The Frequent Flier

Around The World in 60 Days
By: Christine O. Cunanan

At the end of an epic trip, there is no place like home

To celebrate an early retirement from along career in a financial firm, my husband and I recently planned a world trip that included some favorite places and a handful of exotic new ones. It was to be the last word in passionate travel, this amazing 60-day journey that circumnavigated the globe by air, land, and sea. We had stays in some lovely hotels and apartments, a river cruise and a hundred new friends along with this, some memorable plays and concerts in London and New York, parties in five different cities, a bit of shopping indulgence in Strasbourg, very long lunches accompanied by too many bottles of burgundy in Paris, an emergency hospital stay in Delhi, and even a seat next to music superstar Fergie on the 14-hour flight from New York to Tokyo.

The trip began with a lavish feast in Delhi hosted by an IT mogul. The sprawling estate in the outskirts of the city came with its own gigantic Japanese teahouse and koi pond, which served as the backdrop for an Indian cultural show featuring songs and dances from every region. After, we were led to an adjoining garden the size of a football field, where makeshift booths were set up with chefs showcasing the delicious foods of different regions.

Next morning, this same mogul trotted out two private jets to fly our group to the state of Bihar, for a quick visit to the ruins of Nalanda University (5th century BC), one of the oldest universities in the world. The local government had arranged a welcoming committee of hundreds of villagers, who swarmed around each foreign visitor with overwhelming friendliness like followers of a demi-god. My husband counts this experience as one of the highlights of his trip.

Fast forward to Paris, where we were joined by good friends from Manila for a series of unforgettable meals. For our eight days together, we took turns choosing restaurants, but also enjoyed visiting the local markets for cozy dinners at home. Perhaps it’s the quality of the produce, but even a simple roast chicken stuffed with herbs, or sole pan-fried in butter tasted like heaven. On Labor Day, we were invited by Parisian friends to their charming home in the 7th arrondissement for an authentic French meal of fresh white asparagus, roast cuts of beef and, again, just too much wine.

Later, in London, we met up with friends at lunch, and walked to the theater for a play or a musical almost every evening. One Friday night, though, we hosted a cocktail party at our apartment for friends new and old. The weather was unusually fine for London, and not a few of the guests stayed way past eleven o’clock, having wine and cheese on the rooftop terrace overlooking St. James’ Palace.

Our final stop was New York. My best friend from college lives here with her Canadian husband, and our regular New York routine has always involved hosting a drinks party, seeing a play, driving out to the outlets for some retail therapy, and eating as many aged-beef steaks as possible. For the latter, we try different restaurants but always seem to gravitate to one: Gallagher’s, an old and very New York restaurant in the theater district with snappy service that doesn’t really make you feel like returning,
caricatures on the walls, and some great rib eyes that are grilled on the outside and all tenderness inside.

From New York, we planned to visit Boston and to drive around Maine before returning to Asia. However, one day my husband and I woke up with similar feelings after almost two months of living in a suitcase (or rather, in five large suitcases...): Boston could wait till the next trip to the East Coast—whenever that would be. It was finally time to go home.