Showing posts with label airports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label airports. Show all posts

Friday, October 23, 2026

we made it home

Well, friends, that was a loooong trip, but we made it home.  I joked to Conrad, as we waited outside at LAX for Van to slog through the traffic at the airport to pick us up, that the longest part of the trip, psychologically speaking, was trying to leave LAX.  Not the actual case, of course.  That 12+ hour Pacific crossing from Hong Kong really does drag on, and I finished one mystery novel, read a second, and began a third.  Yep.  That long.  The Polaris Class full-flat seat isn't as comfortable as you might hope, alas.


A short hop from BKK (they have Garrett's there?!?!)



to HKG (didn't see much of the airport, alas). 

A little time in the lounge in Hong Kong.  Then the big flight.  Nice food on the plane,


great service.  The purser, Lon, was a lovely guy and gave me and Conrad and little special attention when I mentioned that it was our anniversary yesterday.  That was sweet.

We stopped by Van's to pick up Olive (we missed her!), then home to the condo.  A little unpacking done, but not too much.  We each showered and were lights out a little before 11.  And now here it is, about 5:25 AM, and I have been awake for two hours or so.  Yeah, the jetlag will be a bit of a bitch today and through the weekend, I am sure!

But we are home!!  :-) 

Sunday, October 11, 2026

a new country

6:17 AM here.  Where is here?  Sattahip, the home of Conrad’s friend J-J and his wife, Vanda.  Where is Sattahip?  Southeast of Bangkok.  


Yes, a new country for us:  Thailand!





Getting to the airport in Ho Chi Minh City on an early Sunday morning was a breeze.  Getting through the lines took almost three times as long.  Still we had some time in the lovely Le Saigonnais Lounge watching the airport below.  



Our flight was uneventful, and I dozed so long that they served and then cleared away my water without me drinking it!

J-J picked us up at the airport in Bangkok, and we were on the road to the beautiful home (a villa, really) that he and his wife share.  


A very late and filling lunch for us, a little unpacking and dozing, then a drive along the beach to catch the last of daylight before heading to the market.  




What fun that was.  Having two guides who know the language and the food meant we could ask anything, and Vanda insisted on buying us all kinds of things to try.  I love sampling new fruits!







We brought the purchases home and turned around to head to dinner right away.  I don’t know how we fit more food in, but there was soft shell crab, a shrimp dish with noodles, water spinach sautéed with garlic, and a whole snapper steamed with tom yum soup.  I especially loved the snapper, but everything was good.  




I can’t believe we came home and, after a refreshing shower, ate some of the fruit!

Today is a little up in the air.  Maybe a boat cruise, maybe a temple.  We shall see when folks are up and moving!

Thursday, October 08, 2026

on to Ho Chi Minh City

A super busy day yesterday, and so let me just say that on Wednesday we made it through a busy Hanoi airport


and on to a plane,

endured a holding pattern for an hour, landed in Saigon.  Next city on the trip:  check!  By the time we got through dinner






and then to the hotel,

it was late, 10:00, and I had things to do before our Thursday meetings.

But really, today will be when we get to see Ho Chi Minh City rather than libraries.  Yesterday we had four visits because a visit scheduled for today got moved to yesterday.  I’ll have a lot to say about the libraries, but I am still trying to manage photos and such.  Plus, it’s almost time for breakfast!  I may need to wander out for a decaf latte like I did yesterday.



Thursday, October 01, 2026

one flight done

Conrad and I made it to Narita Airport in Tokyo.  Currently awaiting a shower.  Snacking lightly.  Next flight in three hours.  Woohoo!  It is drizzly out there, and I think that will be the theme of the trip.  Ah well.  Onward!


Tuesday, June 09, 2026

Cincinnati


Just typing that title I found myself singing the word and adding "WKRP" after it.  Yep, I am that old.

Alright, silliness aside, let's look at Cincinnati.  We spent that afternoon there, stopping for lunch, shopping, and sightseeing in one spot, then coming back for dinner and a walk in the evening.  We also came back into the city after checking out of the hotel the next morning, heading for a museum and lunch before making our way to the airport.  Not much time in Cincinnati - we saw even less of it than we did of Nashville - but I feel as though our appetites for more were whetted by comparison to Nashville earlier in the trip.

Speaking of appetites, we started off with lunch up in the Mount Adams neighbourhood. Cincinnati is the United States' version of a city built on seven hills.  It's a charming little part of the city, one that felt like a real little neighbourhood with its own community.  We headed for lunch right away, having sandwiches at Mt. Adams Bar and Grill,



before wandering around a small handful of blocks, taking in the top of the hill and what it had to offer. 






A few interesting pieces of real estate up there as well, but no, we are not intending to retire to Cincinnati.

From there it was on to Rookwood Pottery,





a place that one of Conrad's colleagues had recommended.  They had lovely pieces there, and I could well imagine having a tile fireplace or something like that as crafted by them.  Yes, we bought a few small things.  How could we not?  From there, it was downtown and a little jaunt through the Hilton to admire at least some of the fine interior of the Carew Tower.








John and Drew met us at the hotel early that evening for drinks before we all crossed back into downtown Cincinnati for dinner.  I still can't believe I got to meet John.  What an amazing man he is.  And Drew was an utter delight - I loved hearing his many stories. 


Dinner was at Yard House, and it was fine enough, but what was even better was taking advantage of a pleasant evening and all of us strolling across the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge to Kentucky and then back again, walking a little after that in the riverfront park in Cincinnati.  What a gorgeous bridge!  That walk gave me and John time to have some private conversation and share some personal things, too, and I valued that greatly.  But ah, the views of the cities, the river, and the bridge itself.  So wonderful.








John and Drew dropped us back off at the hotel after that, and Conrad and I had a nightcap.  A fine day done, and a little time the next day to get to see more.

The next morning we were back at Point Perk, but we also stopped at North South Baking, a lovely bakery nearby, for some excellent pastries to bring back to the room. 


A rhubarb cruffin?  Yes, please!  We packed, checked out, and headed across the river to the Cincinnati Art Museum.  We had enough time there to browse a bit (free admission, so the price was right) and have lunch in the museum cafe. 




It was off to the airport after that,

two flights to go, and a little stowaway joining us. 

The end of a truly excellent vacation with oh so many highlights to remember fondly.