Gallivanting the globe 2019 - RTW and then some

[JohnM]

After some distractions, moving along again.

I recharged the reds to check how they went with the cheese. I think the Carmenere pulled ahead by a short nose in this bout, over the Shiraz. The Bordeaux still lagged.



I think we are going in the right direction...



Now, I very seldom eat dessert, but a small serve of icecream was the excuse to try the Tokaji. It was OK, but I’ve had better.



Happy days continue...

 

[JohnM]

And to wind up the evening, a latte and choccies.



And it’s only 2200h LAX time. The night is still young; where’s the disco on this thing, I wonder .

 

[JohnM]

Well, I can’t find the disco but this is where I am.



Could be time for a bit of shut-eye. Nighty-night all...

 

[Daver6]

Now, I very seldom eat dessert, but a small serve of icecream was the excuse to try the Tokaji. It was OK, but I’ve had better.

If I had a dollar for every time you've said that...

 

[JohnM]

If I had a dollar for every time you've said that...

$3 coming your way...

 

[Daver6]

$3 coming your way...

I'll take what I can get....if you're ever in Perth....

 

[craven morehead]

After some distractions, moving along again.

I recharged the reds to check how they went with the cheese. I think the Carmenere pulled ahead by a short nose in this bout, over the Shiraz. The Bordeaux still lagged.

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I think we are going in the right direction...

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Now, I very seldom eat dessert, but a small serve of icecream was the excuse to try the Tokaji. It was OK, but I’ve had better.

View attachment 180887

Happy days continue...

I must say I continue to be disappointed with French reds (in flight) over the last 10 years.

 

[JohnM]

OK, an uneventful night in DOH before jumping on a QR A350 to HEL. I thought it was going to be QSuites but that was not the case.

Basically, the side trip to Finland was killing some time between the end of my Arctic voyage and the start of the 5 Stans tour. I had been to HEL a few times before but not out into the countryside. After the first night in HEL, I rented a car and did a loop around the SW of the country.

Then it was down to SIN as I started making my way to DEL which was my jump-off point to Ashgabat in Turkmenistan to start the three weeks in the Stans.

HEL-SIN is AY’s longest flight (11.5h) and I wanted to try their long-haul J and their A350. Marred by being a midnight departure (arrival around 1630h), but nothing to write home about. The bird only had standard window shades, without the extra curtain things inside the window. Maybe an early-model A350 or AY scrimping? The F&B was rushed and ordinary.

I needed to use some sectors in Asia on my DONE4, so why fly direct to DEL when you can connect? So overnight in SIN and onto the JL B777 to NRT at 0800 today, arrival about 1630.

Nice ride in 1A (natch). There really is something about the Japanese and their style of service.

Interestingly, no PD drinks offered. Once airborne, drinks came out and lunch order was taken - and delivered when I was only a little more than half through my Champagne.

No worries.

I went for the Japanese menu and enjoyed it greatly. The wine selection, despite some seemingly florid descriptions - which turned out to be accurate - had some inspired choices, certainly with the Japanese food. The blokes pictured clearly know their stuff; an MW doesn’t come easily.

The Champagne was a Heidsieck label I had not previously tried. Pinot dominant, fine bead. Nice and dry/astringent and a good texture. A bit different. I liked it. Forgot to get a pic.

The cracker was the Pinot Blanc. It just worked a treat with the mixed starter, within which the eel was a standout.

I initially tried the Pinot Noir with the main. Interesting and very different from what we may typically think as Pinot, but not entirely to my taste. It certainly had a bitterness that the notes mentioned.

I switched to the Malbec. Now, judging from the back label, this looked pretty much like a Negociant-type wine. Nothing wrong with that if done well - and this one was. It hinted at being a mix from Valle de Uco (about 100km S of Mendoza and around 1200m altitude) and Lujan de Cuyo (very close to Mendoza and lower altitude). It certainly seemed to have the refinement of the former combined with the greater robustness of the latter. Good stuff.

 

[JohnM]

Cheese is definitely not a Japanese thing.



Getting closer to Japan and the drivers were doing a lot of swerves. Must have been some heavy weather out there.





Back into 1A on a JL B787 tomorrow at a very civilised 1140h for the 8.5h ride to DEL, scheduled to arrive at 1700h.

Three nights in DEL before the Turkmenistan Air whY ride to Ashgabat on Sunday, God willing...

 

[craven morehead]

OK, an uneventful night in DOH before jumping on a QR A350 to HEL. I thought it was going to be QSuites but that was not the case.

