If this is Wednesday........

I should be organized. Suitcase and carryon on the bed are pretty much packed, their little lids gaping in case I should think of something else really important. Wasted a lot of time on Monday trying to let Mastercard know that I was taking their little card with me to Europe. The toll-free number connected me with a lovely computer-generated lady-ish voice who could not tell that "correct" or "OK" was the same as "yes." And a lot of other stuff. No menu item (press "1" for .....) indicated a notification of leaving the country. Finally, was put in the queue for a real person, and was told that the wait time is currently "in excess of 30 minutes." After 30 minutes I hung up.
So then I went to the Mastercard website. There I wasted more time navigating the thousand or so click-on options, none of which I needed. Yesterday I went to the bank and got the receptionist to call for me and notifiy whoever that the card was going to be in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic. It took 2 minutes, and I got to talk to the real person at the other end of the BMO's private line, to verify my existence. Almost didn't work, though, as one of the questions was "how long have you had this Mastercard?" and I replied "oh, about 25 years" when it has actually been 33!!!!! He didn't ask how much money has gone through that account.

Time for me to pack

Since this is Wed, and we leave tomorrow, I have just packed my suitcase. Took be about 45 minutes. Am still debating whether or not to add one more pair of capri pants (or whatever they're called this year.) Can't decide if the weather will be warm enough to warrant such, or not.
I think I have all the necessary toiletries ready to go into my carry on: if they're too heavy, some will be put into big suitcase.
Remember to bring camera, and batteries. See you tomorrow in Regina, H.

Toiletries? Check.

Okay,... even though this is likely far too early in the game to suit J, I have now set out everything that needs to get packed away.  In addition, I have now purchased all the little odds and sods that I could need in the next 2 or so weeks.  The "odds & sods" include several products of the feminine hygiene (what a ridiculous expression, anyway) variety.  I don't even want to hazard a guess as to where I would find such items in any of the countries we're visiting.  Not only that, but I wouldn't know what to call them (plugenhollen? pantiprotektornugen?), nor would I want to make the appropriate hand gestures.  Or would I?

Oh, all right, then

I'm so glad you've thought this through, Heather. It'll be late when we get in and how long do the trams and S-bahns and U-bahns and buses run? And will this take a substantial chunk of time? Just point me in the right direction and I'll shuffle along behind you, wherever. Do we have a guaranteed late arrival at the hotel? I'm confused already.

By the way -- you've done two of those Likeness quizzes in the last day or so. Have you run out of other stuff to do?

Getting to the hotel from the Flughafen

Canadian currency is stronger today, which leads me to predict that it would be best to buy currency on Wednesday or Thursday.

But I digress.

So far, of all the transportation to and from airports I've looked into, Vienna is the most confusing.  

1. We could go the easy route and take a very expensive taxi (60E,... I don't think so).  

2. Or we could take the City Airport Transit (CAT) system and connect with the U-Bahn (Metro) U3 to U1 and then connect with Tram 21 (9E plus whatever the U-bahn fare is,.. likely 3E).  

3. Or we could take the S-Bahn (normal train) which might take us all the way to Wien Nord (Praterstern) Station, where we could then catch Tram 21 to the hotel.  However, the S-7 train might only take us as far as Wein Mitte (Landstrasse) station, so we'd then have to transfer to a different S-Bahn or to U3 and then U1, before finally getting on Tram 21.  This option might cost only 3E for the one-way ticket.  

Upon looking more more closely at the S-7 schedule, I thinkOption 3 is our best bet.  Cheaper.  And only 1 transfer.  I think.

"Geek Graph"

Heather, you obviously have waaaay too much time on your hands!!! Please do not feel obliged to do any such activity while on our trip, or if you do, don't ask G or I to help!!
I still have not begun to pack, but I have a rough mental list (not written) from which I will work. Hopefully, everything will fit into one suitcase (not too large) and one small carry on.
Am starting to look forward to the trip: it's close enough now for me to do that!! J

I can "out geek" the both of you!

I've been tracking exchanges rates.

