The Christmas 2009 Odyssey Begins

It's a week before Christmas, and my vacation has just officially begun. It's back to Europe, this time for two weeks, with---

• Six nights in Berlin
• Four nights in Paris
• Three nights in Monaco (including New Year's Eve!)
• One night in London on the way back

I decided to start the vacation in the Seattle Airport Doubletree the night before my flight out...I was worried about snow (which turned out to be a non-issue), and I also did not want to hassle with the early morning wake up and drive in from home. Upon arriving at the hotel, I was very pleased to find that I had been upgraded to a penthouse suite, something I have never tried before but definitely could get used to: A corner suite with a sitting room, a bedroom, a huge bathroom with soaking tub, a balcony (which wraps around the building), and (of course) a separate wet bar.

Tomorrow morning I start out flying from Seattle to SFO, from SFO to Heathrow, and from LHR to Berlin. I'll be arriving about 6:30 PM on Sunday evening. More updates to follow....