Burgundy and Alsace Await--But First, the Anxiety

I am a nervous nellie when it comes to the day of departure. I'm sure my fellow GoNOMAD Travelers can relate to the intensity of travel fear---forgetting something, hitting traffic en route to the airport, not having the right papers etc, all usually unfounded but nonetheless unsettling.

I got to the office early, no time for our usual oatmeal, just rush rush to pack and get all of the errands done. I know that when we're on the road heading for Logan, things will come together and I'll remember that I'm backed up by a solid staff of people who really do know how to run things in my absence....they've had a lot of experience.

My flight tonight will take me to Paris, and then I will board a TGV fast train for a 90-minute ride to Montbard, in Burgundy. I will have a day there alone to explore Auxerre, then to the Lion D'Or hotel in Vezelay. The other journos will arrive on Wednesday, and together we will visit some wine cellars and enjoy lunch on a farm, then explore Dijon.

Later in the trip we head up to Strasbourg, in eastern France near the German border. We will see the Neuf Brisch, built by Louis XIV, which is an impenetrable octagonal fortress in the shape of a star. In the middle, there is a market, and the whole place is surrounded by five-meter ramparts. You'll see photos of this place next week, I look forward to sharing details of the trip with all of you as the week unfolds.

Now I am working on breathing, relaxing, and just trying to enjoy and not worry about my businesses while I am abroad.