It’s a tradition now. It started about 10-11 years ago. Something to do with the Teenager having 2 weeks of school holidays and needing occupied.
Teenager in Peru (minus Dad)
An excuse? At the time I also had a lot of airmiles to spend quickly. Another excuse? My birthday is at the end of October. 3 excuses! I’m starting to build a case…
I think it began with a short trip to Paris & Brussels. Some good food. Some sightseeing. Eurodisney. The battlefield at Waterloo – in the dark. Long story, that one.
Well, I’m starting this little post on an easyJet flight to Munich. Yes, an October escape. Munich isn’t the destination. It’s Gaimersheim, further north in Bavaria but still in Ober Bayern.
Friday night we’re off to a big ice hockey game. Ingolstadt v Munich – a local derby. Beer, bratwurst (or steak sandwiches), excitement. By coincidence we saw the same teams in November last year, but in Munich.
Ingolstadt arena
A dinner out on Monday (my birthday). A sightseeing visit to Augsburg might be on the agenda too.
Looking back over past October outings (this is a 2 hour flight) the USA in 2010 was a great trip. Old haunts on Long Island and in Washington DC. New places in Virginia – Fredericksburg and the Blue Ridge Mountains. New friends too. By then the Teenager was to old and too cool to take trips with me.
East Hampton, NY (old haunt)
2001 was memorable too. On 11 September I’d just finished booking a trip to Casablanca and Marrakesh in the morning, when the news started to come in from New York. It was unbooked and we went to Crete instead. The planes were almost empty. We don’t scare easy.
It was also memorable because it was a great holiday. Wonderful hotel. I like Greece a lot, as well. So does the Teenager now.
http://www.portoelounda.com/en/golf-hotel
Sometimes we chose an ice hockey playing country, and went to a game or two. Stockholm in 2006. Geneva and Lausanne in 2005. Prague in 2008.
3 years ago I went to Croatia, Bosnia & Hercegovina and Montenegro. Interesting places, but it wasn’t a happy time for me and enjoyment was hard to find.
OK, the seatbelt signs will be on in a minute. Almost there.
© iain taylor 2012