By my calculations, between the I-don't-think-it-really-counts long-haul flying (33,085 kilometres), short-haul flights (1,397 km), trains (2,362 km), busses (210 km), driving (10,500 km), running (14 km), cycling (20 km), and walking (747 km), I have traversed a total of 48,335 kilometres on this trip (15,250 if you take out the flight there and back).
FLYING
Starting with the long-haul flights, and the Qantas flight from Brisbane to Hong Kong was exceptional, mainly because it was so empty. And that hot chocolate - worth the price of admission! Plus I met a German steward, that was cool. The two Air France flights, one in economy, one in premium, were dour. I don't think I'll fly with them again. The Asian and Middle Eastern airlines are much better IMO. But I got to fly on an A380, so that's a bucket list item ticked. Cathay's Premium Economy was good too. Plus I got to see an A330 and A380 cockpit! Truly amazing where a little courtesy and politeness gets you!
The two low-cost intra-Europe flights were uneventful for me, and each had its own unique flavour, where an Airberlin peak hour packed business flight had a completely different feel to the lunchtime Vueling flight, which felt a bit like a Spanish siesta.
THE SCORECARD
Qantas. The flight was empty, otherwise it would rank lower. A-
Air France. Left a bit to be desired. C-
Airberlin. Fun, but a bit cramped. B+
Vueling. Siesta atmosphere, bit of a ragshot organisation. B-
Cathay. Great! A
ON THE RAILS
I had (counts to self) four train trips overall, all with different companies. First up was the TGV. It was typical French, very efficient and organised, and felt like a really well-oiled machine. Germany's Deutsche Bahn had massive luggage storage space, but felt a bit sloppier with its multiple 15-minute delays. The Trenitalia was packed to the rafters, and there was next to no luggage storage space for those that got on late.
The overnight train was amazing. You have 15-25 people per carriage, with a dedicated service attendant. They are FANTASTIC value for money, at 120 Euros for a three-person sleeper. They are perfect for backpackers - you get to meet some interesting new people, and you get breakfast and a night's sleep basically for free!
THE SCORECARD
TGV. A well-oiled machine. A+!
Deutsche Bahn. NOT a well-oiled machine. B
Overnight OBB. A fantastic experience. A+!
Trenitalia. Packed, felt poorly managed. D
ON THE ROAD
Well, dad drove 13,960 kilometres. That was an absolute marathon. I did about 10,500 of those kilometres with him. The GPS/audio/Bluetooth system kicked butt, and the recline on the seats was really good. In future we should probably have allowed more rest days in between driving long distances, so that's a learning experience.
HUMAN POWER
Well, I walked 747 kilometres in total. And that's just the above ground parts, not including airports, metros or trains. That's further than the (as the crow flies) distance from Brisbane to Yeppoon or the Gold Coast to Sydney. So yeah, maybe I walked a bit far. But the interesting stuff was often in that bit you would just miss if you wimped out and got the metro.
Umpiring the Dutch AFL practice match was amazing, and was one of only two runs I got on the entire trip, the other was more than two months earlier on my first day of the whole trip in Paris. So my fitness will be below par when I get back.
We had a couple of goes at cycling, it's much more civil there than in Brisbane. Amsterdam especially is OK if you treat the traffic with just a little respect, rather than being a hooligan. I think it will be hard to adjust to the nutcases that are all over the roads back in Australia.
Tune in for the next "That's a wrap!"
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