The Travel Thread

[seela]

Thanks for asking Seela. We had a great trip. It was truly amazing to see so much monumental architecture and so much ancient art.
I was glad to see the pyramids, but I enjoyed the temples more. It was also really amazing to see the art in tombs - I particularly enjoyed the tombs of the novels and artisans (less frequently visited than the tombs in the Valleys of the Kings and Queens.

I did not find that I needed to dress as conservatively as some advised me to, but I was glad to have the clothes I brought because it can be difficult to dress more modestly without also dressing more warmly.

I was so glad to visit so many historic mosques and it was very interesting to be immersed in Islamic culture and practice. I loved hearing the call to prayer multiple times a day, because I think it is beautiful. I enjoyed Luxor more than Cairo.

Also enjoyed Istanbul a great deal. The juxtiposition of Roman and islamic/Sultans era architecture was fascinating.

Thanks for the report! Sounds like you’ve had an amazing trip!

I enjoyed Istanbul a lot, too, when I visited. The cats were an added bonus for me. It’s the only place in the world where I haven’t felt bad for alley cats. They seemed to be so well taken care of and truly loved by everyone.

 

[cascadiabound]

Thanks for the report! Sounds like you’ve had an amazing trip!

I enjoyed Istanbul a lot, too, when I visited. The cats were an added bonus for me. It’s the only place in the world where I haven’t felt bad for alley cats. They seemed to be so well taken care of and truly loved by everyone.

I did take a lot of cat pictures!

 

[seela]

My trip to Germany in December was lovely and relaxing and good for my ever deteriorating German skills.

The next trip will be to Slovakia and Vienna. No clear plans on how to divide the time between the places I want to visit yet, but there’s still lots of time to figure everything out. It’ll be so good to visit Slovakia, though!

I also have my fingers crossed for a shorter weekend trip somewhere before that, but looks like it’ll be a busy couple of months, so who knows.

 

[Purple_Fronds]

Headed to London myself, quite looking forward to it, despite the awful weather.

 

[seela]

Headed to London myself, quite looking forward to it, despite the awful weather.

Nice! I hope you’ll get lucky with the weather! I visited London for the first time in 2023. It was really hot (for me) most of the time.

I’ve been to the UK and Ireland a couple of times, spent there about 3.5 weeks combined, including 3 days in Manchester in November and 5 days in Scotland in November (different years). I’ve yet to experience the classic rainy and windy weather. There was a short but strong shower when I was in Belfast, but it only lasted about 15 minutes so it doesn’t really count. And it was a little gray and drab for a few hours in the morning one day when I visited Galway. Otherwise it’s been mostly sunny and pleasant.

I’ve never gotten as badly sunburnt as I did in Ireland. Not a sentence people expect to hear… In fact, it happened in Galway, the day that was drab in the morning, hence the lack of proper sunscreen.

I’ve started to suspect the bad weather thing is a myth.

 

[Strixaluco]

I’ve never gotten as badly sunburnt as I did in Ireland. Not a sentence people expect to hear… In fact, it happened in Galway, the day that was drab in the morning, hence the lack of proper sunscreen.

It always happens when you don't expect it. The day that doesn't even feel too sunny or when you don't even expect to be outdoors really, otherwise you'd be prepared. The last time I got sunburnt it was half-cloudy and not hot at all.

 

[Purple_Fronds]

Nice! I hope you’ll get lucky with the weather! I visited London for the first time in 2023. It was really hot (for me) most of the time.

I’ve been to the UK and Ireland a couple of times, spent there about 3.5 weeks combined, including 3 days in Manchester in November and 5 days in Scotland in November (different years). I’ve yet to experience the classic rainy and windy weather. There was a short but strong shower when I was in Belfast, but it only lasted about 15 minutes so it doesn’t really count. And it was a little gray and drab for a few hours in the morning one day when I visited Galway. Otherwise it’s been mostly sunny and pleasant.

I’ve never gotten as badly sunburnt as I did in Ireland. Not a sentence people expect to hear… In fact, it happened in Galway, the day that was drab in the morning, hence the lack of proper sunscreen.

