ATW wrapup

Each of the three segments of the ATW has its own wrapup (ATW-1, ATW-2 and ATW-3) so all I can add here are some observations about our epic around-the-world trip.

• Traveling around the world can be done inexpensively. The two flights (Ft Myers to Seattle and Sydney to Rome) and the two cruises (Seattle to Sydney and Rome to Tampa) had a combined cost of under $1,500 for each of us. The car rental and the hotels in Europe added roughly $3,000 to my cost but it really wasn’t an expensive trip. The aborted cruise to Venice in 2018 cost Jett and me over $10,000 each for 30 days. This was nearly 70 days for half that.
• The US may be the best country in the world in many ways, but Europe and Australia both do public transportation better. Their subways, trains and buses are cleaner, more comfortable and operate more efficiently (and on schedule) than what you will find anywhere in the US.
• The 4-year-old Tianfu airport in Chengdu China was fascinating. The place is HUGE and there were very few passengers when we were there. I assume it was overbuilt in anticipation of future growth. But that is something you never see in the US. Who spends billions for future passenger volume?
• The bread in Europe is delicious. I was looking forward to tasting some good bread and I got it. Why can’t the US make good, inexpensive bread?
• Gas is more expensive in Europe than in the US but it seems that food is considerably cheaper. Besides bread, cheese, fruits and vegetables seemed relatively inexpensive.
• We loved Sydney. My sister says it is her second-favorite place after Paris. I might agree (though Barcelona is still a candidate). We were disappointed in the iconic Sydney Opera House but the public library blew us away. And the public spaces are beautiful and well-maintained. This is a city that does things right.
• This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Marlene’s brother, who cared for Marlene’s dog for nearly 10 weeks, said “Never again.” He is right… we will never do it again. But we are glad we were able to do it once.