Robyn’s travels in Europe 2025

 Off to Europe! Thursday 5 June.

Counting down…only 3 more sleeps until I head off. Eeeeeek!

The airport that is and the one that was

And now 2…

How do I explain to a 4 year old that I’m travelling across the world when her world is Raglan, with the occasional sortie to Hamilton and Te Awa-moo-too? She’s heard of maps for treasure hunts and knows that “X marks the spot” -so I’ve made her a map. Hopefully it helps the old people too!

Weeeell….I’ve made it as far as Melbourne …a long day which started when I woke at 4 (never a good time!) and got to the airport at 6.15. Like riding a bike, it all came back to me..reading all the signs, endless queues…a brief hold up when my metal knees set off the security alarm… a while to reflect over coffee and a surprisingly good flight to Melbourne with a yummy breakfast ( for a plane) and watching Paddington goes to Peru (highly recommended). A long day but managed to wander outside in a crisp and sunny Ozzie day..and now for the long haul!

Yay…breakfast 

Customs done and dusted

I don’t look as nervous as I feel! Bye Chaz

SO glad I decided on the stopover at the Grand Premier Hotel! It’s not especially grand but it was so wonderful to arrive to a calm room and a hot bath after the most excruciatingly uncomfortable flight. Plane chocker and back and bum sore from sitting. Eventually joined a few others annoying the staff in the galley, to do some stretching and leg wriggling. Many people missed their connections but I was getting prepared to walk the 10 minutes to the hotel. But it seems that Google has not been keeping up with the play and they had rebuilt the airport in the meantime, and it is now 7kms away ! Shared a taxi with a dour Russian woman. Mind you, there weren’t many happy smiles around at 2 am-Russian or otherwise 😒

Ah, what a pleasant and peaceful day in the desert! It was so good to climb into crisp sheets and sleep soundly for a few hours. Then headed up to the pool deck for a few gentle laps.

Being a girl who’s very partial to a breakfast buffet, I then proceeded to spend 2 hours there, trying everything (sometimes twice)!

I found the old airport…strangely sad walking along miles of marble with not a soul anywhere.

Resting, yoga, more swimming and feeling ready for the next 6 hour flight at 2.30 am…and meeting Geli and Ian in Vienna!

Stunning views!! Heat, dust,gray…

Everything Western and Middle-Eastern at this buffet

The airport that was

Yoga with Kassandra 

Onwards…with aforementioned Russian in tow (you just can’t take the social worker out of the girl!), I caught the shuttle from the hotel at 11.30 pm. Words to describe the multi-billion dollar airport are hard to find….massive, opulent, vast, indulgent, obscene…miles of soaring ceilings and everything marble. It’s quite terrifying to see thousands of travellers scurrying to hundreds of departure gates at 2 am. So many people on the go…

Hadn’t eaten since the breakfast buffet binge so was very grumpy when I had to wait 4 hours for breakfast! (I know…first world problems!)

It was such a relief to arrive at Vienna’s unassuming but ordered little airport and have a big welcome from Geli and Ian, who had travelled to meet me at 7.30 am.

Felt very spaced out all day…treated to a delicious continental breakfast at their quirky little apartment…a walk around a weekly fresh produce market, a nap, a stroll around the local Augarten-so much green with local people enjoying it…and everywhere the beautiful old buildings. 

Then after celebratory bubbly and more feasting my bed beckons.Tomorrow is another exciting day…

Nazi defence towers left as a memorial of terrible times…lest we forget.

City Gardens…residents allocated tiny allotments through an annual ballot

Cheers!