I need a Vacation

I know, I know, I know. I just got back from a vacation. But it was really a three-week trip and not exactly a 'restful' vacation. I am beat. And I have jet-lag, made worse by the three weeks of travel.

I know that my trip around Germany was 2,250 miles of travel. I have yet to make a guess at the Switzerland trip. Flying into Zurich, I then proceeded to cross borders into France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Germany before flying home. 

On the eight hour flight home I watched three movies:  Star Trek Into Darkness, Iron Man 3, and The Internship.  I stayed awake for 22 hours straight, hoping to get back on an Eastern Time Schedule.  I am almost there, but still feeling the effects.

I should say that flying home on Lufthansa Airlines was a real treat.  We had two good meals, with free wine and ate with real metal utensils.  Plus, I did not have to remove my shoes in the Frankfurt airport.

I met some interesting folks and some real jerks on my adventure.  I started using code names for some of the travelers on the German excursions.  Once, when I referred to someone as the 'village idiot', a traveler from New Zealand knew exactly who I was talking about.  Scary.

I did get tired of having travelers try to impress with their wealth.  Really?  Did y'all think the rest of us won our trips on 'The Price is Right'?

I did meet some really nice folks and heard interesting reasons for traveling the world:  getting in touch with their roots, experiencing a different culture, or spending their required IRA distribution, LOL.  One couple from New Hampshire has a son who lives in Bloomfield Hills.  Another, a sister in Farmington Hills.  Small world.

My pictures are still in the camera.  Perhaps I will download them today.  Labelling and editing will take a lot of time.  My plan is to detail the trip in the A to Z Challenge next year.

For now, I am resting and thinking about a theme dinner for Thanksgiving.  The trouble with that is the best part of the trip was the wonderful pastries in both Switzerland and Germany.  Those and the gelato stands.

I added a trip to the Eagle's Nest, which required a crossing into Austria to reach it.  Big deal.  Other than a sign on the road, it was like crossing into a neighboring community.  Same with the drive through northern Italy, which is really not depicted on the map above.

I think it is time for a quick nap (I awoke at 4:30 a.m.).  Then I'll read the Sunday paper and have my second breakfast.  Seems like we ate all the time in Europe.  Huge breakfast buffets every morning, a treat I cannot afford to continue.

Enjoy the rest of your day, wherever you are.