Swiss Travel Log

Day 1.

I've finally arrived in Switzerland.  The best part?  Land.  The flight out of Brussels was an unusually harrowing experience.  Not only were we the last flight to leave the airport that night, but there were only twelve of us on the plane, plus the crew.  As night flights go, this one was particularly turbulent.  All in all, I couldn't sleep, I barely ate, and I spent the entire flight wondering whether when we crashed, my body would be found burned up, mangled or not at all.  And how the headlines might read - Swiss Air crashes in the mountains.  Thankfully, only 16 dead - but no survivors.

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Quick, quick, must catch the train!  My thoughts after calming down at Basel Euroairport. This place has exits into three countries (Switzerland, France, Germany).  Not sure how they pull that off, but the bus awaits!

Fun with google maps

Here's a breakdown of the main stops for the current long trip I'm on.  I'lll be on the road from the 15th of November to the 8th of December.


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Swiss cheesy road trip

Here's a breakdown of next week's stages of my switzerland trip.  We'll be spending a LOT of time in the mini-bus.  Whoo (not so much).
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On the road again

I was all too grateful for the past week's breather at home, in my own bed.  Which is probably why I did my level best to stay in it as much as possible.  That, and the fact I have no chair in my room.

Now, I've once again hit the road, as the prospect of financial incentives (aka, money, cash, gimme-gimme-gimme) is hard to resist.  Next stop, Brussels.  Then Switzerland (4-5 cities in all, plus daily road-trips).  Then Budapest.  Followed, in theory for now, by Prague.  Then Paris for about 2 days, tops.  Then Brussels again.  And then, maybe, a bit of time off.  None too soon.

There was even the possibility I might fly off to Tunis again, instead of Prague.  This way I score fewer airmiles, which I do so love (yes, I see the George Clooney analogies too) but get to travel in a slightly more coherent way.  Slightly.

Signing off for now!  Oh, and free wifi in first class on the train is lovely.  As is the onboard meal.

A month (or two) in retrospect

You might be wondering what mischief I've been up to these last few months, mischief that's kept me from posting more detail-rich entries about my wanderings.

Well, wandering (mostly fincancially remunerated wandering) really sums it up.  I've been on the road for what seems like more than half of the last two months.

In September, I came back to Paris from Toronto.  Then later, I spent a few days in Brussels, a week and a half in Luxembourg, and about a week in Budapest.  That was all in September.

In October, I came back to Paris from Budapest, then spent about a week in Tunisia, a week in Paris which included a 13-hour interpreter-insomnia marathon at the television station, then a few days in Brussels, followed by a few days in Marseille.  Then I went off to Budapest again.  For a trip that was supposed to last a week.

Only come November, after spending a week-end in Budapest (to which I got by way of Bratislava, silly me), I get called back to Tunisia (by way of Paris, naturally).  I spent this entire week in Paris (hurray!), but next week I'm off to Brussels, from where I'll then be flying on to Basel, and road-tripping around switzerland (again, thankfully, in a professional capacity).  I'll be with the Swiss for about a week and a half.  Then it's off to Budapest for a long-weekend.  I'll be back in Paris at the very, very end of the month.  In all, I'll have spent one week here.  Kinda makes the rent I pay seem a bit less worthwhile, but at least I get to come back home every so often.

So that's the rapid-fire road report.  Tune in next time (whenever that ends up being) for more in-depth coverage of the different segments of my tongue-tripping! (bad pun based on the fact that I travel thanks to my linguistic skills).

A tale of two cities

Yesterday Budapest, today Tunis.  The life of an international man of mystery, indeed.

Must make a point of writing my blog entries even when no internet connection is available, as otherwise it gets difficult finding the time.

Awake, bored but cashing in

It's 4:30 am. I'm at the offices of a french TV news channel.  We've been here since 0h30.  Still haven't worked for so much as 30 seconds.  Just told we have to stick it out longer.  Which means more money.  But also more time without sleep.

Later today I'll be giving my first class at my former university.  That'll be funny, considering how utterly zonked I'm going to be.  And afterwards I come right back here for some more "work".  Hopefully we will eventually get to interpret.  There's a pleasant, collegial and relaxed atmosphere - hard to imagine anything else at this time of night (and with a strike going on throughout the country as a bonus!)

I don't know whether I'm still making sense.  I don't think it's a requirement at this hour anymore.  The only legitimate reason for being up at this hour is to go fishing.

Pleasantly pickled in Paris

...and not on plonk!  I left today for my first non-European interpreting mission.  Destination, sunny Tunisia, with a weather forecast calling for 29 degrees.  The location, Hammamet, a resort town on the Mediteranean.

The challenge, not missing my flight.  Which doesn't seem so bad, until you see my track-record with airports.

Things started off reasonably well.  I left home a mere twenty minutes behind schedule, and knowing that there was a problem with the urban train going to the airport.  But then again, when isn't there something in Paris?  Today it was just a ten to fifteen minute delay due to a sick passenger.  Happens every day!  Of course, it didn't keep me from fretting.  But since I only took carry-on items, and not many at that, the suitcase was light and I could speed along at a good clip.

I caught a break, too, when the next train to board was an express to the airport, covering the distance in only 20 minutes.  Jackpot!  I thought, I made up for my late departure!

But no, of course it wasn't going to be that easy.

First step, the boarding card.  The type of reservation meant that I needed to got to a check-in counter and couldn't bypass the whole process through automation.  Fantastic.  Fortunately, there was no line-up, and as an added bonus, the staff-member who helped me out let me know that my ticket gave me access to... the Lounge!

Now for those of you unfamiliar with the Lounge, it is that swanky-looking room that you sometimes sneak passing glances into but can never enter.  Entry requires you to either pay a hefty fee at the door, or to have a so-called Premium ticket.  Even then, not every flight entitles you to free access.  So being the greenhorn interpreter that I am and being told my ticket provided the privilege was like winning the lottery.

...to be cont.

Burg em Lux

aka city of many cheese factories and slaughterhouses.  At least, that's what I'm going to be seeing this trip.

Sounds fun and exciting? Yes! Gory and disturbing?  Probably!  Well-payed and edifying?  No doubt!

Mozzarella made this morning, as it turns out, is delicious.  Not so surprising, but still yummy.  Ditto for fresh ricotta.  That was today.  Tomorrow it'll be not one, but two slaughterhouses.  Hope they have good overalls.  And maybe barf-bags.  Or nose plugs.  And goggles.  And... ah, I guess we'll see how it goes.

Work's taking me to all sorts of new places!  Yippee! (honestly, the cheese factory was really neat).

I feel like I'm 12 again.

From Warsaw's Primrose Meridian Hotel

Which, I have to say, is up there as far as the fanciest places I've stayed at goes.  Of course, it's all small potatoes compared to hotles that exist out there, but still!  The best part?  It's reasonably priced, and is the most practical place for me to stay short of the conference site itself (which was fully booked).

For the first time in my short stint as an interpreter, this hotel offers bathrobes!  BATHROBES!  I know, I know, it's not that big a deal, but it's comfy.

More on this misty city later!

A good sim with text!

Huzzah!  And on with the conference!

... and thank goodness for internet access during breaks :)