Planes and boat and trains

Yes, things have gone a bit quiet around here lately, sorry about that - but it's all going to get a lot more lively and interesting from tomorrow onwards. Only one more sleep before the Big Trip: first leg Air NZ to Vancouver, just the 13+ hours, but overnight; and then we're into it. Vancouver, Anchorage, Seward, then fabulous Silversea along the *ahem* Inside Passage back down to Vancouver. There we reluctantly disembark from the Silver Cloud's seductive luxury... and consign ourselves to 5-star Fairmont hotels and Gold Leaf class on the Rocky Mountaineer over the Rockies to Banff. Then more hotels, trains and indulgences including Jasper, Lake Louise and Whistler - and finally, after 3 weeks, back home where, hopefully, the cat and hens will still be alive and well, the Firstborn having remembered to feed them all.

Though it's a very busy itinerary, all the hard stuff has been done by first Silversea and then, more admirably, by the super-efficient Kim at World Journeys, who had to contact all the suppliers for the post-cruise fortnight and fit it all together. It was a massive job that I began but soon found hopelessly complicated, so I was both delighted and relieved to have her take it over for me.

So ahead will be lots and lots of lovely rooms and beds and thoughtful touches and yummy breakfasts and dinners; and spectacular scenery of mountains and glaciers and forests; and colourful fishing towns and pretty mountain resorts and interesting cities; and - I do hope so - bears and sea otters and orca and whales and moose and other novelty mammals. Can't wait!