Basically, the side trip to Finland was killing some time between the end of my Arctic voyage and the start of the 5 Stans tour. I had been to HEL a few times before but not out into the countryside. After the first night in HEL, I rented a car and did a loop around the SW of the country.

Then it was down to SIN as I started making my way to DEL which was my jump-off point to Ashgabat in Turkmenistan to start the three weeks in the Stans.

HEL-SIN is AY’s longest flight (11.5h) and I wanted to try their long-haul J and their A350. Marred by being a midnight departure (arrival around 1630h), but nothing to write home about. The bird only had standard window shades, without the extra curtain things inside the window. Maybe an early-model A350 or AY scrimping? The F&B was rushed and ordinary.

I needed to use some sectors in Asia on my DONE4, so why fly direct to DEL when you can connect? So overnight in SIN and onto the JL B777 to NRT at 0800 today, arrival about 1630.

Nice ride in 1A (natch). There really is something about the Japanese and their style of service.

Interestingly, no PD drinks offered. Once airborne, drinks came out and lunch order was taken - and delivered when I was only a little more than half through my Champagne.

No worries.

I went for the Japanese menu and enjoyed it greatly. The wine selection, despite some seemingly florid descriptions - which turned out to be accurate - had some inspired choices, certainly with the Japanese food. The blokes pictured clearly know their stuff; an MW doesn’t come easily.

The Champagne was a Heidsieck label I had not previously tried. Pinot dominant, fine bead. Nice and dry/astringent and a good texture. A bit different. I liked it. Forgot to get a pic.

The cracker was the Pinot Blanc. It just worked a treat with the mixed starter, within which the eel was a standout.

I initially tried the Pinot Noir with the main. Interesting and very different from what we may typically think as Pinot, but not entirely to my taste. It certainly had a bitterness that the notes mentioned.

I switched to the Malbec. Now, judging from the back label, this looked pretty much like a Negociant-type wine. Nothing wrong with that if done well - and this one was. It hinted at being a mix from Valle de Uco (about 100km S of Mendoza and around 1200m altitude) and Lujan de Cuyo (very close to Mendoza and lower altitude). It certainly seemed to have the refinement of the former combined with the greater robustness of the latter. Good stuff.

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Did you get a chance to visit Porvoo while in Finland ? It's only about 50km out of Helsinki.

 

[JohnM]

Did you get a chance to visit Porvoo while in Finland ? It's only about 50km out of Helsinki.

I was there yesterday afternoon before heading to HEL. The Vanha (old town) is a nice spot.

 

[craven morehead]

I was there yesterday afternoon before heading to HEL. The Vanha (old town) is a nice spot.

Haha that's excellent I agree the old town is a nice spot. I enjoyed half a day there 2 years back. Looks like you're having a blast.

 

[JohnM]

Struggling along, mate, struggling along....

 

[craven morehead]

Struggling along, mate, struggling along....

Legend

 

[tgh]

Airline wine is environmental ; a recent sector offered Kalimna, it was (just) ok with dinner and freaking fantastic as a quafffer later as I read my kindle in the quiet after everyone had dozed off…..

 

[Drakecula]

Little slow to join in on following this trip, but holy moly. Just, how? What's your technique for planning something like this? Throw darts at a map and go from there? Travel goals. Teach me your ways!

 

[JohnM]

Little slow to join in on following this trip, but holy moly. Just, how? What's your technique for planning something like this? Throw darts at a map and go from there? Travel goals. Teach me your ways!

I start wth a key thing I want to do and build a DONEx around it, adding things from a constantly in-the-back-of-my-mind list that fit in. This is my 15th consecutive annual DONEx.

The start idea this year was the 5 Stans tour. It kind of grew from there... . I must admit that this one is the longest I’ve done. It’s partly a celebration for a milestone birthday coming up later in the year - and that the clock is ticking .

Next year’s is well into planning... .

 

[Drakecula]

This is my 15th consecutive annual DONEx.

One day I hope to have saved enough money to be able to travel like that.
Your strategy sounds similar to mine for my RTW later this year, in that I built it around a particular key thing (which has since been cancelled, alas) but no where near as grand a scale as this trip! I look forward to following along

 

[JohnM]

The drivers yesterday were dodging Typhoon Krosa, I now see.

JAL F lounge NRT this morning waiting for the ride to DEL. The lounge is smaller than I expected. The one at HND is better.





Mmmm, mmm, Taittinger and an Albarino I must try a little later before I jump onto the bird.

 

[JohnM]

Before:



After:




Hyuk, hyuk...