Tentative plans for summer holidays

[wiseheart]

Even if they seem to get shorter with each passing year. Well, they do get shorter with each passing year, thanks to our government that in their infinite wisdom still think that we lazy teachers get to rest too much.

school ends around 20 June or so, at least for us, and Mum has her school reunion on 26 June - in Sfintu Gheorghe, which is in Transylvania. Which means, we'll have a 12-hour train ride to get there, participate on the reunion and need another 12 hours on the train to get back.

On a Romanian train. If you've ever travelled with one, you don't need any explanations. If you haven't, I don't have the words to describe the experience to you. That's something that must be seen - and felt - personally. But Mum wants to go badly, as long as at least some of her old schoolmates are still alive, and considering that they're all in their mid-80s, that number decreases constantly. I can't let him go alone, so I'll go, too, as little as I want to. Because I really, really don't.

As for actual holidays, we planned either St Pölten or Salzburg, both in Austria, both can be reached by RailJet within reasonable time. St Pölten is currently the more likely candidate, if we can get room in a hotel of our liking that we can actually afford. It is less than 4 hours away by train, and we could go for 6 days, in the first week of August.

That would leave July free for the "delight" of taking the kids to summer camp each morning for a week or two, which we have to do every summer. At least staying in camp for a fortnight and actually working with them is voluntary. They even pay for it a little, but they couldn't offer me enough money to do it. I've done it in my youth, for free, and I'm old and tired now.

In theory, we planned to do some redecorating in the flat, which is a mess, this summer. At least having the walls of kitchen, bath, etc painted, and the balcony, too. But seeing our schedule, and knowing that we'd have to contact the guy waaaay in advance to secure him for a time that fits it, I don't think that is gonna happen this year. *sigh*

Oh, and my antivirus programme is running out within the week. Neighbour guy hasn't given a lifesign yet. I think I'll start harrassing him tomorrow.

Comments

[saki101.livejournal.com]

Twelve hours would be exhausting even on a smoothly-running train. How long will you stay between those two loooong train rides?

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

A day and a half, tops. It will be a brutal trip, even if we get a canon in the sleeping car. Sigh.

[saki101.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear! Good luck with it!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I think I will need it.

[lhun-dweller.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness! 12 hours is long time! Back in the mid-1980s, I used to ride the Amtrak train between Washington, DC and eastern Indiana to get to and from school. The trip was something like 14 hours because the train stopped in the little towns, particularly in one very small, very rural state... which just happend to have a very senior, thus powerful Senator who made sure the service continued. I would go to sleep in that state and wake up still in it because the train wandered about so much!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Very small, very rural places depend on powerful politicians, don't they?

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

Good luck with the plans and the long journey!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'm full of dread if I only think of that journey, but Mum wants to go and who knows, perhaps she won't be able to do so next year, so - we'll go. *sigh*