Travel, travel!

It's that time of the semester where things get crazy busy and one starts counting the days until Commencement. In particular, I'm thinking about travels. A few things have come up in that regard and I'm just thrilled.

As some of you know, I travel to Seattle and Victoria beginning on 8 April. I'm really looking forward to meeting some of you in real time and to just being in places I enjoy so much. On 2 June I leave for Trier, Germany to teach a two week seminar (Social Inequality: The United States) with one of my colleagues. I've booked a ticket to Luxembourg - it's closer than Frankfurt - via a 9 hour layover in London. I fly back on 16 June, via a 7 hour layover in Amsterdam. Enough time, barring the unexpected, to run into town(s) for a bit. I really wanted to return via Amsterdam so that I could bring back a stash of old Gouda. Hmmm, maybe stash is the wrong word to use in this context!

While I've known about the trip to Trier for a while, the real unexpected aspect is that I decided to go to Stockholm for the middle weekend. I got a ticket on Ryan Air - an adventure in itself - for 74 euro. I was even able to book reasonable accommodations - no small feat. I have two students who just returned from a semester in Sweden so they're giving me their tips on prioritizing what to do. And, although it's hardly "tourism," I don't know that I can resist going to IKEA just to have been in one in Sweden. Lame, I know...

I get back on 16 June and two weeks later we fly into Halifax! We'll spend a couple of days there - including going to the Tattoo on Canada Day! Then, we spend a few days near Wolfville/Port Williams. Later that week we're going to Fredericton, NB to check things out. We return to Halifax on the 10th and fly out on the 12th. Can't wait!

The only "glitch" in the plans, thus far, is that, apparently, flying in and out of Great Britain they permit you only to carry your wallet, ID, and meds on board. Everything else is to be checked. Thus, I won't be bringing my laptop on that trip. Since I'm not only changing planes, but carriers, I just don't want to risk checking it. I'll have to rely on Internet cafes - generally not a problem in Europe - to post now and again.

So, that's the latest. Right now it's dreadfully cool and rainy here. But, summer is coming! I've got more to post that's less upbeat, but I think I'll save that for later. Nothing personal, just the dreadful state of current affairs. Hope all is well with you!