East by Condor

I’ve just pulled the trigger on what promises to be a fun multi-city obstacle course through Europe for July.

I call it the “visit almost everyone I know on that side of the ocean in 24 days” trip.

The kind of trip that would drive [[Catherine]] crazy with the “wait, you’re taking a train for four hours just so you can have lunch with someone!?” of it all. So I’m doing it solo (Catherine and [[Oliver]] are visiting family in Ontario, so it’s not like they’ll be pining for me at home in the hot summer sun).

On July 3 I fly from Halifax to Frankfurt ($402, taxes and fees included, on Condor) where I hope to be able to have a quick visit with Ali.

Then it’s off to nearby Mainz for a pilgrimage to the Gutenberg Museum.

On July 6 I’ll head up to Düsseldorf to visit Pedro and Patrícia (who I’ve been trying and failing to visit since our aborted ships-crossing-in-the-night visit in 2010). And maybe João too?

Two days later it’s up to the Netherlands to Enschede to see Ton and Elmine for a couple of days, and then across northern Germany for a brief anti-respite in Berlin where I’ll spend three days at Betahaus doing so actual income-generating work, hopefully leaving some time to see my panoply of Berlin friends and to visit the usual haunts and find some new ones.

On July 13 it’s up to Malmö, Sweden by way of Copenhagen for what appears to be my now-annual visit to Luisa, Olle, Jonas and Morgan. And, if I’m lucky, also to be able to see Henriette and Thomas and Penny. And who knows who else?

On July 18 I’ll fly across Europe to Kiev (142 EUR all-in on Air Baltic) where I’ll meet up with family for my first visit to Ukraine, including a pilgrimage to the потягайло home place around the town of Horodenka).

On July 26 it’s back to Halifax via Frankfurt (somewhat inexplicably given how cheap it was to get there, $1105, all-in on Condor).

Given that seven years ago, when I made my first friend in Europe, I was starting from a blank slate, not knowing a single soul, to have such a diverse community there today means that my grand multi-year European experiment must be working. I’m quite looking forward to it.