I’ve started to suspect the bad weather thing is a myth.

I’m not so sure it’s a myth as much as its expectations, the British are indoctrinated early on to believe that their weather is bad. Of course what it mostly is, is unpredictable, as you soon realize when you start to travel beyond the holiday main stays the climate is actually quite mild. For me personally this time of year it’s more the grey and darkness, never the less I’m excited to spend time in London, it’s just such a phenomenal city but them I’m biased.

 

[EdwardsOtherSide]

Nice! I hope you’ll get lucky with the weather! I visited London for the first time in 2023. It was really hot (for me) most of the time.

I’ve been to the UK and Ireland a couple of times, spent there about 3.5 weeks combined, including 3 days in Manchester in November and 5 days in Scotland in November (different years). I’ve yet to experience the classic rainy and windy weather. There was a short but strong shower when I was in Belfast, but it only lasted about 15 minutes so it doesn’t really count. And it was a little gray and drab for a few hours in the morning one day when I visited Galway. Otherwise it’s been mostly sunny and pleasant.

I’ve never gotten as badly sunburnt as I did in Ireland. Not a sentence people expect to hear… In fact, it happened in Galway, the day that was drab in the morning, hence the lack of proper sunscreen.

I’ve started to suspect the bad weather thing is a myth.

It's what Galway tourism office says to expect.

I had similar experiences in Seattle. All the warnings are to expect rain every day, drive only a few minutes east of Seattle and you are in temperament rain forest, and the big arts festival is call "The Bumbershoot" (local slang for "umberella"), but I remember a lot of pleasant, sunny days.

 

[EdwardsOtherSide]

Planning my biennial pilgrimage to New Orleans for an eating tour.
In addition to trying new restaurants (Arnaud's and Casamento's are at the top of the list), revisiting old favorites (Muriel's, Mulate's, Croissant D'Or, and others), riding street cars (St. Charles Ave through the Garden District is beautiful), and ship watching, I will pay my respects at the site of that atrocious incident on New Years.

I will go after Mardi Gras. The Crescent City is fun enough without that madness.

 

[Strixaluco]

I'm doing just a little travelling this week, visiting my friend(s) in a town 2h away by train. Not expecting to see much else than what I can see from the window of the public transport, though...

 

[EdwardsOtherSide]

I'm doing just a little travelling this week, visiting my friend(s) in a town 2h away by train. Not expecting to see much else than what I can see from the window of the public transport, though...

2 hours on a train can be a lot of things. ICE or IR? Along the Rhine is very different from along the Hudson River or through the mountains. .
To be fair, 2 hours on the regional train (not ICE/IC equivalent) from NYC headed south is more depressing than not.

 

[Strixaluco]

2 hours on a train can be a lot of things. ICE or IR? Along the Rhine is very different from along the Hudson River or through the mountains. .
To be fair, 2 hours on the regional train (not ICE/IC equivalent) from NYC headed south is more depressing than not.

Neither, it's R on the way there, IC back home. The route is the same both ways though, and I know it so well that I don't spend much time looking out of the window unless the weather is especially pretty. The scenery is ok, but mostly not special.

 

[EdwardsOtherSide]

Neither, it's R on the way there, IC back home. The route is the same both ways though, and I know it so well that I don't spend much time looking out of the window unless the weather is especially pretty. The scenery is ok, but mostly not special.

Ah, bummer.
Thinking about the upcoming New Orleans trip; two hours on the St. Charles Street Street cars (trains, loosely speaking) takes you past some of the most beautiful houses in the United States.

Okay, the prettiest part is only about a half hour of the ride, but it goes past several locations that are in the middle of Anne Rice's books.

 

[Purple_Fronds]

I'm doing just a little travelling this week, visiting my friend(s) in a town 2h away by train. Not expecting to see much else than what I can see from the window of the public transport, though...

I have a train ride planned too, I love the train

 

[cascadiabound]

Headed to London myself, quite looking forward to it, despite the awful weather.

Safe travels!

 

[cascadiabound]

Ah, bummer.
Thinking about the upcoming New Orleans trip; two hours on the St. Charles Street Street cars (trains, loosely speaking) takes you past some of the most beautiful houses in the United States.