Daily.

Not so geeky, right?

Well, I've also been graphing them.  

And not using the usual "1 CAD = " approach, either.  I've been using 2 EUR = x CAD and 50 CZK = y CAD.  Both hover above $3.  I like to buy currency when the Canadian Dollar is weakest (see arrow).  Looks like EUR and CZK are gaining more ground against CAD.  Might have to buy more Euros or Crowns soon.

Suitcase on a bed

So, you guys each did another post, and so now I feel obligated to add one also.
I have put my open suitcase on the bed in the spare room, and everytime I run across/use/buy something that should go along to Europe, I will put in in/near the suitcase on the bed. Then it should all be there in ten days, ready to put in. If the pile of stuff looks bigger than the suitcase, I will have to remove items. So much for planning. Did pick up some foreign currency also.
Did some research at www.voyage.gc.ca, and have included in my little black book, embassy and consulate numbers for each place we go, in case of potential problems bigger than all of us.
So far, so good. More later when something actually happens.

Too organized for me

All right you 2 travelling companions: lists?? starting to pack?? Give me a break!! That's to do the last evening before we leave, or even the morning of!! Otherwise, you forget what you packed!! I bought some lovely coloured Euros, and according to info I've seen, they should be good everywhere we are in Europe. I have a few US $$ to spend in Minneapolis airport, if we get hungry there. Am starting to get excited about the journey: Heather, have you got us all scheduled and mapped?? J

10...

... days until we leave.

Wow.

Anyone started packing yet?

Aha!

Saturday after lunch -- I just wanted to see if I could actually find the place again....the place to post something. And I could. So for an update, this: This morning I ordered some U$, some Euros and some CZK's, worth I think 12 cents each. Did you know there's no cent sign on the keyboard so you'd have to say $0.12? Does that mean that laptop manufacturers have jumped the gun on abandoning the penny?

Yay!

I should have started this whole communal blog thing much earlier! Two new posts and G learned how to set up her own account.

With any luck at all, we should have three reasonably distinct views on everything we see and experience. Mine will be the image-based posts and the other two likely the posts with,... ummm,... real words and stuff.

Of course, all this depends on reliable internet access, which I don't forsee as much to a problem. There are computers everywhere. No way I'm taking a laptop.

I've now made a list of things to pack, have set out some rudimentary journal templates and have done a lot of reading (without doing so much that I have already thought too much about the things we'll be seeing). And before anyone asks: Yes. I am still in marking-avoidance mode....

Cute title unavailable

Have created a google account. Had to try this a couple of times. I think I may have misspelled (misspelt?) the password on the first application--ie: when you have to do the password again. Anyway, I started all over. It took longer than it was supposed to, as usual.
So now there's 22 days to go, and in preparation I have made photocopies of the documents and cards I plan to carry with me.
OK, now I've written this and I suppose there's something to click on if one wants this to appear on the blog. I just have to figure out what that is.
Then--I'll try to find it again.
My daughter does get me involved in the darndest things. Actually, if it were not for my girls, I would be sitting in the living room, writing a letter with a quill pen by candlelight!!

In Preparation

Of the 3 of us, Heather is the only really gifted techie, so most of the posts will likely come from her. She is also the organizer, navigator, babysitter (or maybe Gram ma-sitter is more accurate). She will keep us on track, and on time. Otherwise, G and I will just wander around Europe looking at ceilings, floors and other architectural stuff, like we do when we travel anywhere. (Please note the specific architectural terms!!.) Hopefully we can keep up to her. If not, we'll only see half as much. J

24

Not the TV show. Which I will not watch. Not because it's no good, but because I'd become a 24 addict.

I like to write in sentence fragments.

So, all that's left to do with this thing is to give G and J full access to post stuff.

Maybe we'll update it while we're traveling, and maybe we won't. Who knows?

This post is mainly a test to see if the Schmap widget works. It does. Sporadically.

Update:In retrospect, the title for this post is rather cryptic. The reference is: 24 days to go. Duh.

H.