![Marriott Bonvoy Status Match [2020]](https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/app/uploads/2020/08/marriott-bonvoy-phone-150x150.jpg)
Our member turtlemichael is currently in the middle of a trip around the world! Since retiring, this member has enjoyed plenty of longer overseas trips. This one is no exception. Over 100 days, this member will travel around Europe before catching a cruise across the Atlantic to Canada.
We leave on June 30. We have a few days in Hong Kong, then it’s on to Manchester. We spend a week in the Lakes District based at Grasmere, then train it to Glasgow and Edinburgh for 8 days. After that we get the train back to Leeds, to catch up with friends, for a few days then down to London for 10 more. On August 1st we head to Copenhagen and Stockholm for 5 days each. Next it is on to Silver Whisper, the Silversea ship, for 28 days through the Baltic, down to Southampton then on to Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, maritime Canada and finally Montreal on September 8.
I’m feeling exhausted just writing it down!
As turtlemichael was flying Cathay Pacific from Melbourne to the UK, they decided to break the trip with a few nights in Hong Kong along the way. The visit happened to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the reunification of Hong Kong. The spectacular harbour fireworks were visible from our member’s suite at the Conrad hotel.
The onward flight to Manchester was delayed by 3 hours due to Chinese air traffic restrictions, but Cathay’s A350 proved a very comfortable aircraft in Business class.
You know you’ve arrived in England when your restaurant has a dedicated pudding menu! This was just one of the delights that awaited in Manchester. From there, our member drove north to Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland. But the first stop was Grasmere in the Lake District, which definitely seems worth visiting.
We are sad to leave The Lakes. The weather has been mostly good and being there, for the first time in the best art of 40 years, has been great. It will long live in the memory. It has to be one of the most stunning areas for a vacation in the British Isles. It was actually awarded World Heritage status a few days ago while we were there and it is deserved. But now we move on.
The tour of the UK concluded with ten days in London. Our member saw some live theatre and visited some of the city’s galleries and museums. But no trip to London during the summer would be complete without watching some cricket.
When in England and there is a Test Match in prospect, it is the obvious thing to do. Well, for me it is! The 3rd Test between England and South Africa started today at The Oval, or The Kia Oval as it now is. I booked tickets months ago for the first day. The partner is not in to cricket so I had to limit myself to one day in the interests of domestic bliss.
This week our member will leave the UK aboard the Silver Whisper for a month-long cruise taking in the Baltics, Iceland, Greenland and Canada! Follow the running trip report HERE.
