Feeling guilty about the climate crisis? We probably all should be, it’s not just for the young ones you know! Are we moderately-old ones from a generation that doesn’t care about the environment, or are we actually the generation that, in recent times at least, has cared more for sustainability and Planet Earth than those generations on either side? I’m asking these questions because of a subliminal feeling of guilt - specifically, is it appropriate to be flying halfway around the globe merely to scratch a touristic itch?
Before we get ahead of ourselves there’s a few days at work. By Wednesday evening we’re desperate to get into holiday mode, which we do with the aid of a rather nice Spanish Albariño with buttery notes, and “theatre supper” our regular salmon and prawn pasta which I can rattle off in 12 minutes if necessary!
Lots of people do however, and relative to many households we are pretty eco-friendly these days. We only have one car, and it’s a modern fuel-efficient petrol-burner, so not the best but no gas guzzler either. We monitor our heating consumption as though our middle name is Ebenezer, and we don’t waste anything more than a few lettuce leaves each week as our shopping is uber-efficient.
Yes still it feels like flying into the sunrise to meet the most horrendous forest fires known to current history is anything but a bad idea, even though when we booked this holiday almost a year ago, the very idea of a portion of Australia half the size of England being on fire was quite impossible to comprehend.
Our plan is to fly to Perth on the West Coast and then train across the country to Sydney on the East Coast before picking up a ship to circumnavigate New Zealand and finally return to Sydney before flying home. Although there is a Seabourn ship doing that route, we’re on our other favourite line Holland America this time, because the dates fitted our diaries and the SB ones didn’t. This line is somewhat different in that it’s not as much a premium brand, but there are many things about it that suit us - from the classical music and aperitifs pre dinner to the exceptional grill restaurant where we dine each evening.
Before we get ahead of ourselves there’s a few days at work. By Wednesday evening we’re desperate to get into holiday mode, which we do with the aid of a rather nice Spanish Albariño with buttery notes, and “theatre supper” our regular salmon and prawn pasta which I can rattle off in 12 minutes if necessary!
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