The Longest Journey begins with the first Plane Ride

On May 30 I am off to Europe and England.  My return ticket is for October 23 health and  pocketbook permitting.  Like my previous trips around the planet (see the 'Travel Blogs' tab at russellraines.com) I have no real set itinerary.

The sum total of my trip planning thus far is to start by going back to Beaune and sample wine at the Marche du Vin, then rent an apartment and cook for a week in the small French village where Richard Olney lived.  After that do some hiking and biking in an effort to reduce my waist line.  I have a bicycle waiting for me near Oxford England that I bought on UK Ebay for a cycling trip around Europe and England last year that never materialized.  So maybe some cycling in England and maybe a circuit or two around the Channel Islands and Ile of Wight.  Oh yes, and I am on a mission to sample wine at Chateau de Chamirey in Burgundy in memory of the bottle of wine Barbara's son bought her.  Vintage 2012 as I recall.

I find that the best travel agents are the people I meet along the way.  Their recommendations really helped shape my itinerary on previous trips.  Otherwise, I would have never spent an idyllic week on Gili Air, etc. etc.

Step one is to land in Paris tomorrow afternoon and pick up rental car. 

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