Okay, the prettiest part is only about a half hour of the ride, but it goes past several locations that are in the middle of Anne Rice's books.

I hope you aren't going this week!
Just got pictures from some friends in NO showing them standing in snow with huge flakes coming down! Cray cray!

 

[EdwardsOtherSide]

I hope you aren't going this week!
Just got pictures from some friends in NO showing them standing in snow with huge flakes coming down! Cray cray!

Lol! No, planning on New Orleans in the second half of March.
Friends there have shared pictures.
4"/100mm in a day when you haven't had snow in 15 years or more is brutal.

They are going to run out of Tony Chachere's for the roads.

 

[Strixaluco]

Ah, bummer.
Thinking about the upcoming New Orleans trip; two hours on the St. Charles Street Street cars (trains, loosely speaking) takes you past some of the most beautiful houses in the United States.

Okay, the prettiest part is only about a half hour of the ride, but it goes past several locations that are in the middle of Anne Rice's books.

Well, you might see my train ride differently, of course... Foreigners often do But i know so many pretty sceneries in my country that I am picky.

I have a train ride planned too, I love the train

It's my preferred method of travel. More relaxed than by road, and I can knit without motion sickness.

 

[EdwardsOtherSide]

It's my preferred method of travel. More relaxed than by road, and I can knit without motion sickness.

Same here, especially between Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington DC (about 700 km overall); what is referred to as "The Northeast Corridor". Elsewhere in the US isn't so good.

 

[Purple_Fronds]

Same here, especially between Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington DC (about 700 km overall); what is referred to as "The Northeast Corridor". Elsewhere in the US isn't so good.

I’ve done that trip many times and just love it, there’s very pretty countryside and the stations are cool. It’s also just way less hassle than flying.

I don’t mind admitting that the nerd in me likes reading about iconic train trips. I’m not much on the specific of the train etc. just the journey and the views.

 

[seela]

Rough plan for the trip to Slovakia has been made.

Bratislava, Košice, Trenčín, and one day in Vienna before the flight back home. What to do besides visiting those cities is still a bit up in the air, because I have so many ideas and places I’d like to show J, but time is limited.

I’m so glad this trip will finally happen. I can’t wait!

 

[Purple_Fronds]

Sounds fabulous, only been to Vienna once but really enjoyed it, especially all the classical concerts around the churches. I haven’t been to the other places you mention, curious to know more

 

[EdwardsOtherSide]

Plane tickets & hotel reservations in hand for a few days of doing the eating tour of New Orleans.
Not an organized tour; just ordering a transit pass (for the street cars), and making a list of restaurants to eat at.
This trip will be a little more somber than previous as the New Years attack on Bourbon Street is on my mind.
One restaurant, Casamento's, has an extraordinary reputation. To get there from where I will be staying, I have to go past houses from Ann Rice's books & movies. This trip, I also intend to get to the Metaire Cemetery to look at sculpture,

 

[IrisAlthea]

Plane tickets & hotel reservations in hand for a few days of doing the eating tour of New Orleans.
Not an organized tour; just ordering a transit pass (for the street cars), and making a list of restaurants to eat at.
This trip will be a little more somber than previous as the New Years attack on Bourbon Street is on my mind.
One restaurant, Casamento's, has an extraordinary reputation. To get there from where I will be staying, I have to go past houses from Ann Rice's books & movies. This trip, I also intend to get to the Metaire Cemetery to look at sculpture,

It is a difficult side of being part one of those places where new people regularly flock, like tourist places, political centers, universities.
The show must go on and you are constantly among people who don’t share the history of the place.

 

[EdwardsOtherSide]

It is a difficult side of being part one of those places where new people regularly flock, like tourist places, political centers, universities.
The show must go on and you are constantly among people who don’t share the history of the place.

Well said.

Also, one of the reasons I never, never, never visit New Orleans during Mardi Gras.
(Although, Mardi Gras/Carnival/Fasching beats the heck out of Shrove Tuesday pancake suppers.)

The worst example of this I ever personally witnessed was Japanese tourists joking and laughing on the boat to the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial.