Author: Pat
Emily and I are embarking on a two-and-a-half-week honeymoon to Norway and France, to enjoy some extended time off and have some time to discuss how are lives may or may not change now that we’re officially married.
It wasn’t the easiest trip to plan since we were also planning the wedding, which impacted 100 people (instead of just the two of us), and also we were working full-time and both doing part-time masters programs.
Nonetheless, we are very excited and think there’s a lot to look forward to once we touch down in Europe.
Trip Outline
The plan is to go SFO to Paris to Oslo to Bodo, with a few hours in between each, and then stay our first night (technically second if the first was on the plane) in Bodo. From Bodo, we ferry to the Lofoten Islands for a five-night stay!
After some time hiking, surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, and enjoying the beautiful landscapes, we ferry back to Bodo and fly to Oslo for a night. We’ll have a little time to explore there before boarding another plane to Nice, France!
The day we fly from Norway to France is the day that Norway and France face each other in the World Cup! Pretty fun.
In France, we’re renting a car and making our way from Nice to Paris via the Verdon Gorge, Chamonix, Annecy, and Lyon.
When we reach Paris for the second time, we have one night to enjoy the City of Lights before flying home to the Bay.
The First Leg
We wrapped up packing Wednesday morning and then each took a dog off to their places for the next couple weeks.
Tucker was a little lonely in the back of the car without his big sister, but once we got to Ashish’s house, he started prancing around the backyard with the other three dogs.
Emily reported similar vibes for Riley who is staying with her (Riley’s) old friend Amanda in Cole Valley.
Once the dogs were moved in, we headed to the airport for a last-minute indulgence…
Novel Airplane Flight
I am, in fact, writing this post from a business-class seat on the 11-hour flight from SFO to CDG. That’s right, business class! Neither Emily nor I had ever experienced this, but when we checked in, we saw an option to upgrade for what we deemed a worthwhile price, so here we are!
It has been a singular experience thus far (three hours in). We were served a five course meal with any drinks you could want, from beer to wine to soda to tea to hot chocolate. The food was very tasty! Better than any other airplane food we’ve had.
We are also swimming in space. We have room to walk around, an overhead compartment all to oursleves, the chairs recline, etc.
The biggest difference I’ve noticed is that it barely feels like flying. I’ve flown quite a few times before and the notion of flying has solidified in my mind in certain ways like being cramped, in close proximity to many people, loud, stressful, the list goes on. That’s basically all gone in business class. My mind is still grasping this massive difference between expectations and reality.
The other way it manifests is that usually I’m counting the minutes to get off the plane. Ten extra minutes taxiing can feel like an eternity, and I dread looking at the time early on because of how little has elapsed.
In this seat, I almost want time to slow down so I can savor the experience! This is what makes me think it was a good decision to splurge for the upgrade for our honeymoon. It feels like part of the trip experience instead of simply a means to arrive at the experience.
Enjoying the Rest of the Flight
I need to wrap up soon because the Mariners are playing the Orioles and the wifi on this flight supports video streaming, so I am going to kick back (literally), relax, and watch some baseball.