No matter how well I think I’ve planned, something always seems to happen to throw me off. This time it was a major storm that blew down a lot of trees and knocked out our power early Monday morning. We left this morning (Thursday) at around 10:00 and the power still had not been restored. For the last four days, just carrying out our normal routine was a challenge, let alone organizing and packing for a three-week trip. We managed somehow, and now we’re sitting in Terminal E at Logan, waiting for our flight. When we left the power had not been restored, but we cleaned out the refrigerator, unplugged everything, and walked away. Our kind neighbors will keep an eye out and let us know if the house explodes when the power comes back. On the upside, we went to the Merrill Auditorium in Portland last night, where it was light and warm, and heard Yo Yo Ma give an extrordinary concert. We considered that the beginning of our amazing musical vacation.

So, we’re on our way. Here’s our itinerary (roughly):

11/3-11/ – 11/6 Rome

11/7 – 11/10 Florence

11/11 – 11/12 – Milan

11/13 – Zurich

11/14 – 11/15 – Salzburg

11/16 – Vienna

11/17 – 11/24 – Viking River Cruise on Danube from Budapest to Nuremberg

Question of the day: Does the TSA give security exemptions to old people just because it takes us so long to put our shoes back on?