I have been in Thailand for nearly 30 days. Sunshine, pool time, and massages glitter nearly every day. Soon, it will be time to move on. But to where? Well, the next 7 weeks are going to be packed full! In a few days we will be leaving our home in Thailand for our home in Texas. It’ll only take about 26 hours to get from door to door, but oh well! That’s the downside to having two homes about as far apart in the world as they can be.
This month in Thailand has been different. It is quiet season, as the locals call it. Not as many tourists as usual. We have ventured out a little more and tried plenty of new places. We found a nice little British restaurant, Hemingway’s, with daily specials that cannot be beat. When $10 can feed us both, it’s hard to stay away. I’ll miss our pool, and I’ll especially miss the massages. Our favorites, Ern and Pon, have helped both my wife and I immensely. That huge knot in my right shoulder is gone. Poof! Soon, that’ll all be behind us. But in another four months, we shall return.
Next up is America, but only for a week. We will be in Texas for just seven days before boarding a non-stop flight to a place I’ve never been–England. Shocking I know. For someone who has been to over 30 countries and 7 continents, how did I miss the UK. I’m not sure, I just did. Three days in London will be followed by three days in Paris (with a few hours and chocolate tasting in Belgium mixed in) and three more in Amsterdam. Stonehenge and Versaille are on the docket, and perhaps a stop at the Moulin Rouge! Oooooh-la-la.
After a travel filled 10 days, more moving around that I like, we get to rest. Two weeks in Riga will give us some time to breathe. While in the Latvian capital we have a short two day cruise to Stockholm and back. Time for Swedish meatballs, yah! There will be no stopping at Ikea. Once our time in Riga is up, it’s back to Amsterdam to board an Avalon ship. However, instead of sailing into the North Sea, we will be going south. Through the Black Forest, watching the fairy tales castles of Germany drift by, we will be cruising the Rhine River. We will enjoy sites in Luxemborg and France before coming to port in Switzerland. One night in Basel and then back to America. A river cruise is just what we need. Truly all-inclusive, unlike those pesky ocean liners that lure you in with low prices and then hammer you with addons. Food at ALL the restaurants, drinks (alcoholic and virgin), ice cream, all included. Even the excursions are included! Perhaps a cuckoo clock factory in the Black Forest will be a stop. Fondue in the Alps? Who knows!? What I do know is that it will be a much needed vacation! And I can’t wait to share it with you.