Travelling during a pandemic is no fun. I’m not a huge fan of travelling as it is, by which I mean the actual moving from one place to another place. There have been some exceptions - not much beats crossing Argentina on the top deck front seats of a luxury coach - but on the whole, boring and uncomfortable is about the best you can hope for, and it’s downhill all the way from there. (Not literally. You can also travel uphill or along the flat.)
I have to admit I love air travel: the feeling at take off, the view out of the little window- I associate these exciting things with the tedium of the airport routines. But what really frightens me is riding on the back of a motorbike, each of the four times I have done this in my life I thought I was going to die: on the back of a scooter in Morocco aged 17, on architect Director’s bike out of London on the way to a meeting, on another architect colleague’s bike searching for a beached whale along the Firth of Forth, behind an artist on the way to The Slice studio- none of these things occurred after the age of 30 and I intend to avoid repeating the experience. But I’m sorry you’ll probably have to face flying again, but doing it for very good reasons. Amazing music by the way- can’t wait to behold the result!
I have to agree that looking out of the window is the one pleasure of air travel. It's no coincidence that I am far more nervous when given an aisle seat. Somehow seeing outside, even when it's only clouds, lets my brain cope better with what's happening, and sometimes it's genuinely beautiful. The one time I truly enjoyed flying was in a tiny plane over a Tanzanian game park where we could watch all of the herds of animals from above. Truly incredible. Of course, a week or so later a plane of the same size crashed in the same place killing everyone on board, so that dampened my enthusiasm a little.
I quite like the sensation of being on the back of a motorbike - the feeling of speed - but it is so obviously dangerous that it's not something I ever seek out. Cycling around London is enough of a precarious balance between practicality, enjoyment and dicing with death for me.
omg I was reading this and just about to advise: Ah, so when you're going through airport security remember to Think Tanzania to get in to your happy place - and then I read on, so maybe not. How awful! and creepy. Am pretty surprised about liking the speed on the motorbike but hey, if it's possible to separate the enjoyment from the risks then I get it. Totally agree that cycling in a big city is joyously practical plus definitely contains those other things. In a hilly city I think we need more zip wires, funiculars and slides...
So glad for the Cultural Necessity exemption
Yes - I am extremely grateful that such a thing exists!
I have to admit I love air travel: the feeling at take off, the view out of the little window- I associate these exciting things with the tedium of the airport routines. But what really frightens me is riding on the back of a motorbike, each of the four times I have done this in my life I thought I was going to die: on the back of a scooter in Morocco aged 17, on architect Director’s bike out of London on the way to a meeting, on another architect colleague’s bike searching for a beached whale along the Firth of Forth, behind an artist on the way to The Slice studio- none of these things occurred after the age of 30 and I intend to avoid repeating the experience. But I’m sorry you’ll probably have to face flying again, but doing it for very good reasons. Amazing music by the way- can’t wait to behold the result!
I have to agree that looking out of the window is the one pleasure of air travel. It's no coincidence that I am far more nervous when given an aisle seat. Somehow seeing outside, even when it's only clouds, lets my brain cope better with what's happening, and sometimes it's genuinely beautiful. The one time I truly enjoyed flying was in a tiny plane over a Tanzanian game park where we could watch all of the herds of animals from above. Truly incredible. Of course, a week or so later a plane of the same size crashed in the same place killing everyone on board, so that dampened my enthusiasm a little.
I quite like the sensation of being on the back of a motorbike - the feeling of speed - but it is so obviously dangerous that it's not something I ever seek out. Cycling around London is enough of a precarious balance between practicality, enjoyment and dicing with death for me.
omg I was reading this and just about to advise: Ah, so when you're going through airport security remember to Think Tanzania to get in to your happy place - and then I read on, so maybe not. How awful! and creepy. Am pretty surprised about liking the speed on the motorbike but hey, if it's possible to separate the enjoyment from the risks then I get it. Totally agree that cycling in a big city is joyously practical plus definitely contains those other things. In a hilly city I think we need more zip wires, funiculars and slides...
YES. Bring on the Muswell Hill zip wire!