Departures

We've just made it through JFK's baggage check for Aer Lingus flight 108 to Dublin. So far so good. The airline workers are unexpectedly cheery, dressed in a spirited emerald green (presumably) to match the plane decor, which I'm about to discover looks not unlike a flying shamrock from the outside. Before long I'm rushing to security, scarfing down fries and a burger along the way. Dinner lasts a grand total of 2 minutes, dispatching what's left of my McSupper into one of those large, nondescript trash cans usually reserved for liquid contraband like shampoo. Handing my passport to the TSA screener, I'm asked "Lakers or Celtics?" in what I realize will be the last conversation I'll have with an American apart from the gang for the next five weeks.

With tray tables and seat backs up, it's official. Day 0 of our long, freewheeling tour of the world... at least a part of it anyway. In seven and a half hours we'll land in Dublin, staying just long enough for coffee, lunch, and a pint. Our real destination is Rome, however, where we'll begin a week-long tour of the capital and surrounding countryside. Italy is the first of five stops on our trip. The rest - Greece, Turkey, Japan, and China - will follow, more or less a week per country. In our attempt to document the experience, we hope to update this blog with frequent postings about where we are and what we're up to. With any luck, at least one of us will post something from every country, if not every city. That said, internet is notoriously fickle in Europe so we'll just have to play it by ear. But in the meantime, let us say welcome and looking forward to your comments!