Yes, I am back to blogging. In days ahead I will post several more times about the recent New Zealand vacation, and one day - I hope! - I will once again post about cooking adventures in my kitchen. Of course, I suppose I have to be back in Chicago and in my kitchen long enough to do so.
I'll be a bit more systematic now with these posts and get a good assortment of photos up. Impatient for photos? Check Flickr for a whole bunch (and more to come there).
I wanted to share some final shots of the luxuries of travel, though I have to say that the scene in Frost/Nixon (which I watched on the flight from Sydney to LA) where Frost is chatting up a woman in the upstairs bar of a 747 really shows an air travel luxury that doesn't exist anymore, I don't think. I am also wary of seeming ungrateful for traveling first class when I simply say that United, fine as it was, does not compare to the service, comfort, and amenities of a national airline like Air New Zealand. Whatever - we hardly roughed it.
Six flights in total for us. Here's the route:
Chicago-San Francisco. First Class on United. The full fold down seats seemed ever so amazing, with ample storage.
I watched The Secret Life of Bees, blubbed some, and had a lovely view flying over the diverse countryside below.
San Francisco-Sydney. First Class on United. Charlie Trotter-designed dishes among the menu items?
Tasty. I liked Conrad's choice of red wine more than mine, but jeepers, a choice of wine! I watched Twilight (yes, I know, scorn me, but I enjoyed it) and another movie that obviously wasn't memorable if I can't think what the heck it was. I also got the most sleep I've ever had in an airplane: about 6 hours solid. Bless the full beds the seats convert to. Conrad and I sat in the middle of the section with a low divider between us so we could easily chat and otherwise bug each other.
Good flight.Sydney-Auckland. Business Class on Air New Zealand. Air NZ doesn't have first class, in fact, but their Business Class is better than United First, truthfully. More movies to choose from (I watched half of Iron Man but switched to television programs. More choices of wines, and better food.
Full fold down seats (not that we needed them).
Advantage to United for storage space, though.Wellington-Sydney. Business Class on Air New Zealand. A different configuration without full fold down seats, but certainly comfortable. Conrad and I were the only ones in Business Class, and the flight attendant was ever so lovely to chat with. Good breakfast, and I watched the rest of Iron Man.
An aside here - I won't add anymore lounge photos from the trip, I don't think, but this was kind of cool: we were sitting in the lounge at Sydney Airport, and people began coming to the window by us to look out. I didn't pay much attention, thinking that they were looking at the different airlines coming in and out with huge planes. it wasn't until Conrad said, "Peter, there's a tornado!" that I looked up.
Sydney-LA. First Class on United.
I didn't sleep as well as the reverse trip, but I slept better than usual. The food wasn't Charlie Trotter, but I rather liked the appetizer, and I preferred the wine selection.
We also moved to window seats which meant not only better storage, but also a wonderful sunset over the Pacific.
I watched Frost/Nixon 
(enjoyed it) and Marley and Me (enjoyed it as well - that was a surprise)LA-Chicago. Business Class on United. Do I sound too jaded when I say it was pretty standard for United.
Honestly? I'm THRILLED to bits to have experienced such comfort, truly. Separate security and boarding lines, glasses of champagne when you get on board,
amenity kits.
SLEEP! Conrad cashed in a lot of miles for these tickets, and they set the stage for a vacation that - I can say this now that it's over - was utterly relaxing, enjoyable, memorable.More postings in days ahead, then, and in them I'll actually explore New Zealand itself!
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