this one's really nov 1. apparently backdating doesn't work
so here i am! montreux, switzerland. very exciting. actually not really. i had forgotten in the last few months how insanely expensive switzerland is... went out looking for dinner with assia after getting in and couldn't find anything for under CHF 10 (about $9.50 CAD). ugh. but it's also very pretty, which i'm sure i'll appreciate more when the jetlag goes away. anyway, hotel is decent, although i wouldn't pay CHF 550 a night for it, which is apparently what it costs normally. brutal. spent the evening down in the spa, though, which was nice -- jacuzzi, sauna, etc. have plans to use the gym tomorrow. also waxed my legs. assia just told me that i have to mention this, so i guess there it is. the pre-waxed strips work very nicely! much less painful than my usual experience of doing it myself...
the flight was pretty long and boring. british airways was pretty good over the atlantic -- the food was edible, almost even good?? and the headrests are set up beautifully so you don't get a sore neck when you sleep. didn't feel particularly rested afterward, though, probably because we landed in heathrow about 4am eastern time. second flight was boring but the landing was awful. i also find it kind of funny when, after a really long trip, i often don't feel like i've gone anywhere at all... i'm accustomed enough now to the european road signs that i don't notice them any more. i think the only thing that threw me at all today was getting on the bus from the plane to the terminal at heathrow, and it was driving on the wrong side...
got a huge package of various things when we arrived -- schedule details, luggage tags, our per diem in a zillion different foreign currencies... also found out that there is another person in the orchestra who plays the mandolin, and quite proficiently from what i understand, but she is unwilling to take the job off my hands. grrrr. have yet to encounter the orchestra manager dood to request the presence of the beast, i'll do that tomorrow and continue the slog. ick. turns out a lot of the concerts are broadcast on radio and/or tv on this tour; i am really not too happy about this. mandolin needs to start working. now.
total time spent in transit today: 2h 30mins.
total time spent flying today: 8h 20mins.
the flight was pretty long and boring. british airways was pretty good over the atlantic -- the food was edible, almost even good?? and the headrests are set up beautifully so you don't get a sore neck when you sleep. didn't feel particularly rested afterward, though, probably because we landed in heathrow about 4am eastern time. second flight was boring but the landing was awful. i also find it kind of funny when, after a really long trip, i often don't feel like i've gone anywhere at all... i'm accustomed enough now to the european road signs that i don't notice them any more. i think the only thing that threw me at all today was getting on the bus from the plane to the terminal at heathrow, and it was driving on the wrong side...
got a huge package of various things when we arrived -- schedule details, luggage tags, our per diem in a zillion different foreign currencies... also found out that there is another person in the orchestra who plays the mandolin, and quite proficiently from what i understand, but she is unwilling to take the job off my hands. grrrr. have yet to encounter the orchestra manager dood to request the presence of the beast, i'll do that tomorrow and continue the slog. ick. turns out a lot of the concerts are broadcast on radio and/or tv on this tour; i am really not too happy about this. mandolin needs to start working. now.
total time spent in transit today: 2h 30mins.
total time spent flying today: 8h 20mins.