Travels with Kathryn

I’m back!

And yes, unsurprisingly, I am off again. So, let me explain the plan:

• Christmas Eve (today) I am flying from Heathrow to Munich.
• At Munich airport I will find my old people (who are flying in from an alternative airport).
• Relying on the usual pretty excellent Deutsche Bahn to take a train to Passau (with a change at Landschut).
• My brother James will then collect us and take us to Sankt Martin where we are staying in a hotel mere minutes from his new appartment.
• Christmas Day/Boxing Day at James’ – general jollity, roast goose and braised red cabbage (for some unknown reason!).
• 27th December travel to Vienna airport (train from Wels).
• Flight from Vienna to Istanbul, Istanbul to Colombo. Arriving Sri Lanka on 28th December.
• My Intrepid trip begins from Negombo on 28th December.
• 7th January – return to the UK. Sad times.

I am therefore writing this in Heathrow airport. I have collected fancy whiskey (as requested by James) and eaten the traditional LEON sausage and egg muffin. I am ready.

On the subject of being ready, I thought the obligatory photos should be added:

I also thought I could use this post to update the wider audience as to what I have been doing in the interim… Well, I returned from China in July and started my new job the following Monday, and I absolutely love it! If anyone wants to chat about getting started in investing, ISAs and SIPPs please let me know.

I have also managed a couple of little trips:

Anncey with the Hooks and Owens:

Edinburgh Fringe with my choir (including Steph):

Alicante with Steph and the old people:

Disneyland Paris with my choir (including Steph):

Steph has done well coping with me hasn’t she?

I wrote the above at the airport so far so good, although its me, travelling at Christmas so I am expecting things to start going wrong at any moment!

Let me update you. Well, firstly, there was a distinctly un-Germanic scrum to board the plane, which I felt was also most un-festive. But a trouble-free flight, and I arrived into Munich only about 10 minutes late with a light dusting of snow falling down. I headed over to the train station, but unfortunately, the old people were thwarted (by a late landing and a queue at the border – I blame Brexit!) and we missed the train we were aiming for. This, however, did give us the opportunity to actually look at the Munich Airport Christmas Market and have a snack.

An easy enough journey to Landshut, although I did have to deal with the old people swiging wine from a bottle. So uncouth. We did not enjoy the 20 minutes on a very cold station platform. I am in my ninja travel outfit which is far more suited to warm holidaying…

As we are on the final leg and it is now nearly 6pm. James was there to meet us at Passau station and I am writing this last entry from the warm comfort of James sofa and I am full of lasagne…

I am going to sign off here and wish you all a very Merry Christmas. My next post will be after the Christmas fog, and when hopefully, I am onroute to Sri Lanka.