Like Wille Nelson-on the road again

 

I have a advertisement up on the wall next to my desk at home which shows a big fat man trying to heave himself out of a swimming pool. There is the pool ladder just next to him and the caption is something like "Why do things the hard way when....".

And sometimes I wonder if our travel is a bit like that man.

For me, there is something endlessly fascinating as us humans get around the world. And airports, train stations and major tourist sights really bring these feelings to the surface. How do we get from station to hotel? What do we want to do/see/eat/buy when we get there? Why do people do things that way? How long does it take from Paris centre to Charles De Gaulle airport? Which airport-1,2,3? Are Randall and Yvonne heading for the same terminal? (answer No, of course).

From Brussells, do I want to take the Chunnel to England? Now that I am in Cologne, how do I get to next destination Bonn? Where and what will I eat tonight? Why don't I just line up with others to buy the whole travel experience and leave the thinking to others? And so on.

 

The answer so far is that is you learn when the unexpected turns up just around the corner. When you meet and talk for just a few minutes perhaps over a meal with strangers. When you see Eiffel tower/Conques/Estaing/rural France/Rhine river/Cologne cathedral for the first or subsequent time. When your your train/plane connections are out by minutes/hours/days. When you really enjoy/pass up/not like that cafe/brasserie/hotel/meal/service.

Today Yvonne starts her tour of Scotland, looking for big views and feelings and perhaps something to paint later including a few puffins. Randall heads for Bonn and to join up with friends to walk the northern part of the Rheisteig from Bonn to Braubach. The weather in Germany is warmer than we experienced in Paris but the threat of rain remains for at least the next few days.

I wonder how things will turn out before we catch up with each other in 12 days time?