty and the seats comfortable enough.  Before we knew it...

After arriving in Bangkok, X in particular was very happy to see L and gave him a big hug.  X and L reacquainted themselves over a swim while I relaxed by the pool.  Then we went for a wander around the neighbourhood.  We were staying at the Somerset Park Suanplu, the very same place we started out staying when X was born in 2014.  The surrounding area did not seem to have changed very much and the extensive renovations that Somerset Park had undergone were reasonable but a bit underwhelming.  Nonetheless, it was nice to reminisce about the things and places that brought back memories while walking down the street, including the mundanities such as the laundry place we frequented, the café we visited regularly and the street vendors and massage parlours (foot massages, people, foot massages!) we became fond of during those five weeks in August three years ago. Pool fun We had a quiet afternoon followed by dinner at Naga, the place we most often ate ...

Our Emirates flight experience was pretty good. Between our time in the lounge and the dedicated aerobridge to the plane, and the fact the entire top deck of the A380 comprised only business and first class seats, we didn’t see any economy class passengers the whole way. It felt quite odd and this was magnified when Xavier was given one gift/toy after another by the flight attendants. First, a colouring book and pencils, then a little bear with a small blanket stuffed inside it, then a Lonely Planet kids travel pack contained in a mini toiletries bag (no toiletries), and finally a snack box packed solid with chocolates and chips. We kept it all, except for the snacks, which went untouched and were left behind. It was becoming more apparent how the other side (and their children!) live. The service was nice although patchy. Pre-departure Moet was a treat. Drinks orders taken soon after an on-time 6pm take-off (breakfast martini for me, water on the rocks for X). Then the long wait fo...

Since my post earlier this year, our plans have come together nicely. It has taken innumerable phone calls to Qantas and Singapore Airlines, the patience of a saint, learning new languages (have you ever tried to understand airline and airport taxes?!) and a fair amount of flexibility.  We had been planning one really long trip through Europe, the Caribbean, the US and a little bit of Asia, taking four months and including a few days in Bali at the end to recuperate before winding up back in Brisbane a few days before Christmas 2017. When we reflected on our previous longest trip (about nine weeks – and without a three year old!), it dawned on us that 15 or so weeks away from home, eating lots of great (but inevitably carb-, fat- or sugar-laden meals), with not too many stops longer than three nights, would probably stretch our travel affinity a tad too much. So we reconfigured a bit, taking into account that our frequent flyer redemption tickets placed a few constraints ...