and so it begins...

From the year 1660 onwards, it was the done thing for young men of wealth and class to set off on a 'Grand Tour', indulging in an extensive trip that would see them traverse Europe in pursuit of art, culture and an understanding of classical antiquity.

In 2009, the Grand Tour has undergone a gruesome metamorphosis into a cliche of Australian youth: the Europe Trip. Accepting this grim risk to our individuality, we'll head off to the other side of the world. We won't have the servants to carry our luggage, nor the access to fine clothes, fine dining and genteel company. We'll be living out of backpacks and socialising with the rest of the travelling riff-raff. That said, we'll try to bring as much class to the table as is possible to muster, when one has been wearing the same 3 shirts for months running (washed regularly, it goes without saying).

With 2 months left before takeoff, there's still much to be organised. Personally, I'm still procrastinating on acquiring a passport. As a group we're without any definitive permission to stay in the region long enough to make our return flight in September (booked and set in stone). And our third travel compadre is still being overly vague as to his attendance at all. A shambles, you say? I see only limitless potential for organisational improvement.